This Beautiful World - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 32

I stayed close to Arin as we walked down the streets. Walking in my hometown in the darkness with only the flashlights shining the way made this place feel scary. I was never afraid of this place before, but after everything that was happening, it was hard not to be. This made me get closer to Arin, to the point where I was now brushing up against him. He didn't seem to mind, and instead of pulling away, he gently took my hand in his. It was comforting, in a way. 

"If you're afraid, then feel free to grab onto me. I'm here for you," he spoke softly and gave me a gentle smile. 

It made me blush and look away. Since meeting him, Arin had been nothing but kind to me. While I didn't expect him to come along with me to find Riley, he was still willing to help out. We had no idea where she could have run off. Our best bet was to go to the pharmacy. Perhaps there would be some sort of clue as to where she went. Though, I doubt it. 

The pharmacy wasn't too far away from our base, but upon seeing it, we stopped in our tracks. As Tyler had said, there was a swarm of zombies. There were too many for me to count. The monsters shambled around, unaware of how close we were to them. Seeing them made me tighten my grip on Arin's hand. 

He leaned in close to me and said, "We're not getting through that way. Can you think of anywhere nearby where Riley could have fled? Perhaps somewhere that meant something to her?"

I tried to rack my brain for any clue of where she could have gone. We had a few hangout spots in town, but none of them were close by. Going back to her house wouldn't have been an option either. There was only one place that I could think of near here where she might have gone. 

"Maybe, but there's no guarantee that she went there. There's a cafe where she used to go with her mother. After what happened to her mom, perhaps Riley ran there for some sort of comfort. If not, then I have no clue where she could be. Everywhere else that meant something to her would be too far away," I said while trying to keep my voice down.

Arin nodded. "It's worth a shot. Lead the way."

I did as I was told. We would need to make a detour, but I knew this town like the back of my hand. We still needed to be cautious with each step we took. The cafe wasn't far from the pharmacy, so I did worry that some of the zombies would chase Riley all of that way. If too many were after her, then perhaps she kept running. If that were the case, then she could have gone anywhere. Thinking it that way made coming out here feel hopeless. There was also the possibility that what everyone told me back at base was correct. Once morning came around, then Riley might return to our hideout on her own. But staying there in safety while she was out here alone didn't feel right to me. If we didn't find her, I knew that we would have to return to our base.

Eventually, the small cafe came into view. I was relieved to see that there were none of the undead hanging right outside of it. There were some farther down the street, but we should be able to sneak in without them noticing. Looking at the shop from the outside, I couldn't tell if Riley had been there or not. Even as we shined our flashlights at the glass, I didn't see anyone or anything moving around inside. I was worried that we came here for nothing, but we wouldn't know for sure until we went inside. 

Since we were now at our destination, Arin decided to take the lead again. It crossed my mind that the door of the shop could have been locked, but we were in luck. Arin was able to push open the door without any trouble at all. Once I was inside as well, we made sure that the door shut behind us. We didn't need one of those things following us inside. 

The first thing that I noticed was the sound of light sobs coming from the back of the shop. I knew that it had to be Riley. 

Arin seemed to think the same thing as well. He whispered in my ear, "Go to her. I'll stay here and keep an eye out."