Chapter 2
At three in the afternoon, Lucas's squad came back.
I watched from the second-floor window as they walked into the mall. The man in front wore a black combat suit, his gaze steely and cold, with a faint crackle of lightning surrounding him.
It was Lucas.
There was blood on his face, but I couldn't tell if it was from a zombie or his own.
He was limping on his left leg, looked like he'd gotten hurt.
Trailing behind him was a girl I'd never seen before.
She was dressed in combat gear built for mobility, her long hair pulled up into a high ponytail, and her face was unreadable.
She radiated a powerful presence. Her vibe was icy and otherworldly.
There was blood on her clothes, too, but her stride was steady. Nothing about her suggested she'd been through a battle.
The comments went wild.
[Here she comes. The female lead is here.]
[Emma Lane. The original female lead has finally made her entrance.]
[OMG, Emma is so cool. She's both gorgeous and badass.]
[She and Lily are totally different types. One's eye candy, the other's a queen.]
[In the original story, Lucas saved Emma's life and was instantly smitten with her.]
I stared at Emma, a storm of emotions swirling inside me.
So that was the female lead from the original story.
How come she was so badass, and I was so useless?
I felt like crying, but not a single tear would come.
Lucas was momentarily stunned when he saw her, then quickly looked away.
He turned to the group and said, "This is Emma. She's a healer we ran into on the road. She'll be with us from now on."
Emma gave a slight nod, her gaze sweeping around.
When her eyes landed on me, she paused.
She stared at me, and I stared right back.
Things got awkward.
Then she nodded at me.
I nodded back.
The barrage of comments kept coming.
[That's it?]
[I thought they were about to throw down.]
[Lily is way too quiet today. Something's off.]
I quietly looked away and went back to gnawing on my ration bar.
That night, Brian showed up.
He pulled up in a tricked-out SUV, the back loaded with supplies.
There were fresh bloodstains on the car. Looked like the road hadn't been easy.
The moment he saw me, he hurried over, arms outstretched, ready to pull me into a hug. "Lily, did you get scared? Why'd you hang up on me all of a sudden?"
His voice was gentle, his eyes full of concern.
Back then, I would've run into his arms, playing the damsel and maybe squeezing out a few tears for effect.
But now, I took a step back, kept my cool, and said, "No, the signal was bad."
Brian froze mid-motion. He looked at me, a little taken aback, then smiled. "What's wrong? Did being alone freak you out?"
He reached out, trying to pat my head.
I took another step back.
His hand hung awkwardly in the air, his smile turning a bit stiff.
"Lily?" he called out.
"I said I'm fine," I replied, looking him in the eye. "You've dropped off the supplies, so you can go rest now."
The barrage of comments kept coming.
[Whoa, what's up with Lily's attitude?]
[Brian's face is priceless, LOL!]
[That's hilarious. Lily's not simping anymore. Now she's totally desperate!]
Brian was quiet for a few seconds, then pulled his hand back, his voice still soft and gentle. "Alright, get some rest. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
He turned and walked away.
I watched him walk away, not even sure what I was supposed to feel.
This guy was the one who'd end up pushing me off the roof himself.
But right now, he was putting on such a show, acting like he was totally into me.
He was totally faking it.
The barrage of comments kept coming.
[Lily, don't let him fool you!]
[He's acting. Seriously, the original story makes it super clear.]
[Wait till the female lead shows up, then you'll get it.]
I lowered my eyes, letting the comments scroll by without another glance.
After I finished sorting out the supplies and was about to head off to rest, I heard footsteps coming from the stairwell.
Emma came down.
She'd changed into clean clothes, her long hair was down now, and she seemed way less icy and aloof than before.
Brian looked over at her.
The moment their eyes met, I saw him freeze.
The comments were going crazy.
[Here it is. The classic moment.]
[Brian's look is legendary. One glance and he's totally hooked.]
[This is the exact moment he falls for Emma in the original story.]
[Lily must be sulking in the corner, watching them and feeling jealous.]
I really was watching them.
Brian looked at Emma in a way he never did with me.
When his eyes landed on Emma, he was transfixed, frozen in place, as if he had forgotten how to breathe.
Emma glanced at him.
She turned her gaze away, headed to a corner, took a seat, and began organizing her things.
Brian just stood there, totally stunned for a few seconds before he finally came back to himself.
The barrage of comments kept coming.
[Why isn't Lily stirring up drama yet?]
[Shouldn't she be yelling at Emma and calling her a homewrecker by now?]
[Did she get a personality transplant or what?]
I was still the same, okay?
I was wondering whether I'd choose Emma if I were Brian.
She was beautiful and strong. Who was I to be jealous?
I looked away and kept munching on my ration bar.