Running out of Time
Olivia
We steer far awayfrom towns for the next three days, none of us wanting a repeat of that night in the supermarket.
Instead, we choose to stay in tiny villages and on dilapidated farms at night, but our routine stays consistent; wake up just after sunrise, eat and prepare for a long day of walking—or riding, in my case—before hitting the road. We’ll stop a few times during the day to make sure that everyone eats and drinks or to scavenge for supplies. Then an hour before sunset we’ll look for a suitable place to sleep and settle down for the night.
And all the while, I’m failing miserably at keeping my emotional distance from these men.
It doesn’t matter that I keep our conversations away from personal topics like our lives before the world ended or our homes before we met. There’s just something about the way the guys interact with one another, how comfortable and in-tune they are that keeps reeling me in. It’s obvious they care deeply for each other.
I keep expecting them to treat me as an outsider, but they never do. Theo includes me in their jokes and teasing. Alex ensures I eat and stay hydrated. Hell, even Rhys includes me in his orders, treating me like he treats the other guys. For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere and it’s making it impossible to hold myself back from these amazing men.
Although not everything is sunshine and roses.
Nightmares still plague my sleep, and even when I try to stay awake, they lurk in the darkness, waiting to pounce. While they’ve been a permanent fixture in my life for the past decade, ever since that night in the supermarket, they’ve got worse. They’ve become more violent and terrifying. To the point I’m often jolted awake with a pounding heart and covered in sweat.
Thankfully, I haven’t woken up screaming yet and none of the guys have commented on it, so I must be hiding it well enough. But eventually, they’re going to notice how sluggish I am or the dark bags beneath my eyes. I’m not looking forward to that conversation, not if Rhys is his usual bull headed self.
At this point, I’m barely hanging on. I’m hoping that if I get tired enough, maybe I’ll fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. It’s worked before. But I wasn’t in constant danger before and I’m petrified my lack of sleep is going to cost someone their life.
“We should start thinking about where we want to spend the night,” Rhys says, breaking through my thoughts.
I look over at the sun dipping low on the horizon. We have less than an hour before the light fades and leaves us in the dark with the dead. A terrifying prospect. Even more now that I’ve experienced firsthand how fast and strong they are at night.
“That’s easier said than done,” Theo says as he glances around the deserted motorway that stretches out in front of us. “I haven’t seen a house or building for at least two miles.”
Rhys curses under his breath. “I knew we should have stopped at that cottage back there.” He turns his attention to the horizon. “Can any of you see any buildings in the distance?”
Alex and Theo make negative noises before turning their attention to me. I stand in my stirrups and squint, but all I can see is a sea of trees and the blank stretch of tarmac. No roofs, no buildings.
“Nothing,” I say as the reality of our situation dawns on me and my guts knot with dread. Shit, this is bad.Reallybad.
Judging from the grim expression on Rhys’s face, he’s come to the same conclusion. He presses his lips together and glances around, probably planning before he finally speaks. “We have two options right now; either we keep moving for the next half an hour and hope we find something. Or we find suitable vehicles to stay in for the night.”
I know which option I want.
“No cars,” I tell them while trying to suppress a shudder of horror at the thought.
Just the idea of being trapped in a small space in the dark with no way of escaping if zombies decide to attack is enough to make me nauseous. Even now, I hear the echoes of fingers scraping against metal and the inhuman moans of the dead from the last time I was locked in a car. And thanks to our night of horrors at the supermarket, that fear has doubled.
If we end up having to sleep in cars, I actually might go insane.
All three men swing their gazes to me, all of them with curious expressions.
“Princess, I think the car might be our best option,” Theo says slowly, carefully.
I shake my head. “There’s no way I’m sleeping in a car.” I don’t care if they think I’m some spoiled brat who refuses sub-optimal sleeping conditions. I’m not getting into a car for the night.
Rhys scowls. “We need to decide this as a team, princess,” he says, his tone tinged with frustration.
“Well, in that case, sweet cheeks, you guys can figure it out for yourselves and I’ll be on my way.” I urge Bean onward to make my point clear. Harlow whines behind, but I soon hear the telltale click of her nails against the tarmac as she trots after us.
Am I being a massive bitch? Yes, I am. Do I care? More than I should, considering I’ve only known them for about a week, but I care more for my sanity. Besides, splitting up will solve my impending problem of catching feelings for those three idiots.
Win, win all round, right?
Except Rhys grabs the reins before Bean can get too far and pulls her to a halt.
