You Can't Cuddle With A Zombie (Old Verison)

Chapter 21

He arched his eyebrow.

"How do you know why I left?" he demanded.

I smirked.

"My uncle was very discreet on telling my dad who exactly our new neighbor was," I said, smiling at the memory. He smiled at first, but then frowned.

"How could I tell Alyssa that her own father threatened to put me in jail if I didn't stay away from her?"

"The real question is, how couldn't you?"

"You don't know everything, Jeremy. Her life...her life was perfect before I came in to screw it up. I wasn't going to turn her against her father. I couldn't." He leaned against the wall near the door, lost in thought.

"OK, so my uncle was stopping you then. What's stopping you now?"

I knew my question was overpowering him, which was what I was going for. He had that thinking face on. I needed him to stop being afraid and realize that he was in love with my cousin.

If I was going to die, at least Alyssa was going to be happy.

"I don't - I don't know, Jeremy."

"You're not like your father," I said, coughing.

He didn't say anything which meant he didn't believe me. He actually thought he was like his drunkass father who beat him everyday?

"Dominic, promise me something," I said, licking my dry lips. "When I die-"

"You're not going to die, Jeremy-"

"If I die," I said, not really in the mood for arguing, "you'll look after Alyssa for me, right?"

He looked at me for a long time but didn't respond.

"Dominic, promise me," I said.

He sighed and passed his fingers through his hair.

"I promise, Jeremy."

There was another knock on the door.

"Jeremy, you awake?" I heard Alyssa say.

Dominic's eyes widened.

"Yeah," I said, and she came in.

She looked at me, then to Dominic.

"I should go," Dominic said quickly, pushing himself off the wall and leaving.

"Why is he running away from me?" Alyssa said, closing the door.

I laughed.

"He's not running away," I said, crossing my arms.

"He so is," Alyssa said, walking over to me and sitting on the chair Ella had put there.

"Yeah he is," I joked, smirking. S

he dropped her jaw and hit me in the chest.

"Ouch!" I said, putting my hand on my chest. "You're a very violence little ex-cheerleader."

She stuck out her tongue out at me, leaning back on the chair. I laughed at her childish behavior, despite the pain in my lower stomach.

"How are you?" she asked once we were done laughing.

I rolled my eyes. "Why is everyone asking me that?"

This time she rolled her eyes. "Because we care about you, Jeremy."

"Where's Ella?" I asked, looking everywhere but her eyes.

I heard her sigh.

"Sleeping. Which reminds me, I should probably go wake her up-"