After the Ending (32 page)

So, I told Jason what you said about the Colony (maybe)
being bad news. We all voted, and we’re still going to Colorado, but just to
somewhere nearby Colorado Springs, not to the actual Colony, at least, not
until we meet up with you and yours (if any of them come). Then we can decide
what to do together. If that Jake guy really wants to convince us (you) that
it’s not the place to be, then maybe he should come along. He seems to care
whether you live or die, so I guess he’ll follow you there anyway. Stalker,
anyone? Not that I mind, and neither should you. The guy is like your own
personal Superman, Miss Lane.

The plan on this end is to spend a few weeks getting prepped
in BB, then we’ll head out…wait for it…on horseback! Gas is so unreliable (as
in, nonexistent) over here that we can’t use cars. I hope Cece and her
degenerates got stranded on a mountain pass and eaten by a bear…or maybe by
each other. By the way, the people who are still here are: Chris, Ky, Ben (Ky’s
brother), Holly, Dalton, and Hunter. And Jason, of course. Oh, plus Jack, Wings
(the paint horse who brought me down here), and the other eight horses living
at the ranch with us. And the goats.

Oh, and I had nightly dreams with MG while I was “on leave”.
Did I forget to tell you that he’s real? Yeah, entering people’s dreams is his
Ability. And he’s…interesting. He seems to like me for some reason. He really
wanted me to go to the Colony and was convinced I’d be safer there. He’s
actually the one who helped me figure out my Ability.

That’s it for now. Let me know if you “hug” anyone else.
I’ll do the same (*wink*).

Ciao,

Dani

“Okay, so stick your foot in the stirrup…no, Ky, the other
foot…and then pull yourself up. You’re big strong guys; I’m sure you can handle
it,” I teased.

Jason had already mounted while Ky and his horse were
doing a little square dance with his foot stuck in the stirrup.

“Can’t you help?” Ky called in my general direction.
“Like, make it stand still or something?”

I snorted, unable to hold the laughter in any longer.
“Won’t help you…you’ll just end up doing this again next time. You’ve got to
figure it out.”

“Thanks so much, D. You’re a huge help.”

“I try,” I said, quieting my giggles.

Three hours later, we were walking our horses down Bodega
Avenue. On our mission to scout and gather supplies pertinent to our impending
departure, we’d loaded our bags with medicine and hygiene items, some food,
spices, salt, liquor, and dog food. We’d found, but hadn’t yet taken, a huge
supply of feed and some useful tack at a farm close to our own ranch. We would
have come back for it.

“Oh!” I exclaimed as we passed by a cedar-sided bungalow.
“We should stop in there…might be some useful books.”

Jason shrugged and dismounted; using as few words as
possible had become his new standard around me. It was driving me insane,
especially considering that he rarely let me out of his sight. He’d become my
silent, ever-present shadow. A big, protective, lethal one.

Ky scrutinized the sprawling, brown home. “Uh, why? What
am I missing here?”

“This is Mr. Grayson’s house. He is…
was
…a teacher
at our high school back in the day. He sort of collected books on everything,
and his house functioned as the town’s unofficial library. You know…’cause we
don’t have a real one. He seemed to think he could educate the entire community
through the power of books alone,” I explained.

“Got it,” Ky said.

I was no longer a stranger to breaking and entering, but
the whole “let’s break into the house of our old teacher so we can steal his
books” thing felt odd. Regardless, it ended up being quite the fortuitous stop.

As we were skimming the bookshelves lining the walls from
floor to ceiling, searching for anything that might prove useful in our
post-civilization world, we heard the crack of a dropped book on the weathered
wood floor.

“What the…?” came a man’s voice from the front door—it
was Mr. Grayson. His hand was still on the doorknob, his mouth was gaping open
in shock, and a heavy tome rested at his feet. “What are you…I never thought
someone would…books, you know. Wait…Danielle, is that you?” he asked, finally
expressing a complete thought.

Pierced by his sharp stare, I was instantly transported
back to high school. I rushed to explain, “Yes, Mr. Grayson, it’s me, Dani. We,
um, didn’t think anyone was here or that anyone would mind if we…um…well…”

“Borrowed some books? From my private collection?
Assuming I was dead?” Mr. Grayson finished. His expression turned musing as he
examined each of us from a distance. “I’d wager,” he said, breaking the tense
silence, “that your companion is Jason Cartwright. Am I correct?”

“Yes, Sir,” Jason affirmed.

Mr. Grayson pondered the situation for another long
moment, allowing the silence to expand. I jumped when he finally spoke.
“Danielle, if I remember correctly, I would expect to find you here with the
younger Cartwright, unless she has succumbed to the—”

“No!” I hastily interrupted. “Zoe’s alive. She’s just
not, well,
here
. She’s at Fort Knox. With some military people. She’s
safe though. I mean, other than being attacked…multiple times…um… anyway…she’s
okay.”

