The Now

As the late night turned into early morning I woke up on my side, pulled tightly to Emmett's chest. He snored ever so lightly in my ear, his warm breath making my skin tingle. I wove my fingers with his, he squeezed his hand against my stomach and nuzzled into me, sighing softly.

"We have another excursion today…" he whispered softly after a moment.

"Again? Don't we have enough?"

"We try to get out every day to pack in as much as possible." He answered nuzzling his face into the name of my neck. "Especially with 2 more mouths to feed, and now with a car we can bring more and go out less."

I sighed softly and shifted slightly to turn to him, "will you be careful?" I asked.

"Of course."

"You can't come into my life and then go turn into a zombie two days later." He giggled.

"I won't." He kissed my forehead gently, "I promise."

I smiled at him.

"Good."

"Time to rise and shine." He said.

We pulled ourselves from the bed and made our way to the shower, as the water warmed up he grabbed my waist, pulling me to his naked body, as he kissed me he got hard, barely being able to hide his arousal.

He pulled me into the warm flow of water, kissing me longingly, he suddenly spun me around, pressed me against the shower wall. His hands rubbed down my body, he kissed along the line of my shoulder, squeezing me against him as one hand slipped between my legs.

I felt him slowly push himself into me, and pump slowly, I tried to brace myself against the shower wall, but could feel myself slipping against the wall. He responded by holding me by the waist so I couldn't move, pressing deep inside me, from this angle my body went wild, I couldn't help but moan his name and push back to meet his thrusts. After only three times our bodies seemed to sync with one another's, he knew where to push, grab, kiss, and hold me to make my body tremble. His guttural growl made my head spin. But more than anything his kiss sent my mind into a frenzy of outrageous and dirty thoughts.

"You like it right there, huh?" He growled into my ear.

"Y...yes…" I sighed into the shower wall. He responded by thrusting deeper, I could feel the pressure in my stomach. After a moment he wrapped his arm around my waist again, playing gently with me as I moaned in pleasure.

After a few more thrusts he pulled out of me "turn around" he ordered, pushing me to my knees, as I spun, I took him into my mouth just before he finished. He tangled his fingers into my wet hair as he took a few short pumps into my mouth. He sighed loudly. "Fuck…" I finally let him go and looked up to him, licking my lips. His legs seemed to get weak as I did. He looked down on me and grinned "goddamn…" he started.

"What?" I asked as he helped me to my feet.

"Everything about you is amazing." He responded. He wrapped his arms around me pulling me tight to him. I was taken aback by his soft words only moments after his rough control over me, as he held me he seemed to shiver as I ran my fingers up his back. He backed away from me, catching my cheeks in his hands and pulled me into a kiss. "I'm glad you're here… I adore you…" he whispered before turning to scrub himself down. I grinned and nodded to myself doing the same.

Walking into the kitchen I saw Emily already dressed and ready to go. Her hair pulled up below a beanie. Emmett slicked his hair back from his face. She smiled at us.

"Morning!" She said to us.

"Good morning." We responded.

"Ready Emmett?" She asked, he nodded as he clipped his gun into his holster and stuck his spare ammo clips into his pocket.

"Where's Reese?" He asked, "He ain't staying here alone."

"In his room I think."

Emmett rolled his eyes. Russell hobbled from their room and smiled "last day for the cast." He grimes his wide grin.

"How are you gonna get it off?" I asked

"We have a cast saw in the supply closet." Emily said.

"Remember you gotta strengthen before you come out." Emmett added in a fatherly tone. Russell rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah…"

"Can I come with?" I asked. Emmett looked to me and shook his head.

"No, you stay." He said, he sauntered to me, with a seductive look in his eyes, he leaned down as he pulled me into his arms, "need you to keep the house in order." He said.

"I'm not your housewife." I responded. "I'm not going to sit around and cook and clean for you while you bring home the bacon."

"Well I was hoping you'd at least be waiting for me in just an apron when I got back."

"EW!" Emily yelled, we all burst into laughter.

"Yo, y'all need to shut the fuck up." We heard from the hall. I turned as Reese walked from the hallway, his cold eyes pierced into me. Emmett put his arm around my shoulder.

"We are going to hit one of the further areas today, that way we don't have to worry about going far out in emergencies, we are looking for first aid supplies today, as much as we can get." Emmett said, hugging me tight to his side.

"Gotcha." Emily responded as she tightened her belt and clipped her holster to it. "Need anything Teen?" I looked up to Emmett and shook my head. "Mkay!" She walked past the island and went to the stairs to grab her bag.

