Afterglow: An Apocalypse Romance

by Monroe, Maria

  “I’m not. Not really.” She shrugged. He’d said he’d return, but why should she suddenly trust him now, when she hadn’t been able to throughout their whole journey together? He’d never even told her he loved her, not even when she’d said it to him.

  “Get some rest, you and Charlie, before breakfast. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

  “OK.” But Nina knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep now.

  * * *

  Nina stomach was in knots as she sat down at the table in Grandma Lottie’s house for breakfast. He should be back by now.

  “I’m hungry!” exclaimed Charlie, bouncing into the kitchen and finding a seat next to Nina’s mom.

  “Where’s Creed?” asked Logan, looking at her and Charlie.

  “He went for a ride,” said Nina casually.

  “I heard him leave this morning, but where was he going?” Logan looked angry.

  Nina shrugged. “Just a ride. I don’t know. He said he had something to take care of.”

  “So he just left you here alone? Without even telling you where he was going? This isn’t the kind of world where we just pick up and go for scenic drives to clear our heads anymore. Jesus. If someone follows him back here, he could put us all in danger.”

  “Yeah?” Nina stared down her brother, despite the fact that her heart was pounding unpleasantly.

  Logan raised his eyebrows in disbelief and muttered “Asshole” under his breath.

  “Language,” said Nina’s mom, gesturing her head at Charlie, who was busy stuffing scrambled eggs into his mouth.

  “I said asshole before,” said Charlie in such a matter-of-fact tone that Nina smiled, despite the worry creeping into her head.

  “Look,” said Nina, “he knows how to handle himself, Logan. Getting here wasn’t exactly easy. So just drop it, OK?” But she didn’t feel as indignant as she forced her words to sound.

  “Is he going to be OK?” Charlie looked up from his eggs, his huge brown eyes filled with sudden worry.

  “Of course he is, honey,” said Nina quickly. “You know Creed. He’s big, right? And tough? He’s going to be fine. Anyway, are you ready to help Grandma Lottie today?”

  “P.J. and I could use some help today in the field,” said Nina’s grandma, who had been uncharacteristically quiet during the discussion about Creed.

  “What can I do?” asked Nina. The last thing she wanted to do was sit around and think.

  “Nothing, Neens,” said her grandma. “You need to rest. You just got here, and you’re far too thin right now. I’ll put you to work in a few days, but for now...”

  “Grandma,” Nina cut her off. “I need to work.”

  Grandma Lottie stared at her for a few minutes as if assessing how serious she was. Then she nodded. “Fine. Why don’t you hunt with Logan.”

  “Perfect.” Hunting took focus and concentration, and that’s exactly what she needed to do today.

  “Hey, I’ll meet you by the big barn in half an hour,” said Logan.

  “I don’t have a watch,” said Nina with a wink.

  “Jesus. Haven’t you learned to tell time by using a stick and a sunbeam? Catch up, jerkface,” said Logan with a grin.

  “Dork.”

  “Butthead.”

  Charlie burst out laughing. “You said butthead!”

  “I did. It’s not a nice word. Logan and I were just teasing each other like we did when we were kids.”

  “It’s not an appropriate word or action,” responded Charlie.

  “Exactly,” said Nina, but it was hard not to giggle when she saw Logan cracking up behind the hand that covered his mouth.

  “You two,” said Nina’s mother, looking from Nina to Logan, but she was smiling broadly as she wiped away a tear.

  * * *

  Logan showed her some traps he’d set, two of the five with fresh rabbit to bring back to the farm. The woods they were in were part of the farm land, the fence cutting through a section of forest, which gave them a small area for hunting within the confines of the compound. There was a gate in the fence there, wide enough only for a person to go through, secured with thick chains and a heavy-duty lock like the front gate. Logan explained that they liked to stay within the fence as much as possible, but also needed the ability to go outside it to hunt bigger game like deer.

  “So, I’ll need to teach you how to shoot,” said Logan.

  “Excuse me? I’m fairly certain I’m a way better shot than you are, Logan.”

