Drying off after my shower, I slip on a pair of panties and an oversized T-shirt—one of Cal’s old baseball shirts. A laugh puffs in my chest when I remember him and Bennie bickering at the dinner table over who would survive longer if zombies were real.

The answer is Cal, we all know that. But cute little Bennie thinks because he’s a half an inch taller, and has two extra abs muscles, he’s stronger. Which Cal concluded would actually get him nowhere during a zombie apocalypse. Obviously speed, intelligence, and cunning bravery are the most powerful weapons against zombies, Cal said. Then Bennie pulled his phone out and bought a Katana sword off eBay, saying, “We’ll see about that.”

My phone vibrates on my nightstand, so I walk across my room and look down at the screen and freeze. My heart rate picks up seeing his name on my screen.

Aleck.

He’s calling me. I pick up my phone, my thumb hovering over the slide-button. I hesitate, then panic when I realize I’m waiting too long, so I slide the button to answer before he hangs up.

I press the phone to my ear but say nothing.

“Winter?” His voice deep and raspy, exhaustion clear in his timbre.

Maybe he’s lying in bed. Maybe he’s in his all-black boxer briefs thinking about me. Maybe he misses me.

Or maybe he’s called to remind you he still hates you for fucking Dylan…

“Hi,” I say warily.

“Hi…” His tone is soft and relaxed now. A stark contrast to the one he left my apartment with on Friday. “Are you busy?”

“No. I’m just getting into bed. I’ll probably read for a while… Is everything okay?” I lift the corner of my blankets and slide in. The sheets are cold, but my body is ablaze from the bass of Aleck’s voice through the phone.

“It’s Sunday… Did you go to your dad’s for dinner?”

A warm smile drifts across my lips. “Yeah. Sondra came with me. They haven’t seen her in a while. It’s my dad’s birthday, so we had cake and gave him gifts. Then Cal and Bennie argued over who would survive a zombie apocalypse longer.”

“Cal would,” he says without hesitation.

I laugh, snuggling into my blankets. “Yeah, without question.”

A few seconds pass, but it’s not uncomfortable, it’s warm and cozy as if he were lying right next to me.

“Winter, I’m really sorry about my reaction the other day. I shouldn’t have behaved like that. I’d like to send a company over to replace your cabinet, if that—”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No, I’d like to. I shouldn’t have punched it. I was so… angry. But that’s not an excuse to behave that way. I’m sorry.”

So much for him staying away from me.

So much for me wanting him to.

“It’s okay. Since I rent, I’ll let you fix the cabinet.” I laugh, but it fades when I feel the need to tell him the truth about Dylan. “Aleck…” I shouldn’t do this, but to actually move on, I need to rid myself of this lie hanging over me. “I have to tell you something...”