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That would be the saddest, cruelest twist of all, wouldn’t it? To hope for acceptance, to wonder about a future, to feel warmth in my bones for the first time, then find out I was truly alone.
Roman was cold, but surely, he wasn’tthatcold.
He stood at the door, arms folded across his chest, blue eyes piercing the space between us, pulling me closer to him with every step.
That pull was more potent than anything I’d ever felt. It was stronger than fear, stronger than pain.
I hated it because I didn’t understand it.
At the same time, I craved it because it made me feel alive.
Roman cleared his throat and looked away.
He feels it, too.
I straightened my back and squared my shoulders. “I’m ready.”
Wordlessly, he reached for the knob, then opened the front door. He held it open, allowing me to walk out first.
I stopped beside one of four tall posts that lined the front of the wooden porch. My heart was pounding as I drank in the view before me. My breath hitched. There was a row of white houses on both sides of the street. The white paint wasn’t chipped or peeling. The windows weren’t broken and boarded up.
The asphalt on the road was still intact. There were no cracks in the pavement, no weeds growing through. The sun shone down on colorful wildflowers planted in flowerbeds in front of each home and manicured lawns of bright green grass.
It had been dark when I first got here. I was exhausted, bruised, and ready to die. I didn’t bother taking in the scenery. But now—
My mouth fell open. “Wow.”
“Your camp didn’t look like this?” Roman stepped up behind me. I noticed he didn’t mock the use of the wordcampthis time.
I snorted a laugh. “No.” I shifted my weight on my feet, suddenly aware of how different our worlds were. “We stayed in tents. Concrete buildings. Caves. RVs. We even camped in underground bunkers once. But never anything like this.” My words quieted to a near-whisper, awestruck, while I continued looking out over his community. “I didn’t know humans could live like this.”
“We can. And we will. Every human will live like this one day.” He sounded so sure.
I tried to visualize the future he saw—no fear, no running. No blood. There were only humans talking, laughing, and working. Living freely. Happily.
I wished my parents could’ve seen this. They would have loved it.
He brushed past me and our shoulders touched. I wanted to bathe in his scent—something like cedar and vanilla. Everything about him was intoxicating and virile.
My nipples immediately pebbled against my t-shirt. My stomach clenched. Awareness hummed between us as the ebb and flow between grief and desire sparked again.
His shoulders went tight and his jaw clenched. “Follow me.”
I followed him down three brick steps, onto a sidewalk, then to the street. I knew there were others here, but for the most part, it was quiet. Calm. Peaceful. Only a few people were outside, tending to their yards or simply walking by. They didn’t speak. They only glanced, then looked away when Roman caught their eyes.
We walked past houses and I wondered what life was like inside them.
I was lost in a daydream when a woman’s voice cut through the silence.
“Good morning, Roman.”
Roman stopped walking.
I whipped around to face her.
She cocked her head, studying me. Judgment saturated every second of her stare. She wore a simple white dress that clung to her curves. Her blonde hair was pulled into a braid that draped over one shoulder. She let out a ‘hmm’ and straightened her head. Her demeanor shifted as soon as she moved her gaze to Roman.
A bright, perfect smile spread across her lips. “You should drop by for lunch. I made roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. I know it’s your favorite.”
