The Last Woman (All That Remains #1) (38 page)

Troy swallows and nods his
head. “They would’ve killed you if they caught you sneaking me water and
medicine, or if you’d been seen releasing us from the stable. You did what you
could for us, Eric. I don’t blame you.”

Eric sighs and continues his
story. “I wanted to get away from them a few weeks after we met. At first, they
just talked about how we were going to spread God’s word, and I felt like I’d
been given a second chance, but they were crazy. Once they began abducting
people to save, I planned to leave, but I was in too deep, and I was terrified
they’d find me if I ran. I was afraid to cross them.” He hangs his head in
shame.

“You did, though,” Troy points
out. “What changed? Why did you take the risk and help us escape?”

Good question, I was wondering
the same thing, myself.

“I thought it was our best
chance, because there were two able bodied men who could help us fight. I
couldn’t bear to watch them use another woman the way they did Jennifer.” He
turns to me. “I’m sorry, Abby, that I was one of the men who escorted you and
Joseph to that bedroom. If I could’ve prevented it...” He trails off, shaking
his head in regret.

“Joseph and I are close
friends, so don’t trouble yourself over what they made me do. It was far worse
for Joseph to be tested in such a way with his best friend’s wife, to be forced
to prove anything at all, and for Airen to have to let it happen. Abraham
wanted to drive a wedge between the three of us, I’m sure, but he failed. You
wouldn’t have been helping anyone if you had tried to prevent it. I understand.”

“So do I,” Joseph adds, and Airen
nods his assent.

“Do you still believe God took
the good people and left the bad?” I ask.

“I honestly don’t know what I
believe anymore.”

“Just tell me the truth. Do
you have a problem with Joseph’s or Troy’s sexual orientation? You should also
be aware I don’t believe in any gods. Can you keep company with gay people and
atheists?”

“I don’t have a problem with
anyone.”

“I’m not trying to put you on
the spot or make you feel bad. I ask because we have three impressionable
children at home and one on the way. If you decide to stay with us, you
absolutely cannot preach at them.” I need to make this clear.

“I understand, and I’d never
do that.”

“Okay, then. I need to get
some sleep, you guys. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.” Moving deeper into
the store, I locate a comfy bed and crawl in, pulling a sleeping bag over me.
Wow, I want one of these at home. It feels great on my back.

A few hours later, I wake from
a nightmare. Joseph is asleep on the next bed, and Airen is stretched out
beside me, snoring lightly. I cuddle up to him and attempt to fall back to
sleep. Troy and Eric are still talking softly.

“I should’ve found a way to
keep them from doing that to you.” Eric sniffs.

“You couldn’t,” Troy argues.

“I...just...no one should ever
have to suffer what you did.”

“I don’t want to talk about
it. Please, don’t mention it again.”

“Sure, man. I understand.”

“Not to anyone else, either. I
don’t want people to know what was done to me. I want to be able to start
over.”

“Me too.”

* * *
*

We leave as soon as it’s
light, desperate to get home. We have been gone for a full week, and Julie and
the kids must think the worst. Everyone is in a better mood when we get closer
to home. Airen and Joseph even tease each other and squabble over the music
choices. Pulling into that driveway and watching Carson, Jayla, Walker, and
Julie run out to meet us fills me with an indescribable joy. It’s complete
bedlam when we climb out of the truck. Everyone is trying to talk at once.
Jayla and Walker burst into tears at the sight of Joseph and Airen’s injuries.

Joseph scoops up Walker.
“Stop, monkey, we’re fine. We’re all fine.”

“You have a black eye.” He
sniffles and clings to his neck.

“I know, but it doesn’t hurt.
Don’t worry.”

Jayla holds tight to Airen.
“What happened?”

“We ran into some bad guys,”
Airen replies, glancing at Walker. “We’ll tell you about it later.”

“Are you hurt? Is the baby
okay?” Carson questions in a hushed voice while he hugs me.

