Page 20 of Creepy (The Zombiepidemic #1)

“G et in here,” I called and let Wade inside. Locking the door behind us, I scolded him, “What the hell are you thinking with that light? You’re going to attract zombies.”

Click, he turned it off. “I know, I know. I only just turned it on. I heard something.”

Because I knew the way in the dark, I went to light some candles. “Probably just a critter.”

“It was bigger than that.” Wade came up behind me, trying to help. I guess he’d also gotten used to seeing in the dark, too. He took the candle from me and produced a lighter.

“Could be a bear.”

“I’d take a bear over a zombie.”

Wade’s face was lit up again as the wick caught fire, but this time I noticed how handsome he still looked.

Most men looked better as they aged, and Wade was no exception.

Though he had dark hair and eyes, and more scruff than I remember on his chin, his face underneath, his smile was boyish and noble like those actors who play superman.

But his eyes, they seemed rough, like he’s been through some shit.

He put his arm around my back. “Shouldn’t you be off your foot?”

“I suppose.” I let him help me to the couch. He’d carried the candle over and sat it on the coffee table in front of us. “Get the blind, would you?” I noticed I’d left it open, a mistake.

Wade walked across the room and back again to sit beside me.

I enjoyed the show, trying to decide which side of him was better.

It was a tie. He relaxed back into the cushions, so unceremoniously, and stretched out.

He made himself at home because sometimes this had been home for him.

I hadn’t seen him since he and Joey last came down for a visit about two years ago before all this mess started.

It was only fitting when my brother moved, he’d take his butt-buddy with him.

Growing up, Joey and Wade were inseparable.

Him being my brother’s friend always made him off-limits, romantically, if he, being a ladies’ man, wasn’t unavailable, already.

Not that he’d ever looked my way. Those facts had also made him irresistible to me.

We always want what we can’t have and all.

Well, I’d had a crush on Wade until I fell madly in love with Dillon, anyway.

Wade leaned in close and touched my lower leg. “Let’s prop this foot up.” He drew my leg up until my ankle rested on his thigh. “Doesn’t that feel better?”

I nodded and blushed as he platonically stroked my foot. Unlike my love for Dillon, my crush on Wade, unrequited, didn’t seem so far away anymore.

We sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment as I shot down every usual conversation opener.

Usually, I’d ask him how his mother was.

I knew they’d buried his mom in her backyard and didn’t want to bring it up.

He hadn’t asked. She’d not been too stable, anyway.

They were never on good terms. He had no other family in Creepy.

Or I’d ask about his work. He and my brother were both air traffic controllers at O’Hare International Airport.

Strike that. Or I’d ask about his band. He’d been in one here, and I’d remembered he’d put one together where he’d moved, and they played around Chicago.

I supposed bringing up more dead folk was a bad idea as well.

“Are you still playing bass?”

“Yeah, I brought my bass. You still... I’m truly surprised you’re still here.”

“Well, Papa got sick, so I didn’t evacuate.”

“Oh, I mean, yeah, I’m so sorry about your Papa. He was always real good to me. Let me stay here whenever.”

He paused. He didn’t need to go on and say when his mom was strung out. I knew.

“He was a good man.” Wade took my hand and a tear from earlier resurfaced. I’d already cried all I could for Papa. “Innocent, I’m so glad you’re here. You’re alive.”

Hearing my proper name felt strange. Only Papa and Joey used it often. But I supposed Wade had been in earshot when they did.

“Joey joked about it, but we couldn’t be sure we’d find anyone, but that’s not what I meant about being surprised you’re here.”

“Oh.”

“I was sure you were staying home tonight, so you could sneak off to rescue your friend on your own.”

I guess he did know me pretty well. “I’d love to, but it’s kind of hard to rescue someone with a bum ankle.”

“This guy, he’s important to you?”

“Yeah, I only just met him, but he’s a good guy.”

“Only just met him? I thought you two were together.”

I gently took my hand from Wade and wiped my eyes. “No, we aren’t together. Not like a couple. Not like that. I mean...” It took a lot of restraint not to come out and say we slept together. “He just showed up last week around the same time Arlo did. He saved me. He’s in trouble because of me.”

“What about Arlo?”

“What about him?” I studied Wade’s face in the near dark but couldn’t tell what he meant.

“He seemed clingy. He likes you.”

“Arlo’s nice. We are not together.”

“What about Dillon?” One eyebrow flew up.

I sucked in a breath, realizing where this conversation headed. “You know what happened between Dillon and me.”

