“Then don’t think about it.” She stepped back another step. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
“That’s just it, Vee. I can’t stop thinking about it.” He looked up at her with pain in his eyes. “Yeah, Lana and I had great sex…like…I shouldn’t even be telling you this.”
“It’s perfectly natural to—”
“No. You’re not getting it.” He slid to the edge of the chair and sighed again. “It was just sex.” He looked up at her and she noted his eyes were misting. “It was different last night. I felt like we connected on a deeper level.”
“Simon, don’t…”
“Tell me you didn’t feel it.” He pushed up from the chair and faced her. “Tell me you didn’t feel it in here.” He tapped lightly at her chest. “Tell me it was ‘just sex’ and I’ll drop it. I’ll never mention it again. I’ll push it from my mind and never dwell on the softness of your lips, the sound of your voice in my ear, the feel of…I won’t mention it ever again.”
“Simon…” She turned and refused to look at him.
“Tell me, Vee. Open up your heart and tell me what you felt.”
She suddenly stiffened and stood upright. She kept her back to him and she stated firmly, “It was just sex.”
“Look at me and say that.”
“I think you need to leave now, Simon.” Her hand shook as she spoke and he noted it.
“Look at me, Vee.” His voice was soft, not much more than a whisper.
She shook her head slowly. “You should go. Your wife is waiting for you.”
“We’re not married,” he stated flatly. “Look at me, Vee.”
She turned slowly and he saw the tears running down her cheeks. She slowly shook her head. “Please go.”
Simon nodded as he stepped towards the door. “I knew you couldn’t.” He paused, his hand gripping the knob. “If you really want me to drop this, consider it done.” He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “But if there was a chance for two people to make a real connection in what’s left of this fucked up world, I think they’d both be fools to let it slip away.”
She watched as he stepped out of the trailer and tugged his collar up against his neck. He shut the door softly and walked away.
Veronica sat on the built-in couch and wept.
11
Hatcher carried the last of the weapons to the truck and laid them across the rear seat. He heard the tailgate slam shut and glanced back to see Missy walking around to the cab. “That’s the last of it.” She climbed in and shut the door, staring out through the passenger window.
Hatcher gently shut the rear door then climbed back behind the wheel. Although the drive to the outpost was relatively short, he continually played back her yelling tirade. He felt stupid for not realizing how badly she wanted to get out of the park and be back around other people.
He turned the truck onto the dusty dirt road that led to the outpost and slowed for the rocky terrain. “Tell me something,” he stated casually. “Why didn’t you just leave?” Her jaw continued to clench and she chewed absently on a thumbnail, ignoring him. He turned toward her. “Seriously, why’d you stay here? You could have left at any time.”
She sighed and leaned her head against the window. “The last radio reports indicated that all of the major cities were infected. They estimated that over seventy percent of the human population was dead or infected.” She shook her head slightly. “Where was there to go?”
“You still could have tried.”
She sat up and finally turned to him. “And go where?” She threw her hands up and replied sarcastically, “It’s not like I have any family to rely on. I’m alone here.” She seemed to deflate and pressed her head to the glass again. “Utterly alone.”
Hatcher slowed the truck and stopped just outside of the outpost. “We’re here.” He half expected her to make a “Captain Obvious” remark and was surprised she didn’t.
“I’ll try to stay out of your way,” she muttered as she dropped the tailgate.
“Hold on.” Hatcher did his best to keep his voice soft and low, not wanting to trigger another outburst. “Believe me, I understand you want out of here. I get it.”
“But you have a mission,” she finished for him. “I get it.”
“No, it’s not that.” He lowered his head and sighed. “If you want out of here that badly, we can find you a working car. We can fuel it up and you can be on your way.”
She scoffed as she grabbed the plastic tote from the bed. “You still don’t get it, do you? Where would I go?” She turned and marched toward the outpost.
Hatcher grabbed the other tote and followed her. He set the tote next to hers. “I can tell you where we’re set up in Rio Rancho. I’m sure they’d love to have you. You tell Roger or Vicky that I sent you and there won’t be any issue with you staying.”
She stared at him as though he were daft. “Really? How kind of you.” Her sarcasm wasn’t missed as she marched past him. She pulled open the rear door of the truck and grunted as she lifted the large box filled with ammunition.
“What do you want me to do here?” he asked, realizing that, truly he had no idea how a woman’s mind worked. “If you want to take the truck, take it.” He glanced toward where the concert had been set up and knew that hundreds of cars were still lying dead out there. “Heaven knows I can easily find another.”
She gave him a tight lipped smile. “Let me show you something.” She marched around the rear of the outpost and pulled at a camouflage netting that he hadn’t even seen. Underneath sat a pristine Jeep Wrangler. “I’ve been using this to scout to the area when I didn’t feel
