We decided to walk again the next day. And a few days after that. It'd been about two weeks before we ran into any trouble. Which was good. But the mess we got in was bad.
"Where the hell is the exit?" I screamed running through another hallway. Jake was right behind me. We were both covered in blood and out of breath but we had to keep going.
"I think it's down here!" He took my hand and pulled me into another hallway before I could blink. Once we found the stairs we went down and turned another corner.
We moved as one now. We were a pretty unstoppable team with our blades. Once we went through the seven zombies in our way we kept going, more of them behind us. Going into this town was a bad idea. But we had to. We had no food.
"There!" Jake yelled shoving me in the direction of the light. I stumbled forward, running before I noticed Jake wasn't behind me.
"Jake, c'mon!"
"No, you go. I'll hold them off."
I shook my head and ran back, taking his hand this time and pulling him with me.
"We go together."
And together we went. Out of the store and into the back alley way. It was cleared already. All of the zombies had cleared to go to the front door to get their dinner - us.
"We don't have time to rest. We need to keep moving."
Jake pulled me onward but I was getting tired way too fast. But once Jake was determined there was no telling him otherwise. And he led us out of the city and pretty far away from it before I finally broke.
"I'll find a place up ahead. Just hide here until then. Okay?"
I nodded and leaned back into the seat of the car. We refused to sleep in cars but they were good hiding places when we really needed them.
It felt like ages before Jake got back. I was fading into sleep when he came. His voice was distant but it sounded worried. I couldn't get up. It hurt to move.
"Tess, you gotta work with me here. I can't see the wound if you stay turned over like this."
Wound? That's right, I was wounded. I hadn't told him though. I thought nothing of it when it happened. I figured it would have scabbed over by now.
I did as told and he pushed my Capri's up above my knee to see the gash on the side of it. I had fallen and the glass cut through my jeans, digging itself downward a little before I was able to get up and continue.
"This is serious. Why didn't you tell me? We need to get you to the semi. C'mon Tess, get up."
I watched his shadow put my pack on his back and my machete in it's case. Then I felt myself dragged out of the car and into his arms. It again felt like ages before I was laying in the bed of the semi he had found.
"You need to wake up. I don't know how much blood you've lost and I'm afraid of what might happen if you pass out."
I rolled over a little and looked at him. There was worry on his face. Sweat. Dried blood covering it almost every where but where he had his mask on. I felt him take mine off and wash the blood from my face. I was helpless. My body was too tired and too in shock to move. I'd never faced so many before at once. I'd never been in a mess that bad.
He brushed the hair from my face and washed my neck before rinsing the rag and moving to clean my leg again. Then he took the bandages we had found a while ago and wrapped them around a towel he had covered the wound with.
"I don't really know what else to do. But I don't want just the wrap to be against that. The towel should help soak up some blood and not make it too uncomfortable until we figure something out."
I nodded, "Thank you."
The shock on his face was amusing but I didn't have the strength to laugh.
"I didn't think I'd ever hear you say that."
I smiled a little and pushed myself up.
"Tess I don't think-"
"You need to wash up too."
"What?"
I took the rag and dumped some water on it before taking his face in my hands.
"Let me help you too. You did more work than me. And carried me. Your body must be," I took a deep breath. I was talking slowly and I was slurring my words a little, "Your body must be screaming at you right now."
He didn't reply. He just watched me like he did sometimes as I held his face in place, rubbing the blood from his face, his neck and his shoulders. Then I rubbed his hands clean. That was my blood on them.
"You need sleep too."
"No. Once you get a little better you should sleep first."
"Jake. Lock the doors, put our stuff back here with us, and close the curtain so no one can see we're here. Then lay down and sleep."
He was hesitant but did as told. Not too long later he was laying next to me, breathing deeply as he finally let himself take in what happened.
"My stupidity of wanting to be the hero almost got us killed."
I looked to him. He was sad. That was the closest word to describe his expression.
"No. Your stupidity of thinking you could handle all those by yourself almost got you killed. When we're together we survive. Don't forget that."
