by W. A. R.
Now however, now she had left the room mere minutes before and he had forced himself to stand, stretching his arms high above his head and soaking in the afternoon sun. He shifted the hat on his head once again and shrugged his shoulders, done with reminiscing of the night before and ready to make his presence known, to move forward to their next step of action. And so, he stepped towards the door, opening it wide and following the voices that carried up the stairs from the kitchen. Something smelled divine, he realized, his stomach rumbling once more and his footsteps hurried even more so. He heard laughter…actual laughter…carry and he knew that Cassie was awake. His footsteps pounded against the steps as he raced down them, catching every eye in the open kitchen. Cassie was awake and leaning against Jacob who leaned against the counter. Chloe was beside the two of them, all three teenagers snickering at his presence. Beside Chloe was Lacy with a cup in hand, bringing the drink to her lips. She lifted a brow at him, teasing him because she knew that he had to have been awake when Amber had come down only minutes before. Buddy sat beside George, both men with their heads on the table and cups of something hot on the table before them. Amber and Shelly sat with them, both women shifting in their seats to stare at him in amusement as he remained motionless at the foot of the stairs. Elliot was in Amber’s lap, her arms wrapped warmly around him. Bobby-Jean was beside her, her face different. It was a mask, portraying nothing but melancholy and depression. It was a sadness that brought a dull, throbbing ache deep within Miles. She was giving up. He turned his eyes from her then, trailing to the sink where Michael stood, leaning against the counter. Michael and Riley were eating on what appeared to be biscuits, smug grins on their faces. Derek was fixing himself a plate from the many dishes on the island and Rusty was directly behind him, as was Rick. There were eggs, biscuits, and what appeared to be ham on the island. He lifted a brow at this before glancing at Michael but Buddy was the one that answered him.
“In case you are wondering, you aren’t the only one that slept in till late afternoon.” he groaned, never lifting his head from the table. George however did and began rubbing his temples gently. Shelly, Cassie, Chloe, and Lacy all laughed at this and George sighed.
“Do you all have to laugh so loud?” he asked and everyone only chuckled more so. There was a teasing, relaxed, and playful aura in the kitchen, one that he had longed to see for months. It warmed him to the very depths of his soul.
Amber shrugged then as Rusty sat next to her, a big plate in hand. He handed Amber and Shelly each a biscuit and they gingerly took them before Amber tore off some for Elliot. “We aren’t the ones that got drunk last night.” Amber replied off-handedly. Miles swallowed thickly, unable for a moment to tear his gaze from her in amazement. After everything she was able to sit at the table as if nothing was wrong. None of them knew what had happened…he shouldn’t even know. He had had the better part of an hour to come to terms with what he had witnessed, and so he was able to simply hold on to the knowledge, a smile on his face.
Rusty inserted a large spoonful of eggs into his mouth before grinning and offering some to Amber. She shook her head. “Besides, I got drunk and I’m fine.” Rusty told them before taking another large bite of his eggs.
Riley groaned. “Not now Rusty.”
George narrowed his eyes at the boy. “You’re young. Until you can say that when you are in your thirties, shut up.”
“Grrr, George. Don’t bring out Cujo so early in our day. Besides, admit that the moonshine helped you sleep.” Shelly countered on a smile, eating her biscuit slowly. Miles felt a bit of comfort at seeing her easiness, witnessing the fact that there was color in her cheeks. She looked better than she had, and he knew she would continue to do so.
“You haven’t seen Cujo yet and I admit nothing.” He replied saucily before lowering his head back onto his crossed arms on the table. Elliot turned to look at Amber as he chewed on his biscuit. Miles noted how she had yet to eat anything and how Shelly had not taken a plate either. He slowly stepped towards the food and grabbed four plates, setting them all out in a line and filling them each with food.
