What Souls are Made Of

Chapter 15

I stared back at Millie, trying to process what was happening. "It wasn't a cover?" My mind couldn't comprehend the concept. If it wasn't a cover, then...

As if on cue, Millie added, "Seth, I like you."

I sighed and lifted my fingertips to my face, attempting to massage the searing throb of my sudden headache away. "Millie, I like you too; I'm trying to protect you."

"You like me?" Her voice peaked with a childish enthusiasm that nearly pulled a smile to my face. How she could manage excitement when everything in the world was going wrong was obnoxiously pleasing.

"Of course I do. Not many people would befriend a love-lorn zombie and follow him on a deeply flawed mission to chase after his villain of a girlfriend. And then, in the end, watch him shoot and kill said girlfriend."

"Did you say befriend?"

"Yeah, you are the best friend I have had in a long time, Millie. I am grateful that you stuck by me. I just..."

She didn't move to her side, but she let her head slump to the back of the car seat in a dramatic show of exhausted annoyance.

"What?"

"Seth, I like you. There is no one trying to kill us right now. I kissed you because I like you. I wanted to kiss you. Although, now I am profoundly considering my choices."

"Millie, you like me? Like, like me like me? Like romantically?"

"Oh, you are so cute when you finally catch up to the room," she teased. "And I think that might be an overuse of the word like," she added to herself as she pondered the thought.

"I'm a zombie," I reminded her.

"Yes, and I am a sarcastic know-it-all; we all have our flaws, sweetheart."

"Yes, but my flaws include being dead, being a monster, and having terrible breath."

"Agreed, you do have terrible breath, but think of how happy Skittles will be if mom and dad try to make their relationship work."

"Skittles... mom and dad... relationship..." I could hear the panic rising in my voice with each new thought. "Mil, you and I would never work." I wanted it to work. I wanted her to prove me wrong, but I knew she couldn't. I didn't deserve her.

"Oh, can you not... you know," her eyes darted to my lap.

"Seriously, that's the first place you go?"

"Well, does it?"

"Yes, the plumbing works fine. And I can't believe I even just answered that."

"Oh, so, if the anatomy still works, we wouldn't work because..." She eyed me suspiciously. "You don't like me," she finally added as she wilted to her side of the car.

"Millie," my voice came soft and apologetic. "We won't work because you deserve better. You deserve someone with the same flesh tone."

"Why is that such a big deal to you? So you are a zombie; I still love you."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, that escalated quickly," she admitted. Then she shrugged off her hesitation and doubled down, "I know I love you, Seth, and I think I'm falling in love with you." Her gruff façade had melted from her, and she peered over to me with open eyes; I was powerless to her.

My hand lifted to her face with no thought at all. I felt the warm, smooth skin of her cheek slide beneath my thick thumb.

"Do you like me?" She asked earnestly.

I wanted to say no. I wanted to cast her off into the world far away from me. She would be safer. She could find someone alive and have the life she was intended to have; she could have a family. But I was too selfish; I couldn't give her up. I let my eyes course over the gentle slopes of her face and crimson lips before lifting them back to the sparkling green of her eyes. I opened my mouth to say no, and succeeded with "no, I don't like you, Millie." But I couldn't stop myself from adding, "I love you."

I only saw the slightest beginning of a smile before she crashed into me, clutching my shirt and dancing her lips across mine. Her chest pressed against mine as her heartbeat for both of us.

"Mint," I managed.

"I don't care," she murmured back before diving in completely to me.

She didn't care. She didn't care that I had terrible breath, she didn't care that my skin was the color of pond scum, she didn't care that my heart no longer beat in my chest. She still wanted me; she chose me. I let her lead. I would always let her lead for as long as she would have me. Her hands encircled my neck, pulling me closer to her as my hands supported her waist. Her soft tongue poked at my lips, begging me to part them. My mind whirled as she pushed for more. I tried to resist, but I was powerless against her. I lifted a hand to her slender neck and parted my lips tentatively. She surged closer with a swift intake of breath as her tongue began to tease mine. She tasted sweet, like a strawberry warmed by the summer sun. I didn't deserve this; I didn't deserve her. The thought soured the moment and caused me to pull away.

"What?"

"Nothing," I sighed as she shifted to my side. "We just," I leaned down and kissed the top of her head, "we have all the time in the world," I murmured.

She let out a sigh of her own. "Not all of us are frozen," she whispered before adding a, "yet..." The thought lingered between us as panic rose within me. As if she could sense it, she began again with, "did I ever tell you about the last time I was in a library?"