Love Revived A Zombie Romance

Opened eyes

When I awake the next time it's to a dark room barely lit by an overhead light. I look over to see Jack napping in the chair and my stomach growls. I smile thinking of Bie and reach over for the water sitting beside me. I drink it to try and fill my stomach and lay there in the quiet darkness for a while. I have been asleep for a month and Jack saved me. I can’t be mad at him forever for taking my arm.

A thought pops up in my head that maybe when I hit my head I was seeing things that weren't there. After all, I have fallen a few times, maybe everything was just my mind's imagination? But what stops me from believing that fully is my memories before I hit my head. There was a super zombie that ate me out. I told Jack about it and he saw. Everything I saw couldn’t have been my imagination. Maybe Bie’s sweetness was and he is in fact a wild human.

I sigh heavily and look over at Jack. He saved me, the least I can do is forgive him. I fall back asleep with my mind and heart heavy with whirling thoughts of Bie. When I awake next it’s daylight and Jack is sitting beside me, not on the bed but beside it in a chair. “Morning”, he says brightly with a boyish smile on his face.

“Morning,” I grumble, itching my stub. Jack’s hand comes over mine and he stops me.

“You shouldn’t itch it, it’s still healing.” I stop my scratching and give him a level look.

“Can’t I have anything? I only have one arm.” I point out.

“I know, I know, I am sorry Gwen, but I am not sorry that I saved your life.” I smile at him but it doesn't touch my eyes. My heart is still heavy with what he did to Bie. A memory flashes through my mind of Bie’s nostrils flaring. I can't help but wonder if he was about to go into zombie mode. That part scares me. What if Jack really did save me from Bie, but also how do I know that he would have attacked me.

I take a deep breath and try to move forward, I can’t live in the past, even though I do every day with Jacob. “That is okay, thank you,” I say to Jack feeling a bit of thankfulness for his actions. “Jack, what has happened, have you told anyone about Bie?”

“No,” he says solemnly. “I told them about the super zombie and how a wild human trapped you. I know you hit your head and think something else but you have to see things plainly. You have to see things how they really happened.”

“I know” I lie. “Thank you Jack for… saving me.” I look down at my stub and sigh. “I will miss my arm. It looks like I am stuck at camp doing god knows what now.”He laughs.

“It isn’t all bad. You don’t have to worry about risking your life every day.” But I will miss the heights and the freedom that came along with it and the views. Days pass into a few weeks and I remain in the hospital. Jack staying at my side the entire time, softening my heart towards him. It’s finally the day of discharge and I am happy that I get to go home. I miss it even though it's just a small apartment behind a wall.

But it’s not my apartment that Jack guides me to, it’s his own. “I took the liberty of moving your things into my apartment. I know you will need to help and I am gone most of the time anyways so you will have the space you need.”

“Jack” I begin but quiet when he kisses my forehead.

“Don’t mention it. It's the least I can do.” I stare at Jack as he walks into his apartment dumbfounded. He just kissed my forehead. He has never done that before, well before I met Bie. And we are friends nothing more, what happened when I was out to make him act like this?

“Jack”, I start again. I need to make boundaries and he has to understand I don't like him like that I only ever loved Jacob…and Bie, my mind whispers. “I can stay in my own apartment.”

He goes to the fridge checking it and then closes it without taking anything out turning back to me. “They gave away your apartment when you didn’t wake up the first week. I thought I told you that.” He says frowning.

“No,'' I say he most definitely did not. “Well, where am I supposed to sleep?”

“In the bed silly.” He says laughing and then sitting on the couch. Tiredness grabs hold of me and I head to the couch and sit down beside him leaving room between us. “You will be okay Gwen, I will see to everything you need I promise.” He leans over to me and I feel lightheaded, my heart is beating a thousand times a minute. “Gwen,” he says seductively, leaning his face towards my own.

“Jack”, I try to warn but it comes out breathless. I try to blink away the tiredness that overcomes me and put my hand on his chest to push me away but he kisses me before I can push him away. I freeze my mind going blank at his touch. He kissed me, why did he think he could kiss me? He leans away a small satisfied smile on his face and I smile on auto in response. My mind screams at me saying that was the wrong reaction but found my mind and body not communicating at all.

“Gwen I am so happy you are here with me. I have loved you from the first moment I saw you and when you reached for me in the truck I knew you loved me too. The worry that shown in your eyes rocked me to my core. This whole experience has shown me that I need to be more proactive and I will not hide my feeling anymore”

“I–I” I start unable to finish the sentence or even begin it.

“You don’t have to say anything yet. I just wanted to let you know.” I lean back on the couch and close my eyes. What should I do? What do I even say? He saved my life and the only thing he wants is my love. Can I give that to him? I can try I guess, but what about Jacob and Bie. I look over at my sword and sigh. I know I need to stop living in the past but I can’t seem to let it go, let him go. But with Bie it was natural.

