Two days had passed, and we were finally approaching Coronado.
Nick and I stood in Strand's captain's quarters, while he pressed several buttons and stared intensely out the large window in front of him.
I was feeling slightly tense, not sure what to expect once we docked and got off the boat.
Nick stood behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist, as he rested his chin gently on top of my head.
"Everything okay, Strand?" Nick asked.
Strand gave us a brief thumbs up, as he continued to stare out at the approaching shoreline.
"So focused you forgot how to speak." Nick joked.
Strand ignored him.
"Shhh." I shushed Nick, gently, as I patted his arm.
"Not you too?"
I moved away from him slightly, and stared up at his brown eyes.
"Not a good time for jokes." I whispered, trying not to distract Strand.
"Sorry." Nick smiled, as he pulled me back into his arms.
"It's alright." I replied.
"I just can't wait to get off this boat. For good. And have some privacy." Nick said, as he nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck.
"Don't get your hopes up." Strand's voice boomed, as he still stared out the windows.
My anxiety kicked in, as I squirmed out of Nick's arms and made my way over to Strand. "Why, is there something wrong? Is it taken over?"
Strand looked over at me, seeing the panic on my face. "Too soon to tell. But so far, it looks okay."
He pointed to the shoreline. I could see some houses, through the haze that surrounded us.
I felt my heart start to steady back to a somewhat normal pace.
I nodded, trying to calm myself down. "Yeah. Okay. Good."
Nick walked over to me and placed his hand on the small of my back.
I crossed my arms and began to tap my fingers nervously on my forearms.
"Hey, let's give Strand some space." Nick suggested, as he noticed how nervous I was.
I looked over at him. "No, I need to stay here, to make sure everything's okay. Make sure I didn't lure everyone in to a giant death trap."
"Cassie, don't talk like that. We're going to be fine. I just think we should go back to the room before your heart gives out." He replied.
"What? I'm not nervous. I'm- I'm fine."
"I can hear your heart beating so loudly, for a second, I thought it was my own." Strand said.
I looked at him and then back at Nick.
Nick grabbed my hand, as he gave me a reassuring smile. "Come on."
"Go with him. I work best alone." Strand said.
I reluctantly agreed, as I turned and made my way towards the door, Nick's hand still in mine as he followed behind me.
We walked down the stairs and onto the main floor.
I glanced out the open doors that led to the deck. "Maybe I'll just watch from the deck." I said to Nick as I began to walk towards the glass doors.
I felt resistance, as Nick held his spot and didn't follow behind me.
"Cass, come on. Strand's got this under control. Let's go relax." He pulled me towards him, as he began to lead me down the stairs to our room.
We made it into our bedroom, as he shut the door behind him.
I paced the room slightly, starting to bite my nails.
"I can't relax." I said.
I felt Nick walk up behind me, as he placed his hands on my shoulders, stopping me from walking.
He started massaging them. "Then let me help you."
I gave into the massage, closing my eyes slightly as my shoulders relaxed into Nick's hands.
"I'm just worried." I started. "What if it's gone? What if there's nothing left?"
"It's all still there, trust me. Strand said it looked okay so far. You could see some houses. Everything's there." Nick replied.
I let out a long sigh.
He tapped my shoulder lightly, as I looked back to him motioning for us to go sit on the bed.
He sat down and patted the spot in front of him.
"We have nowhere else to go. If this place is done for, we're done for."
"We will find somewhere else to go. We've got all the time in the world. And I promise you, I won't stop looking until you are happy and safe."
I walked over and took a seat next to him.
I leaned in and gave him a soft kiss.
Then I turned around and faced my back towards him, as he started massaging me again.
I let out a small moan as his hit a tender spot on the back of my neck.
I closed my eyes and let myself finally relax.
"You really have been tense lately." Nick said, in almost a whisper, as he worked more on my neck.
"Yeah, well I made a promise to everyone that I had a safe place to go, and I'm hoping the universe keeps up her end of the deal."
"She will."
I let out another tiny moan, as he moved his thumbs deeper into my skin.
