Page 89 of Claimed By Ruin

“It’s just…that…”

“Yeah?”

She smiled, then shook her head, seeming almost nervous. “It’s kind of ridiculous, but I never thought the apocalypse would, A) happen and B) be so goddamn boring.” She looked at me, an eyebrow arched, trying to gauge my response.

I laughed until my eyes watered. “What, you mean you didn’t expect intense moments of fearing for your life to be punctuated by seemingly unending stretches of brain-melting monotony?”

She chuckled. “Yeah, exactly.”

We shared another laugh, and then she reached out and pointed at a small stool in the corner. “Why don’t you go have a seat and put your feet up. I am excellent at organizing, one of the few talents I have, actually.”

“I thought Jack didn’t send you out here.”

“He didn’t, but I’ve been watching. You need to take it easy. And I need something to do.”

I laughed, and handed her the notebook, but I didn’t go back into the house. Instead, I settled on the stool, one of Aunt Kathleen’s from the kitchen that had been repurposed, and watched her as she cataloged.

We stayed there in surprisingly companionable silence, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question I’d devoted far too much time to. “How’d you end up with Dante?”

Her hand stopped, the pen scratching on the notebook. Her shoulders tensed ever so slightly, and I was immediately on alert.

“I’ll let you in on a little secret. Jack wasn’t always a farmer. If you’re afraid of Dante, you can stay here. We’ll protect you,” I said.

She laughed, some of the tension in her eyes softening. “There is a story there.” Her smile shifted. “And no. I’m not afraid of Dante, and I don’t need protection. This arrangement is beneficial for the both of us. But thank you for caring.”

I arched a brow at her.

She laughed again. “It’s complicated.”

It was my turn to laugh. “I get it.”

She smiled at me, but then held my gaze a moment longer.

“Well, I’ll let you in on something myself,” she said.

“What’s that?”

“I didn’t start in obstetrics. I went to med school for psychiatry and I minored in psychology in undergrad. It looks like you have something on your mind.”

I stared at her, my face frozen somewhere between a smile, a grimace, and an outburst of tears. I blinked, waited, then let myself say the words that I didn’t dare.

“I’m scared.”

“Of course you are,” she said like it was nothing.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a scary process, but your body knows what to do, and I’ll be here every step of the way,” she said.

“Yeah, but…” I sank back against the chair, my mind running in a million different directions.

“It’s fair to be worried, but the way I see it,” Miranda said, “dead people are walking around. You can handle life.”

Asia

“Finally deciding to sit down?”

“Don’t start,” I said, laughing at Jack.