“Yet, here you are, living in this whole damn town all by your lonesome while he has an army of madmen next door. You can’t tell me Dillon is completely fine with you being here on your own.”

“I think he would rather have me here alone than with anyone else. He and I are not together anymore. Why does this feel like an interrogation?”

“If I’m going to help you rescue your friend, I need information.

Besides... Well, I didn’t think you’d be alive.

I’m in shock.” Wade reached out and stroked a strand of my hair.

His eyes held that shock, I finally realized as he went on, “What a cruel twist of fate it would be if Arlo got to you first. When it’s I who’s always had eyes for you. ”

Silence.

Speechless, I gulped. I looked away and stared at the flickering light. How cheesy would it be for me to admit, I had a crush too?

When I didn’t speak, he persisted, “Just think I thought I might have to share you with Arlo or this other bloke.”

What the hell? His words gave me pause. Presumptuous, wasn’t he? “Share me?” My voice cracked.

“I’m only joking,” he said in a rush. Wade stumbled on his words.

“What I meant to say, is that I’m here and well, I don’t know how to put it.

I don’t know if it’s fate or what, but I want to date you if that’s still a thing.

If you’re willing. And if not, I want you to know I’m interested.

That I’d take care of you. Dating or not. ”

Stunned by his words, I asked, “Aren’t you with Mabel?” I’d assumed.

“Hell, no. Mabel, we aren’t actually related, but we might as well be. She’s my cousin’s cousin. And besides, she’s with your brother.”

“I thought Lucy was with my brother.”

“They’re both with him.”

“Okay... How does that work?”

Wade made an aspirated noise, implying it hadn’t worked well, but relented, “I guess there’s a new reality and the norms have gone out the window.

Don’t think bad of Joey. It was Lucy who wanted it, so her friend wouldn’t go without some.

.. protection. Might not have been the case if Arlo had been around all along.

Women are scarce from what I’ve heard and seen. ”

“So, I’m your only option?”

“No, but if you were, I wouldn’t complain. It was just that the four of us stuck to ourselves for so long, trying to not contract the virus. Women were honestly the last thing on my mind, but if I’d been interested in finding someone, I could’ve.”

“You all aren’t survivors?” I knew the answer from my conversation with Mabel but needed to know who was in danger.

“We all are except Joey.”

“Excuse me.” My heart sank. “Explain,” I demanded in disbelief.

“Your brother wouldn’t leave me while I was sick, the stubborn dumbass.

I told him he should go, evacuate to wherever would take him.

But he never got sick either. Just like the CDC said to, I locked myself in the basement, waiting to die.

But I didn’t die. Oh, I had wanted to. Once I was better and left the basement, I found out Joey stayed behind.

In his defense, they were burning entire neighborhoods. ”

“What?”

“Yeah, they told us to lock ourselves up and then burned down our houses.”

“That’s horrible.”

“Joey’s probably the only reason I survived.

After that, we went looking for my dad. He’d gotten out, as far as we could tell, but we ran into Lucy and Mabel across town at my aunt Milly’s house.

They both had survived, so forbidden to evacuate.

Since then, we’ve kept our bubble small to not risk Joey. ”

“What about Arlo?”

“Arlo showed up at a low point, and we invited him in. We were running out of food. We could’ve robbed him and left him to die, but that’s not us. We invited him to travel down here since he was a survivor too.”

“Poor Joey. He’s in danger here.”

“Maybe not. I was thinking since you survived, hopefully, this immunity runs in the family.”

“Is that what you’ve heard? Did the CDC say anything about that?”

“After the evacuations stopped, the updates stopped too. But word on the street is that survival is genetic.”

“It didn’t matter with my Papa.”

“Maybe your immunity comes from your mom’s side. Besides, I don’t think anyone over forty survives, no matter what.”

“So, Joey could’ve gone into a quarantine zone, whatever that is?” He still could.

“Quarantine zones are one step away from the past. Normal again. He could’ve but not with Lucy and Mabel.

And that’s another reason I’m here tonight.

I figure once they’re all asleep, I can go bust out your friend.

There’s no reason a pregnant woman and someone not immune should go tomorrow night.

I know Joey won’t listen. And Mabel, she’s too valuable to lose. ”

“Yeah, having a nurse around would be nice. What about Arlo? He could help.”

“He’s no count. I mean, he’s a smart guy, useful but won’t help in a fight, karate or not. It’s better if I go alone.”