“I’m fine. The baby is fine. I
missed you so much.” I squeeze him again. He runs to Airen and hugs him, hard.
I can see the surprise and emotion on Airen’s face.

“Dad, I didn’t think you were
coming back. Any of you.”

“Never think that, buddy. I’ll
never let anything happen to your mom.”

After we introduce everyone to
Troy and Eric, it takes a few days for everything to settle down and get back
to normal. Troy is ecstatic to be free and to live in a house with an actual
shower. He’s quiet, and keeps to himself a lot of the time. We all go out of
our way to make him feel welcome.

He allows Julie to examine
him, and she suggests what he needs most is fresh air and sunshine after being
locked away for twenty-three hours a day for ten months. He and Joseph take
long walks around the lake every afternoon, though the weather has turned cold.
It seems to help him, and his appetite improves. He puts on weight and grows
stronger.

Troy is a nice looking man.
He’s not blessed with Airen’s striking beauty or Joseph’s adorable boyish
charm, but he’s handsome in a more classical way. He’s a bit taller than both
Joseph and Airen. He has brown eyes, and his light brown hair is thick and
wavy. He’s intelligent, and he seems much older than his twenty-four years. His
experience with the cult has traumatized him, but day by day he’s improving.

Airen, Joseph, and I only
revealed that we were captured and escaped. The rest of our ordeal stays
between the five of us. I feel guilty about what happened with Joseph in that
little bedroom, though I know Airen doesn’t blame either of us. It’s only
because he doesn’t realize how far it went. If he knew how we had touched each
other, how passionate it was, he wouldn’t be so understanding. I see the same
guilt on Joseph’s face when he glances at me as we are digging up the
smokehouse floor to plant potatoes.

“Abby...” he hesitates. “I’m
sorry.”

“Don’t, you don’t need to
apologize for anything. We didn’t have a choice.”

“You know what I’m talking
about.” He regards me, solemnly. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of the
situation.”

“I kissed
you
, Joseph.
If someone bears the brunt of the blame for how far that went, it’s me. You
didn’t do anything I didn’t want you to do. I’m ashamed I let myself get so
carried away, and I feel guilty because I don’t know if I would’ve stopped had the
circumstances been different,” I confess, shame heating my face.

“I love Airen with all of my
heart, and I’d like to think I’d never cheat on him, but I came so close, and
it happened so fast. Maybe I’m just a terrible person.” It’s dark in the
smokehouse. It never fails to amaze me how much easier it is to confess things
in the dark.

“You were put in an impossible
situation and given a heartbreaking decision to make. If you hadn’t been
forced, would you ever have willingly come to me?”

“No, not because I don’t care
for you, but because I never would’ve considered cheating on Airen. I’d die
before I’d hurt him.”

“The same goes for me, Abby. I
know I tease you and flirt with you, but I’d never ruin what you and Airen have
together. I love both of you far too much. You’re a wonderful person, and you
aren’t a cheater. If you want to explain to Airen exactly what happened, or if
you want me to do it, I will. If you feel like you’re hiding it from him,
perhaps it would ease your mind if he knew the whole story.”

“That we came so close to
making love? No. I think in his mind, we kissed a little, that’s all, and
unless Troy explained about the undressing, he probably doesn’t even know we
saw one another naked. Tell him that you had your mouth on my breast, your hand
in my panties? That I had my hand wrapped around you?” I murmur, blushing hard
and shaking my head. “I won’t hurt him just to alleviate my own guilt. Plus,
I’m terrified I won’t be able to lie if he asks me...” I trail off.

“Asks you?”

“If I enjoyed it,” I reply,
tears blurring my vision. This is the root of my guilty conscience, not exactly
what we did, but that I wanted to do it.

It’s Joseph’s turn to blush.
His face glows pink, and I think he’s secretly pleased and trying not to
advertise it. “Me too, honey. Even under those circumstances, being so close to
you...it was wonderful. I won’t tell Airen anything you don’t want him to know,
but please, don’t let this affect the bond we share. I don’t want this to put a
wedge between us or ruin our friendship. I’d hate for you to start avoiding me
because you’re uncomfortable or ashamed.”

