"What do you think?" Zac asks as soon as our bedroom door shuts behind us. I turn to face him, shrugging at his question.

"I don't know," I answer honestly. "You?"

"Me neither."

"Their idea is great, reunifying England..." I trail off. "But how the hell does he imagine we're going to figure out what's happening in each of the other sectors?"

"I reckon he has an idea." Zac scoffs. "He just isn't telling us.

I walk over to the wardrobe, pulling the blue checked shirt out of the waistband of my skirt and beginning to unbutton it. "You don't trust Callum," I note and Zac shakes his head.

"Not one bit."

"I understand that," I reply. "I can't quite decide."

Zac takes his gun out of the waistband of his jeans, slowly placing it on the chest of drawers beside him.

"Where did you disappear off to earlier?" he asks and I turn away, pulling the shirt off my shoulders as I bite the inside of my lip. "Emi?"

"I went to the library," I reply quickly, glancing over my shoulder to see him whipping his top over his head.

"The library?" he exclaims. "You don't like to read."

I shrug, reaching into the wardrobe and pulling out a vest top to sleep in. "Em?" he tries once more and I shake my head.

"There's nothing more to it. I went to the library."

"Sounds to me like there's more to it," he retorts. I hear his footsteps against the floor as he walks towards me. "Was it about what happened this morning?"

"What?" I exclaim, feigning ignorance.

"With Isla."

"Who?"

"Stop it, Em," he replies. "You're a poor liar."

"I am not!"

"Isla was someone I slept with three times when I was seventeen." He shrugs. "She lived in our apartment block."

"Great," I force out and he shakes his head, amusement clear on his face.

"Seriously?" he mutters, quickly reaching out and hooking his arm around my waist. Dragging me sharply into his body, my breath jolts as his eyes narrow. "She meant nothing to me."

"I know," I answer honestly.

"Then what is it?" he asks and I shrug, completely unsure why the green eyed monster appears to have possessed me.

"She... She looks so good," I admit honestly.

They're the only words that come to mind when I try to ascertain what it is that specifically frustrates me. The girl is gorgeous, even more so than the beautiful Anna. Her blue eyes are far more vibrant than mine, her figure smaller, her hair, as Anna said, fucking glossy. She's like one of those models I used to see on Instagram.

"Good?" Zac scoffs. "Pizza looks good. That means nothing."

"Zac-"

"Not when she's standing next to you," he continues, my heart fluttering at his words. "Nothing can compare to that." I blush, looking down, away from his eyes. He quickly grabs hold of my chin, lifting my face to look at him. "I fucking hate that you're making me say this, but honestly Emilia... next to you, every girl looks like a damn Gremlin." I burst into laughter and he shrugs. "It's the truth. You have fuck all to worry about."

I reach up, hooking my hands around his neck and crushing my lips to his, appreciating the feel of his soft ones against my own. Zac's tongue sweeps past mine, stirring the desire that exists for him from deep inside me.

Fingers graze up the side of my ribcage, goosebumps erupting over my entire torso. I grip tighter to the back of his neck, urgently and determinedly dominating him as I push my body against his, effectively pushing him towards the bed behind us. He lets us move halfway before suddenly stopping, his strength no match for mine. Instead, he grins against my mouth.

With a sudden tug, Zac spins me around in his arms, pushing us back to the wardrobe and pinning me in place in front of him. I gasp at the movement, hands reaching out to brace myself against the wood as his own sweep up my chest, cupping each of my breasts in his hands.

His lips descend to my neck, trailing kisses and sucking lightly on the weak spot beneath my ear as I tilt my head away to give him better access. His rough palming of my breasts has my body instantly on high alert, absolutely buzzing at what's to come.

I'm almost melting in place, legs shaky already as he grabs the buttons on my shirt, effortlessly undoing them before dragging the fabric apart. He trails his fingers across every exposed section of skin, carefully removing the top from my shoulders. 

My breathing is heavy and laboured, unsteady as anything when the shirt drops to the floor. Zac doesn't hesitate before his hands return to their original location, massaging my chest as a moan escapes from my lips.

Before long, one of his hands gravitates towards the waistband of my skirt, slowly grabbing the zip and pulling it down. A shiver leaves my mouth from the air hitting my exposed skin as he pushes the skirt away, watching as it falls to the ground.

I suck in a breath as Zac turns me back around, his eyes trailing over the length of my entire body.

"Fucking hell, Emi," he exclaims with a slight groan. "You look incredible."

I feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter from his words, unable to stop the smile spreading across my face as he continues to stare at me. I feel confident from the way he analyses my curves in awe, his expression flicking a switch inside me and urging me to show him exactly how right he is.

I'm the girl for Zac Hastings, the only one there will ever be. His rude arrogance broke me down, straight into my damn heart before rooting itself inside.

I don't plan on ever letting it go.

I take a step closer to him, aggressively ripping open the buttons on his jeans and pushing the fabric away before letting my hand graze the length of him. A hiss escapes his lips before his hands return to my waist, moving us so that my back is against the bed.

His lips recapture mine, a startled moan leaving my mouth as he delves and explores every inch. Zac's fingertips trail over my skin as I wind my arms around his neck to run my hands through his untidy, dark blonde hair.

With a sudden jolt, my back is soon slamming against his chest as his fingers trail down the middle of my chest, down past my stomach before they hesitate at the rim of my lacy panties.