  “We use crossbows for hunting,” he said smugly.

  Oh. She’d tried archery here and there before, but never seriously.

  “We have a shit ton of ammunition, but we don’t want to waste it when we can use arrows instead.”

  “Language,” said Nina, imitating their mother, and they both laughed.

  “Come on,” said Logan, leading her to the shed where they kept the hunting gear.

  But Nina couldn’t focus. Her mind was only on Creed and why he was taking so long. Throughout breakfast and her time outside with Logan, she’d kept listening for the sound of Creed’s truck, but there had been no rumble to indicate he was back.

  “Logan, I can’t do this,” she finally said.

  “Oh Nina, just because I’m better than you at something doesn’t mean you have to give up,” teased Logan.

  “No. Not that. I’m really worried about Creed.”

  Logan sighed and looked at her, his big brown eyes filled with concern. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell you where he was going.”

  “Actually, he did,” she admitted, biting her lip. “I think he wanted it to be a surprise, so I didn’t say anything, but he went to get the generators. From the convenience store.”

  “He should be back by now, Nina. The store’s only like a half mile down the road.”

  “I know.”

  “But those things probably weigh a fucking ton. Maybe he’s still trying to get them on the truck.” Logan chuckled.

  “I’m worried,” she repeated.

  Logan sighed, then frowned at Nina. “Look, Neens. I know I’m your little brother. And who am I to give you advice? But… forget it.”

  “No, say it, Logan.”

  “OK. I don’t mean to be a dick, but are you sure he’s coming back?”

  “He said he was. He was going to get the generators.”

  “What if that was just an excuse to leave? How well do you know this guy?”

  “Well enough! He saved my life, Logan. From that disgusting gang I told you about. I just don’t think he’d abandon me. And Charlie.”

  “Maybe he thinks that since you’re with family, he’s not abandoning you.” Logan fiddled with the leather quiver hanging on the wall.

  But Nina shook her head. She was suddenly overcome with the belief that Creed hadn’t left her after all. He wouldn’t. Ever.

  It was weird, she thought, because during their whole journey, she’d tried to convince herself not to trust him. Not completely, at least. Only she did. Somewhere along the way, she’d not only begun to love him, but she’d begun to trust him too. She’d sworn she wouldn’t. But she did.

  “Logan, we have to go look for him. I think he’s in trouble. I think something might have happened to him.”

  For a long moment, Logan stared into her eyes, assessing, and then nodded. “All right. Let’s get Dad and go look for your boyfriend.”

  * * *

  Grandma Lottie handed each of them loaded BOBs as they were getting into her black Ford F-150. “Be careful out there,” she said.

  “You trained us well, Grandma,” said Nina, hugging her grandmother tight. “And I know you always told me not to trust people…”

  Her grandmother cut her off. “Until you know them, Nina. That’s what I always said. And you know Creed. Now go get him.”

  The tire tracks in the gravel outside the gate indicated which way he’d gone, and they took off in the truck, eyes alert, looking for any signs of him as they drove.

  “Chec
k it out,” said Logan, pointing at a pickup truck pulled off to the side of the road.

  “Oh my god,” whispered Nina, fear rising in her throat. “I recognize that truck. It’s the one that gang that kidnapped me drove!” But hadn’t she and Creed killed all of the men? Had one gotten away and come after them, seeking revenge?

  Her father drove the truck a little farther down the road to where the trees opened into a clearing that housed the convenience and jewelry stores, and that’s when Nina saw the beat-up truck Creed had hot-wired just after they’d found Charlie.

  “Stop!” she whispered loudly. “That’s our truck!”

  But her father was already stopping.

  “Nina,” said Logan, his voice strained as he put a hand on her arm.

  She was about to ask what it was he wanted to say, when she saw it. Two bodies lying in front of the jewelry store. One she recognized instantly: the new leather jacket, the dark hair, the stubbled face. His size alone gave it away. It was Creed. On the ground. In a puddle of blood.

