“I like heights just fine. And you’re right about the fire escapes. Wouldn’t have even bothered with it if the inside stairs weren’t broke all to hell.” His brows rose. “I definitely recommend you keeping away from high places. And not just because the docs will ration your pain meds if you bust up your leg.”
Silas wasn’t looking at her when she peeked over her shoulder, but out of the corner of his eye he noted the angle her head turned. He’d had girlfriends in the past that he’d cared about, relationships that ended for one reason or another, but never a relationship that had ended because the girlfriend died. One didn’t have to be a friend of Rae’s to have seen how much she’d loved that Elliot guy. His crush had been inappropriate then and it was inappropriate now. Maybe she’d never look at him the way she used to look at Elliot, but he could at the very least be her friend. Maybe.
He snorted a sudden laugh when she mentioned the foul-smelling guy he’d been in front of in the lunch line. “Dunno. Maybe he doesn’t. Or maybe he just does it to keep people away from him. Stinkin’ ass motherfucker.” It didn’t occur to Silas to filter his language around Rae. He had an instinctive language filter when it came to interacting with kids, but as far as pregnant women went, he wasn’t sure of the rules. He figured if it bothered her, she’d let him know.
“Evolution.” The word rolled thoughtfully off his tongue. Silas may have had limited intelligence himself, but he understood the concept of creatures evolving. “Hm. Makes sense. Same way we came from monkeys. Really hopin’ that ain’t the case with zombies. They get stronger while we’re still… us?” Weak. If all regular zombies evolved into Smashers… The human race didn’t stand a fucking chance.
He shook his head. “Had it all with me in the infirmary. I don’t have much. Used to packin’ light. I’m glad nobody fucked with my boat, but even if they had, I wouldn’t have been too upset over it.” Rae wasn’t the first to ask him what his plans were for the colder months, nor did he expect she’d be the last. “Probably find a cell somewhere or crash with somebody. Dunno yet.”
“Yes,” he confirmed with a nod. “They were wasps that got me, but a bee’s a bee.” Exactly the reason he hadn’t been interested at all in introducing himself to the previous beekeeper chick. “I think that nerdy guy who’s always hanging out in the greenhouses took over the bee farm. Besides, I dunno if it’s a good idea for you to be hanging around bees right now, anyway.”