He nodded, and his lips quirked into a slight smile. “I
see. Well, I don’t know this other lad, but I’ll assume for the moment that
he’s fine since he’s with you two. I suppose you’d like to know about the past
month here in our lovely little coastal paradise.” Sarcasm dripped heavily off
of the end of his statement.
Good old Mr. Grayson…

“But I have somewhere I must be in a short amount of
time. Will you meet me here tomorrow?” he asked politely.

The three of us exchanged questioning looks and shrugs,
finally nodding to each other.
Why not?

“Wonderful. Does one o’clock in the afternoon work with
your schedules?”

I coughed, choking down a laugh.
Schedules. Hilarious
.

Ignoring me, Jason replied, “Yes, Sir. We’ll see you
then.”

As we left, I glanced back at Mr. Grayson and couldn’t
help but wonder about his pressing engagement. Just the idea that he had
somewhere to be was surprisingly foreign…and amusing.

Date: January 2, 3:40 PM

From: Danielle O’Connor

To: Zoe Cartwright

Subject: Bonkers!

Zo,

So, this crazy thing happened earlier this afternoon. We
were romping through town, scouting out supplies and such…and we ran into Mr.
Grayson! Yeah, I suppose the fact that we were in his house preparing to
scavenge a bunch of books makes the encounter less bonkers. Whatever, it’s
still crazy. We’re meeting up with him tomorrow, and he’s going to fill us in
on everything that’s happened here over the past month. I’ll let you know what
he says.

I’m just about to change into my super fighter Dani clothes
and go practice my super fighter skills with the others. Two hours in the
afternoon are officially designated as combat training time. Those who stayed
behind today set up the whole training area outside on the lawn with a sparring
circle, shooting range, and obstacle course. In the morning, I’ll be surprised
if my skin isn’t purple and blue with bruises. I don’t care. I’m all for
anything that helps me be better prepared for a situation like the attack the
other night. You’re with military people...have you thought at all about asking
them to teach you some stuff?

That’s all for now. Stay safe Zo.

Ciao,

Dani

Zoe

Waking the next morning was rough. I’d tossed and turned all
night, thinking about Jake and the expression on his face when I’d left the
common room. I was still exhausted and wasn’t even close to ready for a day
filled with training and travel planning.

Throwing off the covers, I
pried
myself from the warmth of the bed and slipped my feet into my brown, fur-lined
slippers. I knew I’d need hot water if I was going to carpe diem, so I grabbed
the towel hanging over the desk chair and headed out the door.

The frigid air gnawed at my skin as I made my way down
the empty hallway. Hearing the clacking of pool balls, I knew Dave was awake
and playing his usual early morning game of pool with Stacey. I realized I was
probably the last one to get up and dragged my feet lazily along the ground as
I entered the empty locker room. The air was still steamy from someone else’s
shower.

After opening my locker, I sluggishly bent over and
pulled off my sweatpants. My shirt quickly followed. As the steam dissipated,
the brisk air bit at my exposed skin.
I HATE winter.
The cold tortured
me as it lingered, seeming to mock my constant discomfort.

Hearing the sound of a plastic bottle hitting the tiled
shower floor, I jumped, swiveling around in surprise. I held my crumpled shirt
against my exposed chest. The sound of bare feet on tile preceded Jake as he
strode around the corner of the line of lockers…completely naked.

Rumpling his hair with a towel, Jake almost ran into me
before noticing my own mostly nude body frozen in front of him. He stopped
abruptly, his expression shifting in recognition: surprise – confusion –
intrigue.

Beads of water glided down his skin, and his arm flexed
as his fist clenched the towel hanging at his perfectly trimmed side. My eyes
followed the droplets as they trickled down his sculpted abs, gravitating
toward his…

Realizing I was gawking at his nakedness, I raised my
eyes to his face. He was curiously appraising my own barely covered body. His
look was covetous, and he abruptly shifted his towel to cover the evidence of
his sudden…excitement.

“I didn’t know anyone else was in here,” he said
casually. He was still naked, and I had to turn away or risk drooling.
Why
is he just standing there?

“Shit,” I mouthed, realizing I was in the most
deliciously awkward situation of my life. “I didn’t know you were in here
either.” My boy-short bottoms and tangled mess of waist-length hair were all
that covered my backside. One hand quickly moved to cover my face, and I
considered putting my shirt back on.
But then I’d have to pull it away from
my boobs…

“I’m pretty sure I put the white towel on the handle,” he
said. The playfulness in his voice was back, and I could feel heat painting red
splotches up my neck and cheeks.

