“I take it from your actions an’ the conversation in the kitchen that you two hooked up last night?”
“Like yes, we did. It wasn’t like the best sex I’ve ever had, but like it wasn’t bad. Five minutes before they walked in the door like he was in the kitchen trying to like get me back in his bed. The minute they like walk in, he’s totally done with me. He told me like my subscription ran out. Like what the fuck is that shit?”
“I’m sorry he hurt you.”
“It’s my fault for like buying into his bullshit.”
He nodded. “Yeah, but in your defense, he’s a world class player. Zach had him pegged when he ranted an’ raved to Candice about what a player he is. He sometimes promises girls everythin’ under the sun to get in their pants. Then makes up some excuse an’ moves on to the next. It’s like he won’t be happy until he’s slept with every girl.”
“Like why is he like that? Did he like have a bad childhood or something?”
“Believe it or not there’s a history to his madness.”
“Like I’m dying to hear this.”
“Not many people know this an’ please don’t tell ‘im I told you. He had ‘is girl he was crazy about. We’re talkin’ over the moon in love with this girl. He wouldn’t stop talkin’ about ‘er. They moved in together an’ he told all of us ‘at he was ready to get married. He wanted to have a couple o’ kids with ‘er an’ have the white picket fence, an’ the whole ordeal.”
“So like what happened?”
He sighed. “He caught ‘er cheatin’ on him with his best friend. So he lost his girl an’ his best friend at the same time. That’s hard on a guy. Since then he doesn’t fall in love. He guards his heart an’ he uses women. When he gets too close to one, he makes up some excuse an’ bails onto the next.”
“So like because one girl fucked with his heart like now he fucks with everyone else? Oh, let me guess. Like the girls he likes are the kind like Erica and… like… what’s her name… Amber?”
“Yep. He’s been known to get a little serious at times, but not many after her. Yes. It is always the drama queen. The harder the challenge, the more she challenges him, the more he wants ‘er.”
She nodded, sighing deeply. “He’s like a huge ass. He like used flattery to get to me last night after Brandon and Candice like hooked up.”
“I’m not.”
“I didn’t like say you were. Like I said Justice is an ass.”
“I know, ya keep talkin’ about Justice, but ya didn’t even look at me as an option for you to hook up with. I don’t know if you’ve noticed it or not, but everyone’s startin’ to pair off now.”
“Like, I didn’t know you even liked me.”
Rolling his eyes, he turned facing her. “I’ve been tryin’ to get closer to you since day one. Why do ya think I turned myself into your assistant when you’re cookin’? I was always helpin’ ya clean up the dishes.”
“I like thought you just liked to cook and clean.”
“No, it was my way of gettin’ closer to ya.”
“Well like you could’ve just come out and like said something you know!”
He shrugged. “I thought ya had a crush on Brandon an’ I wasn’t about to step on my boy’s toes like that.”
She blushed softly, looking down at the ground. “I didn’t like even know or things would’ve like happened a lot differently.”
“Well, now ya know. How about you an’ I start spendin’ some quality time together an’ see where this goes? You’ll see I’m not a bad guy once ya get to know me.”
“I think like you’re a great guy and I’d like that a lot.”
“Good, after we’re done buildin’ trenches, maybe we can sneak off an’ watch a movie?”
“Like that sounds like a great plan.”
The two walked back inside holding hands and sat at the table. Trevor sat down in the chair and pulled her into his lap. She smiled wrapping her arms around his neck.
Justice chuckled as he saw the two of them, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. “Sloppy seconds, bro.”
Candice snapped her head to Justice, glaring at him. “What the fuck is your problem?”
“What? I wasn’t talkin’ to you.”
“No, because there’s no chance in hell that I would ever sleep with the likes of you. Any girl that does isn’t totally there,” she turned to Rachel. “No offense.”
She smirked, kissing Trevor’s cheek. “None taken. It was like a lapse in sanity for the moment.”
“It must’ve been, but at least ya leveled up with Trevor.”
