Zombie Island (Zombie Apocalypse #1)

by Samantha Hoffman

  Chapter Three

  Reese and I head back down to the apartment, and Ryder is still sitting on the couch with his feet up on my coffee table. I can’t help but frown at his rudeness. He catches my mean look, rolls his eyes, and drops his feet from the table. Then he wipes his hand across the surface, smearing the dirt into the carpet.

  I clench my hands and roll my eyes back at him. He chuckles and crosses his arms over his chest, giving me a glimpse of his barbed wire tattoo in the process. I ignore him and start to dig through the cupboards. “Are you two hungry?”

  “Yeah, we are,” Ryder says, hopping to his feet. “What do you have?”

  “Not much variety,” I admit, reaching for the cans on the top shelf. I can feel my fingertips brush against the metal, but I can’t get my hands around the cans to bring them down. I grit my teeth to keep from groaning in frustration.

  One of the boys starts to laugh, and Reese reaches up to grab the cans for me. “Why do you keep them up there if you can’t reach?”

  “I can reach just fine,” I snap, taking the cans from him. He continues to laugh, and I arrange the cans on the counter. “I’ve got canned tuna, green beans, corn, mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail, and pear halves.”

  “Mmm, sounds great,” Reese says with a smile. “Decisions, decisions. I think I’ll have…”

  “Will you just choose already?” Ryder snaps, glaring at his younger brother.

  Reese pouts and bats his eyes at Ryder. “You don’t have to be so mean.”

  I laugh, and Reese swipes a can of tuna from the counter. He opens it with the opener on the counter, and Ryder grabs a can of fruit cocktail, and opens it with the Swiss army knife he takes from his pocket. He tips the can back and just starts to swallow large mouthfuls of the fruit.

  Shaking my head, I grab a fork from the drawer near the sink and open my own can of mandarin oranges. The three of us eat in silence and, when we’re done, I cut up the cucumber. Reese bites down into the vegetable with a loud crunch, and he moans. “Oh, god. Fresh vegetables.”

  I smile and nibble on my third of the cucumber. Ryder says nothing; he just stands there and eats as if he’s not sure he’ll get a next meal. I don’t blame him. Moving from one place to the next must take a toll on your health and weight.

  It’s not like he can plant a garden if he’s always on the move.

  “So, um, I’ve only got one bedroom. I guess if you guys don’t mind sharing, you can sleep there, and I’ll take the couch.”

  Reese frowns. “We can’t kick you out of your own bed.”

  Ryder snorts. “I don’t mind kicking her out.”

  Reese glares at him. “Dude, we’re not kicking her out of her bed. She was kind enough to invite us into her own home, the least we could do is take the couch.”

  “But you both won’t fit. It’s alright, just take the bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. I’m small enough to fit.”

  “Sam, its fine. Ryder and I have sleeping bags. We can camp out in here.”

  “Oh, we can?” Ryder asks with a sneer. “She offered; why not take her up on it? When was the last time we slept in a secure bedroom?”

  “Its fine,” I say, “I don’t mind.”

  Reese turns and glares at his older brother. “I am not kicking her out of her own bed, Ryder. Not only is she our host, she’s also a woman.”

  “I don’t give a fuck if she’s a woman. You think she’s survived the apocalypse this long by sitting around cooking or cleaning? She’s obviously not your typical woman. I think she can handle sleeping on the couch for one night!”

  “I don’t have a problem with sleeping on the couch!” I shout, interrupting their squabble. “Really, it’s fine.”

  Ryder smiles, but it’s not a happy one. “Fine. It’s getting dark. I’m gonna take that bucket of water and go wash up. Then I’m going to get some shuteye in that nice, comfy bed.”

  “Ryder–”

  “Its fine,” I say, looking at him. “Really. Both of you can have the bed.”

  Ryder takes the bucket of water and disappears into the bathroom, leaving Reese and I alone in the living room. He just shrugs and gives me a lopsided grin. “I’m sorry about him. He comes off as a jackass sometimes, but he’s really a dependable, trustworthy guy.”

  “It’s alright. I really don’t have a problem with sleeping on the couch. I’ve done it before. You guys can have a comfy place to sleep for the first time in probably a while.”

  “Thanks, Sam, but I think I’ll keep you company out here. The thought of sharing a bed with my older brother is not a pleasant one.”

  And just like that, the two of us are laughing with one another. Ryder comes out with his shaggy light brown hair washed and slicked back. His face and arms are clean, and he looks a lot better than he did before.

  He shakes his head when he sees us laughing, and shuts himself in my bedroom. Reese pulls a small rolled up sleeping back out from the pile of gear they stashed near the door, and unrolls it across the floor.

  I head over to the closet and bring out two pillows and a blanket. I toss Reese one of the pillows, and curl up on the couch with my stuff. Reese shuffles around for a little bit, trying to get comfortable, before finally settling in. “Thanks for letting us stay,” Reese says.

  “Thanks for saving my life.”

  After a few minutes, Reese begins to breathe deeply, and I know that he’s asleep. I shouldn’t feel so safe and comfortable, but oddly enough, I feel safer than I have since the initial outbreak. Even though Ryder is kind of a jerk and Reese might be a little immature, they make me feel safe.

  I close my eyes and let myself drift off into a peaceful sleep.