It was probably at least an hour after Bronx’s watch had ended and Nick’s began, that I heard the noises.
I sat up and looked around the room. The others wide-open, fear-filled, glassy eyes were shining in the candlelight.
“What is it?” I whispered, and Jamie sat up.
His eyes moved around the room as if he were searching for the answer. “I think it’s just the wind.”
I jumped when I noticed Nick’s shadow looming in the doorway. His hands were gripping the door frame as if he were trying to hold the building together.
The wind howled and every board that had been used to build the gas station cracked. I couldn’t see Nick’s expression, but I could see the nervousness in his glowing eyes.
He exhaled sharply. “You guys should see this.”
Chapter 12
Danny, Jamie and I followed Nick and Bronx through the darkness to the large window at the front of the building. Everything outside was dark, and though I knew the cloud was still out there, I couldn’t see it, at least not until Nick held up the candle.
The particles inside the cloud swirled frantically around as the wind whistled and howled loudly. It was almost as if the cloud was alive, like a bloodthirsty wild animal.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Danny muttered. We all turned to him, and he shrugged. “What? I haven’t… have you?”
We all shook our heads. Jamie placed his hand on his chest, and I quickly turned to him, placing my hand on his shoulder.
“You okay?” I asked and Nick and Bronx both turned.
“Yeah,” Jamie said forcing a smile. “I’m fine, just having flashbacks maybe.”
“Get him in the back room,” Nick said, and I nodded.
Jamie didn’t argue or insist that he was fine, he accepted the help placing his arm around my shoulder and walking with me to the back room. I could feel that this time Bronx didn’t have his eyes on me.
Nick and Bronx started mumbling about sealing the cracks underneath the doors with plastic bags. The second we stepped inside the storage room, I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could hear them moving about.
Jamie sat down on his blanket and looked up at me. “I’m fine, really I am.”
My lips pressed together tightly as I crossed my arms.
“Don’t look so worried,” Jamie said. “I promise you, I’m okay.”
I wanted to believe him, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was saying what he knew I wanted to hear. He was saying the thing that wouldn’t worry any of us.
It wasn’t long before the silence between us shattered into a thousand little pieces. Monica’s screams sliced through the air as she begged for someone to help her.
I ran to the doorway and peered inside. Blair and Shannon were at her side trying to calm her.
“What’s going on?” I asked as I heard movement over my shoulder. Nick and Bronx were running toward us to find out what was going on. I looked at Nick as he approached. “She just started calling for help.”
Monica turned toward the door. Even in the darkness, I could tell her bulging eyes were red.
“My feet!” she screeched. “Please!”
Nick pushed past me and knelt down at Monica’s side. She looked at him with desperation in her eyes as she shook her head.
“Why aren’t you helping me?” she said.
“Get my flashlight!” Nick said over his shoulder and before I could move Bronx was already at the backpacks.
He fumbled around for a few seconds before he stepped between Jamie and me to enter the room. Bronx clicked the flashlight and aimed it at Monica’s feet.
Shannon started untying her shoes, and Monica bent forward at the waist, gripping the side of the sofa as she let out a painful cry.
“Oh my God!” she howled. “Just leave them, leave me alone.”
Nick placed his hand on her shoulder. “We can’t help if we can’t see what’s causing you so much pain.”
“I don’t care! I don’t care! Just stop touching me!” Monica cried.
Shannon ignored her and pulled off her shoe letting it drop to the ground. When she started tugging at Monica’s sock, her face scrunched up.
“Noooo,” Monica said her voice vanishing into nothing as her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back on the sofa.
Shannon quickly pulled her fingers away from the top of the sock. She rubbed her hands vigorously on her jeans.
“What is it?” Nick asked, his eyes narrowed.
“There’s something wrong,” Shannon said, the shadows in the room danced on her face. She looked up at Nick, swallowing hard. “I can’t get her socks off… they’re… they’re… umm.”
