"You seen Addy?" I asked, squinting at Carol. She shook her head, sniffling quietly.
"Not since she walked towards the stables." She stated and I blanched a little at the mention of the stables where I had blown up on her last night.
"Look, Carol." I started but she shook her head.
"I understand Daryl. But I lost her too." She looked into my eyes and I shifted uncomfortably.
"I dont know how else-I mean." I shifted, looking down at my boots. "Im sorry." I shrugged, looking up again and biting my thumb nail.
She smiled softly at me. "I know. I don't blame you." She stated and I nodded. "And you're more than worthy of her." She added, making me frown.
"What'areya talkin bout?" I asked.
"Addy." She nodded towards the stables. "And in a world like this, you shouldn't ever let her know otherwise." She sat down on a log. "If you lost her today, would you have any regrets about the way you treated her yesterday?" She asked and I shifted uncomfortably, my words with Rick coming back to mind immediately.
I cleared my throat as an uncomfortable feeling grew in my stomach. "Life is too precious, too short. Our loved ones should never doubt us at a time like this." She stated and I nodded.
"Yer right." I stated looking at the stables.
"She's been out there for awhile, she looked upset when she was coming from your camp earlier. When Rick was over there?" She wondered out loud and my heart started slamming in my chest. "It might have been after. I don't know. But you should let her know how you're feeling." She said and I nodded again.
"Thanks." I replied, walking away from her, a sense of dread washing over me.
What if she heard what I said to Rick? What if? Shit. I picked up my pace a little, passing the place where Otis's truck was usually parked, but it was gone. That not what made me stop. It was the bloody baseball bat laying up against the barn that made me stop in my tracks and examine the ground. She didn't leave anywhere without that thing. It was like a little extension of herself, and she could use it better than any baseball player ever could.
I squinted, immediately picking up her tracks and someone else's. They led to where the truck was usually parked and ended, tread marks picking up after that.
"Shit." I muttered, walking back towards the camp.
I was pissed. Who did she go off with? That was revealed minutes after I walked away. Hershel was missing.
Well let her be. She obviously needs some time away. If she wants to play like that, without telling me she can play all she wants.
"She heard ya, liddol brother. She thanks she dont mean shit to ya." Merle told me and I shook it off.
"She didn't hear shit." I stated, but a pang of fear sounded in my body.
"Im thankin' she did. An now shes out there in that town, with the old man and only the good lord knows how many geeks." He stated and I shook my head.
"Ya aint even real. So leave me the hell'alone." I grabbed my extra bolts and walked right into the woods near my, our campsite. But deep down I knew he was probably right.
Hours later, I sat sulking at our camp. She hadn't returned yet, and Rick and Glenn had gone into town after them, needing them for Beth, Lori brought her skinny ass over later, begging me to go after the Officer but I refused. I was done looking for anything. That didn't stop the pangs of fear that sounded in my body the later it got. She should be back by now, why wasn't she?
I should have gone after her, Carol was right. She needed to know how I felt. I stood, grabbing the keys to my bike just as headlights showed up in the driveway. It wasn't until she hopped out of the drivers side that I let the breath out that I was holding. But she wasn't alone. She walked to the trunk and opened it, harshly dragging a body out.
"We need to get you to the house, let Hershel look at you." I heard Glenn speak rapidly, making me frown as I drew closer. I picked up my pace, seeing the red mark on her side. She was bleeding.
"Addy." I finally reached them, holding out my hand to her, but it was the look on her face, the glare, the fucking hate encased in her eyes that stopped me dead. Never in my life had a look scared me so much. Not even when my daddy would give me the look he gave right before he beat me senseless.
She gave me the grace of looking me up and down before marching over to the house, a limp in her step the door closing behind her with a disgusted look on her face, the same look she gave me in high school.
Lori shot me a worried look as Hershel barked orders to take the extra person to the barn as he hurried in the house after my Addy.
"She bit?" I asked, stoic.
Rick looked at me, Glenn shifting nervously.
"She bit?" I repeated angrily but Rick held up a hand.
"She was stabbed." He told me, and Glenn shifted away from me, nervously.
My heart thundered in my chest. "She what?" I asked and Glenn backed up farther.
"She killed the man who did it, which is why we have a problem on our hands." He told me and I glanced at the body on the ground. The man, because it was obvious that it was a man, was withering in pain and I could clearly see that his leg was completely fucked up.
I closed my eyes, trying to calm my breathing. "She's pissed at you. I don't know why, but when she was telling me to man up, she was pissed about something you did." Glenn spoke and I looked over at him. He took a step back, holding his hands up in defense.
I looked back at the house and closed my eyes. "Still don't love her?" Rick asked, glaring at me and I reopened my eyes, glaring back.
Rick leaned down, him and Glenn dragging the man away, leaving me to feel like a complete pile of shit, looking up at the second story window, whose light had flickered on a few minutes before hand. Sighing, and readying myself I walked towards the house, my words and Carol's ringing in my head.
She'd heard me.