Dating After the End of the World - 10

“Casey!” Elaine shrieks with excitement when she spots Tessa and me descending the stairs off the kitchen. She sets the knife down on the cutting board and wipes her hands on her apron as she rounds the island counter, bounding toward us as fast as she can.

Her arms are already outstretched when I reach her, and she embraces me with a warmth that feels like home. “Hi, Elaine,” I say, inhaling her familiar scent, a mix of lavender and vanilla.

She rubs my back like she used to do when I was a kid, showing up at her house unannounced, mostly just to vent about my dad or anything else that was bothering me. She’d listen to me rant and serve me up dessert (always homemade) with a side of sound advice, and then we’d play cribbage.

“I missed you,” Elaine whispers, and I can hear the sense of relief in her voice. Relief that I’m not one more person she has to say goodbye to earlier than she expected.

“I missed you too.”

She squeezes a little tighter before letting go. “Let me take a look at ya,” she says, scanning me from head to toe. A slight frown settles in when she sees the injuries on my face and neck, but she replaces it with an encouraging smile. I haven’t seen her in person in a very long time, but she appears almost the same to me—just a little grayer and a little shorter.

“You must be starving,” Elaine says, reaching for my hand and giving it a pat before retreating to her cutting board. “I’ve got sliced apples.” She plops a pile of them onto a plate. “And I’m making veggie omelets.”

Tessa pops an apple slice in her mouth and makes her way to the kitchen table, where JJ is seated, eating what looks to be a bowl of oatmeal.

“How was your first night, Casey?” JJ asks.

“It would have been better if I didn’t have to—” I stop midsentence, cut off by the sound of the front door slamming.

“Fuck, Blake,” Greg groans. His face is beet red, and his hands are balled up into fists at his sides, the muscles in his arms flexed as he drives his fingers tighter and tighter into his palms.

“Language!” Elaine scolds while cracking a fresh egg into a mixing bowl.

He mumbles, “Sorry,” and flicks his head, tossing his shaggy hair out of his eyes. His anger quickly replaced by embarrassment after being scolded.

“I share your sentiment, Greg,” I say, midchewing.

His brows shove together as he looks me over, trying to place me. Greg is JJ’s younger brother, and I haven’t seen him since I last babysat him the last summer I came home during college, so that would make my little cousin twenty years old now. Aside from putting on lean muscle and shooting up to nearly six feet tall, he doesn’t look all that different than he did when he was a ten-year-old running around the compound with a Super Soaker.

“Casey?” He tilts his head to the side. It’s more of a question than a statement. Greg crosses the room and gives me a quick hug. “I . . . thought you were dead.”

“Nope, still alive . . . unfortunately,” I say, patting him on the back.

“Well, I’m glad you are.” He chuckles, and grabs a couple of apple slices from the plate. The kitchen chair scrapes across the wooden floor, screeching as Greg pulls it out and plops down next to Tessa.

“Nice shooting out there, buddy,” she teases, pretending to fire at him with finger guns. He grumbles and swats her hands away.

“Stop. I get enough of that from Soldier Boy,” he gripes.

“Soldier Boy?” I question.

“Yeah, Blake! That guy needs to go,” Greg scoffs.

Elaine gives a stern look. “Be nice,” she says, whisking the eggs into an airy golden liquid.

“I’m trying, Elaine.” He bites an apple slice in half. “I’m just so sick of him. All he ever does is yell at me.”

“For good reason.” JJ briefly glances at his younger brother.

I hate to admit it, but JJ’s right, and the only reason I hate to admit it is because that means Blake’s right too.

Greg tapers his eyes. “Oh, you’re taking his side. I thought we were brothers, bro.”

“There are no sides. You were being reckless, so all I’m saying is that Blake had good reason to yell at you.” JJ drops his spoon into his bowl, the metal clanging against the ceramic. He leans back in his chair, meeting Greg’s hardened gaze.

“Reckless? I was keeping this compound safe.”

Tessa and I share an amused look. These two haven’t changed a bit, still at each other’s throats even as adults. It’s mostly because their personalities are so different. JJ’s always been a quiet, no-nonsense type of guy. Greg, on the other hand, is aloof and loud, the consummate class clown. The one thing they do have in common, though, is that there isn’t a mean bone in either of their bodies.