I pulled on Emmett's shirt until he leaned down to me. "Maybe some protection if you can find it." I said.

"There should be a good stock in the bathrooms but just in case, agreed." He pecked my check quickly then turned from me to the stairs I grinned as I watched him.

"Okay! We are off!" Emily said. With that the three of them disappeared through the door ways on the top of the stairs. I sighed, looking back to Russell he shrugged his shoulders.

"It's hard to keep those two still." He said, "Like two caged lions."

I smiled and nodded, "they seem like it."

He hobbled to the couch and sat down, leaning his crutch against the side of the chair. "Come chat Tiny." He said patting the seat beside him. I nodded and sat on the opposite end of the couch.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Just been a while, you okay?"

I nodded, "As well as you can be in the brink of the zombie apocalypse…"

"Are you happy here?"

"I mean, this is the only place I have right now, I'm a bit confused with what's going on… but I'm okay."

"Would you leave if you could?" He asked

"Where else do I have to go?"

"I mean… like I know you've stayed the last two nights with Emmett, are you okay? He isn't forcing you?" He asked.

I giggled "it's all been on my own will." I said, "I'm going to keep staying with him rather than the other room…"

"Oh?"

"There's no locks in the between doors for the bathroom in those rooms…"

"Are you worried about Reese?" He asked propping his head against his hand.

"Honestly… he's backed me into a room already and threatened me…"

"When?"

"Yesterday when I went back to my room to change, he followed me and stopped me in there to ask me why I wasn't into him anymore."

"Awe man Tiny…" Russell sighed, "I didn't even realize."

I shook my head, "It's fine."

"No it's not, I wish I'd have done something about it before."

"It's not your fault Russ." I said, I smiled at him, "honestly… I think I'm too forgiving of people…" I worried my fingers at the edge of the couch, I shifted and pulled my legs up onto the couch and pulled them to my chest, using Emmett's shirts to cover my legs. "I forgave Reese for everything he did, whether it was forcing sex, yelling, cheating, lying… everything."

"Hey, don't blame yourself for that Tiny. Everyone wants to make it work for the person they love."

"But I don't think I ever loved him…" I confessed.

"No?"

"No… I think I just liked the idea of an older bad boy…" I sighed, "Kinda just liked the idea of a guy on a motorcycle who smoked weed and didn't listen to anyone…" I looked into Russell's dark brown eyes, he sat silently and listened intently, "and honestly, I think he just liked that I was easily manipulated. I was young, fresh meat, with an 'untainted body' as he called it… but every time he touched me I was left feeling dirty and used. Any time he'd talk to me I felt nervous, scared that he'd tell me that's when he'd leave for good, and every time he threatened I would beg for him back until he'd say 'yeah but only if you do this or that' he'd guilt me into the things he wanted, and I didn't realize until I ended it that it was miserable… I was miserable."

"And what about Emmett? What do you feel with him?"

I couldn't help but smile, "I feel calm… and relaxed. I feel like my presence is appreciated with him…"

"Then why are you confused?" He asked.

"Because I scared of… I'm scared of Reese."

"Emmett's not going to let anything happen to you, neither are we. Just… just enjoy your new found love interest and we will worry about Reese. All you can do now is live and experience everything you can…"

"Yeah…"

"This new life taught me you can't wait around for the world to choose your path for you, you can't wait for people and places to bend to you, or contort to your comforts, you gotta make your own." He smiled, "you gotta find your own happiness, and if Emmett is what brings you that happiness then you have to embrace it, no matter if you're worried or not."

I smiled, "you've always been so intuitive."

"Can't do much but read philosophical books when your leg is fucked up. Not much longer and this will be gone!" He patted the cast on his leg. We began to giggle hysterically then decided to watch a movie while we waited for the others to come back.

About 2 hours later I heard the hum of the garage door, Russell and I perked up as we waited for the buzz of the doors. But as they broke open my heart sank at the sight.

Emmett flew down the stairs, his arms and sandy T-shirt soaked with blood.

"Emmett!" Russell started as he rounded the island to the cabinet, grabbing a dish rag from the drawer.

"Emmett you're bleeding?" I added as I stood to meet him.

"It's not mine." He said as he pushed passed, grabbing my arm, "we need you." He pulled me up to the stairs, as we entered into the garage I saw Reese sat on the floor with his head hung back, blood covered his mouth and neck.

"What the hell."

"Fuck nuts here got his nose bashed in running from a herd." Emily said, she leaned up against the suburban with her arms crossed, looking thoroughly unamused.