I Ignore Jack’s confession and look over to only lock eyes with him staring at me. “I’m hungry,” I say, trying to go back to old times.

“Well I don’t have any cranberry sauce but I do have some corn.” He laughs, “not canned corn, just corn on the cob.” He gets up and I follow him to the kitchen. His house is clean and everything has a palace. I can’t help but wonder what he thought of my cluttered apartment but I don’t voice it. I worry that he will take it the wrong way. I like Jack I truly do but not like that and I like him less so since he cut off my arm. As I head into the kitchen Jack grabs my waist and pulls me towards him. My heart races in my throat and I know I have to draw a line but what if Bie is dead or was in zombie mode that day or even a zombie now? I don’t know if I need to get out there and look for him or if should I allow Jack to love me and accept him.

I put my hand up to his chest again pushing lightly. “Jack, food?” I remind him. He looks at me for a long moment and the look he gives me should give me butterflies but it doesn’t. Jack doesn’t make me feel like that. Maybe…maybe I can grow to love him. Maybe those feelings grow… like they did with Bie. So I will try until I am well enough to see Bie for myself. I have to know if he is really dead or not.

Jack kisses me again on the lips, just a small kiss and I let it slide. It's not s*x after all and the guy saved my life I can try for him. He goes to the fridge and takes out two ears of corn then heads for the stove. “Do you want –” he starts but looks at my missing arm and takes out a knife and begins cutting the corn off the cob.

“Were you going to ask if I wanted it on the cob or off?” I can’t help but laugh at the face he makes as he winces at my words.

“Sorry. I was not thinking.”

“That is okay,” I say grabbing butter out of the fridge and pepper. “Let’s at least try and make this corn taste better right?” I smile at him as he finishes cutting the corn and scoops them up and places them in a pot. I can’t help but feel good about being here with Jack at this moment. The solar panels give us luxuries of the old world that were lost to use for some years. I watch as he scoops out the butter with a fork and dumps it in the pan and then dashes pepper in. The smell that hits my nose is amazing. I can’t recall the last time I have smelled cooking like this.

“How's your arm?” Jack asks stirring the corn.

I roll my tight shoulder and lift up my stub, “it feels good.” I say looking at the scarring on the end. The skin has grown around the bottom, well I'm sure they stretched it and stapled it but the staples are no longer there and everything is healed but I don’t tell him that I can still feel the pain of him cutting it off. I feel like that will be forever ingrained into my soul.

“Good, I was worried. Tomorrow we can see what work assignment they have in store for you and go shopping for some food. I will have to head out on a pick soon.

“Augh, I wish I could be out there with you.”

“You will one day but until then you can wait for me here.” He winks and I frown, but he doesn’t seem to notice because he continues. “We are heading south of the wall this time, Going with the same crew, though it will be different with you not there. My little spider monkey.” I can’t help but laugh at that nickname. Thank you Twilight for continuing to bring us joy and laughter in the apocalypse.

“It's good to hear you laugh,” Jack says and plates the corn.

“Thank you, it's good to laugh.” Instead of handing me the plate he heads to the table and sets it down. I sit down and using a spoon to scoop up the corn and eat it. I am grateful for Jack I realize for feeding me, and giving me my life but still resentful that he took my arm.

“So,” I say wanting to know more, “what was going on with you and the nurse?” Jack's eyes widen as he looks at me, his cheeks turning red.

“N–nothing.” He says but clearly his face is saying otherwise.

“Oh come on. I could tell there were sparks between you too.”

“I am dedicated to you, Gwen.”

“You don't have to be, you can go for her.” I encourage Jack. He and I are friends and he deserves love just not like that from me. “Come one, she clearly likes you.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all, we are friends.” I smile at him but this makes him frown.

“I want to be more than friends Gwen.”

“I know,” I say, playing with my corn now instead of eating it. “I know.”

Once we are done eating I decide to take a shower, it has been some time since I have taken a hot shower. I was only allowed sponge baths in the hospital. Jack points me to the bathroom and I close the door behind me. I slip off my joggers and with some difficulty slip off my shirt. Turning the knob I allow the water to heat and then step in. It feels amazing on my skin.

I have the water so hot that it turns my skin pink and steam rolls off of it. I find it hard to wash your hair with one hand but the body part isn’t hard. Sitting down in the shower after I am done I allow the water to hit me and lean back in the tub and relax. I smile at the memory of Bie tearing down my door and that day he ate me out. A shiver runs down my spine at the thought and I touch myself between my thighs.

I imagine Bie when he bent me over and the feel of his finger inside me. I come apart at the explosion that rockets through my body and a somewhat loud moan escapes my lips. Not even a moment later the door is opened and Jack yanks the curtain open and takes me in wide-eyed with my hand between my s*x and soaking wet and naked.