I’m a bit jealous when I see Nikki and Jeff coming back toward the restaurant with smiles on their faces and hands entwined. Neither have a freshly fucked look, so I’m not too concerned.

I call out, “We were starting to get worried about you.”

Jeff replies, “We figured as much.”

He doesn’t give any more hints to what they were up to. Dave hears us talking and comes out, a scowl on his face.

“Didn’t realize you were going to be gone most of the day.”

Nikki’s cheeks flush, but Jeff shrugs.

“Didn’t realize you were my dad.”

A laugh escapes my mouth before I can stop it. Dave turns his sour look on me and I hold up my hands.

“Don’t get pissy with me. I did what I was supposed to do today.”

Which ended up being a huge waste. Out of all of the cars I checked, none worked. The ones that actually had batteries didn’t have gas. Whoever lived in this town before made sure to take all the good shit when they fled. I did, however, find enough bicycles for us. Dave laughed when I showed him, but it’d beat walking.

Harper comes from the restaurant with a towel over his shoulder.

“Dinner’s ready.”

Scents of tomato sauce kept drifting outside, so I couldn’t wait to see what he’d come up with tonight. We all go inside, where Noah is setting one table for all of us. I’m pleased when Nikki sits between Jeff and me. Dave, who sits at the head of the table, scowls even more. Noah sits next to him and Harper takes the last seat.

“Harper, it smells great,” Nikki says, eyes bright.

He grins. “Just some penne pasta with sauce over it. Nothing fancy.”

She takes a bite, moaning. “I beg to differ.”

Her moan sends a jolt of desire all the way to my cock and I have to resist adjusting myself. Fuck. It’s been too fucking long.

I must not be the only one who’s mind went to the gutter because Jeff coughs and Harper looks like he wants to pounce across the table and eat her up. Hell, the only one who doesn’t seem affected is Noah.

Dave says, “I’ve been thinking. Tomorrow we should head out.”

Nikki and Jeff share a look and I’m actually envious of them.

Dave notices, too, and barks out, “What?”

Nikki says, “Jeff and I were talking earlier. The town is pretty protected from biters because of the woods. What if we just stayed here for a while?”

Everyone turns to Dave. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s not going to react well to this.

“Is that so?”

Nikki’s cheek flush. “As I said, it’s just something Jeff and I were talking about.”

“No need to be a dick, Dave,” Jeff says.

Dave replies, “I’m not being a dick, Jeff.”

The two stare each other down. They’ve been known to finish their fights with their fists.

Harper drops his fork on his plate. “You two need to stop acting like fucking children. Dave, it’s okay for others to have opinions. Jeff, take a step back and calm the fuck down.” He sighs. “Fuck.”

Nikki nods. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

I ask, “Why stay here? We might find something better in the next town.”

“We’ve been saying that for over two years, since we left Boston.” She frowns. “Sometimes I think we made a mistake when we left.”

I know how she feels, but I can’t let my mind go there. It won’t change anything.

Dave replies, “Thought we agreed to head to Texas.”

Nikki nods. “We did, but we’re so far away, Dave. It might take months to get there.”

Noah adds, “We don’t even have a vehicle.”

“Rocco found some bikes today.” Dave replies.

Oh, so now he wants to use the bicycles.

Jeff’s eyebrows lifts. “Some bikes? What kind?”

I snort. “Bicycles, not motorcycles. Still beats walking.”

Jeff frowns. Can’t blame him. I’d kill to ride a motorcycle again.

Dave says, “I say tomorrow we get up, grab some bikes and make our way to the next town. If we don’t find anything there, then we can come back here.”

Dave never gives in this easily. I feel like it’s a trap. The guys must think the same thing, because no one replies.

Finally, Nikki says, “Deal.”

Dave looks like the cat who ate the canary. Fucker has no intention of coming back here once we leave.

I stand. “Nikki, want to take a walk?”

Because I’ve had enough of these fools for now. Jeff and Dave glare at me. Noah doesn’t seem phased. And Harper… Harper looks like he’s planning something.

Nikki’s cheeks flush as she stands and I’m suddenly very excited about spending some time with her.

My head is starting to ache from all the bickering between the guys. It’s moments like this that I can tell they’ve known each other for a long time. But Dave is also starting to piss me off. He thinks he’s real slick, when I know what he’s up to. When we leave, he has no intention of coming back to this town. But, if the next town is like all the others, then I’m going to come back with or without him.

Rocco stands. “Nikki, want to take a walk?”

My cheeks flush when I remember how my walk with Jeff went, but I find myself standing.

He goes on, “I found a cool little park.”

Dave snaps, “I hope you cleared the area.”

“Of course I did.”

Dave looks like he’s about to protest. A lot.

I say, “Sure, let’s go.”

We leave the restaurant. I glance over my shoulder and find Jeff and Noah looking at me. Guilt assaults me for a moment. I don’t want to hurt any of them, but I’ve enjoyed spending time with each of them separately. Rocco takes my hand and leads me down the street. We pass several cars with the doors wide open.

“Guessing you didn’t find anything useful today?”

“Just a box of unopened rubbers.”

He grins and my stomach flutters.

I let out a short laugh. “Well, better safe than sorry, I guess.”

He says, “I mentioned to the boys last night that I had some in case anyone needed them. You would have thought I killed their dog with the way they acted.”

My face warms. “Why would they need them?”

