[Teen and New Adult Zombie Apocalypse Romance]
"If you would've told me the last day of our peaceful existence would be a boring Tuesday in November, I would've called you an idiot."
High school senior, Casey Whitmore, is about to discover her life...
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The ride back gave me time to process the events of the night. None of us had anything to say.
The reverberation of rubber tires rotating over asphalt haunted the silent cab. I'm not sure what the guys were thinking about, but between Mike, Candi, and the kids, my brain was stuck on instant replay mode.
So yeah, fear was taking hold. Not only were we about to see a very sick Mitch, but Derek and I were about to head back to my house while Thomas stayed with his dad... grandpa... crap... how did I not know?
"Is Mitch your dad?" I'm sure there was a much better thing to talk about but damn, I needed to get my sanity back somehow. Basic questions seemed like a good place to start.
Peeling his gaze off the road, Thomas sent me a quick glance. "Stepdad."
"Mitch is a good guy." Derek pulled my hand off my bouncing knee and threaded his fingers through mine. Warm tingles rushed over me.
I tightened my hand. His thumb caressed mine. My legs calmed their bounce as I snuggled closer to Derek. "How do you think this illness spread so quick?"
"That's the million dollar question, isn't it?" Derek moved his foot alongside mine as I leaned my head on his shoulder.
"I wish we knew. I mean, I've been around sick people all night. We all have. Any of us could be sick." I know it was a hard truth, but it was better to face the truth head-on rather than run from it.
"There's one important factoid that's really bothering me." Thomas tapped the wheel, turning down his long driveway. "Was Mike alive or dead when I killed him? Because if he was alive and out of his mind, then I murdered a man. But if he was dead, which he very well could've been, then I killed a... zombie."
Goosebumps rippled down my back.
Zombie.
Thomas was the first of us to have enough courage to say it. I hadn't said anything because I didn't want them to call me crazy, but when Thomas suggested the idea, Derek and I couldn't fight his logic.
Derek stiffened as he studied his friend. "I think you should come back to Casey's house with us."
Thomas pulled to a stop next to Derek's motorcycle and shook his head, slowly. "No. I can't leave Mitch. He's done everything for me, Der. If it wasn't for him, I..." Thomas's eyes flicked to mine and landed back on Derek. "I can't leave him, man. You know that."
There was an important story behind Thomas and Mitch. Where was his mother? She wasn't a topic of discussion yet, and that told me she wasn't in the picture, but now was not the time open that can of worms.
As I struggled to understand the meaning behind Thomas's words, I realized we didn't have to leave them here at all. "Thomas, Mitch can come with us. There's space at my house. I know it's strange to go to my house since we just met, but I think Derek is right. We should stay together. For now, I mean."
