now .” Anna pulled back and looked right at Kaylee. She felt too intimidated in the moment to avoid her gaze .“ But someday, someday when we're someplace safe, it will be the focus . ”
The tears that had threatened before now filled Kayle e’ s eyes, they made her head throb .“ I know ,” she whispered.
“ And then ,” Anna continued in a softer voice ,“ you might not mind so much . ”
Kaylee offered a weak laugh and brought a hand to her face, wiping away any moisture as she pressed her fingertips to her eyes .“I’ m not so sure about that . ”
“ Trust me ,” Anna answered, smirking slightly now as she stood and crossed the room. Kaylee rolled her eyes but nodded not only for Ann a’ s sake but to facilitate a faster end to the conversation.
“ Are you coming or what ?” a loud voice echoed through the closed door and Kaylee huffed in exasperation.
“ Shh! I’ m coming ,” she hissed, getting out of the bed before turning to yank the covers back in place and bending to retrieve her shoes.
Jack knocked loudly on the door and Kaylee jumped .“ H e’ s going to wake everyone up ,” she complained. Anna merely hummed in agreement, not nearly as irritated as Kaylee thought she should be.
A second loud knock caused her to grit her teeth and slam her shoes on the bed before she turned for the door.
“ What ?” she huffed, wrenching the door halfway open so she could glare at a smug-looking Jack .“ There are people in here still asleep, you know. You do n’ t have to be so loud . ”
“ I thought you said you were coming ,” he mocked-whispered and Kaylee growled before slamming the door in his face. She heard a laugh on the other side.
“ Jack seems nice ,” she heard Anna mumble and she turned to stare incredulously at her .“ Impetuous maybe, bu t —”
“ H e’ s an ass ! ”
Ann a’ s eyes popped open at Kayle e’ s statement and Kaylee huffed before sinking back on her made bed to pull on her shoes.
He is an ass! I’ ve known him only a few hours and already h e’ s proven to be arrogant and self-serving, obnoxious and rude, and probably some kind of predator, watching me when I’ m clearly in bed, no shir t …
Kaylee grit her teeth and tried to ignore the quiet laughter Anna was attempting to muffle. She dragged her fingers through her hair and pulled it back, wincing slightly when her hands brushed against the bump on her forehead, and muttered a“ thank s” to Anna as she strode out the door.
Chapter Four
“ Oatmeal okay? You do n’ t have much here in the way of breakfast . ”
Kaylee blinked as she entered the kitchen, finding Jack leaning out the window and fixing a small batch of oatmeal over an open flame.
“ W e’ ll have to fix that though. Ever thought of baking some bread? It would n’ t be too difficult and the ingredients should be relatively easy to find. Quinton and I have managed it a few times, i t’ s no Wonder Bread, but i t’ ll do .” His tone was light and conversational as he spooned the contents into chipped mugs.
“ You made breakfast ?” Kaylee asked, her brow wrinkling. It had always been her job and no one other than Emma had ever even offered to help.
“ Sure. Why, not hungry ?” he asked, offering her a mug with a spoon sticking from the hot cereal. She took it with a shy grin.
“ No, I am ,” she answered, watching him as he moved to a bag stowed in the corner and pulled out a small, plastic, bear-shaped bottle .“ But no on e’ s made me breakfast in over a year . ”
He laughed .“ The men here are that useless, hmm? Honey ? ”
Kaylee had opened her mouth to argue with him, intending on telling
The tears that had threatened before now filled Kayle e’ s eyes, they made her head throb .“ I know ,” she whispered.
“ And then ,” Anna continued in a softer voice ,“ you might not mind so much . ”
Kaylee offered a weak laugh and brought a hand to her face, wiping away any moisture as she pressed her fingertips to her eyes .“I’ m not so sure about that . ”
“ Trust me ,” Anna answered, smirking slightly now as she stood and crossed the room. Kaylee rolled her eyes but nodded not only for Ann a’ s sake but to facilitate a faster end to the conversation.
“ Are you coming or what ?” a loud voice echoed through the closed door and Kaylee huffed in exasperation.
“ Shh! I’ m coming ,” she hissed, getting out of the bed before turning to yank the covers back in place and bending to retrieve her shoes.
Jack knocked loudly on the door and Kaylee jumped .“ H e’ s going to wake everyone up ,” she complained. Anna merely hummed in agreement, not nearly as irritated as Kaylee thought she should be.
A second loud knock caused her to grit her teeth and slam her shoes on the bed before she turned for the door.
“ What ?” she huffed, wrenching the door halfway open so she could glare at a smug-looking Jack .“ There are people in here still asleep, you know. You do n’ t have to be so loud . ”
“ I thought you said you were coming ,” he mocked-whispered and Kaylee growled before slamming the door in his face. She heard a laugh on the other side.
“ Jack seems nice ,” she heard Anna mumble and she turned to stare incredulously at her .“ Impetuous maybe, bu t —”
“ H e’ s an ass ! ”
Ann a’ s eyes popped open at Kayle e’ s statement and Kaylee huffed before sinking back on her made bed to pull on her shoes.
He is an ass! I’ ve known him only a few hours and already h e’ s proven to be arrogant and self-serving, obnoxious and rude, and probably some kind of predator, watching me when I’ m clearly in bed, no shir t …
Kaylee grit her teeth and tried to ignore the quiet laughter Anna was attempting to muffle. She dragged her fingers through her hair and pulled it back, wincing slightly when her hands brushed against the bump on her forehead, and muttered a“ thank s” to Anna as she strode out the door.
Chapter Four
“ Oatmeal okay? You do n’ t have much here in the way of breakfast . ”
Kaylee blinked as she entered the kitchen, finding Jack leaning out the window and fixing a small batch of oatmeal over an open flame.
“ W e’ ll have to fix that though. Ever thought of baking some bread? It would n’ t be too difficult and the ingredients should be relatively easy to find. Quinton and I have managed it a few times, i t’ s no Wonder Bread, but i t’ ll do .” His tone was light and conversational as he spooned the contents into chipped mugs.
“ You made breakfast ?” Kaylee asked, her brow wrinkling. It had always been her job and no one other than Emma had ever even offered to help.
“ Sure. Why, not hungry ?” he asked, offering her a mug with a spoon sticking from the hot cereal. She took it with a shy grin.
“ No, I am ,” she answered, watching him as he moved to a bag stowed in the corner and pulled out a small, plastic, bear-shaped bottle .“ But no on e’ s made me breakfast in over a year . ”
He laughed .“ The men here are that useless, hmm? Honey ? ”
Kaylee had opened her mouth to argue with him, intending on telling
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