He turned to face me. His eyes looked right into mine, "I would have never guessed when this all started that I'd be laying here with a girl as pretty as you after going on a killing spree. I figured I would be dead by now."
"Well, I won't let you die. Not now. Not after I've started to get comfortable with you."
I was half asleep when I said those words. I meant them, but I didn't really mean to tell him that.
The last thing I heard before I passed out was his voice.
"You can't die either. Not after I've gotten so used to you being here when I wake."
.
I woke with a start. My breathing was rapid and I was tangled up in the covers.
"God, calm down. Go back to sleep. I've told you already, you're safe."
The voice was right next to me. I looked over to see a half asleep Jake. By the way he seemed it wasn't the first time I woke like this. But I was still tired. So I laid back down and curled up in the covers, suddenly sleepy again.
"Was all of that real?" I whispered.
"Mhm."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
I was quiet before rolling over to face him, balling my hands into fists around the comforter and pulling it closer to me, "You saved me yesterday. You know that, right?"
He opened his eyes. They bore right into mine.
"No. You saved me."
I shook my head, "Jake. I would've passed out right after we got out of the building if it wasn't for you. You pulled me and made my adrenaline keep pumping. You kept the pain away and my body responsive. You saved me."
His eyes questioned me for him. I didn't respond though. I just closed my eyes again and curled up to him a little.
"Don't even think anything of this. You're warm. I'm freezing. That's all."
He chuckled, "I'm sure it is Tessa. Don't worry. I know you're not like that."
I wanted to ask what he meant but all I did was mumble a 'what'.
"I know you wouldn't like anyone. Especially someone like me."
Then, I went back to sleep.
It was midday when we finally got up. We decided to just stay there for a while until our bodies recovered. I couldn't really walk anyways. So we decided this was going to be our hide out for a couple of days. We hoped it'd take no longer than a week for me to recover enough to travel. It hurt to bend my knee at all right now and I wouldn't last long. My body was still reacting from the loss of blood.
"I was going to change your pants but decided against it. I knew you'd kill me when you woke up if I did."
I was still in bed, sprawled out and hiding from the light.
"It wouldn't be a bad idea to. I should be wearing my shorts. But I can't do it by myself. I can't stand."
His stare was amusing to say the least.
"I am not helping you change."
"You're the one that brought it up."
"Yes. To tell you I wouldn't."
"But you were suggesting it."
"Was not."
"Don't lie to me Jake. You wanted to."
I laughed and flinched from it. He was over to me in a second to make sure I hadn't opened my wound.
"You can't do any major movements. You need to stay still for a while."
"I want to laugh. I like making fun of you. Don't tell me I can't do something. It's more my chest than my leg anyways."
He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"I'm going to worry about you. You're all I have."
We were quiet then. How was I supposed to respond to that?
"Look, I know I'm not your favorite person Tess. But there's nothing left for me in this world. My family.. My friends.. They're all gone. No one was here to protect me. Or help me. Or get me to be happy like you can. And I know that you have your friends and family. You aren't alone. You have other people. But I want you to have me too. I want to be like one of them. I want to know you.
"But, even if I can't, I owe you. For all you've done for me. I need to protect you like you protect me. I want to do something. Be something. I don't have a purpose in this world. Not like you do."
He wouldn't look at me. I tried to find words but couldn't. No one had told me that. It was just obvious with Tyler and my family. They were mine and I was their's and that was that. But he actually told me he wanted me to be here. It was touching. It wasn't what I was used to. I didn't deal with this. My friends knew not to bring this type of stuff up with me.
A sigh escaped his lips while I pondered, "I'll be up front. Just call for me if you need me."
He went to get up but I grabbed his hand. When he looked back to me I pulled him down.
I had hoped he would understand that I didn't do good with words. My way of showing him that he was a part of my life wouldn't involve words.
He looked at me for a moment while I tried to figure out what to do. To show him. But there wasn't much I could do. So I sat up a little, put his arm under my neck and laid my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. When I curled up to him more he relaxed and put his arm around me. I smiled then. He understood.