"You give good massages." I said.
Nick smirked. "I'm pretty good with my hands, as you know."
"Oh, I know." I breathed.
We were silent for several moments, and I felt Nick loosen his hands.
He gently ran his thumb down the back of my neck, until he hit the top of my tank top.
I let out a relaxed sigh, as I practically melted under his touch.
His hands slid down my body, until they held onto my waist.
I then felt his lips gently kiss the back of my neck, his breath tickling me.
He began to kiss me all over my back, and on the sides of my neck.
"Nick…" I whispered.
He grabbed my waist harder and pulled me closer to him.
He nipped at my neck before he started gently sucking, my breath becoming more ragged, as I gave into his wants.
I reached up and placed my hand in his hair, pulling on it.
He let out a small grunt before he pulled me around to him and we started kissing.
I could feel the heat between us rising quickly.
I spun around and faced him completely.
I broke away from his mouth, and stared at him for several seconds, as he gently rubbed the back of my head.
I put both of my hands on his shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed.
A sly smirk came over his face, as I climbed on top of him.
I needed to get all my pent up tension out, and Nick was a great way to release all my anxiety, and distract myself from everything.
I hovered above him and began kissing his neck, tangling my hands in his hair.
Nick grabs my hair, pulling my head upwards, stopping my nipping and biting on his neck.
We start kissing, our hands running over one another, getting closer to the point of no return.
"Take your pants off. Now." Nick demanded, momentarily pausing our kissing.
I sat up fully, still straddling him, as I slowly began to unbutton and unzip my jeans.
Suddenly, I felt a huge jolt.
The whole bedroom shook.
I tumbled off of Nick's lap, landing on the floor with a thud.
"Holy shit!" I heard Nick yell as he sat up in the bed.
He stood up and reached for my hand, helping me stand up.
I quickly buttoned and zipped my pants up, and the two of us ran out into the hallway.
Alicia and Ofelia were coming out of their rooms as well, all of us exchanging 'what the fuck' looks to one another.
Another huge bump, as all of us were flung into the right side of the hallway, Nick and I slamming into the wall, as Alicia tumbled to the floor.
"What is happening?" She yelled, Ofelia helping her up.
"Get upstairs!" Nick yelled, as he grabbed onto my waist.
The four of us climbed our way up the steps, and onto the main floor.
Another huge bump sent us flying off to the right again, Nick's arms wrapped around me tightly, trying to keep us steady.
I could see Madison and Travis out on the boat's deck, yelling something to Salazar.
Another loud bang, Alicia screaming as things on the shelves next to her came flying off, some breaking on the hard wood floors beneath us.
"Go out with mom!" Nick yelled to her.
I grabbed Nick's hand and started running up towards the control room, where I hoped Strand still was.
I held onto the railing and another jolt stuck the boat.
I flung the door open and saw Strand looking as equally confused as the rest of us.
"What the hell is happening?" I yelled at him, racing over to the windows.
"We hit something, and now it seems, we're stuck." Strand replied, as he kept trying to move the boat forward.
Another huge bump sent me stumbling into the window in front of me, Nick grabbing onto me.
"Stop!" I yelled. "Stop trying to move us!"
"We're almost unstuck." Strand said as he pushed the boat forward again.
Nick and I both flung over to the left this time, hitting the wall.
"DAMMIT!" Strand yelled. "SHIT!"
"What?!" Nick asked frantically.
"Get your stuff! NOW!" He yelled as he ran towards the door, flinging it open and running down the stairs.
Nick and I followed him.
"Strand, we're sinking!" Travis yelled as he made his way into the living room.
"EVERYONE GET YOUR THINGS! YOU'VE GOT FIVE MINUTES!" Strand yelled before disappearing.
"We're fucking sinking?!" I asked Nick.
"Come on!" Nick yelled, as he grabbed my hand.
We ran down the stairs towards our bedroom.
I felt sick to my stomach.
Our safe haven was dying.
The weight of the undead world now hanging on my shoulders.
Our only option was now my vacation house.
This was the beginning of the end.
And I could feel it.