TWD - Zomboid - Chapter 253: Claire: I’m Not Interested in Him (Patreon)

What Luke hadn't expected was that Ashley seemed even more interested in him.

"Luke, where do you live? Can I come over to your place sometime?" Ashley asked, looking around curiously.

She was fascinated by the idea of seeing where her knight lived. Did he stay in an imposing, magnificent castle like Ramon?

Or maybe he lived in some Eastern-style training hall with pictures of Bruce Lee hanging on the walls.

"My place is actually pretty big. You could play until you're tired and then just crash there. Unfortunately..." Luke paused. "I've got someone keeping an eye on things at home, so that probably wouldn't work. Maybe another time."

With that, he made his escape.

Ashley remained where she was, blinking as she watched him walk away.

Someone was waiting for him at home?

She turned toward Ada, who was just about to leave.

"Um... Ada?" Ashley cautiously approached her. "Does Luke have other family living with him? His parents? Brothers or sisters?"

Ada gave her an increasingly strange look.

This girl's behavior really was hard to figure out.

Then again, this was the same girl who had once thought learning to operate an excavator sounded like a good idea. Her thought process had never exactly been conventional.

She was certainly one of a kind.

"What family?" Ada blinked. "He has a fiancée at home. Didn't you ever ask him?"

Ashley stared at her blankly.

Fiancée?

She stood frozen for several seconds before finally stammering out a response.

"F-Fiancée?"

Then she looked at Ada in confusion.

"...Isn't that you?"

Ashley had seen the two of them together throughout the entire trip. Their effortless chemistry, the soft way they spoke to each other, the constant flirting.

Surely they'd already slept together.

From the beginning, Ashley had been convinced that Ada was the woman who had captured Luke's heart.

Ada merely laughed and shook her head.

"There are plenty of women around Luke. Who could possibly keep track of them all?"

She couldn't be bothered to explain further and waved Ashley off.

"Go entertain yourself, little girl. And... good luck, I guess? Tsk."

The woman in red turned and walked away.

Ashley remained rooted to the spot, her face filled with shock.

What did she mean, plenty of women around Luke?

Ashley felt as though her brain had stopped working.

So if I want to steal Luke away, Ada isn't even the only obstacle?

She had assumed that once a breathtaking woman like Ada had taken a place in Luke's heart, there wouldn't be the slightest opening left for her. She had already been preparing herself to give up.

But apparently...

There wasn't merely an opening.

There was enough room to drive a truck through.

Was this some kind of joke?

Could something like that really happen? Could one man actually date several women at the same time?

Wasn't that just being a total playboy?

Ashley had grown up in a fairly traditional family. She had always been rebellious and tended to think outside the box, but even she was struggling to wrap her head around this.

"Don't bother trying to understand it, girl. You won't," a voice said beside her.

It was Claire, who had been assigned to show Ashley around.

The confident redheaded team member shook her head at Ashley's utterly bewildered expression.

"You understand it?"

Ashley stared at her.

"This is the apocalypse. Everyone's way of thinking has changed. The rules people followed during peacetime don't mean much anymore."

"In a world like this, whoever can give people enough security can keep them alive. One partner, two partners, or a whole group. Nobody's going to make a big deal out of it."

"And in extreme circumstances, beauty isn't exactly a scarce resource."

Claire had her own perspective on the issue.

"What matters is whether the people involved are okay with it. Besides, there's no morality committee here policing anyone's private life."

Ashley listened with her mouth slightly open.

Then she stared at Claire and suddenly worked up the courage to ask another question.

"So... you're Claire, right? Are you Luke's girlfriend too?"

Claire immediately shook her head several times.

"Of course not! How could I be?! I'm not interested in a man who's juggling several women at once! If my brother ever found out, that guy would be dead!"

"But..." Ashley tilted her head, looking perfectly serious. "The way you look at him makes it seem like you really respect him."

Claire suddenly sounded a little less confident.

"T-That's because he used to be my instructor! Instructor, understand? It's perfectly normal for a soldier to respect a superior officer!"

"A soldier's duty is to follow orders!"

"Exactly! That's all it is!"

Ashley gave her a suspicious look.

She had only asked a simple question. Why was Claire getting so worked up?

Claire shifted uncomfortably under her stare and cleared her throat.

"Anyway... you guys take her to her new place. I, uh, forgot to turn off the gas at home. Careless of me. Hopefully Sherry's still alive!"

Claire promptly fled.

Ashley was beginning to think there was something deeply strange about this post-apocalyptic Commonwealth.

Luke in particular seemed determined to turn everything she believed about relationships upside down.

...

Meanwhile, Luke returned home.

When he opened the door, the house was unusually quiet. Only his sister-in-law was there.

Beth didn't have any regular work. Whenever she got restless, she would go help her father or lend Maggie a hand. Today, she was curled up alone in the living room, doing who knew what.

"Rosita isn't here?" Luke asked casually.

"No."

Beth shook her head.

The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up and she hurried over.

"You're back!"

She stood on tiptoe and somewhat awkwardly helped him out of his coat before hanging it on the rack by the door.

"Well, look at you."

Luke grinned. "Not pretending to be a fierce guard dog today? Come on, bark a couple of times for me."

"My sister isn't here," Beth replied matter-of-factly.

With Maggie gone, there was no reason for her to deliberately act hostile just to please her sister and earn herself an opportunity.

Rosita's success had taught her something important.

Opportunities weren't given to you. You had to seize them yourself!

Luke laughed and stepped aside from the doorway.

Outside sat a huge snow-white dog, wagging its tail toward the house.

"Wow! A big dog!" Beth's eyes immediately lit up.

She had grown up on a farm, so dogs didn't frighten her in the slightest.

"He's beautiful! And so well-behaved. He doesn't even bite!"

Bruce obligingly licked her hand and gave a bark.

His life of luxury had officially begun.

"Like him?" Luke asked, leaning against the doorframe. "Consider him a present. He'll be useful for guarding the house and yard too."

It was a shame he couldn't find a few good native village dogs.

Purebred village dogs were excellent animals. Smart, loyal, and remarkably perceptive. Generations of careful breeding had seen to that.

"I love him! I absolutely love him!"

Beth threw her arms around Bruce's neck and rubbed her face against him.

"We used to have a few big dogs back on the farm too. But when the apocalypse started... they kept barking, and they all died..."

Her expression dimmed slightly.

"Does he have a name?"

"Bruce."

"Bruce? Isn't that Batman's name?"

Beth tried calling to him.

"Bruce?"

The big white dog immediately raised his head, gave an affectionate sound, and pushed his muzzle into her arms.

"He answered me! He answered me!"

Beth's face lit up with excitement.

She sprang to her feet and jumped into Luke's arms, wrapping both arms tightly around his neck.