Time to Survive

I Just Want to Protect You

Chris POV

This was the most uncomfortable couch I'd ever laid on.

I rolled again, trying to find a comfy spot, but I couldnt, springs poking me from every angle.

This was fucking ridiculous.

I glanced about the dark hut.

Devin was asleep on the other cot, and the girl was still on hers, unmoving the entire time we'd been here, just whimpering and crying every few minutes. Candles were still lit, giving off a soft light that didn’t make the hut quite as awful as it could have been, though it smelled like must and animal droppings in here, and I was pretty sure there was a nest of something under this couch.

Kelsey stood by the window, taking the first watch, moonlight highlighting her features.

We were having to stay the night here, the hut basically surrounded by ambling deaders for the time being. I was immensely glad she'd come after us when she did, otherwise I doubt me and Devin could have made it out of that situation as unscathed as we had.

I sat up with a sigh, my hair falling around my shoulders. I couldnt sleep, there wasn’t much point in trying. I stood and made my way to where Kelsey leaned against the wall, and she gave me a tired smile.

"Can't sleep?" She whispered, and I shook my head, leaning beside the window and glancing out, only able to hear the water and crickets, the night peaceful and only interrupted by the occasional moan of the dead.

"That couch sucks."

She chuckled, nodding. "I know, it could be better. Hows your neck?"

"Fine."

She glanced up at me, then looked back out at the riverbank, a silence thriving between us.

I waited patiently, crossing my arms, knowing she was going to rip me a new one for not telling her about Kierans body disappearing, that there might be someone else in the area, leaving her behind this morning --- there was a list of things.

Instead, she just sighed, and turned to look up at me.

"Don’t run off without me again," she muttered, my eyes meeting hers. "You always get into trouble when you do."

I smiled slightly. "So you're not mad that I didn’t tell you about all the shit?"

Devin might have blurted out everything when Kelsey had pressed him earlier, so she was basically up to speed, especially about the fact that it could be the men from the highway.

"Of course I'm mad," she scoffed, glancing back out the window. "But... I get why you did it. Youre all manly and shit and wanted to protect the weak women, right? Not scare them into a panic."

"I just wanted to protect you," I muttered, shaking my head, and her eyes flicked up to my face. "I didn’t want you to have to worry about those guys anymore, yknow? You don’t need that after all that we'd just gone through."

She looked down at her hands, not saying anything, and I hesitated before reaching forward and tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You're not mad?"

"No," she rolled her eyes and finally turned to face me. "I'm not. Come here," she muttered, her hands clasping around my face and drawing it down to hers, her lips pressing eagerly against mine.

I sighed in relief, pulling her against me, parting her lips.

I could tell how worried she'd been about us, and she'd told us about Ryan locking the cabin down and refusing to let anyone out, which was exactly what he was supposed to do.