Justice shook his head. “Look, I didn’t make any promises to her. I’m a free agent. I can see anyone I want an’ do whatever I want.”
“Zach, I owe you an apology.”
He smirked, looking between the two. “Why’s that?”
“You were right on when you described Justice. I totally threw you under the bus and blamed it on your jealousy.”
Mark looked around curiously, from one to the other and back again, stopping on Trevor. “Wait, I’m confused. What’s goin’ on here?”
Alex shrugged. “It sounds like a bunch of drama to me.”
He smirked. “Recap for those that just walked in. Okay. Zach an’ Candice were together in the beginnin’. Justice decided that he an’ Candice should go to Walmart to see if everythin’ happenin’ here was the same in town. Newsflash, it was. Some bitch bit ‘er in the store because he wanted to get more supplies. While she was recoverin’, Zach tried to blow her head off an’ threatened us four at the same time. Told us to move or else. After she recovered, she broke up with Zach. He thought it was because o’ Justice, which confused the rest of us. He accused Justice o’ bein’ a player an’ told Candice she was stupid for buyin’ his shit. Not the smartest thing to tell a girl. Well, he went to stab Justice, but stabbed Candice who ran between ‘em. She hooked up with Brandon, though they aren’t sharing bodily fluids, just yet. Justice an’ Rachel slept together last night because he told ‘er how much he liked ‘er. Then five minutes before you guys walked in, he was tryin’ to get ‘er back in the sack. Now that the ice queen sat in his lap, he tells Rachel her subscription ran out. He was rude tellin’ me I’m goin’ for sloppy seconds an’ now Candice sees that Zach might’ve been accurate in his assessment o’ Justice.” He looked around the table. “Did I miss anythin’?”
Candice chuckled, shaking her head. “No, you pretty much nailed it, except for how he was hitting on me on the way to Walmart.”
“Well, I didn’t know that part. You didn’t tell us about that.”
Zach blinked. “Yes Candice, you didn’t tell any of us about that.”
She shrugged. “After I got bit, I figured nothing else mattered. I was going to die.”
“You managed to take away my I told you so that you had coming, but seeing as how you finally see him for who he is, you’re forgiven.”
Mark winced, shaking his head at Justice. “Jay, that wasn’t cool. Ya didn’t have to go there.”
Brandon nodded. “Yeah, that was totally rude an’ uncalled for. You’re just bein’ a dick, though I don’t understand why.”
Candice glared at him, pointing her finger. “No, he was born that way and he can’t help it. It’s like he’s wired to be all about himself. Even when he was trying to save Erica, all he kept thinking was how she was going to thank him.”
Sophia slammed her hand down on the table, causing everyone to jump and look at her. “That’s it!”
Looking over surprised, Montana reached for her hand, kissing the top of it. “What’s it, baby?”
“Candice hit the nail right on the head an’ I didn’t see it until right now.”
Everyone turned to look at Candice who shrugged. “I did? What did I hit?”
“Yes you did! God, it’s been starin’ me in the face this whole time an’ I couldn’t see it. I kept askin’ myself why Erica died, but you survived. It’s like been eatin’ away at me.”
“Erica, rest ‘er soul, was about Erica. She wasn’t nice to anyone an’ always looked out for number one; bein’ herself. She didn’t wanna go in the room at all. Not even when she found out she was possibly infected with a contagious virus. She kept tryin’ to get out an’ didn’t care if she infected the whole house. In fact, she probably would’ve infected us so she didn’t have to go through it alone.”
Alex nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like Erica.”
“However, when Candice got the virus everythin’ was different. She willingly went into the room on the first day because she was concerned about what could happen to us.” She looked at her. “You’ve been takin’ chances with your life just to help us, to protect us as best as ya can. Regardless if ‘at help is gonna be the end o’ your life.”
She blushed. “You make me sound like I’m a hero, but it’s not like that. I just do what needs to be done. I look out for others because that’s just who I am.”