“Who’s Cujo?” Elliot asked, his face a mixture of serious and curious, and at this Cassie laughed out loud. Amber sighed and rubbed her hands along his arms in assurance and Miles felt a pang in his chest. He remembered having seen her do that exact same thing to Kyle when he was little, when he was young and needed comfort that only a mother could offer.
“Nothing you need to worry about.” She told him and Miles quickly looked away, refusing to delve so deeply into his emotions so early in the day, or well, so soon after they had all woken. Instead, he ignored all conversation and finished filling the plates before him. No one asked what he was doing, and he knew that no one would. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if they were paying him any mind…though he doubted that they were. It was a nice afternoon, and they had all finally gotten some rest. Their heavy minds were no longer nearly as weary as before, and their ailments were slowly on the mend. Things would get better, and in that moment, in that kitchen, they were all at ease for the first time in a very long time. It had been months since he had felt so comfortable…the last time being before Derek and the others even appeared at their gate, shaking down the door. It seemed so very long ago that this happened, that they appeared and the realization came to them that there were others, people creating monsters stronger and faster than any human. And now they were faced with the enemy, dealing with losses they should have never had and fighting to find a way to save others. Miles sighed and picked up two plates, turning to the table. They would make it though. They had to. He placed a plate on the table before Shelly and then Bobby-Jean. Both women gazed up at him in curiosity. He said nothing but turned to retrieve the other two plates, feeling every pair of eyes on his back now and oddly enough, he could feel Amber’s piercing stare digging into his back. He quickly turned to her, his face heating in response. Once he placed a plate before her, he stepped around to the opposite side of Shelly and sat, easing his own plate onto the table. He shifted in his seat, easing his elbows onto the table before gingerly picking up the fork he had placed on his plate. All three women looked at him in disbelief.
“Are you trying to kiss ass?” Rusty asked and immediately Amber smacked him on the arm. Shelly rolled her eyes and Rick swallowed whatever food was in his mouth before laughing.
“You could learn a thing or two from him.”
“In order to do what? Get women?” Rusty scoffed on a smile. “I have enough of my own game for that.” he replied before turning and lifting an inquisitive brow at both Shelly and Amber. The women turned away, groaning. Miles sighed, toying with his eggs before directing his statement at the women.
“Ugh. Not now, Rusty. Besides, it’s rude to lie.” Michael said easily, grimacing at his words.
“You all need to eat. I know you haven’t been, so…please…for all of us, eat. You need your strength.” He told them all and he could see all of their faces heat up in…shame? Embarrassment? He wasn’t sure, but still, Amber released little Elliot, who had egg on his shirt from his earlier meal, and turned to begin eating. He waited until all the women began nibbling at the food on their plates before he himself took a bite of his own. He noted the bitterness resting in Amber’s eyes and sighed. Her shoulders sagged with the weight of her world and he wished she would release it before it crushed her spirit.
“Damn! You have these women in check!” Rusty exclaimed and quickly, before Miles or Michael could interject Amber reached up and slapped him against the back of his head, causing him to flinch. He narrowed his eyes accusingly at her. “Ouch! What did I say?”
Amber swallowed the very small bite that she had forced into her mouth. “Keep on acting like a fool and I will show you who is ‘in check’.” She told him, challenging him before turning back to her food. Miles smirked and looked back down at his plate. Buddy glanced up then, his eyes red and bloodshot. He refused to look Miles in the eyes, he realized, and Miles did
n’t address it. Instead he began eating the ham on his plate.
Buddy glanced at Rusty. “Trust me. You will lose every single time. Your best bet to get women nowadays is to straighten up.”
Rusty looked crestfallen. “But…I’m annoyingly adorable.”
“Oh, suck it up!” Michael exclaimed popping him in the shoulder with the tail-end of a towel. Rusty shrieked and jumped, his chair scraping across the tile of the kitchen floor.
“Again, do we have to be so damn loud?” George asked then, lifting his head. Michael looked up at him and grinned.
“Yes.”
“You are all annoying.” George replied.
“Yeah, well, you aren’t exactly a saint.” Rick countered.
