Apocalipstick (Hell in a Handbag Book 1) by Lisa Acerbo (the best e book reader txt) 📗

Jenna tilted her head. “We can protect ourselves.”

“At least travel in pairs or groups, especially to the lake for water.” Aiko’s nostrils flared. “It uses a lot of water to feed and bathe all the people here. From now on when we take the trucks, it has to be in groups. We can’t afford any more silly little injuries. We need everyone to pull their weight.”

“Regular patrols need to start again,” George cut the two women off.

Aiko’s stare could freeze hell. “New Racers will patrol at night, though we do it anyway when hunting. Humans patrol in the day. Jenna, you’re excused until healed. However long it takes.” She flicked her head back like sniffing something foul.

“It’s the start of a solid plan.” Gus’s voice was full of cheer. “It’s getting late, so we’ll figure out all the details in the morning. For tomorrow, let’s go back to the last rotation we used. Emma, Billy, and I are on the first shift. Quentin, Jackie, and George, you patrol second, and Ford, you and Beth, patrol next. We’ll get the rest done tomorrow. Peter, I’ll let you work on the night schedule.”

“Why don’t we plan now.” Peter nodded at the New Race who attended. “Let’s meet in my room.” People stretched and formed small enclaves, the meeting officially adjourned.

She stood and watched Caleb disappear around the corner. A throbbing temple forced her to sit once again. After a moment, she pushed herself out of the chair and swiveled toward the kitchen.

There might be snacks.

Quentin, carrying a Scrabble game, intervened.

“Jackie and Beth both told me to keep you out of the kitchen. Your skills with a knife are bad enough when you see straight.”

“I’m not a bad cook.”

“All the pieces are still inside.” The tiles inside the box banged together. “The mice didn’t want to learn any new words. Want to play? I bet I’ll beat you.”

While happy for the distraction, she really wanted a snack. “It’s not really a fair game with my head the way it is and my stomach growling. If you win that’s the reason.”

“Already making excuses for your defeat.”

“I’m a great Scrabble player. I used to wreak havoc on anyone who challenge me to a game of Words with Friends.”

The game was competitive with both of them trying to prove their superior intellectual abilities. Jenna threw foray and waxen to move ahead in score early on, but Quentin had a plan of his own. Halfway through the game, he placed taurine on the board, earning a fifty-point bonus for using all seven tiles.

“Not a word.”

“It is so a word. Don’t you remember all those energy drinks had taurine in them? It was incredibly popular before the end of the world. I used to love energy drinks. I really miss my smart phone too.”

“Liar. Not about the phone, but about taurine in the energy drinks.” A throbbing head made it hard to concentrate. Her fingers fiddled with the edge of the board. Like an irate three-year-old, she wanted to flip the board over and make an ungracious exit.

“Are you mad at me?” He gulped back a laugh.

“I’m not mad.” Head down, fist clenched, she mumbled. “I hate cheaters.”

“Jenna?” Fingers under her chin drew their gaze together.

“Have your stupid word. My turn, right?”

“I’ll pull my word off the board under one condition.”

“What condition?”

Freckles darkened by days in the sun highlighted his sunburned nose. His blue eyes lit devilishly. “Kiss me. For one tiny little kiss, I’ll forget all about taurine.”

“Really,” she reached out to grab his hand. “Let me lay one down on you.”

“No.” He drew back. “On the lips.”

This was unexpected and not the way her first kiss after the end of the world was supposed to go. She believed it would be with Caleb, at least all her daydreams had led her there.

Her last kiss had happened at summer camp with Bobby Jackson, a sixteen-year-old, braces wearing, video game playing, counselor in training.

Why not? He was sweet and kind, rode horses, and looked gorgeous in the grey T-shirt and jeans. Don’t consider it.

She leaned in, closed her eyes and their lips met.

He hesitated at first, as though he thought she’d back out of the bet, but she didn’t.

There was no way she wanted this to end.

Their kiss intensified and his hands traveled to the back of her neck, playing with the wisps of hair piled into an unruly ponytail.

All too soon it was over.

No!

Quentin rested his forehead against hers. “Guess what?”

“What?”

“I most definitely won this round, and it has nothing to do with the game.”

Neither of them saw Caleb watching from the corner of the room, the look in his eyes murderous. As quickly as he appeared, he vanished outside to begin a night of patrolling the grounds and hunting.

15

The sun shone straight down. The trees rustled with the light wind, leaves beginning to show the first signs of change. The forest floor was trying to hold onto summer with abundant ferns and lady slippers.

Quentin didn’t mind the patrol. It gave him time to think. It had been two weeks since the incident with the Streaker on the horses, and since then the woods had been quiet. At first, the groups had stuck together and patrolled in units, but the last few days, people went on their own to cover more territory.

Life was good and nothing could come in the way of getting into settling and rebuilding. Or Jenna. She was an enigma. He liked her, but she put up walls and remained distant. After the kiss, the two continued to hang out, but it was like they were close friends. He wanted more.

A laugh bubbled from his throat and filled the woods. Wind rustled the leaves again. The trees must be laughing back at him because the idea of having a girlfriend in a world this crazy sounded ridiculous. But that’s what he wanted.

If only he could find out what was going on in her head.

Ask. It