Chapter six
Samira's Apartment
Delilah's POV:
"Lilah?" Eric's voice said. I dropped the bag off my shoulder just as a thunderclap happened. I took off in a run, not even caring about anything but him. I ran into him with a force that could've knocked him down. Eric grunted softly as I threw my arms around him. "Eric. Eric. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I babbled, sobs escaping my lips. Eric squeezed me and I heard a cry come from him. I held handfuls of his brown sport coat. Eric buried his face into the crook of my neck. "Lilah." He whispered. His hand rubbed my back up and down. I inhaled his scent and Eric's other hand went to my hip, holding me close to him. I brought one of my hands up to cradle the back of his neck, keeping him there. The tuft of curls at the nape of his neck tickled my fingers as I held him in place. "Eric...I missed you. I know it was a couple of hours but...I thought maybe you had..." Eric trembled in my arms and said "I missed you too, Lilah. I was so scared. So so scared. I didn't know what to do..." I sniffled and Eric pulled away to look at me, holding my face in his hands. I held his hands to my cheeks and I noticed the woman Eric had been with. She held a cat in her bag. I went to approach her and Eric grabbed ahold of my hand. I sighed in relief at holding his hand. "I'm Delilah." I introduced myself. The woman half smiled and said "I'm Samira. This is Frodo." I looked over my shoulder and gestured for Dakota to come over. She ran over and I said "that's Frodo. And Samira." Sam looked at Dakota with a smile. "Could I pet him?" Dakota asked. Sam nodded and said "of course." Dakota reached into the bag, petting the little black and white cat. "Is this the group you got separated from?" Sam said to Eric. Eric nodded and said "yes." "Is she your girlfriend?" Sam had a quirked eyebrow. I shook my head and said "no. Uhm, we're just coworkers. But, we've gotten closer these last couple of days. I don't think either one of us would be here right now had it not been for the other." Eric nodded in agreement and he looked at me with a look in his eyes I didn't recognize. His eyes were full of something that I don't think I'd seen before. "Eric." I said softly as I cupped his cheeks. He half smiled and his hands went to my wrists. "You're ok." His breath quivered and said "so are you." Alice approached us and said "hey, I'm Alice. That's my husband Niko. And Delilah and Dakota's uncle, Harrison." "My father." Niko said. Sam looked at everyone and then her eyes widened at my uncle. "Harrison Wells." My uncle stepped forward and said "yes. And you are?" "Samira. Your chocolates are to die for." I tuned their conversation out as I looked back at Eric. His hands still rested on my wrists, his thumbs stroking the skin softly. I pressed my forehead to his. Eric seemed to sigh and I was so happy to be in his arms again. "Eric. Could you kick the door down?" Eric pulled away from me and said "sure. When the thunder cracks, right?" Sam nodded. Eric detached himself from me and stood in front of the door. He looked up at the window in the hallway. A flash of lighting. He kicked the door and it didn't open. He winced softly and awaited the thunder again. On the second crack, the door flung open as he kicked it. Sam rushed inside and started rummaging through things. Dakota walked inside and Niko said "all the black people are dying." "So, you mean all of us except Alice and Eric?" Dakota quipped. Alice huffed and said "shut the hell up, Niko." Eric and I still stood outside. "How are you?" Eric asked me. I shrugged and said "so much better now that I'm with you. I'm so sorry for leaving you. He made me." My uncle looked at the two of us. "I'm glad you're ok, Eric." He said. I looked away from my uncle, still unbelievably mad at him. I took Eric's hand. "Delilah." I looked over my shoulder and saw my best friend. "Blake." I said in shock. Eric's eyes widened and he said "Blake, you're alright." As much as I didn't want to, I let go of Eric's hand. I gave my best friend a hug and was so relieved that she was alive. "Where've you been?" I said as I pulled away. She sighed and said "everywhere. When they first came down...it was pretty bad. Haisley and I were trying to get away from everything. Her mom lives close by. We were going to go there." I nodded and Eric gestured for all of us to go into the apartment. Eric closed the door and Sam continued to look for something. "What're you looking for?" Eric said. Sam sighed and said "my pain medication." "Why are you looking for pain medication?" "Because my whole body hurts." Sam snapped. Eric nodded and Sam immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Eric. I'm just in pain." "No, I get it. Do you want me to help you look?" "Yes, please." Eric left me to go and help Samira. "I'm a nurse. I could try to keep you comfortable as best I can. I'm Haisley by the way." Haisley stood in front of the group. Everyone seemed to half smile or nod at her. Dakota was infatuated with Frodo. "You gonna talk to him?" Niko said to me. I shook my head and said "no, I'm not talking to Uncle Harrison. He left Eric. If we would've waited, he would've been with us. I almost lost him. I won't lose him again." Niko nudged me and said "you like him don't you, cousin?" I rolled my eyes and said "it doesn't matter. He's all I have. He's giving me the physical contact I need and he's just been so...sweet." "I got my answer." He smirked. I glared at him and said "if you tell him." "Oh no. That's all on you. Even if it is the end of the world, it's not my job to tell him. That solely is on you." Eric found some of Sam's pain medication. I watched as he helped her sit down so she could take it. He gave her a throw blanket and she looked around at all of us. "You all can go to the ferry. I have other plans on my agenda. I don't expect any of you to accompany me to do that. It's my personal choice." Eric looked at her and said "we will if you want us to. So you're not alone." "Eric and I are more than happy to." Samira shrugged and said "I can't ask you to do that." "It wouldn't be a bother." Samira nodded and looked towards the window at the rain. I approached the couch she was sitting on, wanting to talk to her a bit. While we could.

