Page 32 of Surviving Her

River pulled back slightly, cupping Eliza’s face in her hands, the cool, damp skin beneath her fingers sending a shiver through her. “No,” River said firmly, shaking her head. “You’re not a walker, Eliza. You’re here. We’re having a conversation. I seeyou. I’ll always see you.”

Eliza’s wide eyes filled with tears, her breath shaky as she tried to hold on to reality. “But I really thought I felt it,” she whispered. “The cold, the numbness...I’m not the same. What about my face? Can’t you see the bite?”

River leaned in, pressing her forehead against Eliza’s, her thumbs brushing away the tears streaming down her cheeks. “You haven’t changed one bit, Eliza. You’re just scared and probably in shock. It’s completely understandable.” She took a deep breath, steadying herself before she spoke again. “I met someone while I was looking for you. He said he was immune. He said he got bitten over a week ago, but nothing happened to him. Maybe it’s the same for you. Or maybe you didn’t get bitten hard enough. Honestly, it’s just a scratch on your skin. The walker barely broke the surface, I swear. I think you’re having an anxiety attack.”

Eliza blinked, confusion and disbelief flickering in her eyes. “Immune? No, that’s...that’s not even possible. Not with a virus like this. It’s too new. There’s just no way that’s possible.”

“I didn’t believe him either,” River admitted softly. “But Eliza, you’re not turning. You’re not like them. Please believe me. You just need to get cleaned up, safe, and warm.”

Eliza’s voice cracked. “Then why do I feel like I’m falling apart? Everything…feels wrong. I’m cold.”

River pulled her closer, her grip tightening as if she could physically hold Eliza together. “Because you’ve been through hell,” River whispered fiercely, her voice growing thick with emotion. “You’re exhausted and traumatized. But you’realive, Eliza. I swear, you’re alive. You’re going to be okay.”

Eliza buried her face in River’s neck, her body trembling as she fought back sobs. “I don’t want to be like them. I don’t want to ever turn into one of them,” she choked out, her fingers gripping River’s shirt like she was afraid to let go.

“You’re not,” River insisted, her voice calm and reassuring. She pressed a kiss to Eliza’s temple, her lips lingering there for a moment, letting the warmth and love between them be the anchor in this storm. “I won’t let that happen, you hear me?”

For a moment, they stood in silence, their bodies entwined. The fear, the danger, the uncertainty—it all melted away, leaving only the two of them.

Eliza pulled back, her watery eyes searching River’s face. “You promise?”

River smiled softly, squeezing her shoulder. “I promise,” she whispered. “After everything we’ve been through and how you make me feel…how I feel when I think I’ve lost you…I think I might be falling for you. I’m sorry it’s so soon. I’m such a fucking typical lesbian. But I need you to know. Maybe it’s this fucked-up situation we’re in, but my feelings are just so…real.”

Eliza’s lips quivered. She let out a shaky breath, nodding slowly. “I think I love you too,” she whispered back, the emotion behind her words undeniable. “I don’t understand it, but I do. It can’t be anything else. It has to be love.”

The confession hung between them, a fragile truth that had been waiting to surface. River’s heart beat faster as she leaned in, her lips brushing against Eliza’s in a kiss that was both gentle and urgent, filled with all the things she didn’t know how to say aloud. This wasn’t what she’d expected when she’d set out to find help for her dad. Just a week ago she was doing regular things, like tidying the house, cleaning up, taking a shower, and suddenly the world was upside down and she was falling for a stranger. A doctor.Eliza. But it felt so natural.

Their kiss deepened, as slow and deliberate as if time had stopped, and nothing mattered except this—their connection, their love. River’s hands slid down to Eliza’s waist, pulling her closer. She needed to feel the warmth of her body against hers. She needed to keep her safe.

River opened her eyes first. “We’re going to be okay. I’ll get us to the cabin and get you warm and cleaned up. We’ll figure all this out when we get to safety and save my father,” she whispered.

Eliza nodded, her eyes still wet but filled with something stronger now—hope. “I believe you,” she said softly.

12

ELIZA

The trees whispered, their brittle branches creaking like bones breaking in the cold. Eliza’s breath came in ragged gasps, her lungs burning with each step. The path to the cabin was uneven, scattered with roots that seemed determined to trip her at every turn. They had to be cautious on the last leg of the journey, avoiding any trouble at all costs.

Eliza stumbled again, nearly dragging River down with her. River’s grip tightened on her hand, pulling her up.

“We’re almost there,” River panted, though her voice carried none of the certainty it had an hour ago.

“I knew you’d work it out. You’re like an orienteering master or something.” Eliza smiled.

“You think? Well, that’s kind of you to say, because I was starting to get a little worried.”

Eliza nodded, but her legs felt like lead, each movement agonizing. Her body was bruised and battered, her muscles aching from the unrelenting pace and constant fear. She was so certain that she was turning into one of them. She was also surprised by the strength of her feelings for River.

“What was that?” she asked, with more than a hint of panic in her voice.

Every sound in the forest seemed amplified—the snap of a twig, the rustle of dead leaves underfoot, the distant cry of something that wasn’t human. Her eyes darted to the shadows, her heart hammering. She had to remind herself to breathe, to stay calm. They couldn’t afford to panic now, not with the cabin so close.

“Don’t worry. It’s the same old noises. The dead must be making their way into the woods, but we can hear them coming a mile off. Just stay close to me.”

“Do you think…” Eliza’s voice faltered, but she forced the words out. “Do you think he’s still going to be there?”

River didn’t answer immediately. Her jaw tightened, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. She’d been the strong one on this journey, the one Eliza had been able to count on when everything seemed impossible. But now, even River’s face showed cracks. Her skin was a ghostly white, and her movements were sluggish. It was as if exhaustion had finally caught up with her.

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