“Yeah, I guess I missed it. I’m not really a morning
person.” I wondered if he was planning on getting dressed anytime soon. In the
locker’s small mirror I could see his short hair, wet and spikey, and my body
hummed at the thought of running my hands over it. “Are you planning on putting
clothes on by any chance?” I murmured.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” I could tell he was
smiling.

Facing him, I fought the grin that threatened to expose
my delight. “Slightly. I wasn’t expecting to see a naked man when I woke up
this morning.”

“You don’t like naked men?” His uncharacteristic joke
made me laugh as I tried to focus on only his face.

“Of course I do, I just wasn’t prepared…,” I said, stalling
and pointing at him, “for this!”

He said nothing and chuckled as he strolled toward the
door, his firm glutes flexing as he walked by. I thought I glimpsed a smirk on
his freshly shaven face as he turned the corner, wrapping his towel loosely
around his waist as he vanished.

Breathe.

Again.

I took numerous deep breaths, gathered my shampoo,
conditioner, soap, and razor, and headed for the showers. I was anxious for the
hot water to wash away my sudden desire. Seemingly indestructible and with a
body fit for battle, Jake reminded me of Achilles, and I wondered what
his
weakness might be. I couldn’t help but smile as I recalled his sexy grin.

After my shower, I dressed and braided my hair, put my
things away, and headed to the mess hall for breakfast. Of course I found Jake
there, sitting at a table with Biggs.
Great, just the three of us,
I
thought sarcastically. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I lost my appetite.

“Feel better?” Jake asked with a barely-there smirk.

“You could say that,” I said before I could stop the
words from escaping.

“Yeah?” A jovial glint danced in his eyes.

Biggs’s head turned back and forth between us until,
thankfully, he interrupted. “When you’re finished with breakfast, Zoe, we’ll
start training. Harper can’t today, so you’re stuck with me. Okay?”

“Yeah, that’s great, thanks.” I suddenly realized I
hadn’t seen Harper for a few days—not since the fireworks show—and the fact
that I hadn’t really noticed his absence was surprising…and made me feel
horrible. “Is Harper okay?” I asked.

Biggs stopped chewing, like my question required a lot of
thought. “Why do you ask?”

“I haven’t seen him in a couple of days.” I eyed him
closely. “Just wondering…,” I said, promising myself I’d find Harper before training.

The three of us finished eating in silence, and after a
while, Jake and I took our trays into the kitchen. As we scraped off our
plates, we exchanged stolen glances until we heard Sanchez march in and whisper
something to Biggs, who still sat at the table, jotting down notes.

I looked over at Jake curiously. “Do you know what’s
going on?”

He shook his head.

After a second thought, I asked, “Would you even tell me
if you did?”

“I have no idea what’s going on,” was all he said as we
watched the secret exchange.

Biggs looked up at me and smiled weakly. “Sorry Zoe, I
have to bail on our training today. I’ll catch up with you later,” he blurted,
hurrying away before I could ask any questions.

“Hmmm…” Abandoning my plate in the sink, I debated
whether I should follow after him like an annoying little kid.

“If you’re serious about leaving,” Jake said, “you need
to keep training.” He ruminated for a moment, completely unconcerned with what
was happening with our other friends. “Do you want my help?” Despite his
kindness, he seemed to find little pleasure in his offer.

“Um…” Knowing Jake might convince me to stay, I was
hesitant to accept his help. “Sure,” I said, accepting anyway—a small part of
me simply wanted to be around him.

“I can show you how to fight…and how to use a gun and a
knife, but that’s about it,” he said.

“You
can
?” I teased.

“I know enough to get by.” He flashed a mischievous grin,
and for a moment I saw the Jake I’d encountered in the locker room.

To begin our workout, we started by jogging to the gym.
The day was pleasant and getting warmer as we ran down the sidewalk.

“How do you ‘know enough to get by,’ exactly?” I asked
between breaths, hoping, but not expecting, to catch a glimpse into his past.
Maybe
he knows karate?
  I doubted it—I couldn’t picture a younger version of
him being dropped off at a Dojo.

“I got into a lot of trouble growing up,” Jake said after
a few strides.

“Can you
please
be more specific? I don’t mean to
pry—I know how you hate that—but as your new trainee, I feel I deserve to know
what I’m getting myself into. Are we talking skills and precision or hardcore
street-fighting?” I half-joked.

Jake smiled. “I moved around a lot. I was a stupid kid
and wasted my time doing a lot of stupid things.”

Had he practiced karate as a child or gone target
shooting with his dad, my curiosity would’ve been satisfied. But his dismissive
explanation was much more Jake-like, alluding to the untamed side I sometimes
saw in his eyes. I fought the temptation to dig deeper, to learn about him
through his memories. I thought about how far we’d come the last couple of
days, and I didn’t want to ruin our developing friendship by knowing too much
too fast—plus there was that whole…none-of-your-business vibe.

