The Town of Last Haven: A Zombie Novel

Part 40

None of them slept the rest of the night. Julia, Natalie, and Jake went to gather all the guns and ammunition in the house, leaving Austin to watch over Trent and Clarise.

Opal was with them too, sticking by Clarise's side. She was whimpering throughout the night, and when Clarise was curled up on the sofa crying quietly to herself, it was Opal who jumped on the sofa with her to rest her chin on Clarise's leg. Clarise hugged Opal, then cried into her black coat. Trent was in the doorway watching this unfold. He didn't know what to say or do, but then he thought of their mom and dad. Their mother would hug Clarise; their dad would tell her it would all be alright; so that's exactly what Trent did.

Trent moved to sit on the sofa with Clarise. He hugged her, and she turned to sob into his chest, Opal's chin still resting on her legs. And Trent whispered to his sister that they would be safe one day. Safe forever, but he didn't mention they'd be safe dead.

The survivors in their small town were all awake before sunrise, all of them readying themselves with guns in preparation for the horde's arrival. If they were to go down, they'd not go without a fight.

The sun was just peeking over the walls circling the town, the dawn red. Natalie was in the living room now, looking outside at the sky. And Jake came into the room, sliding his arms around her lovingly. "They say: red sky at night, sailor's delight."

"And what do they say about dawn?" Natalie asked in a hushed whisper.

"Red sky in morning, sailor's warning," said Jake in return. He held onto Natalie tighter now, and she could feel his heart beating out of his chest behind her. She turned from the window and looked into his beautiful brown eyes.

Jake was so handsome--even now, with his hair messy and his nerves shaken. Natalie slid her hands up his chest, feeling his heart beating against her palm with a thump-thumping sound, and she felt eerily calm. And she wondered if this was the way her mother felt when she realized her father was the one for her.

"Natalie, I will give my life to protect you," Jake said slowly. "If my death means your chance for safety, then I will willingly walk to my death." Jake looked into her brown eyes with such love and devotion. Natalie knew what he was going to say next.

But she said it first.

"Jake Hayden, I love you," Natalie whispered, hands touching his stubbled cheeks before rising on her toes to kiss him on the lips--her first kiss.

"Natalie Brown, my heart, my soul, my everything--all of myself belongs to you." Those were words Natalie never expected to hear from anyone, but Jake said them to her.

She loved him.

And he loved her.

And she'd not go another minute without saying she loved him and knew she loved him from the deepest depths of her very soul.

This was real.

They kissed, and Natalie had not felt more alive than ever before. It didn't even feel strange that she was on the verge of death--as everyone was--just before having to face the dead rising against them.

"I love you." Words so perfect, so immaculate. They kissed again and again, neither of them wanting to kiss anyone else for the rest of their days together.