back to Jane. Something was wrong with her. And she wouldn't talk to him about it. After he had gotten back to the library, even Charles hadn't been able to answer many of his questions.
"What's wrong?" Claire asked. She was looking at him now instead of the sunset.
Adam shook his head slowly. "Nothing," he said.
"I don't believe you.”
"You don't believe me?" Adam was trying to make a joke of it, but he could see that Claire wasn't going to give up that easily.
"No," she said. "I don't. Tell me what's wrong."
Adam looked at Claire, then turned to Shelly. The young girl had been walking around the roof, looking over the front and sides, but was with them now.
"It's Jane," he said. "I'm still worried about her." They had talked a bit about Jane while they had been in the cafe, but hadn't said much since.
"Me too," Shelly agreed.
Adam was surprised. He didn't think that anyone else had noticed anything wrong. "You are?” he asked. “Why?"
"It's the way she holds the wagon."
"The wagon?"
"She holds onto it as though she's afraid to let it go."
"Maybe she's just worried about Robert."
"Maybe. But I think there's something more than that."
"I've thought the same thing," Claire said.
Adam turned to her. "You've noticed as well? Why haven't you two said anything about it?"
"We have," Claire replied. "We tried to talking t o he r , but she won't tell us anything."
Adam hadn't known this. It made him feel a bit better. At least he wasn't over-reacting. Others had the same idea.
"We should try again," Adam said.
Claire and Shelly nodded.
"But we have to be careful,” Claire added. “I think she's really upset about something. We don't want to frighten her any more than she already is. And we don't want to make her feel bad about it."
Make her feel bad about it . Adam couldn't help but wonder if Claire was talking a bit about herself here . Don’t make her feel bad about what she had gone through with Big Mike.
"Of course," he said. "We won't make her feel bad. Should we speak to her now?"
Claire shook her head. "Not yet. Let's wait until it's dark. It looks so beautiful up here."
There it was again . Beautifu l .
Adam stared at Claire . Yes, it was beautiful up here.
Chapter 12
Shelly started walking around the rooftop again while Adam and Claire sat down. Claire let out a deep sigh.
"Now what's the matter wit h yo u ?" Adam asked.
"It's nothing. Just thinking about things."
"Like what?"
She turned to him. "I was just wondering if we're going to find other people out there."
"You don't like the people you've met?" He exaggerated his voice, pretending to be hurt.
Claire laughed and slapped his arm gently. Adam liked the feel of her hand on him . Even if it had only been for a second.
"It's not that," she explained. "I was just wondering if we're going to be able to settle down anywhere. If there were groups of people looking for others like us. If everything is going to be okay."
In the end, that's what it came down to : is everything going to be oka y ?
"I think we'll be fine," he said. "I really do."
He shifted his eyes to look out over the landscape. He didn't know if he believed what he said, but he hoped that it was true. And maybe that was enough.
*
The sky continued to darken until it went black. Adam and Claire continued to sit on the roof. Shelly was there also. She was on the other side and hadn't bothered them for a while.
Adam turned to look at Claire. He could barely see her. The moon and stars only gave him a little light to work with. When he had first seen the stars after th e chang e , he couldn't believe how many of them there were. And he was still amazed by them.
However, at the moment, they were the furthest thing from his mind.
"Claire?" he said.
"Yes?"
Without saying anything else, he leaned over and kissed her. For a short time, she kissed him back. Then she quickly pulled away.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that."
"No, no, no. Don't be
"What's wrong?" Claire asked. She was looking at him now instead of the sunset.
Adam shook his head slowly. "Nothing," he said.
"I don't believe you.”
"You don't believe me?" Adam was trying to make a joke of it, but he could see that Claire wasn't going to give up that easily.
"No," she said. "I don't. Tell me what's wrong."
Adam looked at Claire, then turned to Shelly. The young girl had been walking around the roof, looking over the front and sides, but was with them now.
"It's Jane," he said. "I'm still worried about her." They had talked a bit about Jane while they had been in the cafe, but hadn't said much since.
"Me too," Shelly agreed.
Adam was surprised. He didn't think that anyone else had noticed anything wrong. "You are?” he asked. “Why?"
"It's the way she holds the wagon."
"The wagon?"
"She holds onto it as though she's afraid to let it go."
"Maybe she's just worried about Robert."
"Maybe. But I think there's something more than that."
"I've thought the same thing," Claire said.
Adam turned to her. "You've noticed as well? Why haven't you two said anything about it?"
"We have," Claire replied. "We tried to talking t o he r , but she won't tell us anything."
Adam hadn't known this. It made him feel a bit better. At least he wasn't over-reacting. Others had the same idea.
"We should try again," Adam said.
Claire and Shelly nodded.
"But we have to be careful,” Claire added. “I think she's really upset about something. We don't want to frighten her any more than she already is. And we don't want to make her feel bad about it."
Make her feel bad about it . Adam couldn't help but wonder if Claire was talking a bit about herself here . Don’t make her feel bad about what she had gone through with Big Mike.
"Of course," he said. "We won't make her feel bad. Should we speak to her now?"
Claire shook her head. "Not yet. Let's wait until it's dark. It looks so beautiful up here."
There it was again . Beautifu l .
Adam stared at Claire . Yes, it was beautiful up here.
Chapter 12
Shelly started walking around the rooftop again while Adam and Claire sat down. Claire let out a deep sigh.
"Now what's the matter wit h yo u ?" Adam asked.
"It's nothing. Just thinking about things."
"Like what?"
She turned to him. "I was just wondering if we're going to find other people out there."
"You don't like the people you've met?" He exaggerated his voice, pretending to be hurt.
Claire laughed and slapped his arm gently. Adam liked the feel of her hand on him . Even if it had only been for a second.
"It's not that," she explained. "I was just wondering if we're going to be able to settle down anywhere. If there were groups of people looking for others like us. If everything is going to be okay."
In the end, that's what it came down to : is everything going to be oka y ?
"I think we'll be fine," he said. "I really do."
He shifted his eyes to look out over the landscape. He didn't know if he believed what he said, but he hoped that it was true. And maybe that was enough.
*
The sky continued to darken until it went black. Adam and Claire continued to sit on the roof. Shelly was there also. She was on the other side and hadn't bothered them for a while.
Adam turned to look at Claire. He could barely see her. The moon and stars only gave him a little light to work with. When he had first seen the stars after th e chang e , he couldn't believe how many of them there were. And he was still amazed by them.
However, at the moment, they were the furthest thing from his mind.
"Claire?" he said.
"Yes?"
Without saying anything else, he leaned over and kissed her. For a short time, she kissed him back. Then she quickly pulled away.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have done that."
"No, no, no. Don't be
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