Suddenly suspicious, he snapped out a quick “Why?”
“Because I hate it.”
“Not the name. The keys.”
“Hello. Because I want to stab you with them, why else?”
“Why?” he insisted.
Fine. “Because I need to practice my driving, and I promised my grandparents I would.”
“You’re telling me…” The glasses slid back into place as he cupped the back of my neck and dragged me closer to him, peering down at me sternly. “That you don’t know how to drive?”
“Of course I know how to drive. Now, if you ask me if I know how to drive well, the answer will be different.”
He choked out a laugh, but backed away and tossed me the keys. “Just wait until the parking lot is empty before putting my precious life in danger.”
As I climbed into the driver’s side, my gaze roved over the wide expanse of sky. It was still a lovely baby blue, with puffy white clouds spread out, intertwining, separating. I shouldn’t have looked, though.
The rabbit had returned.
Dread wound through me, because I now knew what it meant. “Zombies will come out tonight,” I said, monotone. And that they were coming on a night when I’d had no vision of a future with Cole…
“I highly doubt it. They’ve come out too many times already, and they need to rest.”
“Trust me. They’ll come.”
“How do you know?”
I wasn’t exactly sure how to explain Emma, so I said, “I just do.”
He rubbed his hands over his thighs, the action jerky. “Fine. The entire group will go hunting tonight, just in case.”
“Am I included in that?”
He opened his mouth, looked at my face, closed his mouth. Nodded. “I guess you are.”
“Good.” Bonus: I’d be out of the house and wouldn’t draw the zombies to my grandparents’ door.
I buckled myself into the seat and started the engine. Hearing that roar startled me, bringing another worry to life. I was behind the wheel of a car. Soon I would be driving in the path of other cars and responsible for Cole’s life.
Rationally, I now knew with absolute certainty that the rabbit had nothing to do with car wrecks, but that failed to calm me. I was shaking, sweat suddenly beading over my skin, and every time I inhaled, the air burned my throat and lungs.
“You’ll do great,” Cole said.
“If I don’t…”
“I can shove you out of the car and take over. I’ll be safe, easy as that.”
The joke worked, causing me to chuckle weakly. “Funny.”
“You’ve got this, Ali.” He was all seriousness. “I have faith in you and okay, fine, more faith in myself. I’ll coach you all the way.”
The pep talk worked. I could do this. I could. I wasn’t the same girl that had run away from Kat to walk home in the rain. I was stronger. I’d faced zombies several times and survived.
At last the parking lot cleared, and I slowly reversed. Hey, Lord. Remember me? I could use Your help again. My stomach cramped as I shifted gears. Cole was patient with me, even when I barely edged the speedometer up to fifteen miles per hour and other cars were honking, then whizzing past us. A few drivers even gave me the finger and Cole nearly jumped out of his seat each time. However, a dark SUV followed us around several corners, content to go the same snail-like speed.
“Justin’s people,” Cole said, probably noticing the number of times I’d glanced into the rearview mirror.
“Great. House burners are on my tail.” Just what I needed. Another stress factor. “Will they try anything?” The SUV’s windshield was tinted so dark I couldn’t see anyone inside.
“No. They just like to make their presence known. They’ll taper off at the next turn.”
He was right.
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Justin told me his boss paid you a visit.”
“What are you doing talking to Justin?” he asked, messing with the radio dial.
“Trying to get answers.”
“From now on, get those from me.”
“He’s in my class. I didn’t want to ignore him and—”
“Ali. You don’t know him or what he’s capable of doing, telling, or warping. It’ll be better for all of us if you listen to me.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll ignore him.”
The entire drive lasted forty minutes when it probably should have taken only ten. He lived in a neighborhood where the homes were spaced acres apart, and the houses themselves had a farmlike quality. Each had red-and-white wood, detached barns, wire fences, and fields of wheat instead of trees.
Only when I threw the car into Park was I able to fully relax. We were safe. We were unscathed. Thanks again, Lord! Seriously!
“I can’t promise we’ll ever use you for a hasty getaway,” Cole said, “but with a little work, you might be able to race my grandmother—while she’s on her scooter.”
“I’m not usually that bad. I’m sorry. I just…the accident…on top of seeing the rabbit....”
“What rabbit?”
Well, crap. As emotionally wrung out as I was, I finally found myself explaining about the cloud, even pointing it out to him. I told him how I’d seen it each day before the zombies emerged, and how, the first time, I’d lost everyone I loved. How my dead little sister had appeared to me and told me she was somehow creating the cloud as a warning. Midway through, Cole reached over and began to massage the back of my neck, the way he liked to do to himself, offering comfort.
“You don’t think I’m crazy?” I asked hesitantly.
“Like I’m one to judge another person’s sanity.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Okay, how about this? No, I don’t think you’re crazy.”
I chose to believe him. “Have you ever seen a witness? That’s what she called herself. Not a ghost, those don’t exist, and not an angel, those do, but a witness.” Like one of his slain friends, maybe.
“No.”
“Ever heard the term?”
“Outside of a legal trial, no.”
“Has anyone else?”
“Not to my knowledge.”
“Oh,” I said, my shoulders slumping.
“There’s nothing wrong with you, Ali. You can see zombies when not many others can. Seeing witnesses or whatever is probably no different than that.” He ruffled my hair, making me feel about three years old. “Now come on, we’ve got a lot to do.”
After tossing him the keys, I exited the Jeep and headed toward the house. Halfway there, he was at my side, twining our fingers and tugging me toward the barn in back.
“This way,” he said—and he refused to release me.
We were holding hands as if we were a couple.
The closer we got to the door, the louder I heard the grunts and groans coming from inside. I blinked, thinking it sounded like people were being tortured in there.
Turns out, yes, they were being tortured. Only, they were doing it to themselves. Throughout the barn I saw workout equipment, a training mat and even a boxing ring, as well as all the boys who’d been hanging around Cole that first day of school, plus a few that hadn’t.
Cole made the introductions. There was Lucas, who was gorgeous and black, and practically bench-pressing a bus. He had a house arrest anklet on, and yet, I was pretty sure I’d seen him at Reeve’s party.
Derek, also black, stood at the end of a stall, shooting a dummy dressed to look like a zombie. Bronx hammered away at a punching bag. Brent, a blond, held it steady. Collins, a boy with a shaved head and house arrest anklet of his own, and Haun (Spike), an Asian boy with dark hair and eyes, were sword fighting, and, judging by the sound of metal clanging against metal, with real swords.
A smorgasbord of hot, sweaty guys and warrior weapons. I’d stepped into every girl’s fantasy.
Frosty and Mackenzie were running the treadmills. Trina and Cruz (Turd), a Hispanic boy with brown hair and a scar running down the side of his cheek, were in the ring, boxing without gloves. Aka punching the crap out of each other.
As I stood there, taking everything in, I could make out a thousand different scents. Something floral from Mackenzie, something musky from Haun. Something fruity from Collins.