A/N: Okay, so I'm sorry for the long break, won't happen again, just been busy and suffering from some major writer's block. So, this is a very short chapter just to transition into the winter (which I am super excited for)! Hopefully I will have the next chapter up by Wednesday, still working through some plot things for the upcoming chapters so it may be a bit before the updates steady and become more frequent! So anyway, read and enjoy!
The night was full of restless sleep and horrible nightmares. What little sleep I managed was plagued with horrid images and blood. My eyes were already open and staring out blankly when the sun came up. It amazed me that it could rise and shine and the birds could sing like every other day when my brother was dead. How could everything be so normal when my entire world had been shattered?
I heard footsteps approaching where I was lying but couldn't bring myself to move. I had set up camp as far away from everyone as possible; I didn't want to deal with them, not even Daryl. Daryl who had confused me even more and left me with more emotional drama to work through. But I couldn't even think about that now, not with the loss of Shane hanging so heavily on my shoulders. What would my brother think about me kissing Daryl? He definitely didn't like the redneck but he would be okay if it made me happy. Right?
"Addie," speak of the devil, Daryl's voice pulled me from my mental spiral and I managed to roll over and look at him. I could only imagine how I looked, hair wild and full of leaves, eyes red and puffy like my nose. I didn't even bother to try and wipe them away, he knew. I didn't answer him, just looked at him, blinking so more tears rolled down my cheek.
"Here. Figured you could use something to eat," he said and extended his arm to offer me a bowl of what appeared to be squirrel.
"Not hungry," I croaked, voice rough from crying all night. He didn't push, just sat down next to me and looked out.
"We're leaving in an hour, Rick wants to head towards the coast," he spoke after a moment. I didn't respond, just continued to wallow in my grief.
"Look, about…uh…what happened last night…" he started
"No. Not now," I said fiercely and he stopped. "I…I just can't." I looked up into his eyes, begging him to understand and I saw compassion and worry reflected in them.
"Of course. Just get packed up, we gotta go soon," he said with a small smile and squeezed my hand quickly before getting up and walking back over to his bike.
I stood up stiffly, my joints and limbs not cooperating as they should due to the cloud in my head. I numbly shoved my blankets in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I refused to go over to everyone else, I just stood to the side and waited. Once they were climbing in the cars I walked quickly over and jumped on Daryl's motorcycle, shoving my bag in the side bag. He got on too and cast a glance back at me and I forced a smile that faltered quickly.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"Me too," I replied weakly and he nodded and started up the bike, following Rick, into the unknown scenery that was our future.