Together in a Broken World

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

We Could Be Happy

ZACH

No sooner does the bedroom door shut than we join together, kissing with urgency. Our shirts are off, and I’m running my hands up and down Aiden’s bare chest.

I take a moment to soak Aiden in. He’s so beautiful. So handsome. And there’s something different. He has a lightness to him. A little more life in his eyes. I kiss him more passionately than before.

Aiden unties the string of my pajama bottoms and yanks them down in one swift motion, exposing me. “Well, somebody’s excited,” he says with a gentle laugh.

I smile at him sheepishly. “We didn’t even make it to the bed yet.”

“Lead the way.”

On the way, we finish stripping. We jump on the bed and press our bodies together, kissing, grinding, and feeling pure joy. I’m so happy to be with him. To share this with him.

We continue for several minutes, passion rising, when Aiden pulls away and hops off the bed. At first, I’m startled by his jumping away so quickly, but he’s got a wry smile.

“One sec,” he says with a mischievous grin. He goes over to the backpack in the corner of the room and starts rooting through it.

What on earth is he looking for?

My jaw drops when he takes out a pack of condoms and lube. “Where did you get those?” I feel my cheeks flush. I can’t say I haven’t thought about going further with him. In fact, sometimes, it’s all I can think about.

“I picked them up on the way.” His face turns ruby red. “Is this okay?”

His shyness and vulnerability make me fall for him even harder, and I want this even more. I bite my lip and nod. This is a big step, but I care for Aiden profoundly and want to share this special moment with him.

We take it slow and gentle, both attentive to the other. The passion and the tenderness in his eyes fill me with wonder. This was always meant to be. With our arms wrapped around each other, I revel in complete ecstasy. Our rhythm steadily increases, and he pulls me down into a passionate kiss. My surroundings drop away, and all my senses are consumed by only Aiden. For a moment, there’s only us alone in a world of euphoria.

I collapse onto him, the sweat from our bodies mingling. We lie there, breathing deeply, letting our heart rates ease.

Kissing, tender now, we savor being together. We stay like this for a long while, neither of us wanting to separate. I’m so safe and fulfilled, lying next to him.

This depth of emotion is startling. It takes my breath away. It’s been so long since I’ve felt this way about someone. Or maybe I’ve never felt this way. I didn’t expect this so soon, yet here it is.

I’m in love with Aiden.

*

AIDEN

Zach is so special to me. We lie in bed for a long while, and I can’t look away from him. The soft afternoon light illuminates his gentle face and loving eyes. With the walls I’ve built around me crumbling, the intensity of my feelings for him almost makes me want to cry. It’s a little scary, to be honest.

“This place is so peaceful. I could see living here.”

Zach’s words resonate in my mind. And why not? Have I not done enough to deserve peace and happiness? Maybe I should forget the damn vials and find a place to spend the rest of my life. The rest of my life with Zach, maybe? The idea doesn’t seem so farfetched. In fact, I’m finding it hard to imagine a life without him.

But then, reality comes crashing in on me. I know what I must do. This box has to be delivered. No matter the risk. The idea of asking Zach to keep taking these risks fills me with dread. But I’ve been down this road before. I made a promise to him. I have to let him make his own choice.

True to his word, Curtis returns to the house around three hours after he left. And believe me, Zach and I took full advantage of all three hours. We’re making up for lost time, after all.

Curtis carries a box filled with vegetables, meats, and other foods. “I thought I’d make us a nice meal for dinner.” He sets the box on the counter and starts taking items out, inspecting each one as he does.

“Where did you get all this?” Zach asks.

“Various places. With the greenhouse, I always have some fresh veggies. The meat is salt-cured. I got both that and the cheese from my larder. Plus, fresh cream from the cows.”

We all chip in to help cook. We make a lasagna filled with zucchini, ground meats, homemade noodles, and cheese. Curtis bakes it in his country-style wood oven.

The food is delicious. I even have a third helping. When we’re done, Curtis makes more of his famous hot chocolate. We all sit around the dining room table with full bellies, sipping from our mugs.

“You know, you boys are welcome to stay here as long as you want.” Curtis looks at us over his mug.

“That’s a generous offer,” I say. “I imagine we’ll stay a few more days. But I’ve got some unfinished business I have to—”

Curtis puts a hand up. “It’s okay. I can tell that whatever you’re doing is very important. And I’m guessing the less I know, the better.”

“That’s true. On both counts.”

“But know that once you two are done doing whatever you need to do, you’re welcome back here. Even if it’s just to visit.”

Zach and I trade glances, smiling. “Curtis, I promise you, we’ll be back.”

*

We spend the next few days resting and recovering from our travels. Each day, Zach feels stronger. It’s remarkably easy for us to fall into a happy routine. We wake up at dawn every morning and help Curtis around the farm. We feed the animals, tend to the crops, and milk the cows. When evening comes, we gather and make a wonderful meal together. At night, Zach and I explore all the different ways to make each other happy.

In some sense, the days at the farm remind me of our time in Cedar Grove, where everything was cheerful. But Cedar Grove had a fake veneer to it, as if walking around in a dream you knew you’d wake up from. The farm is much more grounded. More sustainable. This is a life I can see for myself.

But despite that happiness, with every day we stay here, the thoughts of my burden become heavier. Soon, I’ll have to level with Zach. Make sure he understands the threats we are up against. Let him decide with complete information. The thought of that fills me with dread. What if Zach decides the risks are too great? I’m not sure how I’d react if he chose to stay. Then again, if he stays with me, I’ll be a bundle of nerves as we head deeper into danger. I can’t put this discussion with him off forever. But maybe just for another day.

