Page 1 of If the World Was Ending

Chapter 1

Should I slap you?

Earthquake.

What? No. Really? Oh. Shit.

EARTHQUAKE!

It wasn’t Hunter’s first. In the four years he’d been living in Los Angeles, he’d been in three that he felt, and four that happened overnight that he slept through. But this was different from the second it started. Usually there was a moment of pause, where his brain snagged and he couldn’t figure out why he heard rattling or felt a little unsteady. But this… this one tilted the generic tiled floor beneath him instantly and violently. This was… big.

He was in the chip aisle of Trader Joe’s because his easily distracted and overwhelmed brain had gotten sidetracked while trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Usually, his girlfriend Leandra sent a list, since she had very specific things she would and wouldn’t eat. But he was trying to surprise her tonight because they’d been in a bit of a rut, to put it mildly. And now, they weren’t going to get out of the rut. He’d be lucky if he got out of the chip aisle.

Every shelf, every bottle and jar in the store started to move. A jar of salsa tumbled to the floor and cracked open. A rack an aisle over tipped and Hunter’s heart lurched. He scurried back into a wall. Was that the smart move? Was he safe? People started to squeak and squeal in fear because it wasn’t stopping, it was getting worse. There was the sound of breaking glass, something bigger than a jar of salsa. He saw a short hallway next to him, with a bathroom sign above it, and he bolted for that as another set of shelves swayed violently in front of him and someone screamed. It seemed like a good idea to be in a smaller space where there were no shelves to crush him.

He was sure he was the least quake-savvy person in Los Angeles, but he vaguely remembered something about hiding in a shower or bathtub. Of course, there were no showers or bathtubs in a public restroom, which dawned on him as soon as he pushed open the door. And besides, maybe that was a fire safety tip? Oh fuck, was he going to die in a grocery store shitter?

“Get down! Fuck!” someone yelled, and then a hand grabbed his wrist, and he was yanked to the floor with a force that felt like it might dislocate his shoulder.

Suddenly, his face was buried in long, blond hair. It smelled like apple, he noted, before his back hit the cold, probably disgusting tile floor.

“Jesus Christ!” Hunter barked as the doors to the toilet stalls swung wildly.

“It’s okay. We’re okay,” the voice said, but Hunter couldn’t see anything but blond hair from the top of the guy’s head on his chest.

And then… Everything went still. Everything.

“Man, that was a big one!” The voice was low and male, and Hunter felt it in his chest because the guy was lying on top of him.

“What the actual fuck?” Hunter repeated without anger, just pure confusion.

The body rolled off of him and lay beside him on the tile floor. He shifted his head to the right, and Hunter locked eyes with the stranger for the first time. He had long, wavy blond hair, high wolfish cheekbones, and wide-set, round gray-blue eyes. And a dimple in his left cheek, Hunter noted, as the guy flashed a sheepish smile. “Sorry for the tackle. You okay?”

Hunter blinked. “Yeah. I guess.”

“First time?” The blond looked like he belonged on a surfboard, not in a grocery store bathroom wearing one of their God-awful Hawaiian print staff shirts.

“At… Trader Joe’s?”

He blinked at Hunter, then grinned as if Hunter were absolutely delightful. “In an earthquake.”

“No. I mean… yeah, in public. I’ve been at home for the others.” Hunter took a stunted breath and sat up. “And that was definitely the biggest one I’ve been in.”

The guy pulled his phone from his shirt pocket and started tapping on the screen. Hunter got to his feet. He looked around the small, two-stall bathroom. It was empty except for them. He eyed the guy still sitting on the floor. “Why did you jump on top of me?”

“Safety,” the guy replied. “Wanted to protect you in case something fell.”

“But you don’t even know me,” Hunter said. That got the guy to look up from his phone. His thick, straight, pale brows pinched.

“Yeah. So? I don’t have to know you to want to keep you from getting crushed by a shitty fluorescent light.” He pointed up, and Hunter followed his finger and saw the long rectangular light fixture was still swaying, although softly now.

The guy showed Hunter his phone screen. “No signal, so yeah, it was big. Takes a lot for the cell service to implode.”

The guy raised his hand, not holding the phone, and locked eyes with Hunter. It took a second for Hunter to realize he was asking for help. Normally Hunter wouldn’t touch a stranger, let alone lock hands with one, but this guy did try to save his life or whatever, so… Hunter reached down, clasped hands with the guy, and yanked him to his feet.

“Thanks.” Handsome Surfer Dude didn’t let go of Hunter, instead adjusting his grip until they were shaking hands. “Colby. Hey.”

“Hey. I’m…” Hunter swallowed. This guy was super good-looking. It was an intrusive thought that struck his consciousness with the force of a baseball bat, making Hunter forget his own name. “I’m…”