The room is spinnig.
Daryl looks puzzled at his phone.
He finds it difficult to breath.
What the fuck did just happen?
His chest hurts. His Beth? With that asshole?
There is sweat on his forehead. His heart pounds again his and fast. He´s on the verge of a panic attack.
There are pictures in his mind. Beth and Ed. Touching. Kissing.
His stomach churns, there is the bitter taste of bile in his mouth.
Daryl wants to puke.
He wants to punch something. Or someone.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
The bell above the shop´s door is ringing.
Daryl groans and runs his hands over his face and through his hair. Not now...he doesn´t want to deal with a customer right now.
And when he enters the shop from the garage at the back, he stands face to face with Carol. A very pale Carol with dark shadows under her eyes.
"You", he growls.
She flinches, but stays where she is. Even when Daryl crosses the room with long strides. He builds himself threateningly before her.
She looks up at him with her deep blue eyes, full of sorrow and concern.
"I´m so sorry", she offers.
He starts pacing in front of her.
"You!" he snarls again, he raises his arm, as if to punch her.
Again, she flinches but she doesn´t turn around and run.
"Do it. It´s okay. I´m sure, I got worse. If it makes you feel better, just do it."
What a woman. She offers herself to his rage.
He points at her. "Beth was mine. All you had to do, was keeping an eye on him!" he shouts.
She looks defeated. Broken. As broken as him.
"Is she safe with him?" he asks with a hoarse voice.
Carol nods. "I guess, yes. He wants something from her, her voice. And as long as he gets, what he wants, he will be the perfect gentleman, loving, tender, kind."
Daryl snorts. "As if!"
"Believe me. She wants to sing, he wants to produce. It´s a win -win situation. Both are satisfied."
She blushes, realizing what she just said.
"Yeah, a match made in hell!" Daryl blows.
He starts to pace again, full of nervous energy.
"I have to get out of here. I´ll explode, if I stay here", he mutters under his breath, turns around, leaves the shop through the garage. His truck turns on the yard and drives off.
Carol stays, where she is. Completely still. A silent tear running down her cheek.
Her heart breaks for this man.
She knew for quite a long time that her husband is a cheating asshole. She knows, how to deal with that. And after all, she´s happy that he´s gone. As happy as she can be. She has to deal with a furious Daryl and with a confused Sophia. She´s alone in a foreign town, no family, no friends, no job nor money. No where to go. The people in this village are going to blame her for everything, she guesses. She still has the car. Maybe she can drive into the sunset with Sophia, to start over. Just the two of them. Yes, that sounds like a plan.
But Daryl?
Yesterday he was engaged, today he´s forlorn.
She feels so sorry for this man.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Daryl heads into the woods.
He owns a small hunting cabin. He loves to hunt, to be outside. To hunt clears his mind. Normally. But not today. He´s too confused, too hurt to let mother nature soothe his spinnning mind.
He just want to be alone.
He just want to hide.
Like a wounded animal.