“Yeah!” Cassie readily agreed.
Jacob shrugged. “Yeah…you are pretty far from a saint, actually.”
George looked tiredly at them all in bewilderment. “What have I done to all of you?”
Rick chuckled and shrugged, taking another bite of his ham. “We don’t have enough time to tell you all of your faults.”
George grumbled and Buddy groaned. “Oh, give the guy a break.”
“Thank you.” George breathed out in relief.
Buddy shrugged. “It isn’t his fault he chooses to keep the worst secrets…or that he is a goody goody…” Miles laughed at this, along with a few others. He had to admit that it was nice to forget, even if just for a brief moment, the horrors that awaited them.
George narrowed his eyes at Buddy ruefully. “I am not a goody goody…”
“Oh yeah?” Shelly asked then, chewing some egg. Amber and Bobby-Jean remained silent, nibbling at their food. Miles watched them intently, slowly eating his own food. “It is the end of the world as we know it, and has been for a year. What is the worst thing you have done?”
Things grew quiet for a moment; the only sound was Amber’s fork clanking against her plate as she dropped it. She looked across the table at George, whose eyes had grown wide. Miles had stopped eating as well. Surely Shelly remembered what had happened to him whenever they had first found him. Then again, he wasn’t sure if she knew at all what George had done. Slowly Amber stood.
“That doesn’t deserve an answer.” She said easily, leaving her food barely touched. Shelly looked at her curiously before George’s voice cut through the awkward silence that Amber was trying to alleviate.
“I let my wife be torn into pieces while I hid in the trunk of Amber’s car.” Amber stopped her walk to the sink, turning her saddened eyes to George. George seemed indifferent, and yet judging by the sympathy in Amber’s eyes he was anything but.
“Oh shit…I didn’t know…” Rick began and Rusty chuckled, lightening the mood.
“Not so much of a goody-goody, is he now?” Rusty asked everyone and Amber sighed in appreciation before setting her plate to the side on the counter.
“Not now, Rusty.” She groaned at his easiness. George chuckled and lowered his head back onto his arms. Miles lost his appetite and stood then, turning his gaze to where Amber stood now, leaning against the railing of the stairs. She dragged her eyes from George to him as he ventured nearer to her, setting his plate to the side as well. He stared at her as she looked over him. Her brown hair and her brown eyes…she wasn’t the same and yet…she was. He wandered what she was thinking then, questioned whether it would bring her down or build her up. Slowly, he eased towards her, listening as the others continued speaking.
“Never judge a book by its cover.” Rusty carried on and Rick shrugged, going to fix himself another plate of food.
“I’m curious how that happened.” Rick stated and Shelly sighed, her face red with heated embarrassment. She nibbled at her food, little by little.
“I don’t think it is any of our business.” She countered and Rick chuckled. Miles watched as he got within two feet of Amber and she crossed her arms across her chest, as if guarding herself against him. The thought hurt him, and he wondered in that moment what was on that tortured mind of hers that she couldn’t speak about.
“I agree.” Amber replied, a look of haunting and remorse in her eyes. Miles leaned against the wall opposite her, his back pressed firmly against it and his arms folded across his broad chest and he stared at her. He knew that she was thinking of the night before and from the daggers she continued to toss at Michael, she fully intended on addressing the situation once people thinned out. He figured her to wait until they were alone, but quite possibly it would happen once the children left. He couldn’t blame her, he thought, because she had every right to be upset.
“Y’all ruin all of the fun!” Rusty exclaimed then, shoveling yet more food into his mouth as if he were starving. “Damn women…” he muttered and Buddy, without lifting his head, raised his hand towards Rusty.
“High five bro. I feel ya…” he countered and Amber shifted on her feet from him just a bit more, almost hugging the staircase railing. Rusty chuckled and slapped his palm against Buddy’s. Buddy brought his hand back to him and chuckled. “Damn women…”
“Rusty…” Shelly warned.
