by Tahnee Fritz
“Please tell me that’s not what it looks like?” I plead.
He shakes his head, “No, but it’s meant to.”
“Why?”
He swallows hard and takes another deep, calming breath, “It happened over a year ago. I was with this group in New York City holed up in an old house in the suburbs. I went out one day to get food and when I came back, they were gone. They took everything, my clothes and supplies, everything. I was left alone, so I walked into the city hoping to find a different group I could be with. A week went by and no one wanted to help a poor boy like me. New York is a horrible place to be alone in. It’s big and everyone there is mean and hateful. So, I figured if nobody wanted me around, I would just wait in an alley somewhere for death to find me. Something else happened and I thought everything was going to be okay.
“These two men offered me food and shelter and a place to sleep. I went with them and they lured me into a part of the old subway tunnel, I think it was a maintenance room or something. They gave me all the food I could eat and plenty of water. I thought I was going to be okay.”
“You weren’t, were you?” I ask, noticing his eyes turning red.
He shakes his head, “I should have taken a better look at them and listened to how they spoke before going with them. Once they lit a torch in that room, I noticed their pale skin and realized when they spoke, they weren’t human. They talked slower and really had to force some of the words out. By the time I tried to leave, they knocked me out with something and when I woke up, I was chained to a wall with my shirt off.” He looks away from me and sighs. “I thought they were going to bite me. I thought that’s how they did it to turn regular humans into vamps like them. I was very wrong.
“The vamps in that city are different. They’re smart and know how to act more human than most, like they adapted. They knew the human supply would run low eventually and they knew they needed to find a way to savor the fresh blood supply. So, they took a knife and cut this into my skin.” His fingers glide over his scar again. “They made it look like a bite mark in case I ever tried to escape. That way it looks like I’m one of them so others will try to kill me because of it. Those vamps cut me like this every day for months, letting just enough blood to flow out so they could survive.”
“That’s horrible. I never knew vampires were capable of tricking us like that or even being smart enough to not kill us and steal our blood a different way.” I say.
“I don’t think anybody does. Most of the time they just attack, but these never did.” He continues.
“How did you get out?” I ask, trying not to be too interruptive.
“They kept me down there for months, I think. Then one day, they took too much and I passed out. I guess they thought I was dead and threw me out into the tunnel. I woke up and realized I was free so I found my way outside and luckily it was daylight. That wasn’t enough to stop people from trying to kill me. The second they saw the mark on my shoulder, they thought I was one of them. Either a zombie or a vampire. I’ve been shot at, knives have been thrown at me numerous times. Every time I find a group who will allow me to travel with them, they end up seeing the scar and the attempts of murder start all over again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had my ass kicked over this damn thing.
“That’s why I was alone when you found me. Why I thought I would always be alone. No one understood this and no one wanted to give me a chance to explain. Then I saw you outside killing those zombies in the street. All I thought, was maybe she’s different. She could be the one person who won’t judge me because of this. I’m really hoping I was right about that.”
I glance from his eyes to his shoulder again. It’s remarkable how much it looks like a bite mark from one of those creatures out there. Even more remarkable that vampires are able to come up with a plan as devious as that. Tricking humans to follow them to their secret hideout and stealing their blood without killing them. That is shear brilliance on their part. Makes me wonder what else they are capable of.
I move my eyes back to his and see the tears building up. I know he’s waiting for me to say something. The pained look in his eyes gives that away. He went through something I could never imagine. Being a prisoner of a monster, not knowing if they’ll ever kill him or just leave him chained to that wall forever. I can’t be the one person to judge him based on something bad that happened to him over a year ago.
“I’m glad you told me that. That couldn’t have been easy.” I say.
“It wasn’t.”
“People are idiots. They don’t realize that you’re not something bad and assume you’re a monster based on a scar. I know it looks like something a zombie or a vamp would do to you, but even if you never told me that story, I would always know that you aren’t one of them. You’re a good guy.” I say.
He smiles, “Thanks, you don’t know how much that means to me. Especially hearing it come from you.”
Here come the butterflies again. That nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach is starting to surface and my lips are quivering. Is this one of those moments where I realize I could fall in love with this boy? Is this when I realize that I truly care about someone with a horrible past, someone I just met a couple days ago, and I don’t want to go anywhere on this planet without him next to me? There’s a good chance this is one of those moments.
Ryder leans forward and brushes my bangs behind my ear. He stares into my eyes and my breathing quickens. Without saying a thing, he closes the small gap between us and presses his lips onto mine.
He’s kissing me.
My first kiss.
Better yet, I’m kissing him back.
This will be that moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life as the only time I’m ever grateful for those damned scientists who developed the cure five years ago. This moment wouldn’t have happened without them.
The storm outside is getting worse, but the feeling I’m getting when I look at Ryder is getting even better. When he pulled away from me, breaking our kiss, those feelings only got more real. I feel like I can’t let anything bad happen to him ever. I can’t let him leave me and I don’t ever want to leave him. From the very instant our lips touched for the second time, my mind was made up about what my plan is going to be when we make it to Des Moines. Even if I hate it there, I’ll never find it hard to stay as long as I’m with him.
