“Well, you deserve it,” he said. He began nuzzling my neck.
“Jenna! It’s your dad,” Mom called from the house. Wesley leapt back.
I laughed at the look on his face, “She means on the radio,” I said.
“Oh.”
Dad sent Wesley a message, a week after we arrived to say he was alive but he didn’t want to communicate over the computers in case they tracked us. Instead, we set up a CB radio. It was old school but safer.
Mom left the radio on the kitchen table. She was at the sink, scrubbing at a plate harder than was necessary. She was still pissed at him,and I didn’t blame her,but I still wanted Dad home with us.
I picked up the handset.
“Dad?”
“Jenna, it’s so good to hear your voice. I see your mother still isn’t talking to me.”
“Can you blame her? Where are you? When are you coming here?”
“Soon I hope. A few more days, once I’m sure no one is following me. Are you okay? How’s your mom?”
“We’re fine. Wesley is too.”
“Good. I’m glad,” but I heard the edge to his voice. He had to let it go. Wesley wasn’t going anywhere.
“Look Mom knows everything. She had to be told. Even about the Genesis stuff.”
“She already knew about the Genesis stuff.”
“No, she didn’t. She said you guys had IVF and she knew nothing about it.”
“Jenna, she knew everything. In fact, she encouraged me to go ahead with it.”
I fell silent. Why would she lie to me?
“Oh. I have to go Dad, but please come back to us soon.”
“I will. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Mom was still at the sink.
I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t just tell me. Maybe she was scared I would hate her. Yes, that was it. I couldn’t hate her though. I had to move past everything that happened.
“Dad sends his love,” I said.
I saw her stiffen, “Did he say when he would get here?”
“Soon. Days maybe.”
She nodded. I went up behind her and wrapped my arms around her.
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, baby. You should let Wesley know.”
“He’ll be thrilled.”
Mom turned to face me, “Look I know your dad has his own opinion about Wesley but I’m fine with the two of you. I mean I’m not happy with my daughter being with any guy but after everything he’s done for you,” she shook her head, “I could never repay him.”
“He’s a good guy,” I said.
She smiled, “I know. But that doesn’t give him the right to take advantage of you. Take things slow.”
“Mom!” I cried, flushing red.
She laughed at my embarrassment, “You should go tell him the news.”
I headed back out to the barn. Wesley was half-heartedly shifting bales of hay around. He looked a lot healthier than he had been back at the compound. His leg was still painful, but it was healed.
What he had done, injecting himself with the serum not once, but twice, was stupid. He could have turned too. The thought made me feel sick. If it wasn’t for him, I would still be one of the undead. I still had to fill Dad in on everything, but I thought it was better to do it in person than on the radio.
Better to just tell him straight about Dad, “Good news, Dad will be back in a few days.”
He tossed the bale he was holding, aside and heaved a sigh, “Great. Well I guess that means we don’t have much time left.”
“Time for what?”
He grabbed my shirt and pulled me towards him. He kissed me and I caught on, “Oh.”
We sprawled out on the hay, to make out.
I thought about what Mom said. Wesley really had risked a lot for me.
I slipped my hand under his shirt but he pulled it back.
“Wes, come on,” I said. He never wanted to go any further than kissing.
“I told you, we’re taking it slow.”
“You still think of me as some dumb kid,” I said.
“Trust me, I don’t.”
“You know you don’t have to worry about Dad. He already said he was fine with us.”
Wesley propped himself up on his elbows, “Jenna, the only reason your dad was ‘okay’ with us was because he wanted me to keep an eye on you. In case you lost it again.”
“What?” I sat up, “That’s why he changed his mind so fast?”
“Forget I said anything.”
“No I won’t forget it,” I yelled, jumping to my feet. “You agreed to this?”
“No. Yes. I told him what he wanted to hear.”
“Is that what you’re doing with me?”
He got to his feet too, “I told your dad what he wanted to hear to get him off our backs. I don’t care what he thinks; I want to be with you.”
I crossed my arms, “Why?”
“What do you mean why?”
“Why do you want to be with me?”
“Because...,” he looked away.
“Because?” I said, drawing the word out.
“You are such a pain in the butt.”
“That’s why you’re with me?”
“That’s one of the reasons. You’re also crazy, annoying...”
I backed away from him, not wanting to hear any more, but he followed.
“Stubborn, gorgeous,” he grinned, “and the bravest person I know.”
I tried not to smile.
“So why are you with me?” he asked, wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Because I love you.”
It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. Wesley’s eyes widened in shock.
“Dinner’s ready,” Mom called from the house.
My heart was thumping in my chest as we stared at each other.
“We should go get dinner,” I said. I hurried towards the house.
Ohgodohgodohgod. Why did I say that? It was way too soon to say something like that. He was going to freak out. I mean he hadn’t exactly rushed to say it back. He seemed shocked. Or was it horrified. Crap, what have I done?
“Go clean up before dinner,” Mom said when I came inside.
I went upstairs to the bathroom, glad she wasn’t looking in my direction. Why did I open my big mouth? I couldn’t face him again. What was I going to say? What would he say?
I washed my hands in the sink, and then splashed some cold water on my face. Reluctant to go back downstairs, I went into Mom’s room, which had a window overlooking the barn.
I could see Wesley just inside, he was leaning against the wall. I couldn’t see his face though, couldn’t tell what he was thinking. He wasn’t running screaming, so I guessed that was something.
As I turned away, I nearly tripped over a cardboard box that was sitting on the floor. I leaned down for a closer look. It was mostly filled with old photos from decades ago. None of Mom that I could see. There were some group shots out by the farm from the early 1900’s along with more recent stuff. I didn’t get why Mom never talked about this place. Growing up, she never mentioned any family. I knew she had fallen out with her father right before she met Dad. He died before I was born.
At the bottom of the box, I found a small pink blanket embroidered with the name Jessica. It must have belonged to a relative. It seemed old, so I carefully set it back in the box.
A faint beeping noise was coming from under the bed. I moved closer to check it out.
Moving aside some boxes, the beeping grew louder. I found the source. A leather hold all buried under some clothes. I pulled it out and discovered a phone inside. It wasn’t Mom’s usual one. Did Dad send it to her? I pulled up the message on it.
Is Genesis secured? Confirm. CHAOS.
I dropped the phone in shock.
I heard footsteps on the stairs. I quickly replaced the phone, feeling like I was going to hyperventilate any second, and shoved the bag back under the bed. I made it t
o the bathroom as she reached the top of the stairs.
“Hey, honey, Everything okay?”
I nodded, remembering every time she left on food runs, wondering if that was really where she had gone. Was she even in prison? We couldn’t find her name listed. It was only after Chaos infiltrated our computers that she appeared. There was a time I wouldn’t have even entertained an idea like that, but look at what I didn’t know about Dad.
“I should go and get Wesley for dinner,” I said, trying to act natural while inside my heart was racing.
“Good idea. You okay?” she asked.
I nodded, “Yeah, just hungry. I’ll go get Wesley.”
I hurried downstairs, my mind spinning. Just when my life was starting to make sense, everything was turned on its head once again. I couldn’t stay here. Chaos could be here any minute. I had no choice. I had to run.
After Zombie Series (Book 1): After Page 16
