Chapter 6: Destroyer of Atom

My eyes opened but I wasn't really awake. Everything was blurry. Where am I? Where's Butch ?

We were supposed to eat lunch together today. I needed to get ready.

I sat up with an unfamiliar creek of a bed. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the source of the warmth radiating at my side.

Wait, that's not Butch. Who is he?

Suddenly, all the memories of yesterday buzzed into my head. What did I do? I'm so fucking stupid. So stupid.

I crawled out of bed as quietly as possible. Unfortunately for me, the bed was loud as shit no matter how slowly you move.

Burke turned over, his arm over his head."Leaving so soon?"

"I have a lot of things to do. I would if I could. Did I change your mind?"

He looked deep in thought. I was about to lose it. I fucked him. I risked a pregnancy for him. For this fucking town. For these people. "Yeah, I'll just have to tell Tenpenny I couldn't find anyone to do it."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Thank you."

I got up and started dressing. "This is a one time thing, Mr. Burke. I did what I needed."

His eyes flickered to mine. I saw utter sadness. Did he really think that this was going to be something regular?

I zipped my jumpsuit and stood up. "I have to leave. Bye, Burke."

I closed the door quietly. I walked down the steps.

First order of business is disabling the bomb. I walked past the man standing in the water and under the tail of the bomb.

I never thought I'd be thankful for those times Butch and I would mess with the vault's main control system just so we could fool around.

I opened the latch on the side and looked at the wires. My hair was in my eyes. This was why I hated long hair. Anything to get people to stop thinking things I'm not.

After unplugging and snipping wires with my teeth, the bomb was safe.

"Well, I'll be. You did it." Simms said from behind me. "I didn't really think you knew what you were doing but I guess I was wrong. Here's the key to that house over there, and here's three hundred caps. It's the least I can do for saving the town."

I looked down at the caps and key. I never had my own house before. I would be given one when I married in the vault. I probably would've married Butch.

Thinking about Butch just made me nauseous. Not a whole day out of the vault and I already fucked someone else. I'm such a shitty person.

"Are you alright?" Simms sounded concerned.

"I'm fine. Just feeling home sick."

"Well, you'll be fine. This is your home now."

Even though it was said with good intentions, I couldn't ignore the pit in my stomach. "Thank you."

I shuffled over to the little shop in front of the bomb. A woman leaning against the building pushed off the wall.

"Hey, what can I get you?"

"Oh, uh... do you have Sugar Bombs?"

"We sure do, seven caps."

I handed her the money and started eating.

"Thanks for disabling that damn bomb. What did Simms give you for it?"

I swallowed the cereal,"he gave me the key to the house behind this building and some caps."

"Sounds like you got a good set up. How did you know how to disable it? Most of the people out here can't even read."

That wasn't a real surprise. "I just kind of grew up around things like that."

She didn't look like she was buying it but I couldn't keep telling people I was from the vault. It could be dangerous if I told the wrong person. She didn't press the matter further.

"So I couldn't really sleep last night, no one could. It was pretty loud, if you get what I'm saying."

I glared at her. "I don't think that's really any of your business. I can't change what happened. I'm sorry I kept you up."