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“Yes,” Saff grunted, her irritation returning.
The smile ghosted over Maddie’s lips again, and it made Saff feel like she was losing a game she wasn’t even aware she was playing.
“It’d be safer if you were traveling with us,” Maddie said, the confident tone in her voice now back in full force.
Saff rolled her eyes. “Right,” she muttered. “Cause this guy seems like such a pro.”
Maddie’s smile widened now, and Saff watched her for a second, unable to look away.
“Even if he’s not as good as you,” she replied, “it's better than having no one. People would be less likely to mess with you, and you’d have an extra couple pairs of eyes to watch out for infected.”
She couldn’t really argue with that. Logically, no matter how she looked at it, Maddie was right about those two points.And maybe, really, she was right about the rest of it too.But still, the whole thing made her feel weary.
“I’m not prepared for a trip that far,” she said. “There’s stuff I would need back at the bunker.”
Maddie shrugged. “So I’ll tell them we need to wait while you go grab it.”
Saff watched her carefully, eyes narrowing. Maddie’s fingertips brushed against the sensitive skin on her wrist, and this time, for some reason, she felt like it was on purpose. Still, even if it was on purpose, it calmed her. Grounded her.
“I doubt they’d want to wait,” she said slowly.
Maddie shrugged again and smirked. “They’ll wait if I tell them to.”
Then Saff heard a noise, and her head snapped up in its direction. Someone—multiple people—walking somewhere in the store.
She looked back down at Maddie, who had also turned toward the noise.
Her brain ran through the options—each scenario one by one.
Leave now and go back to the bunker.
Or go with them.
The footsteps continued, gradually growing louder.
Maddie turned back toward her. Her hand had stopped moving, but it was now holding firmly onto her wrist, like a tether keeping her in place.
Leave.
Or stay.
Her dad’s angry voice spit venom in her head.
Don’t be weak.
Maddie’s hand tightened on her wrist.
The footsteps were louder now. Maybe only one aisle over.
She swallowed away the sick feeling in her stomach.
“Okay. I’ll go.”
An instant smile spread across Maddie’s face. It was different from the one she gave her when she was teasing her. And it was also different from the smile she still couldn’t quite figure out.
This one was just—happy.
Carter came around the corner, and Saff’s head snapped up toward him as she instinctively put a hand on her rifle.