Page 84 of Dating After the End of the World
“Take care, Casey,” he says, and then he leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
Chapter 34
I awake in my bedroom, and it feels emptier than it should, the air taking on a thinness that only comes when you’re truly alone. Rolling over, I notice Blake’s bed is made, with his navy rucksack stuffed full and closed up, sinking his mattress slightly. He really meant what he said. He’s actually leaving.
I peel myself from my sheets and walk over to the packed-up piece of luggage, if you can call it that. I prod and poke at it, hoping that it’s nothing but air, a prank he has schemed that will end with the bag deflating and him jumping out from somewhere yelling,Gotcha!But the heavy lump barely moves, the tightly packed clothes and miscellaneous objects having no room for play within their canvas prison.
A sense of sadness and dread continues to swell inside me, filling my chest even more than the overstuffed object. I made the decision, though, so I can only blame myself for how I’m feeling. I chose Nate over Blake. Two years of history with my existing fiancé, the man who came back for me in spite of my ditching him, or one night of lust with the man I hated for more than a decade, who’s leaving me the first time things don’t go his way. Nate is the safe choice, the easy one, the right one. But if he is, then why does it hurt so much? I guess that’s life. Sometimes it just hurts.
My bedroom door creaks open, and I spin around, a smile already on my face, anticipating it’s Blake, coming to tell me that he’s changedhis mind, that he’ll stay. But no. It’s not him. It’s Nate. My smile fades but not all the way, because I don’t let it. He’s the one I chose when the world was whole, so he’s the one I’ll stay with through the end of it.
“Hey,” I say, trying to make my voice sound light and airy.
“Morning, babe.” He smiles. “Wanna come take a walk with me? I have an errand I need to run.”
“An errand?”
“To my car. I left it parked about a mile up the road. I didn’t know what kind of reception I would receive when I arrived. Hell, I didn’t even know if you would be here or if I had the right address. So I left it hidden off the side of the road in case I needed to make a quick exit.” He steps forward, still smiling as he draws me into him, his hands wrapping around my waist. “But now that I’m here to stay, I figured I should go and get it. Plus, I’ve got some supplies in the trunk, mostly nonperishable foods, toiletries, and extra clothes.”
“Yeah, sure,” I say with a nod. “Just let me get dressed quick.”
“Perfect,” he purrs, before kissing me on the lips.
Nate and I head down the driveway, walking side by side. I haven’t seen Blake yet, but I want to, and I can’t help desperately searching for him. Nate doesn’t seem to notice as he occasionally glances over at me, offering tight smiles. Or maybe he does notice. Maybe he realizes something’s off, but he just can’t pinpoint it.
Finally, I spot Blake, deep in a hug with my father over in the clearing to the right of the property. The fabric of their shirts wrinkling under the pressure of their hands as they pull each other so tight, it looks like they might morph into one. After what feels like too long, they release one another, their faces flushed red as tears well up in their eyes.
I can’t believe it. He’s actually leaving. My heart aches, and I hate him for doing this to me, to my dad, to all of us. It’s all so stupid andpetty. Where would Blake even go? For someone who’s so pragmatic about survival, this is a foolish decision, made from emotion rather than reason. He’s risking his own life because he can’t stand to see me with Nate.
But I bet he’s not telling my dad or anyone else that. I wonder what story he’s giving them. I rubberneck, watching Blake for as long as I can until we pass by. He doesn’t seem to notice, and I glance back once just to be sure, but he doesn’t even look at me.
At the front gate, Nate pulls a key from his back pocket and inserts it into the padlock holding the chain in place. He removes it, letting it slink to the ground, before repocketing the key.
“Where did you get that?” I ask, pointing to his pocket.
“Oh, I told one of the older ladies in the kitchen that I needed to pull my car in, and they gave me this key.”
I nod silently as Nate forces open the gate just wide enough for us to pass through.
“Ladies first.” He bows and gestures to the open road beyond the dirt path.
Outside the property, I find myself staring at the county highway that seemingly goes on forever in both directions. The sun peeks out from a couple of fluffy clouds in the sky, and birds flutter above, chirping and squeaking. Way out here, it doesn’t even look like the world ended. The chain rattles against the gate, pulling me from my thoughts. I turn around, watching Nate fiddle with the lock and then Dad and Blake. They part ways, walking in opposite directions, their heads slightly tilted down.
“Casey? Are you all right?” Nate asks.
“Yeah. I’m fine. Let’s go.”
“This way,” he says, turning left.
I nod and follow, in step with him.
The highway is empty for the entire walk. Not a single biter or creature of any kind in sight. The black asphalt is starting to crack, and the shoulder is becoming overgrown with vegetation as small vines andgrass work their way across the road, plotting to meet up with their brethren on the other side. I can imagine years from now, after many Wisconsin winters have expanded the cracks in the highway with the freezing and expanding of water, the flora and fauna will take this all back, and a path of green will replace this intruding line that nature never welcomed in the first place.
“Here it is!” Nate excitedly calls out as he runs to his car.
“That’s your hiding place?” I laugh.
Nate’s Porsche is barely off the shoulder of the highway. A single loose branch is leaned up against the tires on one side.
