The grocery store, Haat, was part of a small shopping plaza. Next to it was a GNC—a store that once sold vitamins and weight-loss supplements. Before the apocalypse, it had been filled with overweight people looking for a quick fix, spending a fortune on things they thought they needed, only to see no real results.

  "We should check that out after," Tucker nodded toward the GNC. "We could use some vitamins. God knows we're not getting everything we need from canned food."

  "Okay, here’s the plan," Harley said, already formulating a strategy. "John and I will go in first since we're the only ones with guns. We'll clear it out quickly and call you guys in to scavenge. After that, we'll do the same with the GNC. Got it?"

  Everyone nodded in agreement. A silent look passed between John and Harley—a kind of unspoken readiness—before they stepped out of the car and disappeared into the store.

  We held our breath, waiting.

  Gunshots rang out—six in total. A minute later, John and Harley reappeared, waving us in.

  The four of us jumped out of the car and jogged to the entrance. The store was a mess, but none of us had expected anything different.

  "Split up into groups of two, just in case," Harley ordered, taking Deb with him.

  John and Olivia headed in the opposite direction, leaving Tucker and me alone.

  "Want to check the knife section?" Tucker asked.

  I nodded. Walking around without a weapon was about the dumbest thing you could do.

  We found what we were looking for at the back of an aisle—hunting knives.

  Tucker tossed me a clip that I secured to my belt, then handed me a knife that I slid into its pouch. He clipped one onto his belt as well.

  "All set. Now let's grab supplies for the group. What do we need?"

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Toilet paper," I said without thinking.

  Tucker laughed at my outburst, and I laughed at his laughter.

  "You're cute," he said suddenly.

  The amusement vanished from my face. My stomach twisted into nervous knots as he stepped closer.

  His lips met mine—slow at first, hesitant, like even he wasn’t sure what he was doing. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pressing myself closer. His grip tightened, his kiss turning urgent as he lifted me off the ground. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist—

  "HELP!"

  The scream snapped us both out of it.

  Tucker dropped me, and I hit the floor hard. Pain shot through my knees, but I scrambled up as we sprinted toward the sound.

  We found Harley and Deb just as John and Olivia emerged from another aisle. Olivia’s shirt was stained with black, rotted blood.

  "What happened?" I demanded, scanning them for injuries.

  "A zombie jumped out at me. It’s fine. I’m fine," Olivia said quickly.

  "You didn’t get bitten, did you?" Harley asked, his voice sharp.

  "I said I’m fine!" she snapped.

  Harley didn’t push it further. "Everyone, grab what you can. We’re leaving."

  Bags were slung over their shoulders, packed with food.

  Harley glanced at me and Tucker. "Why don’t y’all have anything?"

  I felt my face heat up.

  "Uh… we couldn’t find bags," Tucker said, covering for me.

  Deb rolled her eyes and tossed us two backpacks from her stash. "Here."

  The others shot us doubtful looks but didn’t question it further.

  "Let’s get cleaned up first," Olivia muttered, eyeing her bloodstained shirt.

  We headed to the clothing section.

  Deb’s bag was a treasure trove—she had toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrushes, and everything else we needed.

  Everyone grabbed a fresh pair of clothes. I finally ditched my worn-out black jacket in favor of gray sweatpants and a green shirt.

  As I brushed my hair, I caught myself watching Tucker change. I quickly looked away, distracting myself by brushing my teeth with a water bottle John had. I ran deodorant over my skin, noting that I needed to shave. A quick spritz of perfume, and that was as clean as I’d get until we found a river to wash in.

  We went aisle by aisle, gathering more supplies—medical kits, bandages, antibiotics.

  "Let’s find a place to sleep after we load up the car," Olivia whined. "I’m exhausted."

  "Fine," Harley sighed, tossing the last bag into the trunk. We piled into the car, the same seating arrangement as before.

  Tucker sat next to me, but I made sure to keep as much distance as possible. We couldn’t afford another moment like the one in the store. I couldn’t have feelings for someone in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

  Tucker reached for my hand, trying to hold it, but I pulled away. He frowned but didn’t say anything in front of everyone.

  I leaned my head against the window, watching the world blur past. "Hey, look over there," I pointed to an old farmhouse in the distance. It was big and roomy—hopefully, not full of too much carnage.

  "It’ll do," Olivia said, pursing her lips.

  Harley pulled the car into the driveway. "Ellie, Tucker, grab some food from the trunk. John and I will clear the house."

  We nodded and opened the trunk.

  As I reached into the bags, pulling out cans of corn and green beans, Tucker studied me.

  "What’s wrong with you?" he asked.

  "Nothing," I said, a little too fast.

  He put his hands up in surrender. "Fine. Guess I’ll just leave you alone then," he said coldly.

  I sighed and walked inside, where everyone was waiting for me to pass out the water. They handed me an open can of green beans and a fork.

  We ate in silence. There wasn’t much to say. Every few minutes, I caught Tucker glancing at me sideways before shaking his head.

  Harley cleared his throat. "Tucker, Ellie…" He hesitated for a moment before sighing. "I don’t think this is working. I think y’all need to go your own way.