  A strangled sound escaped her throat, and it was only a second later that she realized the desperate noise had come from her. Without thinking about anything, she opened the door of the truck.

  “Nina, wait!” her father ordered, but nothing was going to stop her. “Cover her,” her dad conceded to Logan, but all of that was in the back of her mind. The only thing spurring her on was the need to get to Creed, to see if he was OK.

  “Oh my god. Creed.” Nina crouched down over him, afraid, for a second, to touch him. Afraid that she’d find his skin cold and lifeless. But he was warm, and when she ran a hand over his rough cheek, he murmured, his eyes flickering open.

  “Hey, sweetheart. What took you so long?” he rasped.

  “Creed! What happened? Are you OK?”

  “Got shot.”

  “Oh my god,” she repeated, touching his hair, his jaw, his neck, seeking confirmation in his solid form that he was still here. Still alive.

  “But you should see the other guy.” His smile was weak, but Nina couldn’t help laughing through her tears at the fact that even now, injured as badly as he appeared to be, he was still Creed. Sarcastic and funny and gruff.

  The sound of her father and Logan’s feet crunching through the gravel and broken glass startled her, and she turned around to them. “Come on,” she urged. “Let’s get him in the truck.”

  “You got any water?” Creed asked. “I’m thirsty.”

  “Yeah, my grandma gave us each a fully stocked bag. Logan, can you run to the truck and get one?”

  “No.” Creed’s voice was low but firm. “Nina, you go.”

  “What? You can’t tell me what to do…”

  “Stubborn as always. Please. Nina.” His eyes were filled with pain, for sure, but something else too, something that brooked no argument.

  “Whatever,” she muttered, confused by his strange and specific request that she get the stupid water. She scrambled up and sprinted to the truck, where she grabbed one of the bags, checked to make sure it had a bottle inside, and jogged back to Creed, Logan, and her father.

  “So, we’ll, uh, be over here,” said Logan as she arrived. Both he and her father had shocked expressions on their faces, but there wasn’t time to ask them what was going on.

  “OK. Weirdos,” said Nina, frowning at them.

  She crouched down next to Creed again. “Can you lift your head at all? Here, let me help you.” She set the water bottle down on the ground and gently put one hand under his upper back to help him sit.

  “Hold up,” he grunted. “I don’t think I can sit up yet.”

  “But you need water. And let’s get you back to the farm, OK?” She turned back to her father and Logan to get their help.

  “Nina. Hold on.”

  She turned back to him.

  “I have something for you,” he said.

  “OK, but can it wait, Creed? You’re, like, lying in a pool of your own blood!”

  “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

  “You’re not fine! You’re hurt, Creed, and…”

  “Will you please shut up for a second and let me talk?”

  Nina’s mouth dropped open. Had he really just told her to shut up? She was about to object, but he interrupted her. Again.

  “Nina.” He lifted his hand, closed into a tight fist, from where it lay on his wounded side.

  “What?” she hissed, irritated that he wouldn’t just let her help him.

  “Marry me,” he muttered. He closed his eyes, his brow furrowed in pain, but then he opened them again and stared at Nina. “Will you marry me, sweetheart?”

  He held out his fist, and as it relaxed, his grimy, bloody fingers spread to reveal a ring, the diamond shining in the sunlight around them.

  “Will I what?”

  “Marry me.”

  “Creed, I… you’ve been shot! And you’re all bloody! And I’m scared you’re going to die!”

  “I’m not going to die. I’ve lived through worse.”

  “And you’ve never even told me you love me.”

  He muttered a curse. “You’re right. I guess this is a little backwards. Nina, I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time. I knew it deep down when you were kidnapped, when I thought I’d literally die if something bad happened to you. Even before that, though, there was something I denied for a long time. But I can’t anymore. I love you, Nina. I fucking love you.”

  “Oh,” she gasped. “Creed. Yes, I’ll marry you. But first I have to sew you up. Again. And my parents…”

  “Your dad already said yes.”

