“No electricity or a shower for days?” Daisy muttered to Jay, and my restraint snapped like a rubber band.
I whirled around on my heels and glowered at her. “Are you kidding me, Daisy? They’ve gone out of their way tosave our lives,and you still find a way to complain about it.”
Her mouth fell open before she closed it and scowled. “Just because you don’t care about personal hygiene doesn’t mean—”
“Idocare about personal hygiene, but I recognize that our lives are more important than going a few days without a shower! Why can’t you ever see the bigger picture?” My voice raised before a louder moan echoed back, and then several moans started to be heard from the forest.
“Maybe you two shouldn’t be trapped together in a treehouse,” Nathan muttered.
“Tori, you’re welcome to stay in our cabin with us,” Micah offered.
“That’s a great idea,” Spencer answered.
“Couldn’t agree more for once.” Daisy huffed.
“Hey, now—” Dad started to protest, but I turned back to the two men offering me their cabin.
“I’d love to. Thank you.”
Both of their faces relaxed, and they seemed pleased that I took them up on their offer—which solidified the decision.
“Tori, they’re twomenyou don’t know,” Dad stated the obvious.
I opened my mouth to defend my decision, but Nathan stepped forward with a gentle smile. “I understand that, sir. But your cabin is right next to ours so you’ll be able to look out the window and see Tori whenever you want. She will be safe with us. I promise you.”
Dad’s scowl softened slightly, and Benjamin spoke before he could. “My son would never let harm come to anyone so long as he can prevent it.”
“I don’t like it.” Dad pursed his lips before focusing on me and sighing. “But I get it. As long as you’re sure, honeybee?”
“Yes, Dad. I feel safe with them as it is,” I admitted. “I need time away fromeverythinganyway.”
Jay flinched as Daisy smirked with an eye roll, but they didn’t respond.
“I handle keeping all the water clean, and all the treehouses have enough food and water to last a couple of weeks,” Benjamin explained. “We’ll have to go over rules after the horde passes for now, but just do not use the wood stove at night during the horde. If you must use it, do it during the day. Try not to bring any attention to yourselves as it passes through.”
“What about the horses?” I asked as Trigger kicked at the ground.
“They’ll have to go into the bigger shed. We don’t have much in terms of what horses need, but there’s enough we can throw together to help them survive the horde,” Benjamin explained. “We can do that now before I show you all the treehouses.”
“We’ll show Tori the treehouse,” Nathan said, and his dad nodded. “Everyone stay safe.”
I turned to my parents and gave them a hug before doing the same for my sister. “Stay safe. I love you guys.”
“We love you,” Mom murmured. “You be safe.”
“I’m sorry,” Jay interjected, running a hand through his hair. “But isn’t it a dumb idea to allow Tori to be locked up in a treehouse with two random men?”
Daisy shot daggers at him as I tilted my head.
“Three, actually,” Nathan corrected, and Micah snorted.
Jay blinked at them before frowning. “That’s not any better.”
“It’s better than having Daisy keep making passive aggressive comments at Tori,” Spencer pointed out, sticking her tongue out at Daisy.
“I assure you, your daughter will be safe with them,” Benjamin promised as the moans and groans of the undead grew closer, sending a sickly feeling down to my gut. “But we need to all be in the treehouses as soon as we can.”
“I want to stay with them,” I told my parents. “I’ll be fine. Less drama is better at a time like this anyway.”
