Page 132 of My Undead Love Life

I swallowed hard.

“She didn’t replace me with you,” he continued. “And me coming back doesn’t replace what she built with you.”

I searched his face for any hint of resentment or anger. There should have been some. If I had been him, maybe there would have been. But I found none of that.

“…You really believe that?” I asked.

He glanced down at her. She was snuggled against him without a care in the world, her breathing soft, her red hair with white streaks all over the place. One of her hands rested against his chest. Then he looked back at me. “I believe in her choices, and she chose you.”

My throat tightened so hard I had to look away.

Luck shifted beside me. “To be clear, you don’t want to kill us for being with your girlfriend?”

Keith let out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “No, Luck, I don’t want to kill you all.”

“That is reassuring.”

“Besides,” Keith said, “like I told you from the start, I can read people well. You three are good men.”

Mad crossed his arms. “That’s one hell of a trust in your gut feeling to toss your girl at three random men when zombies had been attacking.”

Keith’s mouth twitched faintly. “My gut has kept me alive this long. Spencer too.”

His gaze moved between us, lingering on Mad’s axe, Luck’s shovel, then my cane sword. “And yeah, I know. It was a big fucking gamble. But I also knew Spencer could take the three of you out if you tried anything. She’s a weapon on her own with that katana.”

I hummed. He had a point.

Spencer made a sleepy sound against his chest, and all four of us went still. Her eyes cracked open halfway. “Why is everyone talking?”

Keith brushed his hand over her hair. “Go back to sleep, wildflower.”

Her gaze shifted, unfocused and heavy with sleep, until it landed on me. “Oxi?”

My chest did something pathetic. “I’m here.”

She frowned faintly, like she heard something in my voice even half-asleep. Then she reached one hand out from under the blanket toward me.

I moved before I could think better of it.

Her fingers found mine, and she tugged weakly. “Come here.”

Keith shifted again, making more room. That surprised me enough that I looked at him. He only raised an eyebrow like I was the one being strange. He was probably right.

I lowered myself carefully beside her, still cold from the roof. Spencer immediately frowned and pulled the blanket higher over my shoulder.

“You’re freezing,” she mumbled.

“I was outside.”

“Why?”

“Bad decisions.”

Luck huffed quietly.

Spencer’s eyes narrowed with sleepy suspicion. “You okay?”

There it was. The question I’d been avoiding.