The night settled in, and the camp grew quieter as the wind died down. Marcus had gotten to work, setting up a perimeter and reinforcing the shelter's entrance. Riley had disappeared into the woods, probably searching for food or trouble, while Evie and Noah sat near the dwindling fire, the silence between them growing thick.
Evie watched him as he shifted uncomfortably in the seat she had set up for him by the fire. He was too proud to show it, but the pain from his wound still made him wince every now and then. She could tell that he wasn't used to being dependent on anyone.
Noah caught her watching him and gave a small, wry smile. "You don't trust me, do you?"
Evie's lips tightened. She hadn't answered him directly when he asked earlier about why she was helping him. And she wouldn't answer him now. Trust was a luxury she couldn't afford. People let you down—especially in the world they now lived in.
"I don't trust anyone," she muttered, her voice low but firm. "Not anymore."
Noah didn't respond right away. Instead, he just looked into the fire, the flickering light casting shadows over his features. For a moment, Evie wondered what he had been like before the world fell apart—before the virus, the chaos, the endless fight for survival.
He was smart. That much was clear. But intelligence alone didn't guarantee survival. It wasn't enough to get you through the night.
"So," Noah said, breaking the silence, "what's your story?"
Evie stiffened, surprised by the question. She hadn't expected him to pry so soon.
"I told you," she said, her tone guarded. "I don't do stories."
Noah didn't seem deterred. "You have to have one," he said, his voice light but persistent. "Everyone does. You didn't just end up here by accident."
Evie ground her teeth, then turned her eyes away from him and stared into the fire. "It's not a story worth hearing."
"You'd be surprised," Noah said quietly.
She shot him a glance, then shrugged as if to dismiss him. "I don't need your pity, Doc."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, just as Evie thought the conversation was over, Noah asked, "Do you think things will ever go back to normal?"
The question caught her off guard. She let out a short laugh, the sound almost bitter. "Normal? What's 'normal' in a world where the dead walk and people are more dangerous than the infected? We're all just surviving, Doc. That's it."
Noah didn't argue with her, but his eyes didn't leave her face. "I want to believe it's possible," he said, his voice soft. "A cure… a chance to fix things. We can't just give up on that."
Evie shook her head. "You're wasting your time. The world's done."
She turned away, unwilling to let him see how his words hit too close to the scars she kept buried. The last time she had allowed herself to believe in a "fix," she had lost everything.
Noah didn't say anything else for a while. He just watched her, his gaze understanding in a way that made her uncomfortable.
After a while, Marcus came back to the fire, carrying a small pile of firewood. "You two talk too much," he said with a grin, setting the wood down. He didn't give any indication of how long he'd been eavesdropping, and Evie didn't ask.
"Everything clear?" she asked, her voice practical.
Marcus nodded, his face serious. "For now. But The Butcher's people are getting closer. We need to move in the morning."
Evie didn't need to ask who Marcus meant by "The Butcher." Everyone knew. The ruthless gang leader had carved his name into the region with blood and terror. He ruled with an iron fist, and the infected were the least of their worries when it came to surviving his territory.
"Where are we headed?" she asked.
Marcus glanced at Noah, then at her. "There's a place a few miles west. Small survivor camp. Heard they've got a solid defense. They might be able to help with that cure you're chasing."
Noah's eyes lit up at the mention of a cure, but Evie's skepticism was sharper. "You really think they're going to help you?" she asked. "Everyone's out for themselves now."
Marcus shrugged. "I'm not promising anything. But we can't stay here."
The conversation shifted as Riley finally returned, dragging a couple of limp rabbits behind her. She looked tired but satisfied, the edge of her grin matching her cocky attitude.
"Good job," Marcus said, eyeing the rabbits. "Let's eat, get some rest. Tomorrow we move out."
Riley tossed the rabbits onto the fire and sat down on the opposite side of it, folding her arms over her chest. "Not so sure about moving," she said, raising an eyebrow. "I like it here. The Butcher doesn't know this place. At least not yet."
"That's the problem," Marcus replied. "He'll find out eventually, and then we're dead."
Riley just shrugged, but Evie noticed the hesitation in her eyes. No one was ever truly safe anymore, not even here.
They ate in relative silence, the only sounds the crackle of the fire and the occasional rustling of the trees. Evie kept her eyes on Noah, wondering what his next move was. He was smart, but he didn't seem like the type to stick around. His plan was probably to run once he could stand again.
But she didn't let herself get too attached. She couldn't afford to.
Once the meal was finished, they all settled down for the night. Riley curled up in a corner, her body language still defiant, while Marcus leaned back against a stack of supplies. Evie took the last watch, her eyes scanning the night for any sign of movement.
Noah was still awake, though. He had moved closer to the fire after eating, his body too stiff to sleep comfortably.
He cleared his throat after a long while, breaking the silence between them. "So, what do you think of me?"
Evie raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"You know, now that I'm part of your little survival team," he said, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Do you trust me yet?"
Evie met his gaze and held it. She could see the sincerity there, a genuine desire to be a part of something again. It was strange to see someone like him, so full of hope, after everything that had happened.
"I don't trust anyone," she said again, her voice hard. "And I don't need to."
"Fair enough," Noah said, though there was something in his eyes that told Evie he wasn't giving up on her just yet.
The fire crackled, and in the distance, the soft groans of the infected could be heard. But for the moment, the camp was safe.
And that was enough for now.