We’d begun to do it with the frequency of rabbits—mainly because it kept him happy—but without the procreative results.
Trevor came in loaded down with an armful of firewood and threw a few more logs on the fires. Both fireplaces were lit. They were located in the room such a way that we could set bedding up in the middle and have warmth seemingly from all sides.
“There. That should last us a while.”
He joined me on the blankets. We’d created a pillow fort with all the pillows, not only from the tower, but from the guest rooms on the floor below it as well. We’d taken the comforters off the beds so we could make a thick, plush mattress to lie on and cushion against the hard floor.
“Trevor?”
“Hmmm?”
“When will we move on? Look for more people, I mean?” I felt if I spent even one more day here, no matter how much I’d grown to care about him, that I’d lose my fucking mind.
His eyes narrowed, and I was sure the fight was about to start again. He seemed so insecure about the possibility of joining another group of survivors—as if I would only stay with him as long as he was my only option. As if I’d jump on the cock of the first new man who dropped his pants. I didn’t understand the depth of his insecurity. There was nothing physically repulsive about Trevor, and he had the one thing most random men out there wouldn’t have... built-in birth control. And given the new state of things, that made him the safest man in my world.
Plus there was the months he’d already taken care of me, fed me, kept me safe, kept me from going completely insane. He was dependable. I could count on him. I knew he would protect me from whatever hardships this barren wasteland of a world brought our way.
Though, if I couldn’t sustain a pregnancy, maybe birth control wasn’t a worry anyway—depending on how early the pregnancies ended. I’d never asked about that. The whole topic seemed like a very sore subject with him, and I didn’t want to rile him up. However either of us had once felt about it, not being able to have kids was a blessing now.
Whatever Trevor had planned or wanted to say, he stifled behind a grunt. Then he said, “We need to wait until it’s warmer. Not a good idea to leave now.”
I couldn’t argue with the sensibility of that. It wasn’t as if it dropped down into freezing arctic temperatures around here, but depending on traveling conditions, it might be difficult to cope with the cold at night.
Trevor’s expression shifted, and his gaze moved languidly over me. I was wrapped loosely in the blankets, wearing only his T-shirt. He pounced on me like a hungry jungle cat, his hands frantically roaming over me while his mouth sought the warm invitation of mine.
He nearly ripped the T-shirt in two as he jerked it over my head and arms, flinging the offending article of clothing far away.
He cupped my face, forcing my eyes to meet his, and asked, “Do you love me, Elodie?”
I still couldn’t remember him or anything else from before my fall, but if I were being honest, these long months alone with him... while it hadn’t brought back any of the old feelings I couldn’t remember, it had brought something new.
“I-I think I do.”
There was a loud clatter and a reverberating metal echo as something hit the ground outside the door. My eyes widened, mirroring his. Our movements stilled. For a moment our breath froze, then in concert it began to move so slowly and quietly in and out of our lungs it was almost painful. I didn’t have to ask. Trevor had forgotten to bring up the drawbridge.
I couldn’t believe I’d ever resented him doing that at night. It was for my protection—and his—while we slept.
Had some forest creature wandered in, looking for scraps of food and warmth? Or was it a survivor?
Something deep inside me hoped against everything that it was another survivor. Perhaps a group of them. I didn’t pause to consider whether such people might be good or bad, only that they were other humans who still existed in the world after months without knowing for sure.
A tall figure dressed in all black filled the doorway. I pulled the sheet up, gripping it tight against my chest. Trevor stood smoothly and moved in front of me. He hadn’t managed to fully undress yet. His pants were still on.
He pulled the small handgun out of his pocket. The other man reacted immediately, drawing his own gun so fast it nearly gave me whiplash to watch it unfold. It was a smooth, practiced move. This guy had training. And I wasn’t convinced Trevor did.
“Please, just leave us alone,” I pleaded.
The stranger didn’t even look at me. His eyes were trained on Trevor’s as if he could see inside his head to know his next move. Maybe his next several moves.