„ You already did!"

I really didn't know why that simple statement affected me so much and I hoping that she wouldn't see the blush that was creeping up my cheeks.

„ How? You don't even know me", I playfully said, but the with the full itention for her to explain it to me. Maybe because I coulnd't grasp, what was going on between us? But then again, maybe she didn't even mean anything by it and suddenly I felt a little stupid.

„Because I think you are special, Alicia and you should...trust yourself more. Trust your guts. Trust your heart...and maybe even trust me. I'd...I'd like that", she smiled a beautiful smile and all I could do was to return it.

Maybe, just maybe, we were actually starting to become friends.

We fell into a comfortable silence after that, simply sharing looks here and there, studying each others faces, before I found my voice again.

„So...what...what happened to your parents?", The second the question had left my mouth, I regretted it.

She sighed and sadness clouded her ocean blue eyes. „They are gone."

„I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to pry and ruin the moment. I'm such an idiot!"

„No, it's fine. I want to tell you. They died when I was 17. Car crash. They were on their way home from a birthparty and my dad fell asleep for just a few seconds and...they crashed into a tree. He was dead immediatley, my mom died later on the way to the hospital. After that it was just me and Aidan."

I couldn't stop the tears running down my face and without even thinking about it, I sat down next to her, interwining our fingers.

„No grandparents? Aunts, uncles?"

„Nope. Well, that's not entirely true. We do have an uncle in Adelaide but he's probably the biggest, useless, drunken shithead on this planet, so when I turned 18, Aiden and I were allowed to live on our own. I was taking care of him ever since."

„Thank you, for trusting me enough to tell me this. It must have been...hard. I mean, I couldn't possibly imagine, what that was like for you! You are incredibly strong, Elyza. I hope you know that."

„Just when I have to be", she replied looking at our joined hands, smiling breifly. „You should get some sleep. That's enough saddening lifestories for one day, I guess."

I didn't wanna leave her at all, but decided to give her some space and maybe I could really use a break.

„See you tomorrow then?", I winked, giving her hand one last squeeze.

„As if you had a choice! But in all seriousness. Yes. I'd like that."

I chuckled and made my way to the door.

„Alicia?"

„Ya?"

„Thank you."

My chest simultaniously felt warm and heavy when her blue orbs found mine, filled with such gratitude and honesty, it took all my willpower to not storm over to the girl again and hug her senseless.

„Anytime!", I said instead, finally closing the door behind me, sighing.

Everything went to shit tho on the second day, since we had taken Elyza in.

I didn't see it coming, nor was I in any way ready for what was about to happen to me.

To us. Because everytime I was with her, since that whole Zombie thing happened, I really believed, it wasn't so bad afterall and that I was safe as long as we would have each others backs.

„How is your shoulder?", I asked, a cocky smile on my face when I started to clean her wound that day, my left hand cupping her elbow for stabilty.

„Better than ever!", she replied with a smile, her eyes a shade darker than usual.

I was about to give her a kiss on the cheek, because that was current level of brazen, I was okay with, when suddenly the door flew open and Daniel, Ofelia's dad stormed in, grabbing Elyza by the arm, jerking her off the bed roughly.

„What the fuck you think you are doing? Are you crazy?", I snapped, trying to get a hold of the blonde, but failed miserably.

Instead of answering me, he kept on going, his tight grip on her injured arm like steal and I could see the pain flickering in her eyes.

He finally stopped in the living room, pushed her down on a chair in the middle of the room, surrounded by my family and glared at her with a cold, empty look on his face and I had seen that look before.

„Mom! What is going on? Make him stop! Please", I yelled, positioning myself protectively in front of Elyza.

„Alicia! Not now! Step away", my mother demanded, trying to stare me down, but it was not working on me anymore.

„The fuck not now! What is this?" I snapped.

„You want to tell her, or should I, girl?", Daniel said to Elyza and my eyes immediatley flew to her face.

„What is he talking about?", I asked her, breathing heavily, my voice barely a whisper.

When there was no reaction at all, Daniel pushed me aside with a large knife in his hand, pressing it against the sensitive skin of the blondes neck.

„Turns out, she wasn't so alone afterall, was she?", he said coldly. „WAS SHE?"

„Elyza, what is this?" and before I could get any explanation whatsoever, the front door flew open and approximatley 10 people stood in the frame, each of their heavy guns pointed at us.

„I'm sorry!", she whispered, avoiding my shocked eyes.

„Well, well. Nice. Really nice. You people made quite a home for yourselves here. I like it", a tall guy, with a huge beard and a leather jacket said, his heavy boots sqeauking, when he stepped inside our house.

„Elyza?", I managed to say before i felt a tight grip around my neck.