“You’re modest too.” Smiling, Sophia looked around the room stopping on Mark. “You’ve been savin’ ‘ese girls who ya just met, protectin’ ‘em, keepin’ ‘em safe above your own sake. I think ‘is virus turns ya into the inner monster or hero you have inside ya. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.”
Alex winced, sipping on her coffee. “Wow, it’s even scarier when the monsters we fear are none other than ourselves.”
“That’s exactly what’s happenin’ here.”
Mark shook his head. “Far be it from me to insinuate ya don’t know what you’re talkin’ about an’ please don’t think that. However, there was another woman with us who got sick too. I think she got it from kissin’ me. She was the sweetest girl--”
Amber laughed aloud. “If you’re talking about Trina, you might as well stop right there. There’s a reason she was part of the hate-a group.”
Munching on her bacon, Heather nodded. “Yeah, she wasn’t like you, Mark. She was all about herself. Hell, when we had to get up the tree for safety, she pushed Amber out of the way so she could get up first.”
He shook his head, leaning back in the chair. “No way, she gave me ‘er pain meds when she knew I was in pain. She didn’t have to do that. She honestly cared about me an’ what was happenin’ an’ wanted to help.”
“That’s because she liked you. The meanest, cruelest person in the world can put on a great show when she likes someone.”
“All I know is she seemed real sweet an’ carin’ to me. Then again, why did I survive? I’ve always been all about me.”
“Nice try, but I’m not buying it. From the moment we met, you were looking out for us. You faced a bear with a stick just to protect us when you could’ve taken your chances up a tree. Hell, you even brought Miss Ungrateful here back from the dead, and I know you didn’t like her.”
“Anyone would’ve done what I did. It’s my job.”
“Nope, they would’ve left her for dead. You went beyond the call of duty to get us to safety. No one would’ve known if you left us in the woods to die, or if you killed us by drowning us in the river.”
He shrugged. “I would’ve known.”
“Exactly, it’s not in you to do that, but Trina was all about herself and what she could get. She gave you all the pain pills to help because she knew it was a way to get close to the only man in the group. You didn’t see her worrying about us when you came along, and there was a reason for it. She’s no better than Amber here when it comes to that.”
“Whatever, you’re not gonna taint my memory of her an’ I’m tellin’ you… she was sweet an’ carin’.”
“For you, yes she was. She liked you. You knew her for a week. We’ve known her since she was little. We all grew up in the same neighborhood. She’s not the angel you give her credit for.”
There was a pause in the conversation. Candice looked from Justice to Amber. “If what Sophia said is true, you two better hope and pray you don’t get bitten or scratched… or you’re screwed.”
Frank shook his head. “Wow that sounds like poetic justice at its finest. If ya look out for number one, you’ll suffer an’ die. With the world the way it is, it’s really hard to look out for others because of all the users in the world takin’ advantage o’ everyone who does.”
Picking up her coffee cup, Sophia nodded. “That’s just my hypothesis of this, but I think it explains it best. I mean, here ya have two heroes, an’ they survived, but the non-heroes didn’t.”
Amber brushed her blonde strands back, looking around at everyone. “You people don’t know me. I’m a nice and sweet person when I’m not faced with the end of the world. I’m all about other people! It’s why I was the leader of my sorority.”
Trish snorted, spitting out her coffee. She grabbed a napkin, wiping her mouth. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just say you’re all about other people? You mean for stepping stones to take you to the next tier, right?”
Mark sneered. “You forget, I was stuck with ya for a week. You’re nothin’ close to a nice person. It’s all about you an’ only you. Hell, ya even turned your own girls against ya.”
Clapping his hands, Frank chuckled. “Okay, it’s not that I’m tryin’ to change the subject, or that I’m not enjoyin’ the girl fight about to happen, but we’re supposed to be diggin’ a moat today. Are we ready? The sooner we get that done, the sooner we all can get a good night’s sleep.”
Ian groaned. “Oh, you know I’m ready for that.”
Befuddled, Heather looked around the table. “You’re digging a moat today?”
