So, I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you all like it as much as I did! :) I also want to thank all of you who have taken the time to read and review this story!
Part Three
Daryl had no idea what he was doing as he moved his lips over Carol's, but he figured he had to be doing something right if she hadn't shoved him away or slapped him, yet. In fact, she was actually kissing him back. Without breaking contact, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer, just like he had seen the couple from earlier do. Carol hummed in approval and wrapped her arms around his neck.
When he felt the tip of Carol's tongue trace the seam of his lips, Daryl jumped back in slight surprise. Carol's face flushed a deep red and she looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, Daryl. I'm moving a little fast, aren't I?"
Daryl was confused. "Wasn't I the one who started kissin' your ass first? I jus' wasn't expectin' that. I ain't very experienced..." Now, he felt his own face start to flush in embarrassment. "In kissin'." Actually, he wasn't experienced at all.
"Well," Carol smiled, brightly. "I thought you were doing a great job, Daryl." She pulled him close again and whispered. "And, if you want, we can keep practicing so that you can get even better."
"I'd...I'd like that." Daryl gave her a half smile and then, looked around them. "But can we not do it in the middle of fuckin' New York?" Carol looked around them and giggled as throngs of people past them. None of them paid the couple any attention; they were probably used to people publicly showing their affection for another. However, Daryl was a very private person and kissing Carol in front of God and everyone had been an out of character act of impulsiveness. The woman before him was bringing out a side of him that Daryl didn't even know he had and it felt...good.
Living underneath his pa and then, Merle's thumb, Daryl had never been able to live the life he wanted. He always followed his brother around and gone with every crazy scheme Merle would cook up. Many of them were illegal and Daryl considered himself lucky that he hadn't found himself in jail, yet. Merle hadn't been so lucky, though. Growing up, Daryl had barely seen Merle since he'd usually be serving stints in juvie.
"Daryl?" Carol's soft voice broke him from his thoughts about Merle. Thankfully. "I know I've been pulling you all over New York today, but can I take you to one more place?" She pulled her soft, pink bottom lip with her teeth and Daryl was fixed on the sight, wanting to taste those lips again. "It's nothing special or anything. I just thought we could grab something to eat from there."
"Sure and I, uh, don't mind you pullin' me all over the place. I've seen more of this city today than I have since I moved here with Merle."
Carol smiled. "Same here. Kind of sad, isn't it?"
Daryl just shrugged. "Really had no desire to see it. It's just another place Merle dragged me to and it's only a matter of time before he drags me somewhere else."
"Would you still go with him if he suddenly decided that today he was done with New York?" Carol's voice was small and if Daryl had taken the time to study her face, he wouldn't have said what he did next.
"Course I would. He's my brother." When Carol's eyes widened, in what looked like panic, Daryl knew he must have said something wrong. Shit.
"Oh, okay. I mean, I don't fault you. He is your brother." She gave him a smile and Daryl saw right away that it wasn't genuine.
"Carol-" He started, hoping to apologize.
"No, its fine, Daryl. Really." The smile grew even faker, if that was even possible. "We should get going if we want to beat the dinner crowd." Carol start to walk and to Daryl's disappointment, she didn't grab his arm or hand to drag him along.
Shit. Shit. Shit. He had just fucked everything up with Carol and that was the last thing Daryl ever wanted to do. This woman, this beautiful woman that walked in front of him understood him and he couldn't help but think, no, he knew, that he'd never find anyone like her in the rest of his life. Daryl knew he had to make things right with Carol. He had to jog to catch up to her, she was walking like she was on a mission, and when he grabbed Carol's arm to turn her around he saw that she was crying.
"I'm sorry!" She quickly wiped the tears away. "I'm being unfair to you, Daryl. Let's just forget about it, okay? Let's just grab some dinner and enjoy the rest of the night."
Daryl cupped her jaw and used his thumb to swipe away a tear she had missed. "Can't forget about it, Carol. I upset you and I wanna know why, so I can fix it." Carol shook her head, eyes still shining and Daryl wondered if more tears would fall soon. He realized, then, that he hated to see her cry, especially since she was crying because of him.
"Let's just get dinner."
"How about this? We get dinner, go back to my place to eat and then, you're goin' to tell me why you're cryin'. Okay?"
Carol bit her bottom lip. "Fine," she said, softly.
"Good. Now, show me this place you work at." Daryl smiled and bravely grabbed Carol's hand. He heard her gasp at the action. Up until now, she had been the one to grab onto him and not the other way around.
~D-C~
Carol led them to a restaurant that was located on the corner of a street and from the looks of it, was pretty packed. Every seat outside was filled and Daryl wondered if that was the case inside, as well.
"Well, it doesn't look like we beat the rush," she smiled and pushed open the door for them. A frazzled looking redhead in a waitress uniform waved at Carol briefly before rushing to get orders from a full table. "Glad I don't have to work tonight. Although, I'm missing out on some pretty good tips." Daryl couldn't imagine working in such a hectic place like this. He wasn't a people person and probably would have been fired for punching someone in the face who'd get too snippy or impatient with him.
"Carol, what are you doing here?" A blonde woman, looking slightly less frazzled than the redhead, approached them. "Isn't it your day off?" The woman's eyes wondered over to him and the look on her face changed. "And who is this?"
"This is Daryl," Carol introduced him. Daryl didn't like the look the woman was giving him. Like she wanted to eat him up or something. "Daryl, this is Jenni."
Jenni held out a hand and Daryl reluctantly shook it. "Hi," she said and took a step closer, which he did not like.
"I'm going to go talk to Ted and put in our order," Carol said and began to walk to the back, then stopped and came back to them. "Oh, I forgot to ask you what you want, Daryl."
I want to come with you because this woman is makin' me fuckin' uncomfortable, he wanted to say but choose to ask, "What are you havin'?"
"I get the hamburger with avocado and with french fries on the side. Boring, I know." She shrugged. "But I love it."
Daryl had never tried an avocado or anything that had avocado in it before and decided that he'd try something new tonight. "I'll have the same as you."
"Okay. I'll be right back." And Carol left Daryl with Jenni, who placed a hand on his bare bicep the moment she left. "So, where are you from? You can't be from around here."
"Uh, Georgia." Daryl definitely didn't feel like talking and he cursed Carol for every step she took away from them.
"You do have a nice little twang there, huh? I bet that makes all the ladies go crazy when you get them in bed." Jenni was being way too forward with him and her last statement had his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, so he was unable to say anything.
"So, what are you and Carol doing, tonight?" The girl continued. "And whatever it is, will it be keeping you busy for the whole night?" She winked in a way that Daryl wondered was supposed to be sexy. "I get off at ten, if you wanted to know."
He didn't and Daryl narrowed his eyes at Jenni. "Carol and I are takin' the food back to my place, where we'll be spendin' the whole night together." He hoped the woman caught the message he was trying to send. She did and her hand slid from his arm.
"Oh, I see." She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "Lucky Carol."
Just then, Carol returned with a takeout bag in her hand. "He already had my food ready since I come this time every Saturday and it didn't take long for him to make yours." She smiled. "Ready to go?"
Daryl nodded, wrapped an arm around Carol's shoulders and looked back at Jenni. "No. Lucky me."
This was wayyy shorter than I had planned it to be, but I thought it was a good place to end it. I'm probably going to regret it because I have the next few chapters semi-planned out and if everything goes as planned then the next chapter will be on the short side, too.
I usually don't do this, but a few days ago I posted chapter ten for my story Lost and Found and some people didn't get the email saying I posted it, so I just want to let all those that are reading that story to know there is a new chapter up and it's actually one of my favorites so far! :)
Thanks for reading!