On the fourth night since Zach woke up, we’ve finished a delicious dinner, and we’re all sitting around the dining table. Curtis’s usually cheerful face turns stony.

“Boys, I have something important to tell you. Earlier today, I visited a trusted friend, and she asked me if I had seen any strangers around.”

I freeze. If Curtis told somebody about us, we’d need to leave immediately. With us being hunted, staying isn’t a risk I’m willing to take.

Curtis picks up on my nerves. “Now, don’t you worry! I didn’t say a thing about you two. Margret is somebody I meet from time to time to trade with and get news from around the area.”

I settle back, but I’m still on edge. Zach rests his hand on my arm to calm me.

“Anyway, I asked Margret if there’s been any news lately. And she tells me some nasty guys are driving around in trucks all around here. Them, and some tall blond guy.”

I cringe at the description. Connor.

Curtis continues, “They’re causing a lot of trouble. Roughing people up. Supposedly looking for someone. Don’t suppose that someone is one of you two?”

I say nothing, but I don’t need to. Curtis can read my worries like a book.

“Hmm. That’s what I thought. In that case, you two will wanna be extra careful. These guys are nasty, from what I hear. And you’ll probably want to leave as soon as you can. They’ve been going house to house, looking for you. Only a matter of time till they make it here.”

Zach and I shoot worried looks at each other. Our time here has been nice, but I knew it would have to end soon. We can’t afford to wait with the FLA and Connor hot on our trail.

“Now for the next thing,” Curtis says. “You’re headed west over Snoqualmie Pass, I assume. Am I right?”

Even though I like Curtis and have no reason not to trust him, talking about specific plans with anybody makes me apprehensive. “I think so. But I want to keep all options open.”

“Well, if you’re going to make it through the Cascades, you have limited options. Even though it’s June, we had a big snowpack last winter. Since that glacier melted, it messed with the jet stream. We had a record winter last year. Snoqualmie Pass is your best bet. Stevens Pass and Cayuse Pass won’t be free of snow until August.”

I’m getting a sinking feeling. I hate the idea of another pinch point. The last one was at the Columbia River, and we barely made it through that alive. Curtis gets up from the table, roots around in his desk for a bit, then takes out a map. He returns to the table and sets it down in front of us.

“As I see it, you have three options.” Curtis points to the map. “You can take Interstate 90. That’s by far the easiest option, but it leaves you the most exposed. Right at the pass here, the freeway is a hundred feet or more above that valley. If you run into those thugs, there’s nowhere to run.”

“Yeah, we’ll want to avoid the freeway,” I say.

“I agree. That leaves you with Forest Service road 58 here.” He points to a small line on the map. It runs near I-90 but charts its own path. “That may be your best bet. But there still may be snow on it. And nobody’s plowing those roads anymore.”

He moves his finger south on the map. “Or you go through the Snoqualmie Train Tunnel here. It’s over two miles long, so you’ll need a reliable light source.”

Zach shoots me an uncomfortable look. Our last tunnel experience was less than ideal. All the Infected bodies I had to avoid and the jump over haunt my mind. But I shove the memory aside, squeezing the bridge of my nose to relieve the tension. “Yeah, not a whole lotta good options. But thanks for the advice.”

Curtis nods.

I point to the map. “Can I keep this?”

“Absolutely.”

*

Later that night, Zach and I sit together by the fire. I need Zach to understand the actual risks we face. For the first time, he has a realistic choice. He could choose to stay here. Without me or the vials, it’d be less risky for him. I need to let him decide what he wants to do.

“Zach, we need to talk.”

He looks at me, scanning my face. “That sounds ominous.”

“You made me promise we’d make important decisions together. Well, in order for you to make those decisions, you need to know the truth. The problem is, the truth is extremely dangerous. Even knowing it is dangerous. Before I say more, I need you to understand this.”

Zach grabs my hands and looks me in the eye. “I’m ready.”

“Okay.” I nod slowly. “What I’ve been carrying. I need to get it to the emergency bunker at the UW. One of our sister stations. They’ve isolated a key compound of the Infection. Something only they’ve been able to replicate. All they need are the lab samples I’ve been carrying. With them, they can synthesize a cure.”

Zach’s eyes open wide. “Aiden, that’s amazing.”

“It is. But it’s also perilous. If these samples fall into the wrong hands, someone could turn them into a weapon. I need to protect these with my life. I made an oath. And if there comes a time when I have to decide between my life and protecting the vials. Then, well—”

Zach’s expression becomes solemn as the weight of my statement settles. “I’m not leaving you, Aiden.”

“Your life is at risk too. You have a genuine choice, Zach. You could stay here with Curtis. I could come back and get you when it’s done.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Zach says it with such intensity it borders on anger. “Honestly, after all we’ve been through together, I can’t believe you’re even suggesting this.”

“Zach, I’m giving you a choice, like you asked me to.”

“I appreciate that, but it’s not really a choice. No place is safe. No choice is without risk. And if I have a chance to be with you? Especially if I can make a real difference? There’s only one option. Tell me you feel the same way too.”

“Yes, of course,” I say, but I’m not sure how well I sell it.

“Okay,” Zach says, but his eyes are narrow. “We’re in this together until the end, no matter what. Right?”

“Right.”

I say it instinctively because I’m too afraid to say any differently with the way Zach reacted. I’ll stand by his side under all circumstances except one. I will not let Zach die for my cause. I care for him more than I can express. A few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure I was capable of this level of emotion anymore. And it’s come on quicker and more intensely than it ever has before.

If the choice ever came to where us splitting up could save his life, then that’s what I’ll do, even if it means losing Zach.