Eric's POV:
"I'm Haisley." She stood in front of me, her orange pinkish hair bringing some color to the dreary look of Sam's apartment. "I'm Eric." Haisley shook my hand and I nodded curtly at her. "So, you're the guy that worked at the candy shop. The guy from England." She went to set her bag down and motioned for me to follow her. "Uh, yeah. I'm from Kent. I came over here to work in the shop and go to law school." I shook my head and Haisley said "didn't want to?" "I don't want to be a lawyer. Something my parents wanted. My dad." "Is your family here with you?" "No. They're uh...back in England. I'm all alone." "You don't look alone to me. Delilah seems to like you." I looked over at Delilah who talked to Sam. Sam seemed to lighten up as Delilah smiled as she spoke. Her smile can light up the room. I thought. Haisley laughed softly and I immediately looked at her. "You said that out loud, Romeo." I gulped and looked down at my feet. "Sorry." I mumbled. "It's cute. Does she know?" I looked back up at Haisley. I shook my head. I fiddled with the sleeves on my sport coat, my heart rate starting to pick up at the thought of Delilah knowing I was developing feelings and didn't want to be without her. "You should probably tell her. The world is kind of ending." My hands shook and I said "y-you think so?" "Yeah. Go for it." "What about you?" I said. Haisley quirked an eyebrow and said "what about me?" "Did you have someone before all this?" She shook her head and said "no. But I'm uh currently crushing on Blake." "Oh, are you?" Haisley nodded and I leaned against the wall. "Think she'll go for me?" Haisley said. I nodded and said "sure. I don't know you that well but you seem nice enough. And you're pretty, Blake is pretty. You two seem to mesh well together. I think you should go for it." "Are you giving me my own advice, Eric?" I chuckled softly and said "maybe I am, Haisley." "Lilah, I'm tired." Dakota said. Sam swooned at the young girl. "I have some blankets and pillows in the bedroom and in the closet. You all are more than welcome to use the bed. I'm going to sleep here on the couch." Sam said. Delilah looked at her and said "are you sure?" Sam nodded. "Come on, Kota." Delilah led Dakota to the bedroom. I sat down on the floor, my body feeling heavy. I was exhausted. The thunder and rain gave me so much comfort. I tried to not think of the situation we were in. Maybe it was a vacation and it was a rainy night. I placed the happier thought in my mind as I closed my eyes. I smiled a bit, enjoying my delusions. "Eric." A soft voice said. I opened my eyes and Delilah was knelt down in front of me. "Come sleep with me on the couch." I looked down the hall and said "what about the bed?" "I let Alice have it. Or whoever wants it." "You take it." I told her. Delilah looked at her lap and said "wanna sleep with you. Not enough room in the bed." My lips parted a bit and I said "o-oh." Delilah nodded in response and held out her hand. I took it and she stood up, pulling me with her. I was taller than her, just by a few feet. Delilah wrapped her arms around herself and I noticed her jacket was missing. "Where's your jacket?" My hands went to her arms, rubbing up and down. "It got a little wet and denim sucks when it's wet. I didn't choose correctly with that jacket." I let go of her to shrug off my sport coat. I put it on her body. Delilah gasped softly as my brown sport coat seemed to swallow her. I smiled and said "it's so big on you." "Yeah. It is. Uhm, thank you." "You're welcome." Delilah pulled me to the other couch and she pulled an ottoman to the couch. "We can share it or one of us could scrunch up on the couch." "I'll use the ottoman. You scrunch." I told her. Delilah took off her sneakers and said "are you sure?" I nodded. I stretched out on the ottoman in front of me and sighed softly. Delilah scrunched up next to me and grabbed ahold of my hand again. "Goodnight, Eric." "Goodnight, Delilah."

Okkkk so here's the next chapter!! I know there's a lot of characters in the group at the moment and everything will be explained! I also have lots of chapters planned for this book and if an extended version of the movie comes out, I'll come back and do rewrites! I really hope you're all liking this so far! I'm having so much fun writing it.
~skylar🤎🛸🤎🛸