“So let’s just be clear, we’re not cage fighting or
anything, right?” I asked playfully, trying to keep the conversation light.

“No cage fighting,” he said. “Although…that’s an
entertaining thought.” His rough laugh made me giggle.

Surprised by my silliness, I stopped jogging.
I just
giggled. Guys
don’t
make me giggle.

“You okay?” Jake asked as he stopped and stared back at
me with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

God, the way he
looks at me makes me want to fling myself at him.

Reality hit me like a ton of bricks falling
one-by-one—each brick an interaction between Jake and me during the short time
we’d known each other. As they landed, I recalled every word, every look, every
gesture, and my conflicted emotions for him became clearer.

I’m…into him. I
like being around him. If the world was normal, I’d want to date him.

The image of his sister dying in his arms flashed in my
mind, and I knew I could never have him.
I’m
leaving for Colorado. His sister died there. He only wants to come to protect
me because he couldn’t protect her. I don’t even know how he really feels about
me.

As he anxiously approached me, I grasped for control.
“I’m fine, sorry,” I told him, waving him away.

“You don’t look fine.”

“Gee, thanks.” I jogged ahead, trying to stay focused on
our day of training. “Come on, we’ve got a lot to do today.”

I hated pushing Jake away like that, but I didn’t know
what else to do. I was too caught off guard by the troublesome feelings I felt
for him, and I just wanted to ignore them.

When we reached the gym, we began our session with some
kickboxing. Jake started by showing me how to throw a proper punch against a
heavy punching bag.

“Harper can show you how to wiggle your way out of an
attacker’s arms all he wants, but then what? You need to learn how to fight
back, otherwise, getting away would be pointless.”

As he demonstrated, his triceps flexed with each
extension of his arm, taunting me. I wished he’d put his long sleeves back on
as much as I wished I could tear off everything he was still wearing.

Why did I have to
realize this now?
I groaned inwardly.

“Why are you stopping? Keep going,” he demanded.

“I hardly see how this is helpful,” I whined, getting out
of step with the heavy bag. It knocked into me with a thud, and I almost fell
over.

“If you can’t defend yourself against an inanimate
object, how can you expect to protect yourself out there
.
I won’t always
be there…you need to learn how to take care of yourself.”

I sighed. “You’re right. You won’t always be there because
you’re
not
coming with me.”

Shaking his head, he hit his bag harder. “Whatever you
say,” he said, mocking me.

“Why do you have to say it like that? Why can’t you just
help me and not try to make me feel like shit for wanting to leave? Is it
really that difficult?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I don’t want you going at all—with or
without me. I’m surprised Harper’s not chaining you to your bed—that’s what I’d
do.”

“Harper’s not in charge of me. He’s not my father, not my
boyfriend…” Jake’s pensive frown told me he’d assumed otherwise. “You thought
we were together?” I asked, taken aback.

He just smirked at my words and continued assaulting his
heavy bag—left, right, then left again. Between the nicknames and the flirting,
I could see why Jake might’ve thought that there was something going on between
Harper and me. Beyond that, I was intrigued that he’d given it any thought at
all, and happy that the revelation seemed to satisfy him.

“Even
if
Harper and I were together,” I said, “he
wouldn’t get a say.” I continued to kick my bag, my building aggression making
my strikes more powerful. “Besides, he’s got his own shit going on,
apparently.” I could feel sweat beading on my neck and chest, and fatigue was
spreading through my thighs and butt. “Plus, since I have your blood inside me,
I think there’s a chance I’ll be—”

Jake stopped mid-punch, catching his bag as it swung back
to him. “Jesus Christ, you can’t count on that,” he said angrily. “It might’ve
been a one-time thing. I can’t believe you’re not taking this more seriously.”

I rolled my eyes and continued kicking to avoid his
scrutiny.

“Turn your foot out, or you’ll break your ankle,” he
ordered and resumed beating the shit out of his own bag.

I stopped kicking and steadied myself to catch my breath.
“What the hell? I don’t want you to come with me,” I lied. “So why are you
making such a big deal about it?”

Between strikes he said, “I’m going with you…because I
didn’t save…your life just so…you could leave and…get yourself killed…Sorry if
I seem…a little….pissed…about…it.”

I took a step toward him. “Why do you care so much
anyway?”

Jake stopped abruptly and scoffed. “Isn’t it obvious?”

I shook my head. “No, not really. You’re about as clear
as mud, and you’re unpredictable. I have no idea what to think of you.” As I
stood mere feet from his glistening body, I wanted to lunge at him, unsure if
it was in anger or lust.

His chest heaved, and he looked directly into my eyes.
His gaze was charged with an electric current I could feel buzzing through me. I
swallowed thickly.

Carefully, he said, “I
care
about what happens to
you because I
care
about you. I don’t want you to get killed.”