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Chapter Ten
As they walked back towards camp, there was an air of calm between the pair. They made their way over to the tents but Daryl came to an abrupt stop.
"Come on," He said, nodding for Lila to follow him. He began walking towards the camp vehicles.
Daryl came to a halt at his bike and rummaged through the limited storage, Lila watched in confusion as he searched for whatever it was he was looking for.
His hand clasped around the cool metal and he pulled the small handgun from its holster before presenting it to Lila.
"Here," He said, looking towards her and urging her to take it from him.
"I know I put up an argument in the woods but I was only kidding, I can't take that," Lila said in disbelief but Daryl didn't listen. Instead he just grabbed Lila's hand with one hand and placed the gun in the open palm with his other. He made sure she tightened her grip around it before he stepped back.
"Don't go shootin' up a storm back at camp, keep it hidden, use it in emergencies only," He said, "And this don't give you the power to go runnin' around conquerin' your own missions like you did the other day. Look after it." With that he began walking towards the farmhouse.
"I can't Daryl," Lila argued as she jogged towards him.
"Yeah you can," He argued in return, "It ain't doin' no one no good sat in there, might as well be someone lookin' after it."
"I can't even shoot!" Lila laughed.
"Oh you can shoot," Daryl scoffed, biting down on his nails, "You just ain't very good at it." He paused and Lila noticed that his eyes moved down her figure for just a split second before he corrected himself and turned away.
"This your way of getting me to trust you?" Lila called after him.
Daryl didn't turn around to face her, he just kept on walking as he spoke, "I never said you should trust me, probably a smart thing you don't."
The farmhouse was bustling as Lila made her way into the kitchen, Lori met her eyes and smiled.
"Hey," Lori said, brushing her hands down her jeans, "How you feeling?"
Lila shrugged, folding a strand of blonde hair behind her ear before she answered, she started to realise why she liked talking to Daryl so much…he didn't constantly ask her how she was or if she needed anything et cetera, et cetera. Lila appreciated Lori's concern, but all she truly wanted to do was forget about everything that had happened.
"I'm fine," She smiled awkwardly.
"Well if you need anything, you know where I am," Lori smiled sympathetically before putting a hand gently on Lila's arm for just a moment.
"Is there anything I can help with?" Lila asked, walking further into the kitchen and staring at the pots and pans spread around the place.
"You could start plating up if you like, it seems like sometimes we just don't do it quick enough," Lori laughed, "We end up with everyone piling in on top of us grabbing for whatever they can find."
Lila laughed as she ladled what looked like another serving of squirrel stew onto the plates in front of her.
"We figured everyone could do with a good sit down meal, things have been sort of stressful lately," Lori said quietly as they each prepared plates.
"You mean more stressful than doomsday?" Lila scoffed.
"I know right," Lori replied, shaking her head, "Everyone's just so on edge."
Everyone sat down to dinner with solemn expressions on their faces, the pressure to make polite conversation was far too much for Lila and she found her eyes wandering around the table – she did notice one thing, Daryl was no where to be seen. Lila stood from the table with a smile, taking her plate and walking through to the kitchen.
"Where you going?" Shane asked, a frown wrinkling the bruises on his forehead.
"I wanna eat outside, that okay with you?" Lila replied with a sarcastic laugh, causing a few smirks from those sitting at the table.
She quickly grabbed another plate from the kitchen and made her way outside. She walked towards Daryl's tent, the sky was dark and the lantern in his tent could be seen from the doorway.
"Knock knock?" She smiled as she pulled the tent door aside to find Daryl lying on his make shift bed, a book in hand, his vest had been tossed aside and his chest shone a golden hue beneath the dull light of his lantern. He quickly sat up, putting the book down as he frowned towards Lila.
"Everythin' alright?" He asked, clearly confused.
"Yeah…I just noticed you weren't at dinner, thought I'd bring you something," She smiled, awkwardly stood at the tent door. For a moment, Daryl didn't speak, he just stared at Lila as if she were a crazy person before she decided to walk into the tent of her own accord. She placed the two plates down on the floor before standing up straight again.
"Don't move," Lila ordered before she ran from the tent and to her own. Daryl just raised an eyebrow in confusion, waiting awkwardly in the tent for her to return. He picked up his plate and began eating slowly, until her presence brought him to another halt.
"Surprise," Lila grinned, holding a small bottle in her hands, "Well? Please don't tell me you don't like whisky…" The more silent he stayed the more nervous she grew, "Or you don't drink at all?" Lila continued.
"No, I drink," Daryl replied, putting his plate back down. Lila walked over and sat down cross legged in front of him, she unscrewed the cap and took the first swig, she scrunched up her face in revolt at the taste causing Daryl to laugh.
"Where the hell'd you find this?" Daryl asked as he took the bottle from Lila and gulped down three large mouthfuls – the liquor burnt its way down his throat, instantly making his shoulders relax.
"I've been carrying it around since I left home," She replied, "It was the last thing I managed to steal from my dad, he'd been saving it for a special occasion…"
Daryl stopped mid swig, pulling the bottle away from his lips before he spoke, "This class as a special occasion to you?" He questioned.
