“He died four years ago. Your mother was left as the ringleader, the only one Crownwell trusted,” Locke says.
“We should try and help them,” Reese adds in. “The Juliets. Maybe we can help them.”
The men all share a look before the Marine at the door politely disagrees. “If you want to survive, it has to be here in this bunker until the Juliets die off, which for them will likely be less than twenty-five years. We have plenty of food and water here to survive for that long. I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but those of us here are a good group of people and we’ll get through this. There are more of us here, many with wives and kids. As hard as it is to believe, we’ve built a life here,” Locke says.
I look at Reese and offer her a smile. “I think we’ll be okay here for a while...you and me.” I place a kiss down on the top of her head, holding her a little tighter. I didn’t think I’d end up with this girl in the end, and I didn’t think I’d come out of this alive, but hope is in front of me and I’m not letting it go. If living with her means living in a bunker, I’ll take it.
When I pull away to gauge her reaction, a sad but small smile tugs at her lips. “I hope I don’t turn out like the other Juliets, you know, after the toxin doubles in my bloodstream like Locke said. You’re protecting yourself and your families from them, but aren’t I what you should be afraid of?”
No one has much to say because while it’s true, she is a different circumstance...kind of. The level of threat she offers is less than half of what the other Juliets offer...we think. At least for the time being. I can take care of her, help her. “No,” I say before anyone else has the chance to say anything. “You’re not one of them. Not even close.”
“Look, we’ll do weekly testing, psychological and physical. It will help us with research and who knows what else it can be helpful for down the road?” the medic says.
“No, no,” Reese says. “I should live out there with the others. Plus, it always bothered me how Juliet ended up being the reason for Romeo’s death. Maybe I can change that. Now I can be the reason Romeo lives. I’ll be the selfless one, the hero, maybe I can make a difference out there, help the other Juliets. Right?”
“Enough of this bullshit. I’m alive, and I’m not going anywhere,” I tell her. “So, enough with the poetic crap. That was my mom’s psychotic bullshit with no truth behind it. Going out there is more or less walking toward your death, which is exactly what Juliet did. So, that proves your theory very wrong. If you want to help someone, stay here and be with me. I love you. Isn’t that enough?”
“I don’t want to hurt any of you,” she says. “Yes, Sin, I love you, and that is enough, but if I ever hurt you, I would never ever forgive myself.”
“Hon, you’re like ninety-five pounds soaking wet,” Locke says. “I think we can take you down if need be.”
Everyone around us has a good laugh, but I’m not laughing. She’s serious and so am I. “Don’t leave me,” I plead with her.
“Can I have some time to think about this?” she asks. I don’t understand what there is to think about. “I need to be okay with my decision in putting your safety at risk. Didn’t you hear him? I could have the desire to act on cannibalistic traits.”
“Take all the time you need,” Locke says. Each of them leaves us alone in the lab, space and time for me to plead with her to put aside her insane thoughts of going out to live among the Juliets. “Oh.” Locke pokes his head back in. “If you choose to stay, the apartment you stayed in last night is yours.”
Even though they have left us alone in here, Reese stands up and walks to the door and out of the room toward the direction of the apartments. “Reese, stop. Talk to me,” I shout after her. She doesn’t, though. I can understand she may have a hard time swallowing everything that has happened today, this past week, this past month, these past five years, but in no way could she want to march to her death right now. That I don’t understand.
She finally stops and turns toward me, sprinting wildly into my arms as she throws hers around my neck. Her lips meet mine and the pressure of her kiss tells me she has made a decision, but I still don’t know which way it’s going to go. For the sake of her life, I hope it’s to stay here with me. It has to be to stay here with me.
When our lips part, she pulls away an inch or so and looks directly into my eyes. “I’ll be gone when you wake up in the morning, but Iwillcome back. I promise.”
“No,” I say, choking up. I don’t cry, I don’t get emotional, I just shot my parents point blank and I felt nothing, but there is a tear burning down my cheek right now. “I can’t be without you. I have never loved anyone or anything the way I love you, and I don’t think I can honestly live a day without you or with the thought of what might happen to you if you leave. I will get down on my hands and knees right here in the middle of this godforsaken hall and beg you to stay if that’s what it’s going to take. Tell me what I can do to change your mind, and I will do it. If you leave, then everything we went through to survive, to finally be together, will all have been for nothing.” My begging doesn’t seem to have any effect on her. Why, though? This isn’t the Reese I have known.
Again she gives me her small smile, the pity in her eyes. “Sin, I love you too. I love you more than I’ve loved anything, and that is why I’m doing this. Please understand that I’m doing this for you.”
“That’s bull and you know it!” I yell through a cracked shout. “Why do you always have to be such a fucking pain in the ass, Reese?”
She laughs softly. “Why do you always have to be such an asshole?” She ends the conversation with that and continues in the direction of the apartment.
