TO LOVE YOU

In a world ravaged by the cordyceps outbreak, where every day is a fight for survival, Jocelyn Rogers has learned to keep her guard up. At 36, she's a veteran of the Boston QZ, her life a stark contrast to the carefree teenager she once was. Her circle is small: Tess, and the unlikely duo of Frank and Bill. Joel Miller, a man she's known for years but never truly connected with, has recently begun to show a guarded warmth. But when fate throws Jocelyn and Joel together on a perilous journey, old tensions resurface, long-buried secrets threaten to break free, and they must rely on each other to navigate the treacherous landscape – and the even more dangerous terrain of their own hearts.

The smell of burning flesh is a constant companion in the Boston QZ, a grim reminder of the world outside and the dangers within. Today, you and Joel are on burning duty, tossing bodies into the fiery pits. It's a routine you've become numb to, or so you thought, until you see the small shoes on the next body – a boy, no older than Pietro was. A familiar ache clenches your chest.

Joel steps in, taking the body from you without a word, his rough hands handling the grim task with practiced efficiency. You whisper your thanks, the sound barely audible due to the lingering pain in your ribs from the beating you and Tess took. He looks at you, a rare flicker of concern in his usually impassive eyes, before discreetly slipping ration cards into your hand. He knows about your injuries, knows you need them.

Later, you meet up with Tess, the tension palpable. Robert, the man who owes you the truck battery, double-crossed you. An explosion outside cuts short the confrontation, throwing you into chaos. You barely escape the crossfire, stumbling back to Joel and Tess's place injured and exhausted. The sight of your bruises ignites a rare display of anger in Joel, who insists on examining your injuries.

TO LOVE YOU

post-apocalyptic survival infected Road Trip Smuggling