Page 6 of The Last of Love

“I was handling it,” Fleur shot back, panting, her stubbornness as infuriating as ever.

Was this woman insane? Lena grabbed another IV pole, moving swiftly, and with one heavy swing, knocked the zombie’s rotten, softened head clean off. But before she could catch her breath, there was another crash. It was followed by the unmistakable sound of moaning. Lena’s stomach dropped as it dawned on her: this wasn’t just a medical office for treating patients. It was a place for storing the dead.

And now the dead were waking up.

Lena yanked Fleur behind her. “Stay behind me,” she ordered, her voice sharp.

For once, Fleur didn’t argue. Maybe she was finally starting to understand the gravity of their situation. Lena could feel the fear radiating off her, though Fleur was doing her best to mask it.

Lena tried to stay calm, but inside, she was spiraling. She had no idea how many zombies were coming or how many they’d have to fight off. She swung at each one that approached—WHACK!—decapitating them with brute force. But the more they killed, the more seemed to stagger out from the shadows. Lena was a well-trained fighter, but everyone had a limit.

The further they ventured into the building, the worse it became. The cold autumn air had shielded them from the smell at first, but now the stench of rotting flesh hit them full force. It was suffocating, the kind of smell that could bring someone to their knees. Lena fought back the urge to vomit, running on pure adrenaline.

But Fleur, remarkably, didn’t flinch. She barely seemed phased by the smell. Lena couldn’t wrap her head around it. Who was this woman? How could she be so calm when everything around them was falling apart?

But Lena couldn’t afford to dwell on that, not now. “Let’s just get out of here,” she grunted, her voice strained. All that mattered was surviving the next few minutes and finding a way out before they were completely overrun. She grabbed Fleur’s hand and ran.

Before Fleur could react, Lena snapped into firefighter mode. She was quick, methodical, scanning the surroundings and calculating the best escape route. Her training kicked in, allowing them to slip out of the building before the situation spiraled any further. But they weren’t out of danger yet. There were five zombies that stood between them and the car, lingering near the gas station. Lena couldn’t afford any mistakes now. One wrong move, and this could be their final trip.

Lena grabbed a bar of metal with a sharp end from the floor, moving swiftly towards the threat. With each swing, a zombie’s head hit the pavement with a sickening thud. One, two, three... until all five were decapitated. No hesitation, no wasted motion.

“Get in the car,” she barked.

Fleur, still catching her breath, obeyed without protest. Once inside, Lena locked the doors, grateful the keys were already in the ignition. She started the car and they sped off, leaving a staggering trail of zombies behind them. As they drove, Lena couldn’t help but wonder if the zombies could track their scent, but she pushed the thought away. They just needed to put enough distance between themselves and the chaos.

After driving for what felt like hours, Lena spotted a secluded cabin. It looked abandoned, likely a vacation home that had been left behind before the outbreak. Isolated enough to offer a safe place for the night.

“Let’s stay here,” Lena said, cutting the engine. “We’ve had enough of a thrill for today.”

Fleur didn’t argue, too shaken to do anything but agree. “Okay.”

The adrenaline still hummed through their veins as they entered the cabin. They had known the risks, but neither of them expected to face a near-death experience so soon. Lena collapsed onto the couch, exhaustion finally catching up with her. Fleur sat beside her, more tentative, her usual confidence shaken.

“If you’d just listened to me, none of this would’ve happened,” Lena said, the frustration seeping through her.

Fleur flinched, guilt flashing across her face. She looked... vulnerable, something Lena hadn’t seen before. Fleur was always the composed one, the brilliant scientist with all the answers, but now? Now she looked human, uncertain.

“You’re right,” Fleur admitted softly, her voice cracking. “I was stupid. I thought medical supplies were a priority, but Ishould’ve known. I knew it was that kind of office. I should’ve figured there would be zombies.”

Lena wanted to stay angry, but seeing Fleur like this, the regret etched on her face, she couldn’t. She exhaled deeply, letting the tension drain from her shoulders.

“In emergencies, we sometimes miss the obvious,” Lena said, her voice softening. “We make mistakes.”

“Thank you,” Fleur whispered. “Thank you for saving me.”

Lena turned to look at her, taking in Fleur’s appearance. Her dark curls, streaked with grey, were a mess. For the first time, Lena noticed the lines around Fleur’s eyes, the way exhaustion clung to her. She knew Fleur was older, maybe in her forties, but it struck her just how much the outbreak had aged her. What kind of hardships had she faced? What had she lost? Probably just as much as everybody else.

Their eyes met, and something inside Lena came to life. Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was the relief of surviving, but she felt it, this undeniable pull. And from the way Fleur held her gaze, Lena knew she felt it too.

Without thinking, Lena leaned in, pinning Fleur against the armrest. Fleur didn’t waver, didn’t pull away. Lena could feel the warmth of Fleur’s skin as their arms brushed, sending a shiver down her spine. The softness of Fleur’s touch was unexpected, a contrast to the hardened world they lived in. It had been so long since Lena had been this close to anyone, and the sensation stirred something deep within her, a hunger, a vulnerability she wasn’t sure she was ready to confront.

Fleur's scent filled the small space between them, a mix of citrus and wood that was both fresh and grounding. It wrapped around Lena like a tether, pulling her in. She couldn’t remember the last time she had been close enough to someone to notice these small, intimate details. The familiarity of it wasintoxicating, almost overwhelming. Lena’s chest tightened as the weight of the moment settled on her.

As she leaned in, her breath soft against Fleur’s cheek, her pulse quickened. She could feel their energy pulsating, the underlying current of something more than just proximity. It was magnetic, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Lena wasn’t sure if she could resist it. There had been something unspoken in the room when Fleur had told her everything earlier, a tension that neither of them had addressed. Now, that tension was thick, and she was hungry to taste it.

Lena wasn’t one to let her guard down easily; she couldn’t afford to, especially not in this world. Fleur had gotten under her skin in a way no one had in years, and that terrified Lena more than she wanted to admit. Her gaze dropped to Fleur’s lips for just a moment before flicking back to her eyes, and the intensity there was impossible to deny. Fleur wasn’t backing down, wasn’t looking away. She was holding Lena’s gaze, her own breathing just as unsteady. There was something powerful about that. In the middle of this chaos, in a world where death lurked around every corner, there was still room for something raw and real. Something Lena had long since buried.

And yet, in this fleeting moment, Lena felt it rise to the surface. The desire to reach out, to touch, to let herself feel again. She didn’t know if it was wise, didn’t know if she could handle whatever this was between them. But the electricity crackling in the air told her that maybe, just maybe, it was worth the risk. The air between them felt electric, and before Lena could stop herself, she kissed her.

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