Apokalypsis | Book 6 | Apokalypsis 6 Morris, Kate (cheapest way to read ebooks TXT) 📖

just shrugged. “Don’t know. Came home last night and went straight to bed. Haven’t seen him yet.”

The clock on the microwave read nine-twenty, but she was pretty sure it was wrong since the power went out so frequently that nobody ever bothered to reset the digital ones. Instead, she turned to the grandfather clock in the living room and got a more accurate reading of ten minutes after eleven.

“He’s not hungry?” she asked rhetorically.

Her father sighed, “Guess not. What’s wrong with him, Jane?”

She regarded her father inquisitively.

“He doesn’t help out around here unless someone tells him to. He sleeps in. Goes to bed early, though. It’s like he’s checked out or something. Or maybe just spoiled?”

“I don’t know, Dad,” she said. “I’ll talk to him.”

“If he’s depressed, I get that, but we can’t just sit around like that. We all have to work, to contribute. One weak chink in the armor could bring down the whole group. We’re doing pretty good here. I’m not sure what’s going on with him, though. He doesn’t seem interested in being here or maybe being a part of the group.”

She nodded with understanding. “Yeah, I know. I’ve seen it, too. I thought he was just depressed, but I’m not so sure. I’ll talk to him, okay?”

Her father frowned but offered a brief nod. They went about their work; Connor washing, her father putting away the dishes after drying them, and Jane wiping down the countertops. They weren’t granite or marble, but just plain old laminate. Her father wasn’t much for trends or high-end finishes. He was practical and saved all of his money. She knew he was doing it for her, too, which made all of those little sacrifices he’d done so much more bittersweet. When she was finished, she also tidied up the living and dining rooms. Her father was right. Noah wasn’t contributing at all. There was a half-drunk water bottle filled with lemonade, prepared by pouring a powdered mix into the bottle of water. Nobody else liked them, just Noah. And so, she knew it was his discarded bottle on the stand. He wasn’t helping much at all, despite Alex’s warning since Stephanie had burned her hand loading wood into the fire. Alex didn’t live with them, and even he realized it. She’d been cleaning up after him in the bathroom a lot, too. Jane felt like this was her fault. She’d invited him into their group.

“I told Connor I’d take him down to the river,” her father said next as he placed the last bowl in the cupboard. “See if we can’t catch some fish. Maybe have a fish fry tonight and cook for our new friends.”

“Yeah, that’s a great idea,” she said.

“Want to go with us?”

“Sure, let me get changed,” she told him and dashed up to her room.

Jane pulled on thermal underwear and the same jeans. Then a red sweater that used to belong to her friend, Dez. It made her miss Destiny desperately, but she wore it anyway. When she exited her room, she nearly ran over Noah, who was standing there with his hand poised to knock. She hadn’t shut the door all the way, and now she was left to wonder if he’d seen her change. He wouldn’t do that, though. He was a gentleman.

“Oh, hey!” she gasped.

“Sorry to frighten you.”

Jane tried to offer a genuine smile but likely failed. “No, you didn’t.”

“Did you just get home?” he asked, his hair standing up, his beard getting too long, and his appearance disheveled.

“Yes, just a few minutes ago.” She paused and looked down the hall and then back at him. “I’m going with my father and Connor to go fishing. Would you like to come?”

“Um, nah,” he said and even offered a sneer of disgust. “Not my thing.”

“We’re not doing it for fun, Noah,” she said with a bit of temper that she couldn’t conceal. “We’re doing it to catch enough fish to cook for everyone tonight.”

“Everyone?”

“Yeah, our new friends,” she said. “Everyone.”

He hung his head slightly, which made her feel bad. What he said next did, too.

“I’ll probably just stay home,” he said. “I’ll stay in my room.”

“Why?” Jane asked, touching his arm.

“I get the impression not too many of these people like me. I don’t exactly fit in here.”

“That’s not true,” she said, unsure if she was lying. She didn’t get the impression her father was too happy with him, and Jane knew for sure that Roman didn’t like him. Telling him those things would hurt his feelings, though.

“Do you?”

Her head snapped up. “What?”

“Do you like me, Jane?”

“Uh…of course, I do. That’s crazy. We’re friends, Noah. I wanted you to come with us, right?” She took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze of reassurance.

“Yeah, but just friends? I think we both know that’s not true.”

“Jane!” her father called from the first floor. “We need to get a move on.”

“Coming!” she shouted back. Then she looked up at Noah and apologized, “Sorry. We need to go. If you change your mind, come down to the creek.”

He offered a single nod, but Jane didn’t get the impression he was going to join them.

“I stored away breakfast leftovers in the fridge,” she offered.

“Great. I’m starving.”

He stretched and walked away to the bathroom. His flippant attitude towards providing for the group left a sour taste on her tongue. Not wanting to focus on Noah, Jane joined her father and Connor, and together they trekked down to the creek.

Her father was patient with Connor and showed him how to bait his hook. Connor immediately took to it and looked like he was having fun, despite the cold temps and partially frozen river.

“Nobody ever take this boy fishing?” her dad quietly asked once Connor had walked about ten feet away with his rod.

She shrugged, “I don’t know. His situation was different, ya’ know?”

A bright red Cardinal landed on a thin, leafless branch near Jane and just stayed there as if observing them, as well. His scarlet