I woke up with a jolt, gasping for air. I was in a familiar room, it was our room in the mansion. Amy and Steff were sleeping on the other bed, looking peaceful. I touched my head, feeling a throbbing pain. I had a flashback of the night we were ambushed by the horde. How did I survive?
I got out of bed, ignoring the ache in my body. I walked to the window and looked outside. It was dark and quiet, except for the occasional sound of gunfire. The horde was still out there, somewhere. I wondered how many of them were left.
I opened the door and stepped out of the room. The mansion was empty, as everyone was either resting or fighting i don't know. I went downstairs, hoping to find someone who could tell me what happened. I saw Jenny sitting on the couch, browsing on a laptop. She looked up and saw me. Her eyes widened and she jumped up, running to me. "Souta! You're awake!" She exclaimed, hugging me. "Yeah... how are they?" I asked, referring to my men. "They're fine" she said, helping me sit on the couch. "They're recovering in the infirmary. You were the worst, you had a concussion and a broken rib. You've been out for two days."
"Two days?" I repeated, shocked. "What about the horde?" I asked, fearing the worst. "We took care of them, burning the whole forest" she said, showing me a video on the laptop. It was a footage of a massive fire, engulfing the trees and the zombies. I could see the flames reflecting on her eyes. "We had to do it, Souta. It was the only way to stop them."
"I see... can you tell me what happened?" I asked, wanting to know how they got away from the horde that attack the mansion. She nodded and began to tell me her story. She said that after we drove away from the mansion, heading to the farm, they encountered a horde of zombies that are going to the mansikn. Because of the prepared traps and barricades, they managed to hold them back for an hour. They killed them all without reaching the mansion.
Then they heard a loud explosion. It was the truck that we were in, and it blew up. Jenny thought that we were all dead, and she cried. But she didn't give up hope. She gathered a team of volunteers and went to check out the scene. They met another group of survivors from the town, who had heard the blast too. They told them about the horde that was chasing us, and they agreed to help. They cleared the remaining zombies and searched for us.
They found us in a clearing, surrounded by corpses. We were unconscious, but alive. They carried us to their vehicles and drove us back to the mansion. They treated our wounds and gave us a place to rest.
I was speechless for a moment, feeling a surge of guilt and anger. I had put everyone in danger this time. Not even half of my men had survived the horde. If I had kept them in the mansion, things would have been different. Damn it. I had no one to blame but myself as their leader.
We had managed to kill an entire horde, but what if another one came? We needed to expand the mansion and strengthen the barricades. We needed to set up more traps and weapons. We needed a plan.
"Souta" Jenny said softly, placing her hand on my leg. I looked at her, confused. "What?" I asked. She took a deep breath and said, "I love you" She confessed. I was shocked and bewildered. "What do you mean, love me?" I asked.
"Romantically, Souta. I've loved you for a long time, but I never had the courage to tell you. I know you have Amy and Steff with you. I know you rejected Shana. I know you don't want another girl. But I couldn't keep it to myself any longer. When I thought you were dead, I regretted not confessing to you. So I'm taking the risk now, even if it scares me." She said, looking at me with sincere eyes. I couldn't tell if she was joking or serious.
I sighed, feeling conflicted. "Jenny, I appreciate your feelings, but I can't accept them. I told Amy and Steff that I wouldn't take another girl. I promised them, and I intend to keep my promise. That's why, I'm sorry, but I have to reject you-" I couldn't finish my sentence, as she suddenly kissed me aggressively.
I was too weak to resist, as I was still recovering from the battle. She pressed her lips against mine, and wrapped her arms around me. "I love you, Souta. I don't care if you reject me or not, or use me as a side chick or not. But I need to do this, I need to show you how I feel." She said, as she continued to kiss me and moved her hands to my chest.
I felt a whirlwind of confusion and conflicting emotions as Jenny's unexpected advance caught me off guard. I was torn between the guilt of rejecting her and the loyalty I owed to Amy and Steff, who had been with me through thick and thin.
Jenny's hands explored my chest, her lips demanding a response. I gently pushed her away, breaking the kiss. "Jenny, we can't... I can't," I stammered, my voice a mix of regret and firmness.
She looked hurt, her eyes reflecting a vulnerability that tugged at my conscience. "I know I shouldn't have done that. I just needed you to know how I feel," she admitted, her voice shaky.
But then, I noticed something. She smelled of alcohol, and her speech was slurred. She was drunk! She had probably found some booze in the mansion and drank it to cope with the stress. She continued to push me down and take off my clothes, not listening to my protests. I couldn't resist, as I was too weak.
I opened my eyes and saw Jenny sleeping next to me in her room. She looked peaceful and beautiful, her hair spread over the pillow and her lips slightly parted. I felt a pang of confusion and conflict in my chest. I remembered what happened last night, how Jenny had kissed me and confessed her love, how we had made love.
I didn't know if I loved her or not, but I knew that I cared for her as now part of my family, friend and comrades. I also knew that I had betrayed Amy and Steff, who had been my girlfriends since the apocalypse. They had been with me through thick and thin, through life and death, through joy and sorrow. They had given me their love and trust, their support and comfort, their loyalty and devotion. And I had broken their hearts.
I wondered how they would react, how they would feel, how they would cope. I wondered how I would explain, how I would apologize, how I would make things right. I wondered if they would forgive me, if they would understand me, if they would stay with me. I keep on wondering, that makes my head hurts.
I got out of bed, careful not to wake Jenny. I put on my clothes and left the room. I walked to our room, where Amy and Steff were recovering from their injuries. They had been hurt during the horde attack, but they had fought bravely and survived. They had risked their lives for me, for us, for our future. And I had risked our future for Jenny.
I hoped that they were doing better, that they were healing, that they were happy. I opened the door and saw them lying on the beds, awake and alert. They saw me, they sat down and smiled, their eyes shining with love and relief. They looked so beautiful and sweet, so innocent and pure, so perfect and precious. I felt a surge of guilt and remorse, as I realized how much I will hurt them if they know this.
"Hey, Souta. You're up early," Amy said, greeting me warmly. She had a bandage on her arm, where were injured. She was lucky that it wasn't a bite, or she would have turned.
"Hi, Souta. How are you feeling?" Steff asked, showing me her concern. She had a bruise on her cheek, where a zombie had punched her while fighting. She was lucky that it wasn't a claw, or she would have bled.
"Hey, guys. I'm fine. How are you?" I said, forcing a smile. I walked to the bed and hugged them, feeling their warmth and comfort. I wished that I could stay like this, that I could forget what I had done, that I could pretend that nothing had changed. I wished that I could erase the past, that I could change the present, that I could secure the future.
"We're fine, too. We're glad that you're okay," Amy said, hugging me back. She kissed me on the cheek, making me flinch.
"We're happy that you're alive," Steff said, hugging me tighter. She kissed me on the lips, making me cringe.
I pulled away, feeling awkward and uneasy. I looked at them, seeing their love and trust. I knew that I had to tell them the truth, that I had to face the consequences, that I had to deal with the situation. I knew that I had to be honest, that I had to be responsible, that I had to be fair. I knew that I had to tell them about what happened.
"Amy, Steff-- I have something to tell you two. Something important. Something... bad," I said, lowering my voice and my eyes.
They looked at me, sensing my seriousness and my sadness. They felt a chill in their hearts, a fear in their minds, a doubt in their souls.
"What is it, Souta? What's wrong?" Amy asked, holding my hand.
"Is it about the horde? Did something happen?" Steff asked, holding my other hand.
I took a deep breath and told them everything.