[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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"Don't come in any further." Derek stopped Matt from walking past the foyer.
Matt was covered in blood, and the blood was barely old enough to be dry. He looked like he'd escaped a war zone.
Matt glanced at Thomas. "Is she here?"
"Matt, I'm okay." I walked into view.
"Oh my God, Casey. You're alive." Matt released a sob as he reached for me.
Both Derek and Thomas moved in front of Matt, blocking me from his view.
"Dude, no touching! Have you seen yourself?" Derek's bark sounded like he was about to kill Matt. "Better yet, you've seen she's alive. Now, get out!"
"Derek," I didn't want to step on his toes, but I couldn't just send Matt out there to die. I'd already done that once, and I couldn't do it again.
Thomas glanced at me before he jutted his chin toward Matt. "Say what you got to say, Sweetheart. I'm sorry to tell you this, but he has to go."
What did that mean? Matt was a cheating jerkface, but he didn't deserve to die for it.
"No. He doesn't have to go." I said. "I can't send him back out there to die."
"He could be sick, Case," Suzie whispered loudly as Mindy cooed.
Shit. I hadn't thought of that.
Matt's hands shot up. "I'm not sick. I promise. I came here because I had nowhere else to go. The dead are everywhere. I almost died getting here. Please don't make me go back out there."
"Look here, piss licker, you may not be sick right this second, but you have blood all over you, and your hands are soaked in it. Leave and get cleaned up. Come back tomorrow and show us you're not sick." Thomas's smoky eyes were full of rage.
I understood. In the days I'd been sick, they had been through a lot and I wasn't about to put us in danger because Matt wanted to come inside. There had to be another option.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Matt was suddenly pissed. "You have no idea what I did to get here."
Even though I felt sorry for Matt, I wanted to tell him that arguing with Thomas was a bad idea. They were the same height, but I had a strange suspicion Thomas could knock a guy out with one punch. Derek probably could too.
"Is Mrs. Walker still alive next door?" I glanced at Suzie, hoping she would know. They'd been looting, and I could only assume next door was their first stop.
Suzie shrugged. "I don't know, but the guys said no one was there, living or dead."
"Go next door, Matt." I jutted my thumb toward Mrs. Walker's house.
"What? You're choosing them over me?" Matt's eyebrows shot up. Why was he so surprised about this? He really had no clue, did he?
"I'm not choosing anybody. This is for the safety of my family. I nearly died, Matt! My parents are dead! Just go next door for one night and come back tomorrow. Clean yourself up. Eat something. I don't know what else to say." I threw my hands in the air.
