Break Free The Night (Book 1) Read Free

weight of the cold water dripping from them .“I’ ll be down in a minute, just have to get dressed . ”
     
                  Kaylee grinned and offered a small wave. They really had been lucky, not only with surviving but also with the people with whom they got to survive. Anna Hernandez had been their neighbor in the high-rise apartment building where they had grown up. She was funny, smart, kind, and had always been nice to Kaylee and her sister. It was also useful that she was a nurse. Though she would laughingly tell you she was a psychiatric nurse and by the medical communit y’ s standards, that hardly counted. But Kaylee knew what really did count; Anna had patched up each and every one of them from time to time over the past two years. She had become like a second mom.
     
                  Kaylee furrowed her brow and scrunched up her face at the thought.
     
                  Not now, Kaylee.
     
                  “ Is Andrew up yet ?” Emma asked, now flinging bowls and spoons without care onto the table in the center of the room.
     
                  “ He might be now, with all that racket yo u’ re making ,” their father answered, frowning. Emma shrugged and traipsed off to the storage room.
     
                  Andrew McCormick and his father Bill had also been neighbors from the high-rise. Kaylee had practically grown up with Andrew. He had always been a rounder sort of boy, though the lack of food had seen to that and now his clothing very nearly hung off him. The decreased sustenance had not shortened him however, he was taller than ever and his blond hair had grown into his eyes due to his reluctance to let Kaylee near him with a pair of scissors. Throughout the years, they had shared the same classes, went to the same parties, exchanged gifts on Christmas and birthdays. He was her best friend then and he still was now.
     
                  “ Morning, Kay .” Andre w’ s sleepy voice rumbled out of him, his tone still scratchy from his day of sleep. His father trailed behind looking disgruntled and irritated as usual. Kaylee looked up from the cook fire to beam at Andrew.
     
                  “ Morning, Drew ! ”
     
                  “ Was that your lovely homemaking skills that woke us this morning, or was that your sister ? ”
     
                  Kaylee opened her mouth to answer but was beaten by Emma who had just bounced back into the room holding a jug of maple syrup .“ That was me you ass, and you better have meant that compliment sincerely or you wo n’ t be getting any syrup ! ”
     
                  “ Like you could keep me from it ,” Andrew teased, yanking the syrup from her hands and holding it over his head. Emma grit her teeth and punched him in the arm, though it did n’ t appear to have the effect she had intended. Andrew merely laughed and pulled out a chair, pouring some of his stolen syrup over the oatmeal that Kaylee had just served him.
     
                  Neither father had said a word during the exchange. Bill was looking out the window, his arm propped up against the frame and his nose touching the glass. The window had fogged some due to his breathing and he wiped the glass clean as he turned away.
     
                  “ Still finding food ,” he said, shaking his head as he pulled out a chair next to his son.
     
                  “ The y’ re not exactly picky ,” Kayle e’ s father Nick answered, now eating a lumpy portion of oatmeal .“ The girls say w e’ re low on supplies again. We need to go shopping . ”
     
                  “ Shopping ,” Bill snorted ,“ yeah . ”
     
                  “ The market on eighth was still fairly stocked with dry goods last time we were there ,” Andrew added to the conversation, oatmeal dripping from his spoon unto his shirt.