I shake my head. “Can we just
pretend it never happened?”

“We can try.”

I gaze into those green eyes,
so full of emotion. “I’ll never forget it.”

“Oh, Abby, not even when I’m
old and senile.”

The house is crowded again.
Joseph and Walker are sharing a room once more, as are Eric and Troy. At some
point, Joseph and Airen intend to return to Evansville to procure additional
solar panels and equipment. There are certainly plenty of houses near us for
them to choose from.

While Troy appears to be
acclimating, Eric is struggling. He seems to be a nice guy, but he spends most
of his time by himself. I think he feels like he doesn’t fit in here with us.
I’ve noticed Airen goes out of his way to include him in conversations. A few
days after our huge Thanksgiving meal, I really get to talk to Eric, and we’re
astounded to discover we both grew up in Indianapolis.

“You were born in Indy!” I
exclaim, delighted.

“Yeah.” He laughs. “I lived
there my whole life.”

“So did I! Well, until a few
years ago.”

“What side of town?” he asks.

“West.”

“You’re kidding! I grew up in
Speedway!” How amazing, to meet someone from my hometown among the few
survivors.

“I’m from Haughville. Do you
know it?”

“The neighborhood around
Michigan Street? The one you don’t walk through without a bullet proof vest?”

“That would be the one.”

“No wonder you’re so tough.”

I scoff. “Dodging bullets and
meth heads doesn’t make you tough. Still, you can understand why we left.”

“Of course.”

We end up talking late into
the night. “What do you miss about Indy?” he asks.

He hasn’t been gone as long as
I have, and he’s obviously still homesick. After a few moments to consider it,
I smile, remembering. “Georgetown Road on the night before the race.”

He grins from ear to ear.
“Wildest party in the city.”

“I’ve always loved it. The
first time I went I was fifteen. I came home at four a.m. drunk and covered in
mud from head to toe. I never missed a year after that.”

“They cracked down the last
couple of years. Cops would arrest the girls that flashed their boobs.”

“There was always a line of
guys hooting, and holding up
Show Us Your Titties
signs. What do you
miss?”

“Mostly, the noise. It’s so
quiet here. I miss going to Deer Creek for concerts, bar hopping downtown, and
the drive-in.” His pale face is melancholy.

“You’ll get used to the
silence. When we first moved here, it bothered me as well. I was so accustomed
to hearing the planes roar overhead, the trains whistling and rumbling, shaking
the windows, and the police sirens blaring, that I couldn’t sleep without it.
We moved into town near the only set of railroad tracks, and I was thrilled to
hear the train whistle.”

“If you lived on the west side
of the city, you definitely heard the planes. I suppose it’s a lot quieter in
Indy now.”

There’s a thoroughly
depressing thought. “I guess so.”

We sit in silence, pensively
picturing the same sad cityscape. No planes roar overhead any longer, and the
buses are still, the bars empty. The circle downtown, the museums, and the
canal along White River all stand deserted while the neighborhoods slowly
decay, and crumble into ruins. It’s gone.

“You can’t go home again,”
Eric mumbles.

“This is a good place to call
home, Eric. Give it some time.” He gives me a small smile. “I should go to
bed,” I say reluctantly. “The kids will be up in a few hours.”

“Good night, Abby.”

“Good night.”

It’s after three in the
morning when I crawl into bed, trying not to wake Airen. I’ve never been
accused of being stealthy.

“Abby?” he asks. “Are you just
coming to bed? What have you been doing?”

“Eric and I were talking.”

“Until three in the morning?”

“I guess I lost track of time.
He’s from Indy too, Air. We grew up within a few miles of each other. Isn’t
that amazing?”

“Odds are against it.”

“Sorry I woke you.”

“Mmm Hmm, now it’s your
responsibility to put me back to sleep.” My body flares to life beneath his hot
hands as they travel up my shirt to cup my breasts, tugging me back against his
chest. A warm open-mouthed kiss on the nape of my neck seals my fate.

