Cross My Hart and Hope to Die

Chapter 11

"What about you?" It wasn't the first time someone had asked me about my past. I usually shy away from the subject, but after Carlos bared his soul to me, I found it hard to brush him off.

"I was abandoned in a dumpster as a baby. Thankfully, I didn't just become another statistic. I was found and put into the system. I grew up in multiple foster homes throughout the state of Colorado. As soon as I turned 18, I made my way to Texas. Been here ever since. How did you and Chogan manage to get here from Illinois?"

Carlos shifted uncomfortably. "After we found my mom and sister, we stole a vehicle from our leader who had turned into a biter. Took us four days to get here. We just drove. Didn't matter what direction. We drove until it wasn't safe anymore."

We both fell silent. Carlos finally slipped his hand out of mine, probably growing uncomfortable with the mushy side of our conversation. "I saw the two of you, ya know."

"What do you mean?" I threw him a confused look.

"Right before the men walked down the road, I woke up and saw you and Chogan kissing in the backyard. I looked away, so I didn't see anything else." He flushed so much the tops of his ears were burning red, but I was probably right there with him. "These last few days, spending time with you, almost reminds me of my mom and sister, but I've known Chogan longer. He looked out for me in the gang, made sure what happened to him didn't happen to me, and he's been looking out for me since... ya know. Just, don't hurt him." He looked down at his lap. It was adorable. I almost smiled.

"I can't promise you that." He narrowed his eyes at me. "Because of my past, I don't do commitments. I don't trust. I don't love. For the first time in my life, I've found people I care about, but look at the world we now live in. I've seen people die, I've seen them get back up, and hell, I've killed some of them myself. Anyone of us could die at any moment."

"Anyone of us could have died at any moment before the vaccine happened."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Besides we're here." Carlos shut up and was immediately on alert as I pulled into the parking lot. I cut the engine but had the lights of the Jeep pointed inside the building. "I hate that we weren't able to stake the building out first, but this is the only chance we'll get. Are you ready?"

Carlos nodded his head. I gave him a flashlight and took one for myself. "I want you to take Cerberus and stick him inside your shirt. He'll help watch your back. He growls when there's a biter or someone he doesn't know nearby." Carlos was trying to shake his head and refuse, but I stopped him. "You've been beaten up and your sore. Your movements are going to be slower. Your reflexes slower. I won't let you die."

Carlos finally agreed, stuffing the dog down his shirt and grabbing his machete. We exited the vehicle and slowly approached the building.

There were already two biters shuffling towards the door, which was good and bad. It meant there was a chance no one had raided the store yet, but also that biters were lurking about. "We need to pry those doors open before the biters get to them so we have a chance at defending ourselves."

Carlos nodded that he heard me, and we rushed to pry the doors open. We finished with just enough time to raise our weapons and swing. Other than the two biters now lying on the ground with their brain matter splattered on the floor, nothing else approached.

I raised a finger to my lips and gestured which way I was heading in, grabbing a basket on the way. Carlos took off in the other direction. I headed straight for the medicine, grabbing peroxide, ointments, rubbing alcohol, I even tossed in meds for pain, colds, and other such problems we would encounter in the future. I paused at the vitamins. Benji and Carlos were growing boys, and none of us were getting the nutrients we needed.