He stops, looking down at me. I’m taken aback at how much he looks like that famous actor who used to be a pro-wrestler, with his tan skin and sharp features. I’ve never noticed it before, but maybe it’s because I didn’t want to get too close.

His dark eyes meet mine. “Look, Nikki, I know these dates don’t mean you’re going to hook up with one of us. But, if it happens, I hope everyone is smart enough to use protection. The last thing we need out here is a baby.”

I mull over his words. “That’s fair. Do you have any with you right now?”

He pulls two from his back pocket. I take one and slip it into my own pocket. He’s right. I don’t have any plans to sleep with anyone, but if and when I make that choice I want to make sure I’m being smart.

He grins. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

I bump my hip against his. “Where’s the park, Rocco?”

He points ahead. “Just over there. Looks like it was built right before the outbreak.”

He opens the gate for me. The grass is knee-length, but I can see the charm of the park. Wild flowers grow freely and some snake their way up the chain-link fence. There are several playsets, for various age groups. The swings catch my eye and I go to them, sitting in one. Rocco goes behind me and pushes me.

I laugh as I swing high into the air. “I bet you were a pro at this in school.”

He sits in the swing next to me and replies, “I was more of a loner in school.”

“That’s hard to believe.”

“It’s true. I was bigger than everyone and shy. Kids used to pick on me when they realized I wouldn’t fight back. Wasn’t until I played football in high school that I finally stopped taking people’s shit.”

I ask, “Is that why you joined the Army? So you could still be a part of a team?”

He stops swinging. “I’ve never thought about it like that. Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He looks nervous as he says, “My mother gave up me up to the state when I was a toddler. I spent my life bouncing from one foster home to the next.”

My heart aches for him.

“I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologize. It’s simply a fact. My mother didn’t want me and I guess no one else did, either. When one of my foster families actually cared about me, they got me into football. I was so good at it that they let me stay with them until I graduated.” He exhales loudly. “Found out later it was because the foster dad thought I was going to end up playing pro ball. He was pissed when I enlisted in the Army and I never heard from any of them again.”

“Rocco, I’m so sorry they treated you like that.”

He shrugs. “I ended up surviving.” He looks off into the distance. “Sometimes I wonder what happened to all the other kids in the system when the outbreak began. No one gave a shit about them before, so I’m sure it was worse after.”

I stop swinging, I lean over, hugging him.

“You can’t think like that. It doesn’t do any good.”

“I know.” He lets out a laugh. “Hey. Sorry for being a downer on our date. I better pick up my game or you won’t want to go out with me again.”

I know he’s using humor to protect himself again, so I don’t let it bother me.

Instead, I say, “For sure. Even Noah has you beat at this point.”

He snorts. “I’ve been wounded. I have to ask – did the kid try to put any moves on you?”

“No, he didn’t. He was really sweet. Read me one of his poems. It was about a girl he met when your unit returned to the States.”

Rocco nods. “I remember her. She was a tag chaser.”

“A what?”

“Tag chaser. Someone who likes to sleep with guys in the military.”

“Oh. Wow.”

“Yeah, the kid lucked out, he just doesn’t know it. To him, it was true love.”

I reply, “Isn’t it strange how we can have an idea about something and someone else sees it a different way?”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

I think of Steve and nod. “I suppose I am. I used to think my fiancé was the best I could do and I let him roll all over me. I had one friend who would tell me like it was, but I just didn’t believe her. Looking back, she was right.”

He asks, “Ever wish you could go back and do it all over?”

“Sometimes. But if I did it all over, I probably wouldn’t have met the five of you and that would be really sad.”

“Are you saying you’d miss us?”

I nod. “I think I am.”

I honestly can’t imagine my life without them in it. Even with the way Dave annoys me, I’d still miss him.

He asks, “What changed this week to make you want to open up to us?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, something happened. For the last few years you’ve treated us like the enemy. When the kid asked you out and you said yes, I thought I’d heard wrong.”

I reply, “I never thought of you as the enemy. But, I felt like no one was listening to me when I said I wanted to leave or when I asked to be left in Boston.”

His eyes cloud over at the mention of Boston.

“I’m not sure if Dave ever said anything, but we were planning on leaving you in Boston. Until Avery, Joey, and Joseph died. That changed everything.”

I feel sick at the thought of the three brothers who’d helped us so much in the very beginning. He’s right, the moment they got bit and died, everything changed. Dave became more intense. The others followed his lead. And I did everything in my power to go against him.

Rocco goes on, “After they got bit Dave decided you should come with us. Unfortunately he doesn’t always convey his thought process. He barks and expects people to obey.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I – I never knew that.”

He says, “Never gave us the chance to tell you, either.”

He’s right. I’ve spent the last few years pushing them away and running, even when I didn’t really want to leave.

“I guess what it boils down to is I don’t want to get hurt.” I smile as my eyes mist over. “My family died young, leaving me alone. My best friend died at my would-be wedding. My fiancé cheated on me, which led to his death. People I care about tend to go and I’m left behind.”

He pulls me into an embrace, wrapping his strong arms around me. My head rests on his chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world. His heartbeat is steady. Calm. Soothing.

When he speaks, his voice rumbles in his chest against my ear. “I can’t promise that we’ll always be together, Nikki, but I’ll do my best to make sure you’re never left alone.”

I don’t reply. If I do, I’ll cry. Instead, I let him hold me in the abandoned park. It’s kind of poetic, really. Two people who’ve been thrown away, holding onto each other in a forgotten place.

Rule 6: Know when it’s time to start a new chapter in life.