Guilt (A Zero Spin-Off)

TwentyTwo - Kyle

I laughed. The first real laugh I had in days. That Ella frowned, little wrinkles forming on her forehead because she hadn't expected that reaction. And it made me laugh more.

"I'm being serious, Ky." She was totally offended and I would have felt bad laughing if idea weren't so damn ridiculous.

"I know you are," I said, managing to sober enough to speak. "That's what's so hilarious."

"I can make it." She said with enough resolve in her voice that I stopped laughing. "I know the way. I can get there and back tonight and I don't have to put anyone else in danger to do it."

"There are zombies out there." Pointing out the obvious should have been enough to sway her. Instead of looking scared or admitting maybe she shouldn't go alone, Ella just straightened her shoulders and nodded as if she completely understood the risks.

"I can handle a couple zombies."

My lips twitch, but I don't smile because no matter how cute this confident, I-can-do-this-on-my-own thing she's got going on is, I don't like it. Any of it.

"You can't stop us from going with you, Ella."

She thought on that for a moment and I thought she'd give in, but she didn't. Instead Ella smiled like she had a secret.

"Actually, I can," she said, the challenge in her eyes and sexy as hell.

"Really?"

She didn't even blink at the doubt in my voice. "Yes."

Well, shit. I believe her.

"How?"

She opened her mouth but then snapped her lips shut and shook her head.

"So you can stop me?"

"Hell, yes so I can stop you. This is stupid. You aren't a stupid girl, Ella, but this," I threw up my hands up, "This is a stupid idea." I closed the distance between us, leaning down to her level. "You can't handle the zombies. You can't handle any of this by yourself." She drew back, hurt by the truth, but I didn't stop. She needed to get this. She needed to understand. "Hell, a couple days of walking gave you blisters so bad we had to stop for a week! You have frozen in fear more than once and nearly gotten yourself killed. If you'd been alone, you would have. Fuck," Stepping back, I ran a hand through my hair. "You wander off for ten minutes and are kidnapped by people stringing you up to a cross." Again, she flinched, but this time instead of looking hurt, she looked pissed. "Keeping you alive is goddamned full time job!"

"Then you're relieved," she said crossing her hands under her breasts. Her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed, she looked as mad as I had ever seen her and she was... firing me. Or damn well trying to. Looking up at the ceiling, I dragged my hands over my face praying for some semblance of patience because I was about to snap. I wanted to strangle her. I wanted to pull her into my arms and hold her close. I wanted to kiss the damn sour look off her face. Her eyes burned with fire as she stared me down, thinking she'd won. As if I would have just walked away because she thinks she fired me.

I did what I had been aching to do. Well, what half of me was aching to do anyway, and I reached out and cupped her cheek with one hand. Fighting didn't work with her. Arguing go me nowhere because if I'd learned anything it was that she wasn't reasonable when she was pissed. It would take a different approach. She didn't soften in her resolve, but I would get her to understand.

"That's not what I want," I said, keeping my voice quiet, gentle. Her scrunched up expression broke, just the barest amount. Enough that I knew she was listening and I needed to make her get it. That I wouldn't let her go off on her own. Not because I was bound by some business agreement, because I cared about her. I needed her to not die. I needed to not see her on another cross. "I need to keep you safe," I told her slowly. Her eyes softened just enough that I knew I'd gotten through, at least a little. And then because there was an opening and because I really fucking wanted to, I lowered my lips to hers.