“Oh...if you insist.”

* * *
*

Eric seems more lighthearted
after our little late night chat, and he begins to join in a little more with
the rest of the family. Perhaps it helps to have someone near who understands
where you come from, who grieves for some of the same things.

“Don’t worry, I’ll mix some
more,” Eric promises Jayla when she complains that we’re out of milk. Jayla
doesn’t like the goat’s milk, and apparently Eric just drank the last of the
powdered milk that was prepared.

“I’d kill for some real milk,”
she complains.

“Well, we can’t exactly run
down to VP to get a carton,” I grouch. I’ll never be a morning person.

“What is a VP?” Jayla asks,
frowning.

Eric glances at me, and we
both laugh. “Sorry. It’s a convenience store that apparently doesn’t exist down
here. Kind of like a 7-11,” I explain.

“There was one on every
corner,” Eric adds, “It was actually called Village Pantry, VP for short.” He
beams at me.

“As fascinating as this is, I
have to go check the traps,” Airen huffs before darting out the door.

“Everyone is such a grouch
today.” Jayla glares.

“Sorry, I’m just tired.” I hug
her and head to the bedroom. I’m suddenly not hungry. What is Airen’s problem
today? Maybe there are just too many people in the house. It has become a
little stifling. Hmm, perhaps we need a night at our summer home? It’s been
awhile since we were alone.

I assumed the second trip to
Evansville would wait until the spring, but Airen has been pushing to get it
done. I’m shocked when he announces he doesn’t intend to go. “I’m sure Joseph
and Troy can handle it, and I don’t want to leave you while you’re pregnant,”
he explains when I ask him.

“I’m not arguing with you. I
don’t want you to go. I’m just surprised.”

Eric sprained his ankle in the
woods yesterday and is stuck wearing an air cast for a week, so he doesn’t have
the option to accompany Troy and Joseph. However, Carson begs me to go along.
Against my better judgment, I relent and allow it, but it scares me to death.
It seems I’ll always be worried about someone making it back home.

“I don’t like it either,
darlin’, but he’s thirteen. We have to let him grow up. Besides, Joseph won’t
let anything happen to him,” Airen reassures me.

I suppose if Mr.
Overprotective himself can let him go then so can I. “Just don’t bring back any
strays,” I warn as they’re leaving the next morning.

Jayla decides to spend a
couple of nights at Julie’s house. With Carson, Troy, and Joseph gone as well,
the house seems empty. Eric retreats to his room, and I suspect he’s trying not
to be a third wheel. Airen and I spend the evening snuggled together on the
couch watching movies. Okay, maybe we were making out like a couple of
teenagers, but it was fun, and of course, it led to the bedroom.

Our lovemaking was slow and
lovely. He’s so afraid of hurting me or the baby, though Julie has assured him
it’s safe. I love that he treats me so tenderly, but every now and then a girl
just wants to be thrown down and ravaged.

Julie invites everyone for
dinner the following day. Julie and Jayla have prepared mashed potatoes,
noodles, and corn. It’s delicious, and I eat far too much.

It’s dark when Airen, Eric,
and I prepare to walk back home. Eric approaches Julie. “Can I borrow a
flashlight? This one is fucking up like channel…”

“Four,” I finish his sentence
in unison with him. He grins at me while everyone else looks on in confusion.
“God, Eric! I haven’t heard that expression in years.” I laugh, delighted.

“What?” Jayla questions.

“Sorry, it was a saying that
was popular in Indy. No matter what cable company you had service with, channel
four was always a mess. It’s funny, what you forget.” I smile, shaking my head.

Airen shoots a thunderous look
at Eric, and then fixes his grim stare on me. What the hell?

It doesn’t escape Julie’s
notice. “Eric, why don’t you stay with us tonight? We’ll play cards, and have a
drink or two,” she offers.

“I’d love to. I’m sure Abby
and Airen would like the house to themselves for a change.”

