A/N I'm not really in my right mind, but a lot of you have had some really kind things to say and I don't think it's fair to keep you waiting for a chapter. If you'll just bear with me, I'm trying to get my mental and physical health better. Uh… Baseball isn't a winter sport like I have in this story. Whoops. You good people just overlook that and think about Negan in baseball pants. TIGHT pants. Stretchy tight pants. There's another Easter egg for the end in this chapter.

I've driven by the motel every night this week, but I can't go in. Fuck. It isn't until I catch that bearded fuck walking beside Vin that I grow a pair. But then I see her face. See how fucking somber she is.

She shakes her head no at Niko, then goes into her room.

I know I fucking hurt her, and I can't even be a man and face her. Do the right thing. Fuck, what is the right thing at this point? I get out of my car only to be stopped by the bearded wonder before making my way to her door.

"I don't know what you did to her, but ever since you sped out of here the other day, she hasn't been the same. She doesn't eat. She doesn't sleep. Fix it."

"I'm trying to fix it. And who the fuck do you think you're talking to?"

"Maybe by fixing it, it means to fuck off and leave her the fuck alone. It doesn't really matter who the fuck I am."

"Fuck you."

"Fuck you!"

I take a swing at Niko as he breaks a plastic chair on the way to the concrete. I'm almost knocked the fuck out when he hits me across the face with a metal trash can. "You bearded fuck-"

"Enough," Vin shouts.

Both of us look up at her. Bloodied and bruised from beating the shit out of each other.

"Negan, get in here."

I give Niko a smug look before sauntering into Vin's room.

"Stop that. You look like an imbecile."

"Sorry," I frown. "Not just for the fight, but for it all."

"Clean up your face then please leave."

"I'm sorry about last week."

"It will never happen again."

I frown and lower my head.

"I wasn't asking you for commitment, Negan. It was a misunderstanding of where we stood. Then you flee from here like I've given you an ultimatum of marriage. Anyway, it doesn't matter. I purchased you something. It's on the counter. You fled before I could give it to you. Take it and do not return."

I don't think I could feel any worse. Being a baseball coach, the term two strikes rolls through my mind...

I flinch pressing the rag to my eyebrow. Fuck that hurts. Little shit. I'm going to pay him a visit later. I can't believe that's even on my mind right now. I step from the bathroom and have a seat on her bed where she's laying. "What can I do to make this better?"

"I can't believe you got into a fight with him. That just proves my point. You're jealous. And what does jealousy usually imply? Feelings. Then you look at me like I'm the crazy one when I mistake us for more than friends. And I told you to clean your face."

I did, is it bleeding again? Fuck, that son of a bitch got me good.

She reaches up and touches the rag to the gash in my eyebrow to help me. "Now go. Goodnight."

I lay against her tits in the most pathetic way. My arms wrap around and tuck under her. I've got to be crushing this poor woman. Her frail frame supporting three hundred pounds of pathetic. Please don't kick me off you. This was a stupid idea. She's not pushing me off though. "Vin, I looked down at you that night we were in bed together and wanted more for you. Not me barreling into you like some horny fuck while the twenty-five dollar hooker next door is shouting daddy through the walls."

"It was the socks, wasn't it? They turned you off."

"No," I laugh, tilting my head to look up at her.

"My glasses are too big then?"

"No, Vin. It's not the way you dress. It was me opening my big dumb fucking mouth without thinking."

"I'm used to that."

"Shut up."

"Start taking your own ad-fucked-vice."

She was so close with that one. I stare at her and know that I have never felt like this before. She makes me a better person. She makes me laugh. She makes me feel like I have a purpose.

Her hand touches my cheek. "What are you not saying?"

That I'm married. I turn my head slightly and touch my lips to her wrist. "Don't make me leave. Please." I can't go home. I can't be around that poisonous environment.

"You hurt me."

Hearing that is the worst feeling. Especially because this doesn't scratch the surface of my fuck ups she doesn't know about.

I make an attempt to smooth things over by letting this woman in to things I've never told anyone. How my dream was to play baseball and I was drafted by the Yankees, but my mom got sick. I stayed behind to care for her until she passed from the lung cancer.

"What was her name?"

"Eleanor."

Vin rubs my arm, but I don't really deserve her comfort.

"I was an asshole growing up. Always stressing my mom out because I'd get into fights, or be out way too late. I only stopped because the coaches threatened to kick me off the team."

"Well, that part hasn't changed. You're still an asshole."

I start to laugh. Christ, I want to lean over and kiss this woman. Right as I get the balls to, there's a fucking knock on the door.

"Vin," Nico calls from the outside of the door.

"Negan," she whispers aggressively when I get out of bed.

"Just trust me." I strip down to my boxer briefs and answer the door. "She's a little busy, Niles."

"It's Niko."

I slam the door in his face. The look he had right before I did though. I laugh on the other side while getting dressed. "It's rude to stare."

"It's rude to get naked and expect someone not to stare."

"Yeah, you like what you see?"

"I like the V that trails into your pants."

"Yeah? Those are my cock muscles."

"No, those are mine."

"Oh, because of the V. Vin for V," I smirk.

"Uh huh."

"Well, you know what comes after V. A long I. A very long, thick I.

"It looks lower case from here."

"You need new fucking glasses."

"It's so small I need glasses?"

"Uh. I didn't really think that through."

She points at the countertop.

Oh, right. My gift. Ugh, back to feeling like a creep again. I unwrap the box and tug out the red scarf.

Vin is at my feet as she smiles up at me. "I got a few extra hours at the store so I purchased you this. You always keep me warm so I thought I'd help you."

Fuck. This is more meaningful than anything I've been given before, and it's coming from the one person who can't afford to give. "Thank you so much, Vin."

"You're welcome," she smiles.

"I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"You better have something incredible planned for tomorrow to make up for being such a shitter."

"One day we'll get you swearing right," I laugh. "Goodnight." As I drive away, I know what I have to do.

"Next in line."

"Yes, I'd like to file for divorce, please."