The Dead World I Live In

The Dead I Give Life To (Chapter 4)

The hallway fell into silence again; the only noise the sound of our heartbeats and our breathing.

“Kain, I think you’re confused”

“You can say that again”

“I think you’re confused, in more ways than one. I think you love me, but you’re in love with Paulie. You see the difference?”

“Not really” Kain replied, and I lifted up my head to look at him. He looked down at me, and I inhaled his smell. He really hadn’t changed from when he was my high-school boyfriend.

“You love me, like a sister, but you’re in love with Paulie, as in she’s your girlfriend”

“But Ava, I want to be with you. I know you better than anyone, I’ve been there with you through the whole Chase thing, and I was by your side with the baby. Ava, surely you can see that?”

Kain dipped down so his lips were pressed against mine again. In that second, I saw my whole life with Kain, right from the beginning.

The rebel kid bothering me, then kissing me and asking me to be his girlfriend, our love/hate relationship that spanned almost two years until he kissed my best friend, and broke my heart. I saw myself finishing with him, and I felt all the pain of that day come flooding back.

Not long after that the zombie apocalypse began, and I didn’t really have time to think about my ex-boyfriend.

I pulled away, and I thought about two years ago me.

“No”

“No, but Ava I-!”

“Just...No Kain, I remember how I felt being cheated on by you with my best friend, and I am not about to do that to Paulie. I love Chase, and he loves me, and I know for a fact that Paulie loves you, and you just told me you love her too”

Kain didn’t respond, so I figured I’d just keep going.

“It’s as simple as that Kain. Chase and me, Paulie and you, do you really wanna ruin this again?”

“Your right Ava, I do love you though. I guess I should just move on. I blew it before didn’t I?” Kain stood up, and I looked up at him. I nodded, averting my eyes to the floor.

“Please...Don’t tell Paulie” Kain begged, and he walked away.

“I promise” I whispered after him.

“How is she?” I asked, stepping back into Nadia’s room after my heart to heart with Kain. Chase was leaning over our baby’s bed, making notes into a little pad. I stepped behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

“She’s grown”

Curious, I peeked over his shoulder and saw that Chase was right. My little baby was now the same size as a toddler, yet she was only a few hours old. Her blue eyes were closed, and her blonde hair had grown so much it was now around her face.

“Why is this happening? I don’t...Get it” I asked aloud, not expecting Chase to answer but wishing he would all at the same time. Releasing my arms from his waist, I walked so I was opposite him, and I placed my hands on the glass incubator that contained my baby.

“Neither do I. It’s rapid, that’s all I know”

“Can I...?” I trailed off, unsure whether or not to continue. “Can I...Hold her?” Quickly, I looked across at Chase, and I saw that his eyebrows had shot up in alarm.

“Ava, I don’t think...”

“Please?”

The desperate look in my eyes must have convinced him, as a moment later with a heartfelt sigh, he unlocked the incubator, and lifted Nadia out. He held her out to me, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close to my chest.