“Thank you for dinner, Julie,”
Airen says stiffly. “Let’s go, Abby.” He grasps my hand and picks up the
flashlight.

“Good night, you guys.” I
force a smile. Yeah, sure, everything’s fine. No problem here.

“See you tomorrow,” Jayla says.

Airen broods quietly on our
walk home which allows me time to think. He’s being such a jerk. The last time
he acted this way was when we discovered Joseph, lying sick in our yard. He was
jealous of him, as unbelievable as that seems after everything that’s happened.
Is he jealous because I was laughing with Eric? Oh, surely not!

“Are you jealous of Eric?” I
demand bluntly as soon as we enter the house.

“Of course not!” He stalks
over and pours a drink.

“Then why the sudden attitude?”

Leaning against the wall, he
sighs and swallows his whiskey. He stares at me until I want to look away, but
I force myself to face his angry gaze. “He likes you, but of course you can’t
see it.” His eyes darken and narrow. If he presses his lips together any
harder, he’ll swallow them.

 Well, as long as he’s not
jealous. “Because he talks to me? Airen, you have to be kidding me!”

“Sure, Abby, I must be
imagining it.”

“What has he said or done that
makes you think that?”

He scoffs and continues to
fume silently.

“No! You can’t just accuse him
of something and then clam up. You’re right, if he’s flirting with me, I can’t
see it. So enlighten me.” I’m getting pissed. He has no reason to behave this way
when Eric has never hit on me.

“Fine. He hardly speaks for a
month, and now he chats you up every time you enter the room. He’s all smiles,
and you two have your little inside jokes.”

“I was just happy to talk to
someone from the same hometown.” He huffs and looks away when I touch his arm.

“You aren’t exactly
discouraging him,” he mutters, petulantly.

Oh, give me strength, I’m
going to strangle him. “I’ve never flirted with him, and he’s never done or
said anything inappropriate to me. How could you accuse me of encouraging him?
We’re rarely even alone together.”

“Except when you stay up all
night with him.”

I can’t believe we’re having
this conversation. I was so worried about Joseph coming between us, I never
even considered he would freak out over Eric. “So you’re accusing me of
flirting with him? Leading him on? This is un-fucking-believable!”

“I didn’t say that.” He stares
at the floor, sulking.

“Well, you sure as hell aren’t
denying it! Go ahead and get it out, Airen. You married a big old slut, didn’t
you? I mean, what other kind of woman would try to screw around when she’s
married
and four months
pregnant
? You don’t trust me at all. This is complete
fucking bullshit!” I shout. “After all I put up with when Mandy was after you,
you pull this shit with me? I’m going to talk to other men, and they’re going
to talk to me! I’m not dealing with this every time we meet someone new!”

He stares at me warily,
speechless for a change. When I start to walk away, he takes my arm. “I didn’t
call you a slut, Abby. I would never.”

“No, you just accuse me of
acting like one,” I reply, soberly. “I’m going to bed, Airen. I’d stay the fuck
away from me tonight if I were you. Thanks for the great night to ourselves.”

Before he can respond, I’m in
the bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I’m so pissed, but I’m also exhausted.
I know he’ll eventually come to bed, and I don’t want him near me right now. I
toss my pillows on the love seat across the room and curl up on it with an
extra blanket. Damn him. I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to let him get to
me, a hard battle since I’m overly emotional lately. Fortunately, the
exhaustion combined with the heavy dinner I’ve eaten helps me fall asleep.

But I can’t stay asleep. I
keep waking to remember something is wrong. Airen is being an asshole, and I’m
worried about Carson in Evansville. It’s the middle of the night when I hear
the door open and Airen enters, frowning when he notices I’m on the love seat.
I pretend to be asleep while he prepares for bed.

He sits beside me. “Abby?”

Sigh. Why couldn’t he just go
to bed? My rage has drained away, and I really don’t know how I feel other than
tired and worried. “I’m tired, Airen, please.”