Johnson made them stop walking and settle into houses before the sun set. He had told the group that they were an hour away from Toronto. The faint sound of a screech could be heard in the distance.
Evey searched the house for candles to eliminate the smell of decaying flesh. Joey sat on the couch with a pout. He had not smiled since Ford told him that Josie was gone. He cried and threw a tantrum, not wanting to leave the house. Evey had to calm him down before they could walk toward the city. They could not afford to have his wailing attract any Infected.
Ford kept an eye on Joey when Evey entered the kitchen to find food. She searched through the cupboards and found a can of soup. Evey looked into the backyard to see there was no fire pit. It was going to be another cold meal, but there were no complaints.
It was difficult for Evey to get Joey into bed without Josie. She read the picture book multiple times to him. She sat on the edge of the bed and stayed with him until he fell asleep. She crept out of the room once his eyes were closed, and his breathing turned deep and rhythmic.
Evey went out onto the porch. The night air was chill, and she tightened her sweater around her body. Ford was sitting on the porch steps with a gun. He looked over his shoulder when he heard the door. Evey smiled and sat next to him.
"Joey okay?" he asked.
Evey shrugged. "As good as he could be."
They had been walking all day, and Evey had to come to terms with the fact that she would never see Josie again. There was still a pang in her chest when she thought about the little girl, but she no longer pictured her terrible death.
"We did what was right," Ford said.
"I know," she said. "It still hurts."
"Of course, it will."
Evey sighed and ran her fingers through her curls.
"We're almost there," she said. "Tomorrow, we will be in Toronto."
"It may kill us," he said. "Let's hope this dark thing works."
"Do you think it is a dumb idea? I mean, we don't have much proof that it will work. It's just a theory that we have."
"What other plan do we have?"
Evey bit down on her lip. They were not all going to survive. It was obvious that some of them would die. She hoped they would all make it to the city, but that was an impossible dream. They were going to walk into a city full of Infected with a theory.
Ford brushed a piece of Evey's hair behind her ear. She held onto her breath as she turned to look at him. His lips were pressed into a small smile.
A smile?
She could not recall the last time Ford looked remotely happy. They were walking toward their potential deaths; for once, he was not grumpy. It made no sense to Evey. She could not help but giggle and shake her head.
"What?" he asked.
"You're smiling," she said. "It's new."
"I've smiled around you," he said. "You just never see it."
"Really?"
Ford nodded. Evey leaned her head down so it was on Ford's shoulder. He let out a deep breath and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Silence passed between them as they stared at the quiet street.
A light flashed across the street three times. Evey straightened, wondering if Johnson saw them. Did he know what was going on? Had Ford mentioned anything?
"Let's go inside," Ford said.
Evey stood, and Ford followed her into the house. The door clicked shut, and Ford wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He dipped his head down so that he kissed her neck. Evey rolled her head to the side to give him more access. Their feet shuffled as Ford pushed them toward the staircase.
"One more night," Ford whispered into her ear. "We may only have one more night."
"What about Joey?" Evey asked.
Ford tightened his arms around her body. His lips still lingered on her neck. Evey's breath quickened as she squeezed her thighs together. She wanted him, but the fear of Joey running away at night made her stomach clench.
"He's asleep," Ford said. "He'll stay asleep."
Evey nodded. Her brain was cloudy with her need for Ford. She around and wrapped her arms around his neck. His smile grew a little bigger, and it made Evey giggle. She liked seeing him happy, especially in this nightmare situation they were stuck in.
"If we hear anything, we have to stop," she said.
"I'll go check myself," he said.
He leaned down and kissed Evey. It did not start off gentle as she had grown used to. Ford was kissing her like they would never see each other again. His fingers curled into her waist, and he had her tight against his chest. Evey's mind went blank as she focused on Ford's lips and his quiet moans.