"Hey, could be a bit nicer considering I'm the one who's hurt."

"You and your stupidity almost got us killed!" Emmett protested as he wiped blood from his arms. "If it hadn't been for you and your obsession with showing off we'd have gotten back with way more supplies, WITHOUT drawing a scene."

"What the hell happened!?"

I asked. Reese peered at me with an angry and embarrassed look.

"He fucking decided to show off and went for a slug, he bashed his face into a fucking poll and passed out." Emily said.

"Nearly got bit, nearly got us killed!" Emmett added.

"Can y'all just shut the fuck up and help me." Reese screamed.

"Can you fix it Satine?" Emmett asked.

I peered down to Reese and rolled me eyes. "Don't put your head back you could inhale the blood and choke. Lucky us..." I started, "Emily can you grab some cotton balls, medical tape and popsicle sticks?"

Emily nodded and kicked herself off of the truck, pulling open its hatch she dug around for a moment.

"What the hell are you gonna do."

"Well first off I'm gonna snap your nose straight." I said stepping to him, he pulled back and slapped my hand away.

"The hell you are!" He screamed.

"If I don't your nose is going to heal crooked, not only will it hurt but if I don't straighten it you'll develop a breathing problem once it's healed crooked."

"Just fucking leave it." He ordered.

"To late for that." I said, "Emmett brace his back." Emmett spun around to the side of him, knelt and pushed against his back.

"Dude give me your arms." Emmett ordered.

"Why?"

"Cause if you hit her again I'm going to break your fucking eye sockets along with your nose." Emmett growled.

Reese rolled his eyes then put his hands behind his back. Emmett grabbed ahold of them and braced himself against Reese's back.

I put one hand on Reese's forehead and pushed, then in one swift motion used my other hand to pinch the bridge of his nose and pushed it to the side, a crunch radiated from his nostril and he let out a blood curdling scream and pulled back from me. As soon as I backed away from swinging distance Emmett let his hands go and he grabbed at his face, then screamed again.

"Don't touch it, dumbass." Emily said as she handed me the things I had asked for. I rolled the cotton balls into tubular pieces."

"I have to splint it."

"The hell you are, don't touch me."

"Oh shut the hell up Reese, stop being such a bitch." I responded. I stepped back up to him, kneeling down to face him. A new round of blood oozed from his nostril. "If you don't it'll hurt worse." I responded. He swallowed hard then nodded. I took the tubular cotton balls and carefully shoved one into each nostril, he cried in pain. I had to admit I found great pleasure in causing him pain. I took the Popsicle stick and snapped it in half, placed each piece along the bridge of his nose.

"Can one of you hold these in place?" I asked. Emmett used his fingers to hold the sticks straight while I put long strips of tape across his nostrils and down his cheeks to keep the sticks in place. "There, you'll have to breathe through your mouth for at least a day." I said, Emmett handed me the towel he had and I wiped blood from my fingers. Reese cursed at me. Then I spun on my heel and trotted back down the stairs.

"We have to go back out." I heard Emily say.

"We can't, we are down one person." Emmett said as they all made their way down the stairs.

"I'll go." I said Turning to them from the sink.

"No, no wa…"

"Emmett, I'm not a child, I know we've only known each other a few days but I;m more than capable, I can use a gun, I can drive a car, I have a good amount of medical experience, I'm extra hands that we can use to get supplies."

"We will be fine for now." He countered.

"No we won't." Emily said, "We have two more mouths to feed and worry about, 2 more people's worth of supplies that we need to make sure we keep on hand. The more stuff we have, the more likely we are to live, plus we need to find batteries and power supplies for our non-solar items, and flashlights and candles and just about everything else we can stock up on." Emily's deep green eyes bore into Emmett's, he looked back to me, then her, then to me. He seemed to mull over her words, then reluctantly nodded.

"Okay… okay…" he said shaking his head. "One time, we get as much as we can then we lock down the house and stay home for a few weeks." He looked back at Reese who was sat on the stairs cradling his head between his legs. "I don't want any more incidents like that. Got it?"

"Got it." We said in unison.

"Go get dressed then." He said, he seemed irritated but I jumped excitedly and ran to our room. I pulled on a pair of dark skinny jeans, a pair of socks and strapped my black boots firmly to my ankles. I pulled my long auburn hair into a twisted bun on the top of my head, then pulled on a slim fitting white T-shirt, tucked the edges loosely into my jeans and then hoisted my backpack onto my shoulders.