Sky on Fire by Emmy Laybourne Read Free Book Online

couch.
    â€œCan dogs eat raw hamburger?” Astrid asked.
    â€œOh yeah,” I answered. “They love it. My uncle Dave has like four black Labs. Most beautiful dogs I’ve ever seen. He feeds them all a raw diet. He makes them this casserole out of hamburger and grated vegetables and flaxseed oil.“
    â€œJeez, that sounds … horrible.”
    â€œYou should never be a dog, then,” I told her.
    â€œDuly noted.” She laughed.
    I loved hearing her laugh.
    Okay, I could be her friend and I could make her laugh. Maybe that could be enough.
    â€œHey, Luna girl,” I called softly. I stretched out my arm, offering the meat to Luna’s shaking form. “Mmmm … hamburger. Mmmmm … it’s so yummy.”
    I heard a soft whine.
    â€œCome on out here, girl,” I called.
    And slowly, Luna edged out toward the meat.
    Given my luck, it would not have surprised me if she had rabies from the rat and attacked me.
    But, no, she was just hurt and tired.
    She took the meat from my fingers and licked them. She had a sort of grateful look in her eyes and her tail wagged twice.
    I fed her the rest of the patty and then she took some water.
    She tried to go back under the couch but I scooped her gently into my arms.
    â€œCan you hand me the Bactine and the Neosporin?” I asked Astrid.
    She handed them to me silently.
    â€œThat’s a girl,” I said to the dog. “We’ll get these cuts healed up now. Good girl.”
    I put some more ointment on the worst of the scratches. They looked red—more red than Caroline’s bite wounds, but I really didn’t know what else to do.
    I had sat on the floor for so long, my knees were creaky when I stood up.
    I turned and faced Astrid.
    She was just looking at me with this weird look on her face.
    â€œYou’re a good guy,” she said. Her voice sounded kind of hollow.
    â€œYeah,” I answered.
    She laughed. It was a dry, self-deprecating chuckle.
    â€œMy mom said that when she met my dad she literally heard, like, a bell ringing and she had the thought, ‘This is a good guy.’ Like, she had this sudden recognition.”
    I nodded.
    â€œIt didn’t stop her from dating a long string of a-holes, I tell you that.”
    â€œYour parents got divorced?”
    â€œMy parents never even married. She couldn’t take it, how nice he was.”
    â€œOh,” I said. The conversation didn’t seem like it was going my way.
    â€œWhy do you think Jake left?” she asked, suddenly changing the subject.
    â€œUh. I think he wanted to help Brayden. He felt bad that when Brayden got shot, he couldn’t do more.…”
    â€œYeah, I know why he left the store originally . He was being a big hero. Going out scouting. Going on a big, stupid mission.”
    There was bitterness in her voice. She was talking about Jake with her usual toughness, but I could almost hear how hurt Astrid was under the sarcasm.
    â€œBut after he showed us on the video walkie-talkie thing that the hospital was closed, why didn’t he come back?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I told her.
    â€œI’ll tell you why,” she said. “Because he only ever thinks about himself. That’s the kind of guy I pick.”
    Tears started to trickle down her cheeks.
    â€œHe doesn’t even know,” she spat. “About the baby. Ugh! What’s wrong with me? I’m just totally falling apart!”
    She wiped the tears roughly with the back of her hand.
    â€œAnd where are the other guys? Have they made it? Shouldn’t they be in Denver by now? Why hasn’t anyone come back for us?”
    She sank down to sit on the futon. She was really crying now. I didn’t know what to do, so I sat down, too, and hugged her. It seemed like the right thing to do. It seemed like she needed someone to hold her.
    I don’t think I was taking advantage.
    Her soft body felt so warm in my