Dark Days

No Love

©JRF2016

Conner had been keeping his distance since the twins were born. His feelings for Rachel were getting stronger but she didn't love him like that. He hasn't been with anyone like her, since her. She was so caring, trusting and understanding. "Can you stare any harder?" Conner jumps as he turns his head toward Cearra's voice. "Maybe, what do you care?"

"You don't love her. You're in love with the idea of her." Conner looks at her confused as she sits down on the couch. "You want that. You want love, family, happiness. We all do."

"You don't know me. I do love her, I've always loved her. I'll never love anyone like I love her, but if you want another good ride every now and then, well then I'll oblige you. You know that don't ya, sugar tits. Yeah, you remember." He laughs as he sits next to Cearra and puts his arm around her shoulders. She shrugs him off. "I told you not to call me that and I told you never to bring that back up," she nudges him and start laughing, "And you do want that. It's written on your face every time you look at them together."

"Naw, I just can't believe all the stupid shit he's done and she just forgives him?" Cearra puts her arm around him now and gives his shoulder a squeeze. "That's what love is Conner, forgiving the imperfections." Conner huffs as Darrick and Cathy walk up hand in hand.

"You look like you're ready to throw down little brother," Darrick says as he sits next to his younger brother and pulls Cathy onto his lap. Conner stands up, "I'm going out. I gotta get outta here for a while." The three of them stay put but watch him walk out the door.

He goes and checks out his rifle from the armory and heads for the gates. He walks for a while but he can't really focus on anything but Rachel. There was a good chunk of his life that he had spent loving her, imagining her having his kids and now that's all over. He'll never have her back now. He pictures her then and now, her smile which is still just as electrifying as ever, the way she carries those babies around while they feed at her breast. He was pulled from his entertaining thoughts of Rachel by a woman screaming. He jumps up and runs toward the sound of her screams. She was fighting off a group of corpses and she wasn't actually screaming for help she was screaming curses as she bashes in the heads of those dead freaks around her. Conner runs up to help her dispatch the rest and they stand there staring at the pile of dead laying all around them trying to catch their breath. "I'm Conner," he finally manages to breathe out, "Who are you?" She doesn't respond as she pushes passed him and start walking away. "Hey," he shouts at her as he follows, "You got a group?" Again she ignored his question. Conner continues to follow her when she finally spins around on him and gets up in his face. She grits her teeth as she sneers at him, "Why are you following me?"

"It ain't safe for anyone to be out here alone, especially a good lookin' lady such as yourself." She rolls her eyes at him and starts off again. Conner grabs her arm and pulls her back. "At least answer my first question, are you alone?"

She shakes her head, "It's just me and my boy," she pauses, "You don't remember me do you?" He shakes his head and then look her up and down.

"Should I? If I knew you before I sure wish I did remember ya, so we could catch up." Conner smiles and winks at her as he licks his lips.

"It's not like that, I don't know you per say, I know your brother. I went out with Darrick, well actually we just had one night together seven years ago." Conner's smirk fades.

"Oh."

"Mommy," a little voice calls from behind a tree, "Is it clear? Who's that man?"

"Nobody baby," she says as she takes the little boy by the hand and starts leaving.