“I think we were all safe from the zombie ensnared in the barbwire fence. But what we weren’t safe from was you wildly shooting at it,” JJ says.

“Oh, I didn’t realize there was a right way to kill a zombie, Mr. Expert.” Greg’s tone drips with sarcasm.

“You didn’t kill it, though. Blake did. You wasted ammo and most likely attracted more of them our way.” JJ pushes out his chair and stands, collecting his dish and bringing it to the sink.

The front door opens and closes, and in walks a woman I don’t recognize, dressed in matching lululemon, complete with leggings and a cropped zip-up hoodie. She’s young, maybe early twenties, sporting a full face of makeup and long, wavy red hair.

“Babe, are you okay?” she asks, and I’m not sure who she’s talking to, because no one immediately acknowledges her.

“I’m fine, Molly,” Greg huffs.

Molly leans over the back of his chair and wraps her arms around him, nuzzling his neck as she makes cooing noises, like a puppy burrowing its face in a bowl of food. “Are you sure? I heard what happened. I can’t believe how brave you were, taking on that zombie all by yourself.”

Tessa stifles a laugh by chewing on her last slice of apple, playing off the noises from her throat as though she’s slightly choking.

“There’s no one else in the world I’d rather spend the end of the world with than you, Pookie.” Molly plants several kisses on his cheek.

He twists and pulls away from her. Whatever this is, Greg’s clearly not into it.

Confused, I glance over my shoulder at Elaine and JJ.

JJ chuckles, shaking his head and drying his hands on his pants.

Elaine pours the bowl of eggs into the frying pan and grins. “Greg,” she says, “why don’t you introduce Molly and Casey to one another?”

The girl stands up straight and turns to me with a raised brow. “Who’s Casey?”

“That would be me,” I say, partially lifting a hand like I’m in a classroom.

Molly furrows her brows and presses her pouty lips together, giving me a once-over.

“I’m Greg’s cousin,” I add.

In a nanosecond, her face changes from a look of suspicion to one of amazement.

“Oh my God!” she squeals, racing to me. “It’s so great to meet you. I’m Greg’s girlfriend, Molly.” I extend a hand to greet her, but she flicks it away without even looking at it and hugs me instead, pinning my arms at my sides and smushing her cheek against mine. “That basically makes us cousins-in-law,” she adds.

“Oh, congrats. I didn’t realize you two were engaged,” I say with very little enthusiasm. I’m worried if I show too much of it, she’ll squeeze me even tighter and end my life before a biter or burner can. “When did that happen?”

Tessa struggles to contain her laughter at the kitchen table. She pretends to choke even harder, waving away people who show her any concern. “Wrong tube,” she wheezes out.

“We’re not engaged.” Greg’s voice is monotone, like this isn’t the first time he’s had to make their relationship status clear, and instead of getting angry, he is now merely annoyed.

“Not yet, we’re not,” she says with a giggle.

His shoulders rise and fall as he takes a deep breath in place of responding to her.

Molly finally releases me, and she’s all smiles, revealing a large mouth full of white teeth. Her bright red lips are full even when they’re pulled taut.

“So, how long have you two been together?” I ask.

“Not long enough.” She laughs. “But luckily, we have forever left. Ain’t that right, Pookie?” When he doesn’t respond, she glances over her shoulder at him and repeats, “Pookie?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” he says defeatedly without looking at her.

“Molly, my dear,” Elaine cuts in.

“Yes,” she says, looking to Elaine.

“Would you mind plucking a few heirloom tomatoes from the garden for me, please?” She dials up the sweetness with a closed-mouth smile, the dimples of her cheeks puckering to full effect. I can tell Elaine’s just making this request to save Greg from whatever this is, because there’s a full cutting board of already chopped vegetables for her omelets.

“Absolutely,” Molly says with a nod. She skips to Greg, plants a wet kiss on his cheek, and tells him, “Miss you already,” before sauntering through the living room and out the front door.

As soon as the door closes, Tessa blows out her cheeks, exploding with laughter and even some spittle.

“Stop it!” Greg throws a crumpled paper towel at her. It bounces off her head and onto the table, but does nothing to stop her delight.

“Wowwwww,” I say. The word comes out breathy and elongated, matching the extent of my surprise and amusement.

Greg points a finger at me. “Don’t you start too.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” I say, half smiling. “She seems very, very nice.”

