Life After Z

Chapter 33 - Everett

Ivy blew past me without even a glance in my direction after throwing down the gauntlet. The rational side of me knew that she had a right to her anger. That from her side of things it really did look like we had barged in and were taking everything from her. But that wasn't the fucking truth. This place was amazing and I was beyond impressed that Ivy was able to build this all on her own, but I wasn't looking for a free ride. I wasn't even looking for anything different than what I already had.

Our truck didn't have a greenhouse or farm animals but it kept us safe. It was a fuck ton better than what a lot of people had and I was proud of it. When Ivy had blown into our lives I hadn't once thought about what she had so that I could take it from her. I had wanted to know about her and her situation because I needed to make sure she was okay. I had been planning on taking on any number of fuckers if that's what she needed from me. From us.

She was painting us as the villains and that just wasn't me.

I stormed after Ivy. She was going to see me. The real me.

I caught up to her in the gym. She was squared up to a heavy bag and punching with a whole lot of anger but very little actual skill. I was half worried that she was going to break a wrist if she kept on that way.

"How is it that you can hit a Z dead center in the forehead with a throwing knife and yet can't throw a punch?" I asked, trying to remind myself that being a complete asshole wouldn't be the best move here. Hard part was that I was an asshole most of the time. I had to actively think to tone that shit down and thinking clearly was the last thing either one of us was doing right now.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," Ivy grumbled under her breath as she threw another half-assed punch. I easily batted her fist away and stepped between her and the bag. I expected her to step back but instead, she glared at me and her stubbornness was shining through loud and clear.

"If you need to throw a punch to feel better, hit me, not this bag. I deserve it. Take your power," I told her, my blood heating because of our close proximity. Ivy clenched her jaw and her fists and I braced myself for the impact. I deserved this and Ivy needed this release. Maybe after she got out all of this anger she could accept my apology. Maybe then she would listen to me.

Right when I thought she would start swinging, she took several steps away from me. "Your answer to things may be violence, but mine isn't. Hurting someone else for any reason other than self-defense is abuse. The fact that you thought that was what this situation needed is exactly the problem."

"Whoa there Darlin'. You need to stop crying wolf because I am not here to take a bite out of you. You are the one that was trying to take your anger out on a bag of sand. That bag hasn't done fuck all to you. It is me that you are angry with. Stop running away from that. I am here. Right here. I am the one that fucked up. All I am asking is that you stop running and let out everything you are feeling," I argued while closing the gap she had created between us.

"You made me believe I could trust you!" Ivy yelled back. Finally. Now we were going to get somewhere. "I was perfectly fine on my own and then you had to come crashing into my life and remind me what it was like to be around other breathing people. I swore to myself that I wasn't going to fall for any bullshit lies again and it took you all of three days to get me to betray those promises I made to myself. But I was lonely and apparently so goddamn naive. I thought you were different. I thought I could trust you."

"You can trust me," I breathed, my hands practically itching with the need to reach out and hold her.

"No! I can't!" She yelled and shoved at my chest. I had to take a step back to balance myself but I refused to retreat. "The second that my back was turned and you ran into trouble you stabbed me in the back. What happens next time? We are living in a zombie apocalypse. There is always going to be another life-or-death situation. Are you going to sacrifice me again? Hand over the keys to my home?"

"No Darlin'. And not just because I am a man who learns from his mistakes but also because you are worth fighting for. The next life or death situation that we come across and every one after that I am going to do everything in my power to protect you. And not because I want what you have built here. But because you are the most amazing woman I have ever known and I believe you are worth dying for," I declared with my face mere inches from hers. We were both breathing hard and our breath sat heavily between us.

Ivy made the first move, slamming her lips against mine but I made the second as I scooped her up and pressed her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around me and I pulled away enough to slip off her glasses and drop them gently on the ground before cupping the side of her face and deepening the kiss. The little moan that slipped past her lips went straight to my dick and I cursed the layers of clothes between us.

I pressed her rhythmically into the wall as our tongues battled for dominance. Her hands skimmed my back under my shirt before her fingertips dug into my shoulders, trying to pull me impossibly closer. I let out a moan of my own and then carefully lowered her to the ground on her back. I quickly stripped off her yoga pants and panties before returning to her sweet lips. Ivy pushed my shirt over my head and grabbed a handful of my ass telling me that she was riding the same needy high as I was.

Fuck she felt good.

I damn near came in my pants just feeling how damn hot and tight she felt on my fingers. And she was so fucking wet. I needed to get a leash on my dick or I was going to embarrass myself like some horny, inexperienced teenager. But fuck, I wanted Ivy. This was the most I have felt in longer than I could remember.

"You feel fucking amazing," I growled in her ear and nipped at the sensitive skin down the column of her neck causing her to mewl incoherently. Fucking sexiest sound I have ever heard. I curled my fingers and her breath caught as her hips jerked. I pulled my head away so that I could see her face as I caused her to cream all over my fingers.

She is beautiful. Like the most fucking gorgeous person I have ever had the pleasure to witness. At that moment I knew that I hadn't been bullshitting her earlier. I would do anything to protect Ivy. Even if it meant sacrificing myself to do it.