Desi

Keeping up with Ryder turned out to be harder than I thought, as I stumbled in my heels through the aisles of slot machines. I saw the back of his head as the elevator doors shut behind him. Panting for breath and rubbing my twisted ankles, I leaned against the wall as I waited for the elevator to come back down to the bottom floor.

I watched as a stream of people filtered by towards the front doors, dressed up for the fight which was now over. Women held hands with their husbands as if they had just watched a romantic movie, groups of men shoved each other playfully, wound up from the blood of the fight.

I didn't care when they looked over to me and saw the disgust written all over my face. I locked eyes with one woman until she left through the revolving glass doors, her face filled with recognition and fear, confusing me as to how she would know anything about me.

"Are you Desiree?" A high-pitched voice interrupted my stare-down and brought my gaze to a short chubby woman, in her early forties I guesstimated.

"Yes," I said quietly. "And you are?"

The woman nudged the taller woman next to her and they both squealed with excitement. "I'm Paula Redburn," She said offering her hand out for me to shake, but I just stared at her wondering what the hell she could possibly want from me.

Paula's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she motioned to the woman next to her. "And this is Carol Fredericks." Carol didn't raise her hand to me, knowing that I would decline her offer.

I stayed silent, so Carol cleared her throat and spoke. "We have heard so much about you," She said, hardly able to hide her enthusiasm. "Word has it that you're going to be vicious in the cage."

My eyes widened in shock at her statement and I opened my mouth to speak but Paula cut me off.

"You're the first wild contender they've had," Paula said. "The only one who has true experience fighting the infected." She smiled, her cheeks wrinkling.

My thoughts swirled trying to take in what she was saying. "Wild?" I asked her, my voice bitter. "Are you comparing me to an animal? Because it seems like you," I pointed my finger at them. "Are the ones that are animals."

Carol laughed and threw her hand over her heart like I had just made a joke; Paula chuckled next to her, her cleavage bouncing up and down with her shoulders.

Just when I was about to lose it and strangle the two crazy women standing before me, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, reminding me of Ryder.

"Excuse me before I do something that I'll regret," I said to the both of them as I turned over my shoulder and stepped into the elevator, hoping the doors would close quickly.

"She really is a feisty one," Paula said to Carol as the doors began to close. "I can't wait to watch her in the cage."

When the doors closed I was surrounded by the annoying elevator music and I was tempted to punch my knuckles through the speaker, but closing my eyes I tried to relax instead. Every floor that I passed seemed like an eternity and the song playing droned on and on making me think my ears might start bleeding.

Thankfully, the elevator stopped at no floors and took me straight up to the twenty-seventh floor, the doors opening to an empty hallway. My dress flowing behind me, I swiftly made my way down the hall, trying to remember Ryder's room number. I paused at a door labeled 2714 and decided whether or not to open the door.

My hand stayed frozen on the doorknob. If I comfort him now, then that would bring us so much closer together, I told myself. Am I ready for that? Am I ready to bring someone else into my life, only to get them torn away from me?

I didn't get to finish my thoughts and my hand turned on the knob, swinging the door open. I stood motionless in the doorway, my eyes searching the suite for Ryder and spotting him on the couch with his head in his hands.

My heart broke for him. I felt a pang in my chest as I saw his shoulders falling up and down, sobbing silently into his hands. Wrapped up in his own little world, Ryder didn't even hear me as my heels clicked across the wooden floors to sit down beside him.

When my arm wrapped around his back his body tensed. Laying my head on his shoulder I whispered, "It's me." Ryder relaxed at the sound of my voice and turned to face me, burying his head in my shoulder and wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Then his sobs began again.

My arms reached over his shoulders, my fingers running through the back of his short brown hair and it wasn't long before I started to cry with him. Tears rolled down my cheeks as Ryder's tears sank into my skin at the crook of my neck. I sobbed with him as he sobbed with me, both of us letting out our pent up sorrow and frustration.

Cody's face appeared in my mind, holding me, telling me that everything was going to be alright. But that's a lie. Nothing is ever going to be right again, not without him here. I hoped and prayed everyday that he was still alive, but I knew that it was a slim chance.