We’re still sitting on the bed, staring at each other. Neither of us have said a word since our last kiss came to an end. I can still feel his lips against my own and I never want that feeling to go away. The rain pounds against the window and I glance toward it. The sun has completely set and I’m sure most of the city is safe in their homes for the night.
As I watch the rain hitting the glass of the sliding doors, an idea pops into my head. This hotel doesn’t have too much running water and it’s been a while since I’ve taken a shower of some sort. The rain might not be the best choice, but it seems like a fun thing to do.
I slide off the bed and pull the hair tie from my hair letting it fall on my shoulders. Next, I lift my shirt over my head and toss it on the floor with my boots, then begin unbuttoning my jeans. I slide them down over my legs and pull my socks off along with them. I lose my balance a little bit, but keep my cool and laugh at myself. I can feel Ryder’s eyes staring at me, wearing nothing besides blue panties and a pink colored bra. I admit, I feel extremely naked in front of him, but it’s the most I plan on letting him see of me for the moment.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
I face him and shrug, “Can’t you tell when a girl wants to take a shower?”
“How are you planning on doing that when this place doesn’t have water?”
I point to the balcony, “I’ll compromise.”
I walk to my bag and reach inside for the bottles of soap. I carry them to the French doors and slide them open. The cool air feels good against my skin and rain splashes on the carpet at my feet hitting my toes.
I smile at Ryder and say,
“You can join me, ya know. I have plenty of this stuff.”
“Are you saying I stink?”
I shrug, “Maybe. Maybe not.”
I back out onto the balcony and set the bottles on one of the white, plastic chairs sitting outside. The rain water is slightly cold, but not enough to ruin anything. I let it fall over my body, soaking my underwear. It feels good to wash everything away. The pain I feel over missing my father, the sadness I felt for Ryder after he told me his story, but the good feelings remain. Those are never allowed to leave.
Inside our room, Ryder slowly pulls himself from the bed. He’s still shirtless, so he steps out of his pants and leaves them in a pile on the floor. His red boxer shorts are all that’s left as he comes waltzing outside to join me. He shakes his head and smiles when the cool water caresses his skin.
“You’re a little crazy, Bridget.” He says.
I shrug, “I know. You can blame my dad for that one. He taught me everything I know.”
He laughs, “It has been a while since I’ve felt clean, even though this rain water can’t be too great.”
I reach for the bottle of shampoo and squeeze a little in my hand. Ryder holds out his and I give him some as well. I set the bottle back down, then scrub my hair with the oceany-smelling shampoo. Ryder does the same and I watch the bubbles run down his body. They flow against every curve of the muscles on his chest, right down to his feet. Another feeling is starting to take over as I watch him wash his body. His hands move over his chest and stomach, then down to his legs. I bite my bottom lip and realize my hands have stopped moving. Every inch of him is beckoning me in ways I’ve never felt before.
“You okay over there, Bridge?” he asks.
I quickly nod my head and go back to work on cleaning my own body. I can see his eyes staring back at me, watching my hands move through my hair. They drift down the entirety of my body and he moves closer to me. The way his wet hair covers his forehead, I can’t seem to take my eyes off him. His gorgeous hazel eyes and unforgettable smile. The muscles of his tan chest and stomach. All the way down to his bare feet as they stop a few inches away from me. My breathing quickens and I look up into his eyes. That feeling I’m getting is growing and I’m finding it very hard not to touch him. It’s really hard not to grab onto him and force his lips against my own. I guess he can’t find the strength to control himself either. He reaches out and puts his hands on my waist, moving them up and down my stomach and back, massaging the sudsy bubbles into my skin.
“I’ve never met anyone like you before.” He says as he stares into my eyes. “I know it’s only been a few days, but I can really see myself falling in love with you.”
I give into whatever this feeling is. I put a hand on the back of his neck and pull his face to mine. I press my lips against his and close my eyes tight. He kisses me back, holding me tight in his arms. The rain falling on our heads is just a mere annoyance as we hold each other. His hands run up and down my spine. I wrap my arms around him, no part of me wanting this moment to end. A million zombies and vampires could show up and they still wouldn’t be enough to break us apart.
Nothing could.
I can’t shake this out of my head. Whatever this is, it’s different than anything else I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve never wanted to be with someone more than I want to be with Ryder. Not in whatever way my body is wanting to be with him.
Things are really getting heated between us. We can’t keep our hands off each other. Our kiss is getting stronger, the French kind with our two tongues massaging one another’s. Whatever this feeling is inside me has changed into a sort of ache to be even closer to him. Something I can’t control and he’s totally feeling the same thing. We move back into the hotel room, out of the rain. We don’t even make it to the bed. He trips over something on the floor and both of us topple over with me on top of him. Our lips remained locked together and the warmth of his body sends playful shivers up my spine. Ryder holds me tight as he takes control and rolls over to be above me.