She couldn’t finish.
“They’re what?” Nick’s voice was soft.
“They’re stuck.”
“Stuck?” Bronx asked shaking his head as Blair leaned closer to Monica’s feet.
Blair shook her hands like she was warming up for a boxing match. She stood and grabbed some tissues off of the desk, covering her fingers before taking in a deep breath.
Shannon shook her head rapidly. “I don’t know if you should—”
“I’m doing it,” Blair said wincing as she dug her fingers under the hem of the sock.
Monica’s arm went limp and dropped off of the side of the sofa.
Blair peeled the sock, stopping when the fabric was near her ankle. It was more than enough to see there was something very, very wrong.
The light flickered briefly as Bronx tightened his grip on the handle of the flashlight.
“Holy shit,” Blair said taking a quick step back.
“Oh my, God,” Shannon said covering her mouth with her hands for a moment before dropping them back down to her thighs. She wiped them more vigorously on the rough fabric. “What’s happening to her?”
Monica’s flesh was black and blue as if her foot had been hit with a sledgehammer. The veins were slightly raised and swollen, protruding out of the flesh.
“What should we do?” Shannon said, her voice a higher pitch than usual. No one answered. “We have to do something to help her!”
Nick shook his head, it was clear he didn’t know what to do. “We have a first aid kit.”
“A first aid kit?” Shannon squeaked.
Monica started moaning. Her head rolled back and forth on the sofa armrest. “Just cut them off.”
“Well, I’m not doing that,” Nick said patting her hand.
“What are you going to do?” Shannon asked as she stood. She crossed her arms and stared at him.
Nick glanced at me and then at Bronx. “I… I don’t know. I’m not a doctor. Maybe she just needs to rest. Elevate them.”
“Right, that’ll fix them right up,” Shannon said with a sharpness to her words.
“I’m sorry, Shannon,” Nick said. “I’ve never seen anything like this before, have you?”
“Of course I haven’t,” Shannon said.
“I’ll go find her some pain relievers. I’m pretty sure I packed something,” I said, my voice trembled. I was nervous that I might piss Shannon off more than she already was and I didn’t really want to do that. At least not at the moment.
As I walked away, I heard Shannon mumble that they wouldn’t be in the mess if they wouldn’t have tagged along with us. She wasn’t sure why she’d agreed to it.
I found the bottle in my pack and when I turned around Shannon was standing behind me. My voice felt as though it had gotten stuck in my throat.
“Thanks,” Shannon said grabbing the bottle out of my hands. “I think you and your friends have probably done enough.”
“Shannon,” I said keeping my voice calm, “I’m sorry this is happening to Monica, but it isn’t our fault.”
Shannon looked me up and down before turning away from me. It wasn’t long before Bronx, Jamie, Nick, and Blair joined me in the storage room. Even Blair didn’t want to be in the same room with them.
“My turn for wat
ch,” Jamie said as he walked by.
“It’s almost morning,” I said.
He smiled at me. “I guess my turn will be short then.”
“We’ll be taking turns throughout the day too,” Nick said.
That was all that was said until the sun came up. Not that it was easy to tell when that happened in the storage room, but in the main room, the light found a way to brighten the blue cloud.
Throughout the morning Shannon and Monica whispered on and off. I could hear Monica frequently complaining about her foot. It seemed to alternate between unbearable pain, and her not having any feeling in her feet at all. Perhaps the pain medicine was helping, or maybe it was just how the poison worked.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Jamie. If Monica’s foot had turned black, what had happened to Jamie? His respiratory system had been affected but had that been all?
At the end of his shift, I marched into the main room and grabbed his hand. Blair rolled her eyes at me as I hauled him toward the women’s restroom.
“Get a room,” she groaned, and it surprised me just how easy it had been to ignore her.
Once we were inside, I locked the door and turned to him. He was smiling, but confusion filled his eyes.
