Page 13 of Surviving Her

Eliza was striking in a way River hadn’t expected. She didn’t really know what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this. She looked like she was older than River by ten years.

Jesus…don’t start, Riv. Now’s certainly not the time to indulge your thing for older women. Pack some of these water bottles in your bag and stop staring at her.

But she couldn’t. Eliza had a refined elegance about her, a quiet confidence that River presumed came from years of experience, both in her private life and in the medical field. Her features were soft yet defined, with high cheekbones that caught the dim light and a strong jawline that hinted at the strength beneath her composed exterior. Her dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, a few loose strands framing her face and adding a touch of vulnerability to her otherwise confident presence.

Her deep, stormy blue eyes drew River in the most. They were sharp and intelligent, but she could see a softness in them that suggested she’d witnessed more than her fair share of pain and loss.

Well, she must have seen some terrible things working in a place like this…even before the zombies showed up.

River turned her attention to Eliza’s lips. They were full and a natural dark pink. The older woman’s mouth was set in a determined line, but River couldn’t help but imagine what it would look like when she smiled—really smiled, with warmth and genuine joy.

I doubt I’ll get to see that any time soon.

Eliza’s femininity was evident even in the way she stood on the lookout, poised in the midst of chaos. Her bloodstained scrubs and coat clung to her voluptuous frame. But even in her disheveled state, River could see that there was an undeniable sexiness to her.

She obviously takes care of herself.

By this point, River was fully staring at Eliza, her heart fluttering in a way that both excited and unnerved her. She’d always been quick to develop crushes, a weakness that had gotten her into mischief more times than she could remember. But this was different. She had a feeling that this might be more than just a fleeting infatuation. There was something about Eliza that captivated her, something that made her want to know more about the woman.

“Why are you gawking at me like that?” asked Eliza in an irritated whisper.

“Sorry, doc. I didn’t mean to be rude. You look just like my sister. It’s weird,” she said, laughing to herself at how often she’d used that line to get out of trouble. She was an only child, of course, but that was on a need-to-know basis.

River pulled herself together. She knew she had to keep her focus on the task at hand, which was getting Eliza back to the cabin to save her father. There might be time later down the line to figure out what this sudden, intense attraction meant…or there might not be. But even as she told herself this, she couldn’t shake the images that flashed through her mind.

River cursed herself silently, frustrated by her own ridiculous thoughts at such a time.

“I’m going to check out the rest of this place,” River said abruptly, needing an excuse to get away, if only for a moment. “Just to make sure we’re alone.”

Eliza nodded. “Good idea. But be careful, would you? Do you want me to come with you?”

“I’ll be fine. You have a look around here. Maybe the maintenance guys left snacks? Non…erm…perishable snacks? Like Twinkies. I heard they’re the cockroaches of the snack food world. They last forever. They’re like…the best thing you can find during the zombie apocalypse, if that’s what this is.”

“This isn’t the zombie apocalypse,” replied Eliza firmly.

“It so totally is! Did you see those monsters in there? They were humans this morning, and now they’re tearing each other apart.”

Eliza sighed desperately, hoping this was all a huge mistake.

River slipped out of the maintenance room and into a small adjacent bathroom. The door creaked as she pushed it open, and the stale air hit her as she stepped inside. It was a tiny space, barely big enough to turn around in, with cracked tiles and only a tiny amount of daylight breaking through a window around eight feet off the floor.

She leaned against the sink, gripping the edge with both hands as she tried to steady her breathing. Her thoughts were spinning out of control in a whirlwind of fear and exhaustion.

She imagined what Eliza was like in the real world. Maybe she had a boyfriend? Maybe she was gay? River’s mind wandered, interested in this striking woman.

She cursed herself again, frustrated by her inability to control her thoughts. Eliza was bound to be straight, she reminded herself. And even if she wasn’t, was the zombie invasion really the time to be thinking about dating? There was no way any type of romance, casual or otherwise, could get off the ground when either one of them could be eaten alive at any moment, no matter how much River might wish that weren’t the case.

Her father was lying on his deathbed—or deathfloor, to be accurate—and there was a deadly virus sweeping through the city. This was not the time to be fantasizing about a woman she knew nothing about, no matter how compelling the attraction.

River splashed some cold water on her face, hoping to clear her head. It worked. She needed to get back to Eliza to figure out their next move.

As she wiped her face with a threadbare towel, River caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her short blonde hair lay flat against her skull.

What’s going on with the wig, Riv? Pixie cut, my ass. You look like you’ve been scalped.

Her reflection stared back at her, pale and haggard, with dark circles under her eyes and a look of weariness that went far beyond physical exhaustion. She barely recognized herself, and the sight made her heart ache. The image of the creature she’d killed flashed into her mind. It didn’t look human, but it had been one once.

You did what you had to do to survive. Now quit worrying and move on with it,she thought.And when that’s done, you need to treat yourself to a facial and some highlights because…shit, hon.

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