Chapter 255: Chapter 255
This was hardly Suzy’s first time in Thomas’s room.
She wandered freely between his room and Derek’s whenever she pleased. Both men had long since stopped treating their personal space as off-limits to her.
After waiting for a while, boredom began creeping in.
Suzy rose from her seat and drifted over to Thomas’s desk.
A few books sat neatly stacked there beside a small triangular desk calendar.
The calendar immediately caught her attention. For a moment, she found herself staring at it blankly.
Ever since the apocalypse began, her sense of time had become increasingly blurred. Days melted into one another until dates barely seemed to matter anymore.
What month was it? What day?
She honestly couldn’t remember. Apparently, Thomas could. Each day that had passed was marked with a neat black X.
Future holidays had been circled carefully in red ink.
Suzy’s gaze settled on the nearest red circle.
She froze briefly... New Year’s Eve. It was almost here. Only one week remained.
Her eyes lingered on the marked date as thoughts drifted through her mind.
Maybe they should do something, some sort of celebration.
Life had become peaceful lately, and perhaps a holiday gathering would bring a little extra warmth and excitement into their routine.
She became so absorbed in thought that she failed to hear the bathroom door open behind her.
"What are you looking at?"
Thomas’s voice sounded unexpectedly close beside her ear.
Suzy jumped slightly and spun around. A cool, clean scent washed over her.
"You’re done already." Her eyes swept over him. "How did you sneak up on me without making a sound?"
She hadn’t heard a single footstep.
"Were you looking at the calendar?" Thomas’s gaze shifted past her shoulder.
"Yeah," Suzy answered absentmindedly, yet her attention remained fixed on him.
Fresh from the shower, he was still surrounded by faint traces of steam.
His dark hair was damp. Tiny droplets of water clung to his lashes and lingered at the ends of his hair.
The white bathrobe fit him perfectly, though it wasn’t tied particularly tightly. The neckline hung slightly open, revealing the firm contours of his chest.
A few beads of water glimmered against his skin.
In Suzy’s opinion, the view was exceptionally pleasing.
Perhaps her gaze was too obvious. Thomas lowered his eyes awkwardly.
Suppressing a smile, Suzy shifted the conversation.
"New Year’s Eve is only a few days away."
Thomas nodded.
"Have you thought about how you want to celebrate it?"
"Not yet."
Suzy took several steps backward and flopped onto his bed.
Instantly, regret hit her. Pain shot through her back.
"Ow!" She grimaced.
Only then did she remember––Thomas disliked overly soft mattresses.
Not long ago, he had asked Suzy to store the original mattress in her space and replace it with a thinner, firmer one.
Even so, the mattress felt like solid concrete to her. Her slender frame wasn’t built for dramatic dives onto hard surfaces. The impact rattled every bone in her body.
She groaned dramatically. "Your bed is basically a hidden weapon."
"Suzy!"
Concern immediately appeared on Thomas’s face. He hurried over and helped her sit upright.
"Are you alright?"
Suzy grabbed his arm and used it to pull herself up. Rubbing her aching back, she made a miserable face.
"That hurt."
Thomas’s hand settled gently against her back. His palm was still slightly damp from the shower. Slowly and carefully, he began massaging the sore spot.
"How about now?"
The concern in his voice was unmistakable.
Suzy relaxed beneath his touch. "Much better."
She let out a long breath. "Honestly, I’m not that fragile. It only hurt at first."
Still, she had no intention of stopping him. His massage technique was surprisingly good.
Warmth spread through her muscles. The tension gradually disappeared.
After a while, she opened her eyes again. Only then did she realize how close they had become.
Thomas had moved to sit beside her. Their shoulders nearly touched. When she tilted her head upward, her lips almost brushed against his jaw.
At that exact moment, Thomas noticed her looking at him.
He lowered his head slightly. The distance between them shrank even further. Their eyes met. His lashes trembled faintly.
A smile curved Suzy’s lips. Without hesitation, she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss against his mouth.
"You smell nice."
The comment immediately stiffened his shoulders.
Amused, Suzy leaned closer. She brought her nose near his cheek and inhaled thoughtfully.
There it was. A faint, clean fragrance. Fresh and subtle.
She poked his cheek.
"Have you been using skincare products lately?"
Thomas fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah."
The answer sounded oddly uncomfortable.
Suzy laughed.
"I honestly thought you’d ignore all the products I stocked for you."
Back when she had been hoarding supplies, she’d purchased practically everything imaginable.
Men’s skincare. Women’s skincare. Toiletries. Personal care products.
Long before Thomas and Derek moved in, she had prepared entire sets for them. One room even served as a dedicated storage area filled with daily necessities.
There were toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, body wash, tissues, dental floss, skincare kits... Anything a person could possibly need.
She had expected Derek to use the products.
Thomas, however, seemed far too rough around the edges. He barely paid attention to his own injuries. The fact that he had voluntarily started using moisturizer surprised her.
Thomas cleared his throat.
"The weather’s been dry lately." He looked away. "My skin was getting a little rough."
It was a convenient excuse. The real reason remained unspoken.
Lately, watching the younger Derek constantly hovering around Suzy had awakened something unfamiliar inside him.
Anxiety.
Thomas was older than both of them. Years older. He would age faster, too.
A few days earlier, while looking into a mirror, he’d noticed faint lines near the corners of his eyes. His skin seemed rougher than before, too.
For the first time in years, insecurity had settled into his chest. Maybe it was time to take better care of himself.
The thought had lingered ever since.
Suzy reached up and brushed her fingers against his temple. A tiny streak of white cream still remained there.
She couldn’t help laughing.
"You missed a spot."
Using her fingertip, she gently blended the remaining moisturizer into his skin.
Her gaze drifted lower, toward his lips.
"They look a little dry too."
Her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"Want me to get you some lip balm?"
Thomas instinctively pressed his lips together.
They felt perfectly normal.
Confused, he looked at her. A second later, Suzy burst out laughing.
"I’m teasing you."
His lips weren’t dry at all. If anything, they were rather attractive––well-defined and soft-looking, a natural deep rose color.
Unable to resist, Suzy cupped his face and kissed him again.
His lips were exactly as inviting as they looked.
Dangerously easy to kiss.
When she pulled back, she noticed a conflicted expression forming on his face.
One dark brow furrowed.
Suzy raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Thomas hesitated.
"You don’t want me kissing you?"
His eyes widened immediately.
"No."
The answer came so fast it nearly overlapped with her question.
"That’s not it."
"Then what is it?"
"I..."
He struggled for several seconds. His voice dropped lower. He almost sounded embarrassed.
Finally, he muttered, "I think... I might need that lip balm."
For a second, Suzy simply stared at him. Then she laughed so hard her shoulders shook.
Throwing her arms around his neck, she grinned.
"You could’ve just said so."