I realize things are going from just a simple make-out session, to something I know will be more complex. I’ve never done anything like this before and my mind has no idea where to even start. My body is craving him, wanting him in a way I never thought I’d ever want a man before. It’s a really good feeling, but my mind is still nervous.
I force myself to stop the kiss and he stares down at me thinking something’s wrong, “Are you okay?”
I nod and swallow my nervousness, “I’m good, it’s just,” I sigh, “it’s just that I’ve never done this before.”
He smiles, “Neither have I, but I know that I want this more than anything. I’m glad it’s going to happen with you.”
“Me too.”
“Good, now stop talking and kiss me again.” He orders.
We fell asleep in each other’s arms. All I could dream about were those intense, sensual moments between us. Everything was perfect. He was so gentle and amazing, I never wanted that time to end and neither did he. Then he held me in his arms as we lie on the floor. I’ve never felt safer with another human being. Don’t get me wrong, my dad was always there for me and always made sure I stayed alive, but there’s something more to Ryder. Something that makes the sadness in my life go away for more than just a few seconds. He’s the kind of person who can make it go away forever.
He smiles at me when I open my eyes in the morning. The rain has stopped and I can hear birds chirping outside on the balcony. I can still smell the rain from last night on his skin and in his hair. I smile back at him and tuck my arm under the white pillow. He kisses my forehead and strokes my hair. My heart flutters when his hand touches my shoulder.
“Good morning.” He says.
“Yes it is.” I say with a smirk.
He props his head up with his arm, “I never thought I could be this happy. Even when the world outside is hell, you make things better.”
I shrug, “So do you. You make this place a little more bearable. You make me almost forget about the monsters out there. I never thought it would be possible to ever feel like that.”
“Me neither,” he says, “so, again, thank you for saving my life even though you didn’t know you were saving anything besides yourself.”
“I’d do it again.” I say, then lean forward and kiss his lips.
I close my eyes and a flash from last night comes to my mind. The feel of his naked body against my own, the taste of his kiss on my mouth. I could spend the rest of my life with him.
I open my eyes and pull myself away from him. I yawn then sit up in bed. The white blanket still draped over me. I look to the window by the balcony. The sun is shining again as rain water drips from the eave above the window. The sliding glass doors are still open and I can smell the fresh air blowing in from outside. I run my fingers through my hair and feel my stomach growling. A nice breakfast would do us both good, then we can plan our next move. To anyone else on the planet, this city would be the perfect place to settle down and be safe forever. I don’t know if that’s what I really want to do just yet. I plan on staying with Ryder no matter what our decision will be. If we choose to stay, I know it won’t be long for me to miss life on the road. I’d miss the thrill of killing zombies and vamps. And, yes, I’d even miss the constant threat of death looming over my head.
I know, I’m a little crazy.
I turn my head to Ryder and smile, “We should probably get dressed and get something to eat.”
He nods as he sits up next to me, “Sounds good to me. A nice meal of anything would be great right now.”
I slide to the edge of the bed and reach for my bag sitting on the floor. My new set of clothes is packed neatly inside and my boots are sitting on the floor next to the bag. Ryder’s is right next to mine so I pick it up and toss it to him. I grab the clothes from my bag and start getting dressed. I found a nice pair of dark blue, skinny jeans that fit just perfectly. Not too tight and easy to run in. The shirt I found is a plain blue
V-neck that looks great over this white tank top I got as well. It feels nice to be wearing new, clean clothes for once. After I put on a new pair of socks, I slip my boots on and zip them up. Then I grab my brush from the bag and get to work on detangling the mess of hair on my head.
I walk into the old bathroom so I can see myself in the mirror. There’s just enough light shining in from the window in the main room for me to see. There’s something different about my reflection this time. I look the same, with the same cuts and bruises and scars. The same freckles flow across my nose and the same brown eyes look back at me. What’s different this time, is that I don’t look sad anymore. I may have lost everyone I care about and I miss them more than anything else in the world. My heart aches with how much I miss them sometimes. As I look at myself in the mirror, it would appear like I haven’t lost anybody. That my life isn’t shot all to hell because of the zombies and vampires.
I look happy and relieved.
I feel happy and relieved.
I guess I have Ryder to thank for all of these feelings. He’s the only thing I have in my life right now and the only person having any effect on what goes on in it. I need to stop gushing over him and the way he makes me feel. I’m sure there’s at least a hundred other people with the same feelings about someone they are in love with. I can’t possibly be the only one.
I let out a sigh, then take the brush to my hair. Since I was able to wash it last night, it really isn’t that much of a pain to brush. It isn’t even all that frizzy either. Wavy and a little wild looking, yes, messy and out of control, not so much. Still, I take the hair tie off my wrist and go about pulling it back into the infamous ponytail.
“Don’t do that.” Ryder says as he walks into the bathroom.
I turn my head toward him and ask, “Why? I’ve always worn my hair back.”
“I know, but it looks really good down.” He replies. “I mean, you look good either way, but I like how it looks today. You should keep it down.”
