Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Mending

AIDEN

As we leave the tunnel, I shudder at what we just went through. I don’t want Zach to know how bad it was. The first bodies we encountered were lying haphazardly around a fire. But the deeper we got into the tunnel, the more it was clear we had stumbled into a mass grave. Bodies were piled on top of each other ten high. At times, the path through the carnage was so narrow I had to turn to avoid us touching them. The worst moment was when I saw a body moving under a pile of dead, trying to reach out and grab me. I had to jump to avoid it. I shake off the thought as best as I can. But some things can leave a permanent mark on your memory. And I worry this is one of those things.

We return to the flat desertscape that spans in all directions with the slightest hint of snowcapped mountains to the west. The Cascades. That’s where we’re headed. We’ll eventually have to go up and over Snoqualmie Pass to get to Seattle.

Though we make good time on the flat trail, Zach hobbles along, getting slower by the minute. We pause to rest, and I take a moment to inspect his wound. A scab has formed all around the cut, but the redness has increased, and there’s a bit of swelling. When I press the area, Zach winces. And when I release my finger, a noticeable white indentation remains before the blood flows back.

“How does it look?” Zach asks.

“It’s swollen. It might be a little infected. How’s it feeling?”

“It’s been better. But I’m managing.”

“We’re not far from Ellensburg. I don’t love going through cities, but we may need to scavenge a drugstore for antibiotics.”

“You think it’ll be safe?” Zach’s brow crinkles with worry.

“We’ll have to be careful. But let’s take it easy on your leg and search for a place to camp for the night. We’ll head to Ellensburg tomorrow when we’re fresh.”

We continue down the trail until we find a small grove of trees with cover from the sun. I lay the sleeping bag on soft sandy soil in the shade and have Zach rest while I set up camp. Then I lie down next to him.

We both lounge with our heads propped on our arms, looking into each other’s eyes. Even travel weary and his hair a complete mess, I still find Zach irresistible. He looks at me with a soft smile. I care for him so much; it makes me ache inside that I’ve caused him pain. I’d do anything to make it up to him.

“Thanks for the help at the tunnel,” Zach says. “And for rescuing me back at the dam. I was so upset that I might not have thanked you properly. You risked your life to save me, and for that, I’m grateful.”

“Zach, I’ll do anything to keep you safe. You have to know how deeply I care.” My emotions are building, and I choke out the words. “I’m so sorry for leaving. But no matter how stupid I am, I’ll always come back for you. No matter what.”

Zach’s smile widens, and he puts his hand on my shoulder. “Aiden?”

“Yes?” I say, chin trembling.

“I forgive you.”

Relief. “You do?”

“Does this answer your question?” Zach scoots over and wraps his arm around me. As our bodies press together, I can barely contain my joy.

Then he kisses me.

Our mouths open, and Zach explores with his tongue as tingles spread from head to toe. But we go slow, with near misses and the occasional light contact, like a game of cat and mouse. With each touch of the tongue, a wave of pleasure.

Zach runs his hand down my chest and then along my back, sending shivers through me. The light moan from my lips makes his kisses more insistent. I follow Zach’s lead and explore his body with my hand, across his lean shoulders, down his rib cage, and back up to his chest. His muscles flex instinctively, and I squeeze them, feeling their shape.

Craving his bare skin, I start to untuck his shirt. Then I pause. “Is this okay?” I want this so much, but Zach has to be ready.

“It is so okay. You have no idea how long I’ve been thinking about this.”

I laugh from pure happiness.

I slip my hand under his shirt and along his side. He shudders at my touch and lets out a little giggle.

“Does that tickle?” I smile.

“A little.” He shudders again and laughs. “It’s been a while. Everything’s a little extra sensitive.”

I move my hand from his side, exploring his abs, then continuing upward. Zach’s skin is soft and warm. My touch is a gentle caress, like he’s something precious I could break.

I go to my knees and guide Zach to do the same so we face each other. I take off his shirt, and he does the same to me. For a moment, I take in his half-naked body. His chest is smooth and lean. I run my fingers along it, and he shivers again. I lightly pinch his nipple, and he lets out a gasp.

The hunger in his eyes ignites a burning desire as he brushes his fingers along my chest. Little ripples of delight pulse through me with his hands on my skin. It’s been a while for me too.

We join in a hungry kiss, with passion building in each of us. With my hands free to do what they want, I reach for his ass. Zach grabs my ass, too, and we press our bodies together, kissing deeply. We strip off the rest of our clothes with a ferocious intensity. I stop for a moment to take him in. He’s beautiful. The heat of his breath, the softness of his skin, and the scent of his salty sweat consumes my senses.

We tumble to the ground, kissing and grinding together. It’s building me up so fast that I have to pull back, nearly losing control.

“Whew, that was close,” I say, gasping.

“Um, hmm.”

Zach’s eyes burn with passion, and I’m overcome with desire. I go slow to be sure he’s comfortable and happy, and based on the sounds he makes, I’m hitting the mark. When it’s his turn, he does the same, sending waves of pleasure running through me. The longer we go, the more I’m immersed in overwhelming bliss. I don’t want this moment to end. Both of us close to the edge, we press together again. With each touch, each glance, and each sound Zach makes, I’m more connected to him. I’m so vulnerable in his grasp as we open ourselves completely.

As the final waves course through every inch of me, there’s so much more to it than the physical sensation. I’ve opened my heart a crack, and Zach is forcing his way in. It’s so intense that it scares me.

