Chapter 10
"Hey, don't get yourself killed," Daryl says casually to Merle as he picks up his bag.
"I ain't gettin' killed anytime soon," Merle replies, sounding slightly offended as he slams the door shut on one of the cars. The car starts, wheels spin then he hoons away. Merle will probably get himself killed if he's that reckless in the city.
"He didn't even say goodbye to me," I say to Daryl.
"Don't take it to heart, " he replies. Daryl taps me on the shoulder and we walk back to our tent. Daryl starts to pack his stuff.
"So you really leaving tonight?" I ask, hoping the plan has suddenly changed. Daryl's movements slow and eventually stop. He looks up at me standing in the doorway.
"Don't speak so loud," he hisses, then continues, "but yes I am."
"No Daryl, please," I say as I collapse on our bed. I see his eyes scan down my body then back to my face. Daryl pulls a shirt out from under me, as he continues to pack.
"You are making it hard to leave," he says.
"Good, stay then," I say playfully as I bounce up to my knees.
"Can't," Daryl says sternly, zipping up his bag.
"I like having somebody to keep me warm at night," I say running my hand down his toned arm. He looks at my hand as it lightly drapes down his tricep.
"Gretel, don't go getting too attached to me," he says throwing his bag near the door of the tent. What a way to bring my mood down. I hate thinking about them leaving
"Yep," I reply dully. There is a moment of partly awkward silence, till I break it with, "we should probably see Shane." Daryl agrees with a grunt. Shane is on watch. Daryl climbs up to the watch seat, I follow.
"Daryl, Gretel, how are you's?" Shane asks. Daryl does not even greet Shane back.
"I'm taking Gretel hunting, she don't know shit so I'm teaching 'er" Daryl says, I think he's trying to be intimidating towards Shane.
"Hey!" I chime in to try and defend myself from Daryl's comment. Daryl and Shane both completely ignore me.
"But it's Gretels watch in an hour," Shane says, trying not to push Daryl's buttons.
"She is coming with me," Daryl says as he climbs off the camper.
"Come-on, Gretel," he adds. I make eye contact with Shane, he says nothing so I follow Daryl.
I run to catch up with Daryl as he walks into the forest.
"I thought you liked hunting alone?" I question him.
"You're good at holding arrows, plus I want to spend my last day with you... so I could teach you how to hunt, might save your life some day," he replies to me.
"Hmm, fair enough," I acknowledge. As we walk though the forest I am pleased by the puffy milk white clouds, despite them being nimbus clouds as they are a sign of rain. They can be so destructive yet so pleasing to look at, at the same time.
"You see that?" Daryl points to the ground.
"I'm pretty sure it's deer tracks," he continues. I don't reply, I just follow him.
"They look pretty faint," I say.
"They are old but I think we can track it by this afternoon," Daryl answers. Daryl is ambitious today.
After an hour or so of tracking I'm starting to get tired. Daryl shows no sign of exhaustion, he's a machine. I still can't believe I can't go with him. After our kiss yesterday. It's quite obvious he is into me, he initiated it!
"Why did you kiss me yesterday?" The words just fly out of my mouth. It's like my brain didn't ever proof my thoughts as they left my lips. Daryl doesn't even flinch.
"Felt like the right thing at the time," he says only making eye contact with the tracks. What's that suppose to mean? Was it nothing to him.
"Oh, okay," I murmur rather upset. I rip the leaf off a tree next to me and fiddle with it in my hands, tearing it at the edges. I hit Daryl with another question "Did you like it?"
This time he stops tracking to turn to me.
"I'm not homo," he says, his expression makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.
"I'm sorry," I apologise partly embarrassed.
"Don't be. I liked it," he says. His mouth opens again, then shuts. He is thinking hard about the next words to come out his mouth.
"Did you like it?" He finally expresses.
"Yes. Very much so," I respond. I see a smile try and peek through Daryl's tough facade. He turns away to follow the track and hide his emotions. I smile to myself. Well, he liked it that must mean something. Right?
•••
It's late afternoon, still no deer. I knew Daryl was feeling ambitious with those old tracks. We have caught some squirrel though.
"It's getting late, don't you think?" I question. Daryl grunts, he seems disappointed.
"We are so close to this buck," he says. I will admit the tracks are looking a tad more pronounced, but I wouldn't say close - then again what would I know?
"We will stay out tonight," Daryl says standing up straight.
"We don't have shelter though?" I question Daryl's statement.
"The rain has already fallen, the rest of the night will be fine," Daryl says not even budging at my rebuttals, he seems almost happy to sleep in the woods tonight.
"What about Merle? He's a man with a plan," I continue to question.
"He won't leave without me," Daryl says walking away from the trail. I suspect he is looking for a place to sleep. I catch up to him.
"It will be okay Gretel, this is how real hunters hunt," Daryl says as he pulls rope out of my bag. He ties the rope around five trees, creating our own bubble, I assume it's to stall any walkers who want us for dinner. Daryl sits beside me in the bubble.
"This is five star ain't it?" He jokes. I laugh a little. I'm a bit nervous to sleep in the open tonight plus he has made such a small bubble which means we are close. I get especially nervous when I'm close to him.
"Are we both on watch tonight?" I enquire.
"Well if we can't sleep, sure. Or we could have half and half," Daryl says.
"Uhh...mm," I stutter nervously. I can't help but flick my eyes down his body. He is a little sweaty, I can smell it from here but I don't mind the smell, in fact it's like a bitter-sweet musk. It's like the smell of manly men.
"Gretel?" Daryl says to grab my attention which had drifted off.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry, what?" I ask.
"I said do you want me to go first?" He says snapping a stick between his hands.
"Sure," I answer him, I try to look into his eyes but it's like my body won't let me or if they do I will lose my breath.
"You okay?" Daryl asks. My eyes still flicking around.
"Yeah, yes," I say quickly. Daryl grabs my shoulder and squeezes as he says "relax Gretel." I let out a forced chuckle to try and give the illusion of relaxation. Daryl's hand falls down my shoulder and stops before my elbow. I force myself to look into his eyes only to find they are not looking at mine but at my torso. I wonder what he is thinking. I wonder if he is thinking about me.
"Daryl..." I grab his attention. It feels like time has stopped when he looks at my face. His eyes are asking what will I say next.
"What are you thinking about?" I continue. He swallows, I can see the tendons move in his neck as he does so.
"It's stupid... I just haven't - nah, forget it!"
I'm curious, I need to know what's on his mind. "What is it?"
"I haven't been with a woman in a long time," he pauses, he looks down at the ground, not looking at me, "and...", he looks back into my eyes, staring deeply with a look I haven't seen from him before, one of vulnerability and yet compulsion, "you tempt me, Gretel Flinn."