Lila lifted her shoulders in a shrug before she reached her hands up to her pony tail, "Guess so, I'm alive ain't I?" She smiled, her fingers untying the band around her hair, allowing it to flow over her shoulders in a mess of waves. Daryl stared at her as she fluffed at her hair – she was wearing nothing but a pair of ripped jean shorts and a white vest, and he hated himself for how sweet and ivory her skin looked beneath the mud that stained her arms and legs.
"What happened your family?" Daryl asked suddenly, passing the bottle back to Lila, she took it and tapped her fingers against the glass for a few seconds, as if in deep thought.
"I honestly don't know," She shrugged.
"Were you with them when this shit went down?"
Lila took a minute to try and think about what she was going to say, but the whiskey was already warming her chest and making her head go somewhat fuzzy.
"I actually left the night before they were evacuated," Lila replied, Daryl's expression changed completely.
"What do you mean evacuated?"
"When the infection got worse, everyone of some kind of importance was shipped off to the so called safe zones. My dad was…" Lila began but words began to fail her, she hadn't spoken of her family since she'd left, her brothers, her sisters…she didn't know if they were alive or dead.
"What made you leave?" Daryl asked before Lila had a chance to finish her reply to the previous question.
"Stupidity," Lila laughed as she swallowed another few mouthfuls of whiskey.
"Plenty of that goin' around," Daryl scoffed, Lila studied the way his chest moved when he laughed – she took note of the scars patterning his skin and the relaxed look in his eyes when he was talking to her.
"I was a kid that thought I knew more than them…I figured the whole thing would just blow over and I'd be free of my parents for good," She continued, silence filled the tent and Lila fidgeted awkwardly.
"How important was your family anyhow? You some famous guy's kid or somethin'?" Daryl laughed.
"My dad was a judge…my mom was some big entrepreneurs daughter…I was destined to be married off to some posh boy with too much confidence and too little personality," Lila smiled sweetly, dimples piercing her cheeks.
"Sounds interesting," Daryl said, "Did you family have somethin' to do with why you went digging around that warehouse?" He asked, Lila's expression turned serious.
"I was told to head to that warehouse building because it was classed as the nearest safe zone…they had medical supplies and security guards and a radio," She paused, "I was told that if I got lost, I was to use the radio there to contact my parents. There's only so many frequencies used these days, it was my only chance at finding where my ended up, if they're even still alive." She sighed as she spoke, exasperated. Daryl was watching her as she pulled her bare legs up to her chest and set her chin on her knees, he noticed goose bumps prick the skin of her arms and immediately picked up the blanket from his bed, handing it to her. She frowned towards him before taking it and wrapping it around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, did I just witness Daryl Dixon do something gentlemanly?" Lila joked with an innocent smile – she couldn't help but be taken in by the masculine, musky scent of the blanket, it caused her stomach to erupt into butterflies, it was nice distraction from what she had just told him. She stared towards Daryl, her eyes locking with his as she passed him the bottle, his hand touched hers just briefly, but it sent sparks through her fingertips.
"Guess so," Daryl shrugged, "Don't get used to it, I was always told to be careful of a girl with blonde hair and dimples," He joked with the slightest of smirks.
"Oh yeah? And whys that?"
"If a girl comes across that innocent…she's gotta be hidin' somethin'," He replied nonchalantly.
"I never said I was innocent," Lila said, her voice lowering as her eyes locked with his.
"Girl, you ain't nothin' but a beauty queen goin' through a rebellious streak, you're as innocent as it gets, you're just too naïve to recognise it."
Lila was stunned into silence, her mouth ajar in surprise, "Some big words you're shooting at me, Dixon."
"It ain't the big words you're scared of LB," Daryl began, "It's that I'm right. You're just a lost daddy's girl without a chance in hell."
"You don't know me," Lila stated, standing up from the floor and throwing the blanket back towards Daryl, "Don't act like I'm just some stereotypical rich girl that can't shoot and can't fend for herself. I've survived a lot longer that the rest of this world ever could have. Enjoy the whiskey," She turned to leave but Daryl quickly stood up, his hand gripped onto her wrist and spun her around to face him.
"Wait," He began, not quite knowing how to continue.
"What? I ask for your help and I tell you something I should have never told you and…you use it against me like you have the right to do so. I'm not going to sit here like some sad little puppy dog and take all your shit," Lila argued, but Daryl kept a tight hold on her wrist, his eyes fixed firmly on her mouth as she spoke.
"Can you let me go please?" She asked, but Daryl didn't move his hand.
"Daryl come on, it's late, I should go back to my tent and pretend like I never tried to have a civil conversation with you. I just thought…"
"You just thought what?" Daryl asked curiously.
Lila fidgeted for a minute before answering, "I just thought that somewhere behind all of that tough, angry exterior you were nice…I'm struggling to remember why," She pulled her hand free of Daryl's and walked out of the tent, "Goodnight." She muttered, her voice fading as she grew further and further away. Daryl watched as she disappeared into her tent, the bottle was still clasped in his hand and he couldn't help but feel like the biggest jackass.
"Women," He muttered to himself, "Ain't worth the energy." Daryl tried to convince himself, but he just sat down on his makeshift bed, put the cap back on the whiskey and lay down. He fell into a light, disturbed sleep – the look of her saddened green eyes and flushed cheeks playing heavy on his mind.