“Need I remind you that these ‘damn women’ have saved your ass multiple times Boudreaux?” Amber replied then and Rick choked on his food from laughing suddenly. Derek chuckled then, taking his last bite and setting his plate to the side. Buddy lifted his head then and stared at her with accusing yet regretful wide, remorseful eyes. Miles shoved away from the wall and straightened his stance, allowing his presence to be known. He wasn’t sure why he did; hell, she was probably sill hurt and pissed at him for how the previous night had gone, for his hurtful words, but still…just as it had been after Buddy arrived, he felt the need to express his dominance. It was ridiculous really, and yet couldn’t help himself. Amber glanced over at him and sighed. He felt the ache renew itself in his chest and he wanted more than anything to be on the same page as her, to talk to her. There was so much weighing on him, and so much he knew that was burdening her, that they needed to talk.
Shelly lifted a brow at Buddy. “Anything you would like to say Boudreaux?”
He groaned and ran a hand across his face. “I’m sorry.” He grumbled and Amber chuckled nervously before jerking her attention back to Miles. He froze, one foot hovering as he had prepared to take another step towards her. She tightened her arms across her chest, her blush returning. He stared at her, his eyes roaming over her body as she stood there, vulnerable and insecure.
He thought back to all the conversations that they had had, all the little actions and the motions that they had taken. She had given him so much time and patience…she had been patient before the outbreak, waiting for him to tell her and after, patient and waiting for him to tell her what she already knew about the loss of Michael. She had always let him love her in his own way, whether he was near or far. It was more than he could ever ask for and now that he had it, had her back, he couldn’t let it go. He’d be damned if he let her leave his sight again. It would kill him. Still…he had to ask himself if he could do the same for her right then.
“I love hearing an apology come from your mouth, you stubborn jackass.” Shelly laughed and Amber glanced up at Buddy, the flush that was crawling up her neck fading. Buddy narrowed his eyes at Shelly and easily stood, his moves just the slightest bit sluggish.
“Don’t get used to it.” He grumbled, earning him a throaty chuckle from Shelly. Rusty stood, placing his plate in the sink and both Shelly and Bobby-Jean shoved their plates away from them, unable to eat anymore. Michael, whose eyes drifted between everyone in the room before settling on Amber, nodded at her. Her eyes flamed at him accusingly and yet still she was nodding back at him and Miles furrowed his brow at the two of them in confusion. The weighted seriousness that stretched between them reached Miles and he opened his mouth to speak, to address it whenever Michael cut him off by clearing his throat. Amber glanced sideways at Miles and offered him an apologetic look. He questioned why she looked at him that way. Everyone shifted on their feet and tu
rned to look at Michael. He fully had their attention.
“Everyone done eating?” he asked and all around the kitchen were interested nods. He rubbed his hands together with apprehension. “Alright, guys. Here is the deal, while you are here, just like it was before, you will have work to do. If you will all follow me, I will introduce you to some people you will need to know and we will determine what you will need to do now that you will be living here.” He said casually, completely at ease with the situation and with himself, before taking the lead and stepping away from the counter that he had leaned against. He was the first to make his way towards the front door, Cassie, Jacob, and Chloe following closely behind him. Buddy and Derek, followed by Rick were next and George and Rusty stood slowly with groans of resistance, Lacy setting her cup to the side and stepping forward. This was not done without a glance sideways to Miles, her eyes questioning whether or not he was going to follow them out. He nodded at her and took a step toward the last few people that were trickling out. He forced himself to keep his eyes ahead of him, to not look at Amber, but whenever her voice cut through the amiable tension between them he couldn’t resist.
“Miles?” she asked, calling out to him as he made a move to follow the others. It was instant, his reaction to her speaking to him. The door was left open, George being the last to leave, grumbling the entire way out. He turned his eyes to Amber as she stood where she had before the others began moving. She had never moved, which meant that she either knew what was going to be discussed or whatever she had to say was more important. Either way, she had his full attention.