Ryder broke away from me, bringing me back to reality and away from Cody. His arms left my back and his hands reached to his face, wiping away the tears, leaving his cheeks pink. He sucked in a breath of air and let it out slowly through his nose before looking back at me.

I'm sure I looked like a clown with my mascara and eyeliner were smudged in faint black lines down my cheeks, but Ryder still looked at me the same way he looks at me everyday, if not more affectionately.

Hastily, I swiped my fingers under my eyes, trying to clear away some of the makeup, leaving the tips of my fingers black. Even though Ryder's eyes were still wet he managed a small smile.

"That's the second time you've cried in my arms," He said, his voice filled with humor. "We've got to quick making that a habit."

I wanted to laugh at him, but all that came out of me was a smirk at the corner of my lips. Ryder's smile faded and he leaned forward, his face becoming serious.

"Who did you lose Desiree?" His voice was a whisper, filled with sensitivity. Ryder has asked me this many times before but I never seem to be able to answer.

This time I broke down. "Everyone," my voice cracked. Ryder looked away from me and at the vase of flowers on the coffee table, his jaw throbbing. "I woke up one morning to my infected parents chasing me around the house. I watched on TV as my best friend's head was blown off by a shotgun. And then I met him, Cody."

"He's the one you were crying about the first time," Ryder stated, not making it a question.

"Yes," I told him. "He found me and took me to safety. Protected me and comforted me. Loved me.." My voice trailed off as a new tear made its way down my cheek. "Then that stupid bitch," I spit the word through my teeth, "killed him when we finally thought we were safe."

Ryder's hand reached to wipe my tears away but my arm reached out to stop him and I watched as his eyes turned even sadder than they already were.

"I'm sorry," I said, truly meaning it. "I'm just a little overwhelmed right now. Maybe I should go--" I began to stand up before Ryder's hand grasped around my arm, his voice interupting me.

"Don't go," He said, his voice raspy and broken. "Please.."

I turned back to look at him, his eyes automatically finding mine.

"I need to be with someone right now," Ryder said as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "I don't want to be alone anymore. I need you."

His words struck through me, planting my body back into the couch, hoping that I won't regret staying. I need someone too, I said to myself. Even though it might end up in another heartbreak if I lose him, I can't do this alone.

"Thank you," Ryder said, sinking back into the couch next to me. Closing his eyes, he tilted his head back and breathed deeply.

I watched his chest fall up and down until my eyes began to feel heavy and I laid my head back too, letting my eyes get a little rest as I closed them.

Ryder

The sun shone through the glass doors to the balcony, blinding me and pulling me out of my sleep. I looked around and saw that I had fallen asleep on the couch.

Desiree's head rested against my chest, her legs curled up at my sides, my arm draped over her back. I jerked in surprise, knowing that I didn't fall asleep like this. Desiree moved beneath my arm and her head drifted up to look at me. Her face was smudged with all different kinds of makeup, but she was still beautiful as her eyes squinted against the bright light. Seeing her like this and feeling her body against mine erased the anguish of the night before.

Then her eyes filled with recognition and she suddenly jerked away from me, her hands tangling into her hair as she tried to brush it away from her face. Pink blushed along her cheekbones as her eyes darted around the room, obviously trying to find something to say.

"Did you sleep good?" I asked, trying to fill the awkward silence. "Because I sure did." I was smiling at her but she still avoided my gaze.

"I—um.." Desiree said, stumbling on her words. "I need to go." She stood up as if the couch were on fire and strutted to the door, her ankles twisting as she stumbled across the floor in her heels. Reaching one foot up at a time she plucked the stilettos into her hands and threw them over her shoulder, attracting me to her even more as I watched her move.

Desiree tried to walk out the door without saying anything but I stopped her as I stood up from the couch.

"I'll see you in training in an hour," I said. She froze in the doorway, and I saw her shoulders rise and fall as she sighed.

"I'll see you in thirty minutes for coffee before training," Desiree replied, making a broad smile creep onto my face.

"See you then," I called after her as she disappearing from the doorway, leaving me alone in my thoughts of her.