pulling back a bit and looking him over .“ You overreacted, did n’ t you ? ”
Andre w’ s eyes dipped to the rooftop and he smiled sheepishly .“ I was worried, so was everyone . ”
“ Silly boy ,” she chastised lightly, grinning up at him.
“ Anyone else up ?” Jack interrupted, standing and stretching before walking over to the pair. Kaylee felt a flush creep up her neck without really understanding why and she pulled out of Andre w’ s embrace, he letting her go only grudgingly.
“ Your friend ,” Andrew answered, his tone had a slight edge .“ But no one else. We do n’ t normally get up so early . ”
“ So I was told ,” Jack said, scooping up Kayle e’ s mug and spoon with his own and turning once to scan the sky .“ Nice clear day though and we have some scavenging to do, s o … ” he trailed off and headed in the direction of the stairs.
“ You will consider my offer though, right ?” he asked, turning suddenly to look at Kaylee from the mouth of the stairwell. She grit her teeth.
“ To be eye candy for you and your friend? Oh sure, I’ d just love to ,” she answered, hoping the sarcasm dripping from her voice would put him off. She could hear his laughter as he descended the stairs.
Kaylee turned back to Andrew and noticed his raised eyebrows, his look of agitation.
“ Sorry ,” she offered, shrugging through her blush .“ H e’ s kind of an, a n …”
“ Yeah, h e’ s an ass ,” Andrew supplied through grit teeth .“ Do n’ t get me wrong, I’ m glad w e’ re not alone. But, I mean seriously! After all this waiting we get some jackass eighteen-year-old and a grisly old man with plans of world domination. You should hear them talk! According to them ther e’ s an underground force somewhere up north that the y’ re escaping to, some place where the infected never penetrated and you can live free and clear of all this shit . ”
Andrew kicked the edge of a tomato planter and grunted before turning to the edge of the rooftop and staring into the masses. Kaylee knew from the set of his shoulders and the force at which he spewed his words he was angry. Jac k’ s arrival had seriously shaken him.
“ I just do n’ t believe it ,” he continued, his voice more steady and calm than before .“ This is n’ t some big, huge city. W e’ re nobod y’ s, nothing, here. If we ca n’ t even keep them out of this little space, ho w’ s anyone doing it anywhere else? I do n’ t think that w e’ re all tha t’ s left, but a whole colony? A whole town of people eating, sleeping at night, going to school, running business, and all that? I t’ s not possible . ”
“ But if tha t’ s not possible, why should we even try ?” Kaylee whispered, almost regretting it as she saw Andrew tense further .“ Is n’ t that what w e’ re trying to do? Live normally? With more people it would get easier, would n’ t it ? ”
“ It would; if it were possible, if it were true. I just do n’ t think it is . ”
Kaylee bit her lip, feeling tears of frustration well in the corners of her eyes. If it were n’ t possible, then what was the point? She wanted to scream at Andrew, ask him why they should even consider having children if this was the only life they could offer them. Even Andre w’ s dream of finding a home in the country and setting up a camp there, farming for food and living night and day to protect it seemed weak and unappealing next to the fantasy of a whole town to live in. Kaylee dragged her sleeve over her eyes, ensuring that no moisture clung to her lashes before she looked back to Andrew.
He was watching her intently and his gaze faltered as she met it.
“I’ m glad yo u’ re okay ,” he whispered, his eyes traveling over her in a way that made her feel very
Andre w’ s eyes dipped to the rooftop and he smiled sheepishly .“ I was worried, so was everyone . ”
“ Silly boy ,” she chastised lightly, grinning up at him.
“ Anyone else up ?” Jack interrupted, standing and stretching before walking over to the pair. Kaylee felt a flush creep up her neck without really understanding why and she pulled out of Andre w’ s embrace, he letting her go only grudgingly.
“ Your friend ,” Andrew answered, his tone had a slight edge .“ But no one else. We do n’ t normally get up so early . ”
“ So I was told ,” Jack said, scooping up Kayle e’ s mug and spoon with his own and turning once to scan the sky .“ Nice clear day though and we have some scavenging to do, s o … ” he trailed off and headed in the direction of the stairs.
“ You will consider my offer though, right ?” he asked, turning suddenly to look at Kaylee from the mouth of the stairwell. She grit her teeth.
“ To be eye candy for you and your friend? Oh sure, I’ d just love to ,” she answered, hoping the sarcasm dripping from her voice would put him off. She could hear his laughter as he descended the stairs.
Kaylee turned back to Andrew and noticed his raised eyebrows, his look of agitation.
“ Sorry ,” she offered, shrugging through her blush .“ H e’ s kind of an, a n …”
“ Yeah, h e’ s an ass ,” Andrew supplied through grit teeth .“ Do n’ t get me wrong, I’ m glad w e’ re not alone. But, I mean seriously! After all this waiting we get some jackass eighteen-year-old and a grisly old man with plans of world domination. You should hear them talk! According to them ther e’ s an underground force somewhere up north that the y’ re escaping to, some place where the infected never penetrated and you can live free and clear of all this shit . ”
Andrew kicked the edge of a tomato planter and grunted before turning to the edge of the rooftop and staring into the masses. Kaylee knew from the set of his shoulders and the force at which he spewed his words he was angry. Jac k’ s arrival had seriously shaken him.
“ I just do n’ t believe it ,” he continued, his voice more steady and calm than before .“ This is n’ t some big, huge city. W e’ re nobod y’ s, nothing, here. If we ca n’ t even keep them out of this little space, ho w’ s anyone doing it anywhere else? I do n’ t think that w e’ re all tha t’ s left, but a whole colony? A whole town of people eating, sleeping at night, going to school, running business, and all that? I t’ s not possible . ”
“ But if tha t’ s not possible, why should we even try ?” Kaylee whispered, almost regretting it as she saw Andrew tense further .“ Is n’ t that what w e’ re trying to do? Live normally? With more people it would get easier, would n’ t it ? ”
“ It would; if it were possible, if it were true. I just do n’ t think it is . ”
Kaylee bit her lip, feeling tears of frustration well in the corners of her eyes. If it were n’ t possible, then what was the point? She wanted to scream at Andrew, ask him why they should even consider having children if this was the only life they could offer them. Even Andre w’ s dream of finding a home in the country and setting up a camp there, farming for food and living night and day to protect it seemed weak and unappealing next to the fantasy of a whole town to live in. Kaylee dragged her sleeve over her eyes, ensuring that no moisture clung to her lashes before she looked back to Andrew.
He was watching her intently and his gaze faltered as she met it.
“I’ m glad yo u’ re okay ,” he whispered, his eyes traveling over her in a way that made her feel very
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