Save Me (27 page)

We pulled up to massive gates, guarded by soldiers with guns. The hummer stopped outside the gates while Bear jumped out to talk to the guy closest to the entrance. He radioed something and waited for a response before motioning to the other guy to open the gate so we could pass. I thought Will was going to jump out of the Hummer and make a run for it before we got through the gates. If I wasn't so exhausted from walking all day, I might have even suggested it myself, but I just didn't have it in me. I could feel his hand grow sweaty and warm, his grip never loosening. Will closed his eyes tight as the gates shut behind us. I nudged Janet, hoping she would have something to say to calm him down.

"It's okay hon, I promise, you can leave any time you want." She squeezed his arm and gave him a warm smile.

He opened his eyes again, a bit calmer maybe, as we drove down a long road and into what looked like a town square. A woman pushed a baby carriage with a small red headed boy following closely behind her. A pair of elderly men sat on a bench, having what looked like a heated discussion. A few soldiers walked along the sidewalk, talking and laughing. It looked like a normal town. Not the kind of thing I ever expected to see again. I know Will didn't trust it, but honestly, it was kind of exciting to see a place like this. If it really was everything that Janet said, it could be our best shot at a normal life.

"You guys will have to meet with the Captain first, so I'll let you out here. I'll take your friend over to medical right away," Bear said jumping off the Hummer and helping us down.

Rose started swearing and grunting. She even slapped Janet in the face as she leaned in to say goodbye to her. I couldn't count how many times I've wanted to do that myself. I had a new respect for Rose. I really did hope there was something they could do for her.

The other guy, Jeremy, jumped out, ready to lead the way to the Captain.

Janet went in to see the Captain first, leaving Will and me alone in what looked like a formal living room. Antique furniture was placed perfectly around the room as if a decorator came in and set the place up. Old paintings hung on the walls depicting beautiful landscapes of the local area. A well-used fireplace sat in the far corner, opposite a tidy desk that must belong to the Captain's secretary, who at the moment, was not here.

Will's nervousness seemed to be growing as we stood in the middle of the empty room. I wanted to be the one who was able to put him at ease, the way he was for me.

"Will, we're gonna be alright," I tried to reassure him, looking into his deep green eyes.

"I hope you're right."

"I am," I slipped my hands up through his hair, pulling his face down to mine and standing on my toes to reach closer to his face.

"How do you know?" His breath was hot against my face.

"Because I love you." As I said the words, I knew it was the truth. Dan was right, it really was that simple. I don't know why I ever doubted it.

His eyes searched mine, looking for some sort of confirmation. It was as if he couldn't believe I could be telling him the truth. I guess he found what he was looking for, because one corner of his mouth came up, forming that perfect crooked smile, before he leaned down, brushing his lips lightly against mine.

"I love you too Andi. More than I have words for."

Tangling my fingers through his hair, I pulled him closer, bringing his lips back to mine. This time he dipped his tongue between my lips, gliding it over mine. A small moan escaped my mouth, causing him to deepen the kiss until I felt like I could no longer breathe, not that I cared. I would much rather kiss Will than breathe any day. Kissing him felt so right, like it was what I was created to do. I felt the fear and nervousness melt away from him. He brought his hands up to cup my face, looking into my eyes, the sparkling green I had come to love so much, staring back at me.

"No matter what happens Will, I want you to know how much you mean to me. You've saved me."

I wasn't talking about the times he rescued me from certain death by flesh eaters or the horrible fate that awaited me with the cousins. I didn't mean anything he had done to physically protect my life. Before I met Will, my life was about survival, not actually living. My heart was closed off to even the possibility of love or trust. I had no intention of letting anyone get close to me ever again. Will changed all that. He didn't give up on me even when I tried to shut him out or push him away, even when I gave up on myself. He opened my eyes to all the possibilities I thought had died along with the outbreak.

"Andi, the moment I first saw you, trapped in that dog cage, I knew that you would be the one to save me," he said, running his thumb over my bottom lip, his eyes focused on my mouth. "That very moment, you became my salvation."

I could see the love in his eyes, I only just now realized, it had been there all along.

Janet came out from the Captain's office smiling. That had to be a good sign, right?

"You two can go in. I'll try to meet up with you later," she said, giving Will and me both a quick hug before heading out the front door.

Will looked at me and shrugged. The panic was completely gone now.

"You ready?" he asked me.

I nodded, taking his hand into mine. With Will by my side, I was ready for anything this world had to throw at me.

Acknowledgements

This book was a life-long dream set in motion by watching another writer make her dreams come true. Thank you Mary for sharing with the world your progress and inspiring me to dream big and follow my heart. Your dedication and determination motivated me to stick with it and finally realize, 'I can do this'. Without all the help and support from so many in the writing community, I don't know if I could have made it through this journey.

There were a number of people who helped me along the way to get this story from a thought inside my head to a finished book, ready to share with the world. My daughter Jennylee, who stood over my shoulder reading as I wrote, was my first reader and handled the first round of edits like a pro, impressive for a twelve year old. Thank you so much for being there to support me through this project. My son Tony, who inspired my interest in zombies with so many long conversations about
The Walking Dead,
kept me thinking about the logistics of living in a zombie apocalypse. There were also a couple of women who jumped in feet first, willing to take all my sentence fragments and missing comas to the next level. Theresa, thank you for pointing out my grammatical errors and split infinitives. I will be finding myself a 12-step sentence fragment group as soon as possible. I know you worked hard to get the edits back to me quickly and I am so very grateful for everything you did. And then there is Miranda (and yes, I am going to start the sentence with 'and'). Miranda, as my first beta reader, pointed out all the good and bad in multicolor highlights, making me bounce with delight every time I saw a block of purple. I love you to pieces girl!

I also need to say thank you to all my friends and family who cheered me on during the process, your enthusiasm helped keep me motivated. I hope you are not disappointed! This most certainly includes my husband, Roger, even though he doesn't think I appreciate everything he does. I love and appreciate him for all the sacrifices he has made. Most importantly, I want to thank my mother, who taught me to use writing as a way to express and process my emotions. Her love of writing poetry set the example for me as a creative outlet for all the difficulties life would throw. I only wish that she could be here to witness how much of an impact it had. I know she would be proud.

About the Author

L J lives on the Jersey Shore with her husband, four kids, two cats, and an inherited dog from hell (a.k.a. the sewer gremlin). Though writing has always been her first passion, she got a degree in psychological counseling and worked in the mental health field for awhile, which she finds very helpful in dealing with her crazy family. She is a lover of all different types of music and books, switching between genres so wildly it sometimes makes people wonder if she has multiple personalities. She is most likely to be found writing romance stories of all kinds (contemporary, erotic, new adult, young adult, fantasy, etc.) and is usually working on multiple projects at once. When she's not writing, she prefers to spend her time reading, taking photos, or spending time with her family.

She would love to hear what you think of her work or answer any questions you might have. Please feel free to visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorLJBaker or check out her website at www.lj-baker.com.