Serendipitous

32.

My eyes fight sleep while I continue keeping my gaze on Shane, I'm afraid even if I blink for a moment that he might disappear. Our fingers intertwine while we quietly walk back into the cave, I don't want to lose him again. Shane doesn't even have to suggest if I'd want to sleep in his room tonight— It was never a question. The room he's staying in his a few inches bigger than my own, his room has a bed, an old wooden desk, and some journals scattered on them. I take a seat beside him on the bed, my once aching chest doesn't hurt so much now that he's here with me. I need to know what happened, how did he find me— More so how did he find this place? While my eyes trace his prominent jawline, the darkness of his sleek waves.

"How did you find your way here?" I ask in a clearer voice which surprisingly isn't as croaky from the amount of crying I'd been doing. Shane turns to look in my direction.

"The night the farm was overrun, after I got you in the truck I went inside the house to look for Carl. I tried looking under the beds, anywhere. I thought he was hiding maybe, when I came back outside everyone was gone," He pauses for a moment before looking down at the ground as if remembering it all.

"So I ran, I stayed in the woods until I made my way to the roads. It's not so hard sleeping in a car, you get used to it after a while I guess. I tried to look for all of you. They found me after a month, I was on road and they took me in. I thought I'd check here, they said they'd rescued groups of people before so, and I was right"

"Carl was right, he said you wouldn't give up looking for us. Everyone except him seemed to think I was grieving or just delusional" I pause for a moment while trying to process these emotions of the reality that Shane actually is here. "They all thought you were dead— Even if they wouldn't admit it to my face" I look down at my lap trying to erase that horrible memory. Shane rests his hand on my own, when my eyes look back up to meet his, he speaks again.

"They didn't see me, I'm sure it was easier to think that than to realize I had been lost from the camp. It's not their fault" He admits truthfully, part of me wants to still feel angry or smug even at the ones who thought Shane was dead and I was delusional.

"I'm so sorry..." I breathe out, "I tried to go back, but my dad quite literally carried me to the car once I realized they weren't going to go back" A small frown indents between my brows.

"Don't be sorry, I had already left the farm by then. It would have only hurt you more to go back and not be able find me" He brings his lips to my forehead kissing me gently for a moment.

"How many days have you been here?" I ask.

"Just today, but I don't plan on leaving" He smiles giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

"You're really here, aren't you" It isn't a question but a statement, one that I'm still trying to convince myself of. Shane smiles crookedly at my words before our eyes meet again.

"I'm not going anywhere, even when I lost you I found my way back to you" He soothes, "I'll always find my way back to you"

When morning comes, my eyes snap open while I jerk my head to my side. My heart drops when I realize Shane isn't in my bed, I quickly rush out of my room while my eyes scan my surroundings.
"Shane?" I call out, a few others in the field that are harvesting vegetables turn to look at me, they exchange a few pity glances. They all must think I'm delusional at this point but I don't care about that. When I hurry down the stone hallway I run into something hard but I look up to see Shane.

"You alright?" He asks, my eyes go to his left hand, he's holding a cup.

"Yeah, I just— I woke and I didn't see you so..." I admit sheepishly.

"Sorry, I just needed something to drink, come one let's go get you something to eat. You've become so thin" He states placing his arm around my waist while we begin walking. He's right, I've lost so much weight since I last saw him, if I had a mirror to see every inch of my body I'm sure I'd be horrified. My stomach grumbles hungrily and I realize I do in fact have a appetite this morning, that's unusual for me but a good thing. When we make it to the dining hall, my parents are already seated and eating with Carl. As soon as Carl looks up to see me, his blue eyes widen as well as a big grin forms on his face. He immediately stands to his feet and runs to Shane before hugging him tightly.
"You're really here!" Carl exclaims. My parents glance at each other with wide eyes, my dad stands up from his seat, faltering for a moment to greet Shane. Shane fondly smiles down at my brother.

"See Molly, I told you he'd be back" He smiles happily, I can feel the corners of my lips turning upward.

"Shane" My dad greets pulling him into a momentary hug. "I'm glad you're back"

"The walkers couldn't keep me" He shrugs with a lighthearted expression, "I'm glad to be back"

"We didn't think we'd be seeing you again..." A hint of guilt can be heard in my father's voice but Shane nods his head understandingly.

"I guess we both know what it's like to feel that way now" Shane responds with empathy in his tone. We all thought my dad was dead, I wasn't even sure if the rest of my family had made it when they bombed Atlanta. But just like I found my dad again, Shane found us.
We spend the morning eating breakfast together with my dad and Carl, my mom remaining distant and quiet until her plate is empty. She gets up from the table and swiftly walks out of the dining hall. Noah walks by her the opposite direction, his eyes flicker to my direction and then to Shane's arm around my waist. He looks confused for a moment before realization flashes across his features, Noah turns his gaze away from us and grabs a plate before piling food onto it. Shane and my dad continue their conversation on the cave and how everyone has something they do here, I turn my head away from the chatter to see Noah standing across from me at the table. His eyes connect with mine while he gives Shane another brief glance before quickly turning his attention back on me.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Noah asks tenderly. My brows raise before I blink a few times to make sure I'm not dreaming, to remind myself that Shane really is here. Shane and my dad focus their attention on Noah now.

"Good, thanks" I give him a polite smile.

"I see you've got your appetite back" He adds giving me a crooked grin.

"Oh, yeah" I say in agreement, my eyes glance to Shane's face for a moment before I realize I haven't introduced the two of them. "Oh, uh, Noah I'd like you to me Shane. Shane, this is Noah, I met him here at the cave" The two share an awkward gaze while Noah tries his best to force out a rigid smile, Shane gives him a silent nod. Noah glances at me for a moment before turning to look back at Shane again, his eyes glance down to Shane's arm around my waist. I blink when his grip suddenly tightens around my waist, his hand sliding a inch lower to the mid section of my back. Noah narrows his eyes for a moment before he turns his face back to me, his expression slightly softening.

"I'll see you around, Molly" He says calmly.

"Oh, okay" I give a small smile before Noah turns and walks away.

"How come he didn't sit with you today? You guys always have breakfast together..." Carl asks curiously. My cheeks suddenly feel slightly warmer at his unexpected words.

"Uh— Well maybe—" I try to figure out what I can say to make Carl's statement seem a little less infamous. It's not like Noah and I had a relationship between the two of us, we are merely two friends. He kept me sane while Shane was away, he didn't act like I was crazy for believing Shane would one day come back either.

"I'm sure he just wanted to spend some time with his other friends today" My dad responds with a smile to Carl who nods seeming to drop the matter.

"Right" I nod in agreement.