“What’s going on?” Jamie asked.
“I’m worried,” I said staring at his chest.
“We all are,” Jamie said raising a brow.
I shook my head. “Take off your shirt.”
“That’s an unusual way to deal with worry, but I can’t say I’ll complain.”
“No, seriously, take it off.”
All traces of his smile disappeared.
“Why?” Jamie asked.
“Did you see her foot?” I said pointing at the door. I turned my finger and pointed it toward his chest. “I want to make sure that isn’t happening to you.”
“I told you I’m fine,” Jamie said.
“Well, then prove it,” I said taking a step closer.
Jamie’s eyes moved down and then back up to meet mine. His face lacked emotion as he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it over his head.
There wasn’t a single speck of imperfection on him. Jamie’s body was absolutely perfect.
“Well?” he asked, and I swallowed hard.
“Nothing there,” I said, and he turned toward the mirror. He looked himself over as if wanting to make sure for himself.
Jamie turned back toward me, his chest rising as he drew in a breath. He reached out and grabbed my hand placing it on his warm, silky chest.
“I told you,” he said looking directly into my eyes. “I’m fine.”
Jamie let go of my hand, but I held it in place. I took a step closer, unable to look away from him. I should have walked away. I should have left the room, but I didn’t.
I slid my hand down his chest, my fingertips gliding over every inch of his smooth skin. The outside world vanished, and I wanted to keep it that way.
Jamie’s hand cupped my cheek, his thumb moved softly over my skin as his other hand slipped around my waist. He pulled me closer, so close my body was pressed against his.
He exhaled slowly. “I’ve wanted this moment for so long… I’m not going to screw it up, not this time.”
The temperature in the room rose, and in an instant, his lips were on mine.
Chapter 13
Every fiber of my being tingled with a heated excitement that threatened to scorch my insides. I felt like I was at the top of a roller coaster about to plummet down toward the ground below.
Jamie’s lips moved down my neck as he pressed himself into me. My breath hitched at the feel of him. I curled my arms around him, holding onto him so tightly my fingertips felt numb as I dug them into the muscles of his back.
His mouth moved hungrily over my skin, erasing every memory of the outside world from my mind. Jamie slid his hands down my sides, stopping when he reached my hips. He lifted me off of the ground with ease, turning me, and lowering me down on the countertop.
I twisted my fingers into his soft hair as he kissed up and down my neck, devouring me as if I were a delicate piece of fruit… the last of its kind. My body melted into his as I wrapped my legs around his hips, arching my back and allowing my body to fill with the heat of the moment.
I felt intoxicated. I felt free.
Jamie’s hand glided up my body, roughly cupping my breast. I bit my lip and tilted my head back allowing myself to enjoy the pleasure of his touch. He grabbed the hem of my shirt and yanked it up over my breasts, kissing every inch of exposed flesh.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” Jamie said in a low voice filled with desire. His words made me feel weightless, and the only thing I could think of was just how badly I needed him.
I reached down and undid the button on my jeans. Together we worked to get them off of me, letting them fall to the floor with a soft thud. Seconds later, Jamie’s pants made the exact same noise.
He grabbed my hips and pulled me close to his body. A gasp escaped between my parted lips as I felt his skin against mine.
When he eased himself inside me, my head fell back uncontrollably, and I grabbed him tighter. I was afraid if I let go, I’d float right out of the building and into the dangers looming around us.
He rocked into me holding me tighter with each movement. It was as though he was afraid I might just disappear.
“Oh, God,” I whispered. “Don’t stop.”
“Never,” he said back in a breath.
He let out a soft groan as his lips hungrily moved across my jaw. His body was hard… tense as he thrust himself deeper and deeper, filling my need and satisfying his own. I moved closer wanting him more and more.
It was an intense desire that was unbreakable. We wanted each other desperately. The truth was, I needed him. Oh, dear God, I needed him.
