This Beautiful World - Book #1 (BxB)

Chapter 16

A familiar face showed itself on the other side of the door. Riley's dad was the one who opened it up, but only a crack at first. It wasn't until he saw our faces that he opened it wide and rushed outside. Riley wasted no time running up to her father and throwing her arms around him. Tears began to run down her face. I knew that she had her doubts that they were still here, but by some miracle, they were. It was a relief to see that they were safe. At least I wasn't the only one who had the chance to be reunited with family.

Riley's mother showed up not too much longer afterward. She looked shocked to see our faces at first, then came outside and embraced her daughter as well. After the touching reunion, we were gestured to come inside of the house. It would be much safer to talk inside where there was less of a chance of something hearing us. 

Once we were all inside, Riley's father shut and bolted up the door. It was silent at first as her parents still seemed to be in disbelief that we were actually here in front of them. They kept staring at us as if this were only a dream. Riley seemed to understand what they must have been thinking. 

Riley gave them a small smile. "Mom, Dad, it's me. I'm really here."

"It just doesn't seem real. We were so scared that something terrible might have happened to you. We had no way of contacting you and knowing if you were safe. It's good to see you again, as well as Aiden and Caitlyn. And are these other two also your friends from college? Where's Alex?" her mom asked. 

"Oh, Alex is fine. He decided to stay behind. Once we first got here we found shelter in the apartment building a few blocks from here. There's a group of people staying there and that's where we met these two. That's Arin and Stella," she responded and pointed to each of them when she introduced them. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you two. Thank you for helping my daughter get here safely." Riley's father put an arm around her shoulders. 

"We're just happy that we were able to reunite you guys. It's refreshing when good things like this happen after what we've all been through these past few days." Stella said. 

I kept forgetting that everyone in this town has been dealing with this for days. For me and my friends, this all began yesterday. We didn't have as much experience as they did. Regardless, it was still a scary situation. I was glad that things were working out for us so far. Despite all of the chaos from yesterday morning, my friends and I made it through this. We were all safe for now.

Riley's mom gestured for us to take a seat. "Sit down and relax for a little while. I would be really happy if you all decided to stay for a bit longer."

We did as we were told. I doubted anyone was quite ready to be back on the road after just getting here. At least while we were inside, it didn't feel like we had to constantly watch our backs for danger. It didn't mean that we should let our guard down, but we could relax for a little bit. Now that Riley was with her family, I had a feeling that she wouldn't be coming back with us. I knew that I would choose to stay with my family. 

While we sat together, Riley told her parents everything that happened to us. She left out the details of the death that we saw back at campus. It wasn't something that we wanted to recount, but that didn't mean that we would forget the sacrifices that were made for us. Jonathan was the one who helped the three of us make it out of there alive. He wouldn't be forgotten that easily. When Riley first started telling her parents everything, I knew that she had a hard time talking about him. She couldn't, so she said very little about the subject. None of us wanted to discuss death after Riley was just reunited with her family. This moment should have been a happy one, but it only felt bittersweet. 

After she was done telling her story, she asked her parents, "What about you? What happened while all of this was happening?"

"There's not much to tell. When there was all of that commotion outside, we decided to stay here. We thought that it would be safer to hide out here for as long as possible. For the most part, it has been quiet. Not many of the undead have stuck around. However, there have been other survivors. While they were passing through, we heard them speaking of a place called Sanctuary. They said that it's a town with a large wall built around it. Your mom and I have discussed going there, but we haven't come to a decision yet. We still have plenty of food here, so it's not like we're in any dire situation. Plus, we have been safe here," her father answered. 

At the mention of Sanctuary, Arin finally decided to join the conversation. "I think that's a bad idea. You would be safer staying here or joining us back at the apartment building."

This was the second time he spoke out against that place. He mentioned that it was a terrible idea when Logan brought it up the first time and now he was shooting down the idea again. I guess I understood where he was coming from. We didn't know if that place actually existed. He said before that when rumors of that place started, that's when the outbreak also started. It was suspicious. 

The father nodded. "That's why we haven't left yet. We don't want to leave the safety of our home and there's no guarantee that place will be much safer. Besides, we don't even know where it's located. We only heard rumors, but nothing about where to find that town."

That was also true. From the little bit that I heard about that place, no one mentioned a location. If we were to seek out this town for safety, then how would we find it? The idea of a town with a wall built around it felt too good to be true. 

The discussion of Sanctuary ended after that. Instead of talking about what was currently going on in the world, we decided to talk about much lighter topics. Riley mostly talked about life back at campus. While Alex might have hated being there and I was mainly focused on my studies, Riley made the most of her time there. She had more to say than I even knew about. She seemed at peace being able to talk to her parents like this again. 

Before we knew it, time flew by and it was suddenly dark out. A few more candles were lit so that we could see around us. I wasn't expecting to stay overnight, but there was no way that any of us were venturing outside at this time. Riley's father left us so that he could check around the house. Just like we did back at the apartment building last night, he was checking that no monsters were roaming around. 

Caitlyn let out a yawn, which Riley's mom decided to comment on. "Well, it looks like you will be staying the night, so you all should get some sleep."

"No boys in your room. Okay, Riley?" her dad said with crossed arms once he joined us again. 

Riley rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay, Dad. You know for a fact that Aiden would never do anything, though."

This made Caitlyn smirk at me. "Yes, because my big brother doesn't swing that way."

I glared at her. I didn't care that she was making a joke about it, but I didn't want her bringing it up in front of strangers. I didn't know how Arin or Stella would feel learning that about me. People always seemed to have mixed reactions. 

"I trust Aiden, but I still don't want any guys in your room at this time of night. The girls can stay in your room and the boys can sleep in mine. Unfortunately, we don't have many rooms to spare, so hopefully, this will work out for everyone. Go ahead and show everyone to the rooms, Riley," her father said. 

No one had any complaints. After bidding goodnight to her parents, we followed Riley upstairs. I had been here on multiple occasions before, so I already knew my way around her house. It wasn't a particularly large home, but it was big enough for just the three of them. I didn't feel odd about having to share a room with Arin. I was used to always sharing one with Alex, but after what Caitlyn said about me I wasn't sure how Arin would feel. I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable around me now. 

Riley stopped in front of her room. She pointed down the hall to one of the doors and said, "That's where the guys will be staying." 

Before I had the chance to show Arin to the room, Riley quickly pulled me into a hug and kissed my cheek. "Aiden, thank you so much. If you wouldn't have agreed to come with me, then I wouldn't have had the courage to come here in the first place. I might never have seen my parents again. You don't understand how much this means to me."

I hugged her back. "Of course, Riley. You know that I'm always here for you." 

She looked up at me with a smile and pulled away from me. "I know. Well, goodnight now."

With that, she turned and the girls entered her room. I was alone with Arin once again.