Kindled

Maybe Jackson would be different if he were in love. If he were in a relationship. Or, if the world outside this room hadn't fallen into violent chaos, hadn't become a constant war we have no choice but to fight. Maybe he would take his time. Be softer. Gentler. Maybe he would smile or even laugh. Maybe I would be different too. Maybe I wouldn't need his hungry eyes and demanding hands in the dark. But this is how we are together every time. He's not my friend or my boyfriend, but sometimes I go to his room after the sun goes down. I need to.

When the asteroid hits and the world falls apart, I'm seventeen, and my dad buys us a place in an underground bunker. We're supposed to be safe down there, but we're not. Gradually, I lose everything until all I have left is a bewildering relationship with a stoic, unknowable man. As one of the guards in the bunker, Grant has lurked in the background of my life for years, teaching me to defend myself, making sure I'm safe, and infuriating me by treating me like a sheltered princess in a tower. I don't even know if he likes me, even after we end up in bed together.