Jamie grabbed my breast, thumbing my nipple through the thin, silky fabric of my bra. It was enough to drive me to the edge, and there wasn’t anything I could do to stop myself from falling down into a cool pool of ecstasy.
“Oh, yes,” I said, pressing my mouth against his shoulder to muffle my words. My pleasure crashed down around me like fireworks exploding through my body. He groaned, and we rocked as one, letting the intensity of the moment slowly crumble away bringing me back to reality.
I felt recharged, but at the same time slightly saddened when I remembered the world that surrounded us. Jamie and I were in a gas station bathroom… trapped inside by a poisonous, mysterious cloud of disease, and probably death.
I looked down away from Jamie’s eyes, but his fingertip touched my chin, raising my head, forcing me to look into his eyes. His eyes were glassy and filled with both happiness and worry.
“That was amazing,” he said placing a soft kiss lightly on my lips. He held his mouth to mine for a long moment before taking a step back to pick my jeans up off of the floor. He handed them to me, cocking his head to the side as he looked into my eyes. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, of course,” I said swallowing down the lump at the back of my throat. “You were amazing.”
“As were you.” He grinned. “But I can tell, something’s wrong.”
I shook my head. “What makes you think there’s something wrong.”
I hopped off of the counter and quickly pulled on my jeans. He buttoned his pants as I was straightening my shirt.
“It’s in your eyes. Something is on your mind.” Jamie looked at the floor and the back at me. “I just want to make sure I didn’t somehow manage to fuck things up.”
“No, no, of course not,” I said as I looked around the room. “It’s just that… well….”
Jamie nodded. “This isn’t at all how I imagined it would be, but it doesn’t really matter where we are as long as we’re there together. Someday, I promise you a much better location.” He smiled at me although it was a fairly weak smile. “I guess I just couldn’t help myself. You do that to me.”
“You’ve imagined it?” I said with a quest
ioning look.
“Yeah,” Jamie said lowering his voice as he cocked his head to the side and leaned closer. “Haven’t you?”
Shit.
What was I doing?
He reached out and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in for a gentle hug that didn’t help me feel better. The problem wasn’t the bathroom, in fact, that barely had crossed my mind.
I screwed up.
I should have backed away.
Things shouldn’t have gone as far as they had.
I took a step back. Now, I was the one sending mixed signals, and I didn’t feel very good about it. I cared about Jamie… a lot, but I shouldn’t have let this happen. Not until we had things figured out. Everything figured out.
Bronx was still on my mind, and the last thing I should be thinking about after being with Jamie was another man. I was a terrible person. But did it even matter? Did any of it matter?
Bronx had made things clear, and even if he hadn’t, I probably wouldn’t have stopped the moment.
If the red sky hadn’t come, neither Jamie nor Bronx would have given me the time of day. They hadn’t given me the time of day. The only reason things had changed was because I was here. I’d survived.
I’d lived next to Jamie for a long time and not once had he asked me out. Instead, he was busy having a casual relationship with Blair. That was his type. Blair. Girls like Blair. Not me.
“We should get back out there,” I said taking a step back toward the door.
Jamie eyed me, suspicion filled his eyes. “You’re sure everything is okay?”
“Yeah,” I said with a smile that felt off center. I took a quick step closer and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. For a split second, I could see on his face that he didn’t believe me. In fact, he was probably assuming he’d done something wrong. But he hadn’t. He’d done everything right. The problem was me.
“See you out there,” I said as I turned to leave the room. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked toward the door.
I walked through the main room feeling the warmth of my pink cheeks, but Blair didn’t even bother to look in my direction. I wasn’t going to feel bad about what had happened. In fact, I felt great about it. Jamie was amazing, and if things were different, I’d be daydreaming about the next time. He was sweet, perfect, but I was the one that had made a mess of things because I shouldn’t have let it happen. Maybe I was selfish.
The Red Sky Series Box Set Page 23