  Tears sprang to Nina’s eyes, and she laughed as they spilled down onto her cheeks. “So that’s why he and Logan were acting all weird. I love you, Creed. Even though you’re an asshole. But don’t die, OK?”

  “Promise.”

  “Let’s get you back to the farm.”

  EPILOGUE

  (Six Months Later)

  The May air was fresh, filled with the scent of lingering rain and early blossoms. Afternoon was settling over the farm as everyone headed outside after lunch to finish their chores. Nina had spent the morning hunting with Logan, and was planning to spend the second half of the day planting seeds with her grandmother.

  Winter had been harsh, thick snow settling over the farm, holding fast for months without even the tease of a thaw. They’d shoveled paths between all the cabins and the main house, and though Charlie loved sprinting along them with P.J., even he grew tired of the snow by the time spring began to hint that it might be coming soon.

  In January, Katusha had gone into labor, giving birth to Daniel, a healthy and beautiful baby boy.

  Creed, Benjamin, and Stan were working on converting half of the barn into living quarters in anticipation of more people joining them.

  “Can I play with the puppies? Please?” Charlie grabbed Nina’s hands and looked up into her eyes, a pleading expression on his face.

  “Of course.” Nina smiled and followed him as he scampered over the grassy area outside the main house. So often, Nina stopped to stare at Charlie in amazement, constantly awed by how helpful he was, how willing to jump in and work on anything that needed doing. He was as good at working in the garden as he was helping Creed on the barn project—or as good as a child his age could be.

  Nina carefully carried the large wicker basket, lined with blankets, in which the three stray puppies they’d found spent most of their day. The puppies were still so young—maybe only six weeks old—and Charlie tirelessly fed them warmed milk from an eyedropper multiple times throughout the day. At first, Nina had been terrified the puppies would die, terrified that Charlie would have to suffer the heartbreak of more loss. But they didn’t. Every day they grew stronger and fluffier.

  Gently, she lifted each puppy out and set it on the grass, watching as one sniffed the ground and sneezed hard, its legs giving way so it fell to the ground. Charlie laughed hysterically, then sat down in the grass to let the tiny animals crawl over him.<
br />
  Nina sat down and watched, reflecting on how absolutely crazy it was that this was her life now. Thoughts of before hit her less and less, but every once in a while she couldn’t avoid thinking about what things would be like if disaster hadn’t struck.

  What would she be doing? Teaching seventh grade, probably. Maybe dating someone. Spending time with her family on holidays. Hanging out with her friends. Once in a while she was nostalgic for the old world, where she could run to the grocery store for ground beef if she wanted a burger—or go to a drive-through—instead of heading into the woods with a rifle.

  Yet life had never felt so rich before, as though with each passing second things were becoming more and more right. Which sounded weird, when everything about the world was so uncertain.

  When Creed sat down on the grass next to her, she smiled up at him. “Hey,” she said. “Heading back to the barn?”

  “I am. First, though, I want to sit with my hot wife for a few minutes.” His words were low and growly, and Nina couldn’t help feeling a spread of warmth through her body, just from the timbre of his voice.

  “Dad!” Charlie’s face lit up when he saw Creed, and he headed over, gently cradling one of the puppies. “I think I want to name this one Cowboy!”

  “I like that name,” said Creed.

  “What do you think?” asked Charlie, turning now to Nina and scrunching up his nose in thought.

  “I think it’s perfect,” she replied.

  When Charlie turned, heading back to the toddlers with the puppy, Creed squeezed Nina’s hand. “When I said I liked the name, I wasn’t talking about the puppy,” he whispered.

  “I know. I love when he calls us Mom and Dad too.” Over the winter, as Charlie grew closer to Nina and Creed, he stopped using their names and instead started using “Mom” and “Dad.” It was completely unprompted, taking them both by surprise.

  Nina scooted closer to Creed. When he put his arm around her, she burrowed against him, loving the feeling of him. Big. Strong. Safe.

  “I love you, Nina. I love our family. Me. You. Charlie. And Phoenix.” Creed’s palm found her round stomach, warming it through her clothes.