“And is that someoneyou?”I question.
To my surprise, she shrugs, like she’s actually considered it. “A guy like Madix is always going to have his asshole moments. That’s just who he is. He doesn’t intimidate me, and when I think he needs a push, I’ll push back. But when I think he needs to just be, I’ll leave him to it.”
“Sounds like you figured him out pretty quickly.”
“I’m intuitive. I get people.”
“People don’t usually get us,” I admit.
She looks over at me again as we continue to trek through the woods, the quiet rumble of Theo and Madix’s voice behind us. “People don’t usually get me, either,” she replies. “So I guess we have that in common.”
She sounds incredibly sad all of a sudden, and the tone of her voice sends a punch straight to my gut. I want to ask her what she means. I want to ask her what has her sounding so alone. But before I can, she takes a deep breath, like she’s shedding whatever memory had her so down. “Alright, Zombie Food,” she says louder so that she can address all of us. “We can get to Endstone by lunchtime tomorrowifyou can keep up with me,” she teases. “I want to take a hot shower, sleep in a comfy bed, and have a hot foursome. Not necessarily in that order. I’m flexible. In more ways than one,” she adds with a wink.
If she was trying to distract me and get me not to ask her questions about her previous statement and mood...then she’s smart as shit, because it worked. I’m too distracted now that I’m thinking about her showing us exactly how flexible she can be, especially when she adds a pep to her step and starts to jog away from us, her ass and tits bouncing nicely with each step.
“Hold up, let’s talk more about this flexible stuff,” Madix says with a wicked grin forming on his face,finallysnapped out of his bad mood.
“Yeah, Remi,” Theo adds, quickening his step to fall in line with her. “I think we’re gonna need a demonstration.”
I’ve been worried that we’ve been pushing Theo too far with his leg, but my worry turns to amusement when he catches up to her and smacks her on the ass, earning a squeal of a giggle from her. Of course, because she’s Remi, she reaches around and then smackshimon the ass in retaliation. He tips his head back and laughs, making Madix and I join in.
Theo turns back to look at us with the smile still on his face, and it’s nothing but sheer joy, free of all the pain and stress that’s usually polluting him, and it tugs at my soul. This is one of those moments that I know I’ll never forget, because right here and now, I realize what the three of us are, and it’s something we haven’t been for a really long time. Happy.
It’s funny—with her, we finally feel alive. Too bad the world is dying.
18
Remi
When Endstone finally comes into view, I have a lot of mixed feelings. Relief, anticipation, uneasiness...and yeah, a little anger, too. I try to shove it all down as deep as I can as we look down from the top of the hill. We’ll hit town limits as soon as we make our way to the bottom. We’re all tired, but we’re faring better than I thought we would be, and I’m looking forward to not living out of a backpack or sleeping in a tent anymore.
I’m also glad that the guys can stop eating those damned canned beans, because I can do without the ass acoustics. I swear, once one of them gets started, another joins in, like it’s some damn competition to make it the loudest and grossest they possibly can. I don’t get why dudes think it’s so hilarious to let out a butt belch. Next time one of them does it, I’m going to give them a purple nurple, because that’s how you gotta handle things with three dudes sometimes.
Puddles rubs up against me, and I run my hand down her spine, massaging as I go. She nudges me forward, and I smile down at her as I pat her head. “You sure I can’t just stay on this hill for a little longer?” I ask her. She cocks her head at me and gives me a look that makes me snicker. “Damn, Pud. No wonder you can keep those boys in line.”
“She’s talking to the dog,” I hear Madix gripe to the others.
“Yeah, and you have a damn opossum on your back,” Theo chirps back.
I grin at the look on Madix’s face when he turns his head to glare at Coon who’s perched across his shoulders. She’s using the top of the backpack as a pillow, and her tail is dangling down his chest. “Damn thing latched onto me,” Madix complains. “If I move her, she’ll attack. Maybe not today, but I get the impression she holds grudges.” He glares at a content and sleeping Coon. “I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night to find she’s trying to remove my face, or anything else,” he gripes. “Can you guys take the rats though? They keep trying to hump her, and it’s freaking me out.”
We all laugh and earn a murderous look from Madix. “I’m not touching her boyfriends. I’m with you on that whole grudge thing,” Brant confesses, giving Madix and his shoulder companions a wide berth.
“Little fuckers need to learn that there’s a time and a place, and that my back is neither of those things. Horny little bastards,” Madix grumps.
Theo tosses me a rakish look. “I know the feeling.”
I feel my body flush with heat—not from embarrassment, because I don’t get embarrassed about sex. Just pure, unadulterated lust. Desire heats me up better than an open fire.
When I feel fingers thread through my own, I look over and find Brant beside me. “You okay?” he asks, and I love him a bit for that. People might think that he’s not as present just because he tends to be quieter, but it’s not true. Brant is just in his own head a lot. Sometimes that means he’s being tortured with his memories, and sometimes that means he’s just observing.
I give him a tentative smile. “Yep. I’m right as a woman.”
He cocks a blonde brow. “I think the saying is,right as rain.”
I scoff. “That’s silly. Women are rightwaymore often than rain. My saying is better.”
He opens his mouth, but then promptly closes it again because...I’m right. I rest my case.