I inhale sharply, heart hammering against my chest as his breath hits my neck. My head falls back against him once more as his fingers slip inside my underwear, quickly finding their soaked and ready destination. I grip onto his arm, attempting to shove him down further, silently begging him to continue. 

Zac chuckles, the breath against my neck making me shiver with anticipation. His fingers dance around my core, lightly grazing every part, a small flick against my clit having my nails dig into the skin on his forearm.

"Please," I beg, my head slipping back against his chest, eyes shut as I concentrate on the sensations down below.

"What do you want?" Zac asks, his voice low, quiet, and devilishly husky. His finger runs back up my slit and I grit my teeth to try and control the moans that threaten to escape.

"You," I reply with pure honesty, not willing to play his games today. I'm desperate and needy, knowing exactly what I want. Right now.

Before I can comprehend what's happening, his finger slides inside and I gasp, fully resting my weight on him as he stimulates every nerve inside me, drawing me closer and closer to climax.

I'm revelling in the feeling, fully giving in to desire as it rolls in waves across my body, pure unrestricted pleasure at work as Zac's fingers pump in and out. His arm holds me against his body, not allowing me to get away as I moan his name, pleading with him to keep going.

I can feel his hardness against my ass, turning me on even more; knowing that he wants me just as much.

Just as my high starts to build towards complete ecstasy, Zac withdraws his fingers. I open my mouth to object before his hands grip my underwear, pulling them off and pushing me towards the bed.

I fall face first, my hands flying out in front to stop myself from crashing into it. I'm completely bent over the side of the bed, hands curling around the sheets as I feel Zac line himself up behind me.

"Do you want this, baby?" he asks and I nod, forehead pressing against the sheets. "Tell me."

"Yes!" I exclaim, a rush of air leaving my lips as he pushes into me. His hands grab onto my hips, holding me in place as he pulls back out, thrusting harder on his return.

"God, Emi," he moans as he moves. I let out my own groan of pleasure in response. "Don't ever doubt yourself," he says between thrusts. "You're all I fucking want."

Zac's words stimulate me even further as his body collapses over mine, his chest to my back. He reaches underneath me, his hand moving to my clit as he continues to move, the bed rattling against the wall.

The added pressure renders me useless to his seduction, my body completely giving everything to him, letting myself ride the waves that grow higher and higher. My hand tightens around the sheets just as I feel my release, screaming out Zac's name before his thrusts get sloppier, him reaching his own orgasm only seconds later.

*~*~*

"Are you sure you don't want anything from the cafeteria?" I ask Zac, looking over at him sprawled across the bed, the duvet covering his nakedness. Damn.

He shakes his head, sitting up and resting back against his arm.

"I'm good."

"Okay." I shrug, grabbing hold of his black hoodie and pulling it over my head. "I'll be back shortly," I tell him, sending him a smile before I head for the door, flicking the lock and letting myself out.

There's something about sex that always leaves me craving food. Maybe it's the mass of calories I've just burned. Or maybe I'm just greedy.

I head down the corridor, shoving my hands into the pockets of the hoodie and ignoring everyone I pass, completely content in my own little world.

Despite the fact that there's nothing normal about where we are or what we're doing here.

Yet somehow it feels like the most normal we've ever been, a proper couple, enjoying their honeymoon phase and not letting anything else come between them.

Every single one of us seems slightly happier here; Anna ridiculously more bearable, Heidi forgiving me, Sam making friends with other people who live here.

Jordan and Myles have been keeping to themselves, but I can see in both of their eyes as they look at the happiness that exists here, all they really want is for their two loved ones to be here. Even Anna tends to falter every few sentences, her eyes clouding over with grief before she pulls her mask back on, pretending that everything is okay without Kieran.

If this place can help each of us recover, then who are we to ruin it?

Stepping into the cafeteria, my eyes zero in on the buffet table. I'm already planning what I want, the gooey chocolate cookies calling to me. I don't care what Zac says, I'm definitely picking him up some biscuits whilst I'm here.

"Emilia?" A sudden voice has me slowing as I walk, my eyebrows furrowing as I try to place the unfamiliar female voice. "Emilia Burton?" They repeat and I quickly turn in their direction.

My mouth drops open at the sight of the brunette. She's clearly older than when I last saw her, her blue eyes widening at the sight of me.

Suddenly, I'm fifteen years old again, giggling as I leave Rayden's room, having spent the afternoon drinking in his bedroom. I'm jumping over his fence, going to the cinema with him, slapping Kayla around the face for the second time each month.

We're in a different place, ruling the high school before we'd go back to Ray's house, neither parent at home. We'd take advantage of the situation, make a mess and fool around in every room, forever being busted when his sister came home early from work.

She moved away a few months before the war, but on the night that the bombs hit she was home, visiting her brother and watching his football game.

She survived that night, but disappeared a few months later, never to be heard from again.

"You're.... you're here?" The question falls from her lips as she steps closer. My mouth opens and closes in disbelief. "Oh my god!"

"Lola." I finally let her name slip from my lips. Rayden's sister steps closer, smiling at me.

"It's me," she confirms, grabbing my arms and pulling me in for a hug. "I can't believe you're here!"

"Same to you," I manage to say as she pulls back, glancing behind me.

"Where's Ray?" she asks and suddenly my heart falls straight to my feet. Well, fuck.

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I didn't think I'd manage to get this chapter out this week... real life is crazy at the moment. But I did!!! Unedited though... so my apologies for any errors.

And we have a new character introduced...

So many people in the South have made it to this compound! So lucky...

Vote, comment & share if you enjoyed the chapter. 💚