He groans. “Yeah, she’s nice all right, but she’s also incredibly annoying and extremely clingy.”

“Then why are you dating her?” I cock my head.

“I’m not . . .” Greg pauses to collect himself before he gets overly animated. When he speaks again, it’s in a very calm and flat voice. “We’re not dating, okay.”

“Really? Because she sure seems to think that you are.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t control what she thinks.” Greg waves his hand like he’s swatting at a fly.

My brows shove together in confusion. I look to Tessa for an answer, but she’s still in a fit of laughter. “Were you and Molly dating at one point?” I ask.

“No,” he says matter-of-factly.

“Then why would she think that to begin with?”

“We hooked up one time, okay?” He drops his head in his hands. “How was I supposed to know the world was gonna end the next day?”

I now understand why Tessa’s unable to contain her laughter, because I can’t either. I snort. “I’m sorry, Greg.”

“I’m glad you find this so amusing.” He crosses his arms over his chest, waiting for us to stop.

“You know, they say if you aren’t careful during a one-night stand, you can end up living with that decision for the rest of your life,” Elaine says without missing a beat. She flashes a sly smirk, further fueling our cackles.

“Come on! That’s not funny,” Greg whines, as though his tone will make it not so.

“Yes, it is,” JJ adds from Elaine’s side as he helps her with breakfast.

When we finally calm down, Tessa speaks first. “Greg, if you really don’t like her, why don’t you just tell her?”

“Yeah, just break up with her. Gently, of course,” I add.

“I can’t. She’s totally obsessed with me. If I break it off with her, she’ll kill me. Plus . . .” He trails off and shrugs. “You know.”

“Know what?” Tessa asks.

“I mean, she’s the only girl here my age who isn’t family—well, besides you, Tessa. I mean, you’ve got nine years on me, but I could go to Cougartown.” Greg wiggles his eyebrows up and down.

She gives him a disgusted look and says, “Forget what I said. I think you should stay with her.”

“I agree, she’s lovely,” I say, backing Tessa up.

“You sure?” He looks at Tessa, trying to do his best impression of a male model.

“You better be careful, Greg, or I’ll sic Blake on you,” she quips.

“Pfft. I’m not afraid of Blake. He’s a little bitch . . .”

“I’m a what?” Blake asks, startling us. He stands in the doorway, having quietly entered without any of us noticing his presence. Closing the door behind him, he walks in with a sword in hand. Both he and his weapon are covered in decay, remnants of the biter he slayed.

“I think you heard me—otherwise you wouldn’t be asking me to repeat it.”

“Oh, come on. Say it again for me then, Gregory,” Blake challenges.

“Boys, there are enough things to fight beyond that fence out there, so we don’t need any of that in here.” Elaine’s words insert themselves between the two men as she points her spatula back and forth.

“Yes, ma’am.” Blake nods and looks to JJ. “You ready for our run?”

“Yup. Just gotta put my boots on.”

Blake grabs a rag and wipes down the blade of his sword.

“What run?” I ask.

“Supply runs.” JJ takes a seat on the steps and starts lacing up his work boots. “We do several a week,” he adds.

“I wanna go,” I say, lifting my chin.

“No,” Blake says without missing a beat.

“Why not?”

“Because you haven’t gone through training.” Blake washes his hands at the sink. “And you’d be a liability.” He doesn’t even look at me while he scrubs at his fingernails.

My annoyance with him only continues to grow, so I reach across the counter and shut the water off. That gets his attention. Blake finally lifts his head, meeting my gaze.

“I’m not a liability, and you don’t get to decide what I can and cannot do. So, whether you like it or not, I’m going.” I turn from him and head toward the stairs, sliding past JJ. I take them two at a time, in a hurry to not be left behind.

“Where are you going?” he calls out.

“To get my shoes and jacket,” I yell back.

“For what? A workout? Gardening? Because you sure as hell ain’t coming with us,” Blake hollers, his voice growing faint the farther I ascend.

I don’t know who he thinks he is, but one thing is for sure: he won’t be telling me what to do—not now, not ever. I hear the front door open and close as I reach my bedroom. Racing to the window, I see JJ and Blake walking side by side toward one of the trucks. Damn it.

“Wait!” I yell, hoping my voice will travel through the glass and stop them in time.