The moment the door opened, Jake knew it was a mistake.
The zombies reacted.
They lunged, snarling.
The woman—Nina?—froze. She'd thought the coast was clear.
Jake moved fast. He shoved the nearest zombie back, slipped inside, and slammed the door shut.
Breathing hard, he slumped against it.
The woman—not Nina—clutched a kitchen knife, her gaze darting from Jake to the door.
She was stunning. Long auburn hair, big eyes, flawless skin. The kind of woman who'd never glance twice at a guy like him in the old world.
But now?
Now, things were different.
"You hungry?" Jake asked.
She hesitated, then nodded.
He tossed her a Snickers and a bottle of water. She tore into them like she hadn't eaten in days.
"Name's Jake," he said, eyes lingering. "Yours?"
"T-Tina," she mumbled between bites.
Jake's pulse spiked. The way her robe slipped, the way she moved—
Twenty years of loneliness. No rules left.
He lunged.
She screamed, scrambling for the knife.
"Get off me!"
Jake pinned her, his voice rough.
"Relax, sweetheart. You're used to this, right?"
Her eyes burned with fury.
This wasn't how he'd imagined it.
But the world had changed.
And so had he.