Free The Zero Trilogy (Book 3): End of Day by Summer Lane Page A

apart. She closed her eyes, took a breath. All she saw in the darkness of her mind was the tragic horrors of the Bear Mountain Civilian Ward, and the bodies of the dead families.
    “Do you get the flashbacks, too?” Elle asked, opening her eyes. “Of the bad stuff?”
    “If you could just learn to retrain your brain,” Cheng murmured, “you could go from great to unstoppable.”
    “Who says I’m not already unstoppable?” Elle retorted, defensive.
    Cheng chuckled, leaning forward, his breath hot against her cheek.
    “I suppose you have a point there, little ninja.”
    They stared at each other for a long moment, suspended in time. Cheng leaned forward and pressed his lips against Elle’s. Elle’s heart stopped beating. She felt numb. His mouth was soft and warm. She closed her eyes for amoment, and then the kiss was over, and Cheng was on his feet, headed for the door.
    Elle was frozen. But only for a second.
    She sprang up and charged after him, flushed and furious.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” she demanded, darting in front of him, blocking the door. “You can’t just kiss me and run. Coward.”
    Cheng looked shocked.
    “Coward?” He knit his brow. “Far from it, Elle.”
    “Then why are you running?” she said.
    For the first time since she had known him, Cheng seemed to be at a loss for words. Elle’s heart pounded against her ribcage. She was terrified, but exhilarated. Cheng’s fine, handsome features looked strained. His eyes were a stormy swirl of blue and gray. Elle’s initial instinct was to retreat and run – fight or flight! But she stood there, meeting his gaze, determined to be the one who would not run. Not this time.
    Cheng slipped his hand behind Elle’s neck and pulled her closer, into a real kiss. A long one, a good one. Elle wrapped her hands over hisbroad shoulders and he held her to him, warm and strong.
    Bravo barked.
    Elle jerked away, scared, and the doorknob rattled. Elle hurried to the other side of the room, face burning, and looked out the window. The door opened, and Luli walked inside. She was carrying an apple, tossing it up and down in her hand. Cheng stood there, still, spaced out.
    “Traded my beef jerky for this apple,” Luli said. “Where have you been? I looked all over.”
    Elle sat next to Bravo and absently scratched behind his ears, noting that her hands were trembling. She didn’t like that. It was stupid.
    “Bartering,” Cheng said.
    His voice was smooth and his expression was neutral. He was suddenly back to normal. “There are clothes and supplies here on the bed. Take what you need.”
    Luli chomped on her apple, shooting a suspicious glance at Elle.
    “Did you go shopping together?” she asked. “Because that’s so adorable I think I’ll puke.”
    Luli rifled through the clothes. Cheng sat on the edge of the bed, watching Elle stroke Bravo’s fur. She deliberately refused to meet his gaze. It would give her away. She stood up and Bravo followed. She walked to the door.
    “Where are you going
now
?” Luli said.
    Elle replied, “I’ll be back later.”
    She slipped into the hallway with Bravo, moving as fast she could. She had to get away from Cheng. Bravo was the only one she could trust – not Cheng. What was wrong with her? Stupid, stupid, stupid.
    Elle walked out of the lodge, into the forest, away from the confusion.
    She didn’t trust herself with this one.
    When Elle had been growing up, her mother had warned her to stay away from boys. Love, her mother had told her, was a trap and a cruel lie. It didn’t exist. All that existed wasphysical attraction. Beyond that, there was nothing.
    Elle had always wondered if that meant her mother didn’t love her own children. She had spent many hours thinking about this subject, whiling away long, lonely days in Santa Monica, foraging for food. She’d been a loner then, and she believed what her mother said.
    That love is a lie
.
    Love is a lie
.
    Love is a lie
.
    Bravo nudged