Their lips broke, and Evey grabbed his hand. Without saying anything, she pulled him up the stairs and into the hall. Before they got to the bedroom, Ford grabbed Evey and lifted her in his arms. He carried her bridal style into the room and placed her on the bed. He took the flashlight and went into the bathroom connected to the room. She watched him as he searched through the cupboards. He came back into the room with a condom in his hand.
"We lucked out again," he said.
Ford turned the flashlight off, and they were in darkness. She could only see Ford's shape but could not see his face. She shook her head and crawled off the bed.
"Where you going?" Ford asked.
"I want the candle," she said.
"Why?"
"Because I want to be able to see."
Evey hurried out of the room and down the stairs. The candle was sitting on the kitchen table, giving the room a faint glow. She picked up the jar and carried it back into the bedroom. Ford was sitting on the edge of the bed. She set the candle on the nightstand before getting onto Ford's lap so that she was straddling him. He cupped her face in his hands.
"You're so beautiful," he said.
Evey rolled her eyes and pulled his hands away. Ford raised a brow.
"What?" he asked.
"Don't be all sentimental on me," she said. "We can't have emotions involved."
"Too late for that."
Evey took in a sharp breath. Her chest tightened, and her stomach twisted itself into a knot. Ford broke eye contact and chewed on his lip.
He had feelings for her? Did Ford see her more than someone to have sex with? She knew she felt a certain way around Ford, but did he feel the same way?
Evey put her hand under Ford's chin, and she lifted his head. He looked at her, and Evey was glad she brought the candle into the room. She could admire his bright blue eyes.
"Let's just focus on tonight," Evey said.
"Say no more," he said.
Ford kissed Evey. She moaned as she grabbed his shirt. His tongue swiped along her bottom lip. She parted her lips, and her tongue caressed hers. He was growing hard underneath her, and she rubbed her hips together against him. Ford groaned and pulled her onto the bed.
He trailed his lips down her neck as he grabbed the hem of her shirt. She helped him pull it off and remove her bra. His rough hands were on her breasts. He pinched her nipple between his fingers. The pressure was building in her core while he ran his hands over her body. Evey grabbed his hard length through his pants.
Ford pulled his shirt over his head. Evey licked her lips as she watched the muscles move on his hard chest.
The candle was a good idea, she thought.
Her fingers fumbled with the button of her shorts. Ford grabbed the band of her shorts and underwear and pulled them off. She could feel the cool air on her wet sex. She moved to close her legs, but Ford pinned her knees down onto the bed. He dipped his head between her thighs. She shuddered as he ran his tongue up her slit before swirling around her clit. Evey bit the inside of her cheeks, not wanting to moan too loudly. Joey could not hear them.
Evey's body trembled as the pleasure quickly built in her body. She was so close to the edge, but Ford pulled away. She whimpered because she was in desperate need of a release. Ford licked his lips and grabbed the condom. Watching Ford undress made her core ache even more.
He rolled the condom on before positioning himself over Evey. She shook her head before flipping them over so that she was on top. He had already prevented one orgasm, so she wanted control.
She lowered himself on his length. Ford curled his fingers into her waist. He closed his eyes and tried to guide the pace she moved at. Evey grabbed his hands and pinned them onto the mattress. She fucked him at a pace that brought her the most pleasure.
She soon leaned down and cried out in pleasure as an orgasm ripped through her body. Ford grabbed her hips and thrusted hard into her. She was so sensitive that it was causing her whole body to tingle. She bit down on his shoulder to stop from screaming in pleasure. All of Ford's muscles tightened, and he groaned as he came.
They were both trying to catch their breath when Evey lifted herself off Ford. She rolled onto her back. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. Ford went into the washroom for a moment before returning to bed.
Evey rested her head on his chest and listened to his pounding heart. She placed one leg over Ford's, not caring that their skin was slick with sweat. Ford dragged his fingers up and down Evey's spine.
She closed her eyes and was in a moment of bliss. She was in heaven until she heard Ford sigh.
"We may die," he said. "So I have to confess something."