Afterward, lying in each other’s arms, we continue to kiss and touch. I want to hold him forever, whisk him away from this terrible world, wrap ourselves up, and hide where no one can find us. We lie there, exchanging giggles, pawing at each other, with the occasional peck on the lips. Neither of us wants it to end.

Finally, Zach smiles and breaks the silence. “That was amazing.”

I smile back. “Yes. Yes, it was.”

*

ZACH

I lie there with Aiden in my arms, basking in the afterglow of what we shared. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt these strong emotions for another person. It takes a lot to open myself up this much to him. And while the slightest bit of me fears being hurt, right now, I am blissfully content.

We take it easy for the remainder of the day, saving our energy for what tomorrow may bring. We spend time in each other’s arms, kissing softly, whispering loving words, and enjoying each other’s company. It’s a joyous evening, and I hope there’ll be many more like this.

When it’s time for bed, we snuggle up in the tent and sleeping bag. The evening is warm, so we keep the rain fly off. Aiden lies beside me, his naked body illuminated by the moon. His body is beautiful. Broad, muscular shoulders. Defined arms. The little V shape that starts in his lower abdomen and runs down to his inner thighs, outlining his hips. I turn on my side, facing away, and he presses up against me, cradling me gently. Just as we did last night, but this time there’s nothing between us. I’m in bliss.

Halfway through the night, I wake up with something hard pressed against me. Aiden’s breathing is deep and rhythmic. I nuzzle into him, and he wakes up enough to start nuzzling back. So I start grinding, and he makes these soft moaning noises that drive me wild.

“You’re a bad boy,” he whispers in my ear.

“Um-hmm.”

After a little more fun, we kiss and cuddle until we fall asleep in each other’s arms. Nothing further disturbs us that night.

*

The next morning, we hit the trail, well-rested and ready for the day. As we continue down the trail, I look over at Aiden, and he looks back. My cheeks warm, and I smile bashfully, thinking about what we shared yesterday. He blushes a bit too. I want more of that. More of him. And now, nothing is stopping us.

I’m in such high spirits that I overextend myself as we push on through most of the morning. As a result, I’m paying the price with my leg. A dull ache has replaced any sharp pains, but the ache is constant. An ever-present reminder that my leg still needs to heal.

A few hours after leaving camp, Aiden points into the distance. “See that dark line up there?”

“Yep.”

“That’s Interstate 90. We made it back to the freeway. Let’s keep our eyes open.”

“What are we looking for?”

“Hopefully a car we can scavenge. But keep your eyes out for dangers too. Connor will still be looking for us. Really, it’s best if we don’t run into anybody.”

My muscles tense at the mention of Connor. I hope I never run into him again.

The freeway cuts into a valley between two hills. Up ahead, the trail we’re on goes over the freeway on an old railroad bridge converted to a pedestrian overpass. When we get to the bridge, Aiden scans the freeway with the binoculars.

“Well, I do see a few cars.” Aiden points westward down the freeway.

When I squint my eyes, several dark specks are visible where he is pointing. “Do you think we should chance it?”

“I’d like to at least try.”

I’m wracked with worry at the thought of being that exposed on the freeway, but I agree anyway. If we hit the car jackpot and find one we can drive, we could be in Seattle in a matter of hours. The prospect of that is too attractive to ignore.

So we scamper down an embankment toward the freeway. An access road runs alongside it. It’s close enough to see everything on the freeway, but it’s less exposed than walking right on I-90. The wide-open plains of central Washington have few places to hide.

The cars didn’t seem too far from our vantage on the railroad bridge. But it seems to take forever. What was once a couple of specks on the horizon slowly take shape. As we get closer, it’s clear there was a large pileup.

It’s a real mess. An overturned semitruck stretches across the freeway. Several cars are intertangled in the wreckage. Cars is a generous description. More like twisted masses of steel and glass. The wreck blocks all the westbound lanes from the middle barrier past the shoulder, which is fortunate because quite a few abandoned cars are lined up behind the wreckage.

Walking among the vehicles is a ghastly affair. Many of them have the fully decayed remains of their former owners. I’ve seen enough rotting corpses recently, so I steer clear of these cars and let Aiden inspect them. I take the empty ones.

Of all the cars I check, only two still have keys. And in both cases, the batteries are dead. All the cars are newer models, too, meaning hot-wiring or compression starting them is not an option.

A large smashing sound startles me. Aiden stands by a car with the rear side window freshly missing, holding his rifle backward.

“Warn me before you do that next time! I almost pissed my pants,” I shout with a slight laugh.

“Sorry. Will do.”

Aiden reaches into the broken window, opens the back door, and enters the car. I shudder as he reaches over a figure in the front seat. It’s too much for me, so I avert my eyes. A second later, the door slams shut.

“No luck. Dead battery.”

We finish searching the remaining cars with the same result. This must have happened long ago. Every battery is dead. If we hadn’t lost the battery jump starter, we’d be driving along the freeway at this moment, headed for home.

“Well, I guess we should keep going,” Aiden says. “Let me scout the freeway real quick.” He scales the overturned semi by climbing the undercarriage and hoists himself up to the top.

Through the binoculars, he checks the road. “Well, I don’t see any abandoned cars nearby. Oh, wait. Maybe I see one.”

He reaches out and points. Far off, a glint of metal catches the sun. But then that glint of metal moves.

“Shit! A car is coming this way,” Aiden yells. “Quick, hide!”

At the same instant, something moves in one of the cars Aiden checked. Out of the open door a large man lumbers, clothes tattered, veins bulging. Infected.

He sees Aiden first and starts running toward him.

“Aiden, watch out!”

As I shout, the Infected man turns toward me. He looks at me with those vacant eyes and starts racing my way.