The Town of Last Haven: A Zombie Novel

Part 21

Not much was said at dinner--afterwards, too. Everyone just gravitated into the living room to chat, but then the sounds of car horns were heard in the distance--sounding like a crash--so everyone was put on-edge at that point.

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Clarise asked an already nodding Natalie. Not long after, one by one they all went upstairs, Luke checking the locks on the windows and the barricaded doors as Julia got out from the hall closet a throw pillow and blankets for Tanner--he would be sleeping on the living room sofa. Tanner watched Julia intently, Luke hating every silent thought Tanner passed Julia's way, but remained silent himself.

"If you need anything, we'll be upstairs." Julia smiled softly. "I don't think you'll need us though. Those doors hold pretty well against the wanderers."

Luke moved closer to Julia, taking her hand in his. "Don't let the wanderers bite," he said--a play on words from 'don't let the bugs bite.' Tanner offered a low groan with an eye roll, then watched as Luke and Julia headed up the stairs.

The two didn't stop till they were in Luke's bedroom with the door shut behind them. Then Luke pulled Julia into his arms and kissed her hard on the lips. Her hands traveled up his back and she held onto him tight--as if he were the oxygen she craved.

"I hate the way he looks at you," Luke said between kisses with Julia. "He watches you with such intent... like he wants to be me."

Julia stopped kissing Luke for the briefest of moments, then moved to peel off her sweater and boots. "He wants me, I know that. I don't want him like that. Luke, you don't need to worry about Tanner stealing me away. You're the only one I want, the only one I love like that."

Luke slammed his lips on Julia's with a bruising kiss. The two moved to the bed, neither knowing how they truly made it there, then resumed kissing frantically with desire and need--great need.

Soon enough, Julia's blonde hair was left in a tangled mess, Luke's hair sticking out in all directions. They lay beneath the bed sheets propped up on pillows, Julia's head against Luke's shoulder with her hands on his bare muscled chest.

"Is that proof enough that I love you?" Julia smirked. Having sex and making love were two entirely different things. Julia only made love to Luke. Only love, only Luke. She kissed his lips, dry from winter's chilled kiss.

"Proof indeed!" Luke stated proudly. Julia laughed, curling up closer to Luke.

All of this was so wrong--the apocalypse, the death, the destruction, the missing-in-action family and friends, but Julia didn't feel guilty for breaking the law 'one more time,' as it were, with the whole fling-thing with Luke. It wasn't really a fling--she genuinely and deeply cared for him with every fiber of her living being.

Julia sat herself up in the bed, pulling on Luke's shirt over her head to act as a dress. He could see every curve of her body, every detail. It was clear he liked it, and Julia was quite impressed with the reaction she was getting out of him.

"Shall we take on an all-nighter?" Julia pursed her lips into a kiss. "We can skip the schoolwork, but I have an assignment for you."

Luke laughed, and Julia smacked him with a pillow. She snuggled herself up against him and loved his warmth, his heat. He pulled her into a loving embrace and made love to her again--silent as the grave, as it were.

"Damn you, Luke Wallace." Tanner Evans couldn't hear Julia's moans from downstairs, but he could hear the squeaking of the bed frame and movement from upstairs. He knew what was going on, wanted to stop it, but he just stayed silent and still, hatred erupting from all pores in his body. "You're fucking the girl of my dreams, and you think you can get away with it? I'll kill you for that."

Tanner Evans was a psychopath on the verge of breaking--God help Luke Wallace when that flame came to life. Tanner would kill Luke when the time came right for him to act--all to take Julia Brown for himself. A selfish act, but he was blinded by it all when his mind came to the thoughts of Julia.