Alex shoved a piece of bacon in her mouth. “How about another recap of what you’re talking about for those of us who snuck in half-way through?”
Justice chortled, resting his hand on Amber’s waist. “We’re gonna build trenches around the perimeter of our camp. Make it like a moat so we don’t have to keep watch at night.”
Howard nodded. “Those things don’t like water.”
Alex laughed showing her water weapon. “Oh I know! On the way here, we ran into a few and they don’t like water in the eyes. For some reason, it’s like battery acid, or that was how they acted. I think it blinded them.”
Sophia furrowed her brows. “Hmm, that’s interestin’.”
Montana stood, pushing his chair in. “Yes, we need to get that done right away. You guys can add to the eyes to watch out for all of us while we’re diggin’.” He pointed to Mark. “Since you also can’t be hurt, you can take point with Candice.”
Mark nodded. “Sounds good, she can watch one way an’ I’ll watch the other.”
“Okay. Let’s get these trenches dug, folks.”
Thirty-Three
Because the guys didn’t want to get shot from the new girls who didn’t know how to hold a rifle, much less shoot one, they took the time to teach them. They gave a crash course training on how to handle a gun and how to shoot. Brandon, Trevor, Justice, Frank, and Montana taught them.
Candice stood beside Montana and Sophia. “You have to admit, that’s really freaky.”
Sophia looked over, slightly confused. “Which part?”
“The part about how the virus turns you into your inner self. I mean, how would someone create a virus that could do that?”
“I dunno. Granted, if someone else is bitten then we can see if I’m right. What a way to find out you’re a monster.”
“We already know who the monsters are.”
Montana nodded, joining the two. “Yes, because ya can’t hide your true colors.”
Sophia shook her head. “Nope, it’s like your fingerprints. You can’t change who ya are on the inside. It’s part o’ your genetics an’ they’re tricky. It’s not so cut an’ dried or black an’ white. There’s this whole gray area.”
Brandon shrugged. “So those who take care o’ others will survive ‘is an’ those who don’t, won’t? Makes me wonder who’s on w
hich list.”
Candice smirked. “Bullshit. You’re a good guy. So are Trevor, Frank, Sophia, Montana, and Zach. Though he snapped for a little bit, he’s still a good guy too, so I know what list they’re on.”
Montana nodded. “I agree. It’s the others I question.”
“Hope and pray you never have to deal with that. I wanted to shoot myself to stop thinking about the craving of blood.”
Trevor cringed. “Hold up a moment. Did you just say ya craved blood as in actual blood?”
“Yep, it was a burning, intense craving too, but I couldn’t carve into myself or anyone else just to appease my yearnings.”
Mark nodded. “Yeah, an’ the sweating was bad too. I stayed in the water, which helped with the pain. I wonder if I gave ‘er what I had though.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I got it from a bear clawin’ me, an’ I kissed Trina an’ she got it shortly after.”
Sophia nodded, snapping her fingers. “I was right about that! You can get it through bodily fluids. Feedin’ on the blood, though I don’t understand ‘at one. It could be what determines what ya become? If ya feed on blood, ya change an’ if ya don’t then ya won’t?”
“If I had known I had somethin’ contagious, I never would’ve kissed ‘er.”
Brandon put his hand on his back, nodding. “I’m sorry man. I know that’s gotta be hard on you. However, from what they said this mornin’, she wouldn’t have survived this thing either way.”
Nodding, Candice looked at Sophia. “Ooh, that’s right! Remember, Erica was bleeding where she kept drinking blood.”
Mark nodded. “So did Trina. She looked as if she tried to commit suicide.”
Brandon sighed. “I guess it doesn’t pay to be kin to the mad scientist.”
The first group walked off and the second group followed behind. Amber nudged Justice as they fell back out of earshot from everyone else. “You’ve known them longer. Do they really know what they’re talking about?”
He shrugged. “Sophia’s been right about everythin’ else. I don’t know what she did in the hospital she worked for, but she’s really smart. Why?”
Beautiful Death (Bella Morté Trilogy Book 1) Page 31
