Megan woke up around 11am when a large truck went by just outside her window. She groaned, kicked off her blankets and squirmed around until she was sitting on the edge of the bed. What the hell was she going to do today? She couldn't decide what was worse, the days or the nights. There were only two things that occupied Megan's mind. Number one was the pain of losing her family. She had been on antidepressants and anti anxiety medication for a long time but now she was getting scared. They used to work fine. She didn't feel drugged but she didn't get manically happy either. They made her feel okay. Now, it felt like they didn't work as well as before and she'd found herself drinking more alcohol than usual. She wasn't known for her drinking, quite the opposite actually. Megan wasn't what you'd call a "good drinker". It didn't take much for her to feel buzzed and she didn't like the feeling of not being in complete control of her mind. She wasn't drinking copious amounts but for her, it was a big change. She had suddenly found herself needing alcohol so that she could sleep at night and in the past few days she had started drinking earlier each day. Aside from putting a gun in her mouth, it was the only way she thought she could numb the pain.
The second thing that occupied her mind was him, Daryl, the handsome stranger that was kind enough to give her a ride when she was walking alone on a road in the middle of nowhere. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about him and her sketchbook was proof of that, filled with drawings of him, his eyes, his lips and his muscles. He had a strange hold of her and she couldn't figure out why. What was it about him that captured her interest? She had never felt this way before, not that she ever had much of an interest in boys. She didn't go through the normal teenage stages. She had always been more interested in books and her education than boys, even spending her prom night at the library. But for some reason she just couldn't get Daryl out of her head.
Megan reached for the bottle of antidepressants on the bedside table. She poured some pills into her hand and considered emptying the bottle. She had just refilled her prescription, so taking the whole bottle would most likely cause cardiac arrest, especially if she took the anti anxiety meds as well. She took only two pills and put the rest back in the bottle and throwing into the drawer of the small table. She stared at the two pills in her hand and reached for the glass of water on the table. She put the pills in her mouth and took a drink of water before heading into the shower.
Megan walked into the liquor store just after 3pm that day. She browsed around for a while before she started filling her basket with miniature liquor bottles before walking up to the cash register.
"And a carton of Lucky Strike, please." The cashier stared at her basket before reaching under the counter for the cigarettes. He never said anything but she could feel him judging her, feeling sorry for her. He gave her a stiff smile and handed her a brown paper bag to carry her bottles in. She picks up the bag and cigarettes and holds them close to her chest, trying to not meet the gaze of the cashier.
She started to make her way towards a small park, looking over the Ellijay River. There was a nice gazebo right by the riverbank, she made her way over and sat down on the bench and put the large bag of liquor bottles and the carton of cigarettes down beside her.
She picks up the carton of cigarettes and begins the struggle of removing the protective plastic. 'God damn it.' She thought to herself before searching through her purse for her nail file, using it to cut an opening in the plastic. She finally gets the plastic off and gets her first cigarette of the day. Megan then stuck her hand into the paper bag; grabbing a random bottle she downed it in a single swig. She finished her cigarette before downing another bottle.
"Can I bum one of those from ya?" That voice, that deep, powerful yet soft mumble. It was him, Daryl. She turned around to look at him. She didn't think it was possible at first, but he looked even better than last time. She smiled and took the open pack of cigarettes out of her bag.
"Sure." She handed him the cigarettes and when he reached out to take them, their hands touched slightly. Megan felt a jolt of electricity go through her body. She tried to stay calm, not wanting Daryl to see her blush or acting weird. "Daryl, right?" she asked him. She knew exactly who he was but she wasn't good at small talk and she didn't want him to leave just yet.
He nodded while taking a puff on his cigarette. He seemed awkward and nervous. While Megan was used to making people feel uncomfortable, she didn't want him to feel that way. He stopped fidgeting and looked almost sad.
"That's not a good mix…" Megan looked at her feet, where three small liquor bottles had been dropped. She had a third bottle that she had no recollection of drinking.
"What, you never mixed different kinds of liquor before?"
"Umm… I'm talking about the Xanax in your purse. Shouldn't mix that with alcohol." Megan looked down at her feet again, her eyes tearing up. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know him enough to pour her heart out. She could only imagine the thoughts he had about her. Sitting alone on a bench, drinking early in the afternoon could not look good.
"I… umm… I didn't mean to upset you…" She could tell that he wasn't used to being in situations where people cried. He was uncomfortable, she could tell. Megan looked up, meeting Daryl's gaze. There was something strangely comforting with him. She made an attempt to smile and wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. He walked over and gave her a red handkerchief. He didn't say anything but sat down next to her on the bench.
"Thank you." It was barely audible but it was all that she could get out. They sat in awkward silence for several minutes. What was it they called alcohol? Liquid courage. She felt it. She hadn't eaten all day and she was starting to get hungry. She took a deep breath.
"I haven't eaten today… You wanna get some food? My treat." She immediately regretted asking him. What if he said no?
"Sure. There's a diner just up the road…" Oh my god. He actually said yes. She couldn't believe it. She smiled and quickly grabbed her things, stuffing it in her purse before making their way towards the parking lot.
The diner was small but rather comfy. They got a booth and ordered their food. Daryl was looking around like he was wanted by the police, ready to fight if anyone got to close. The ride over had been quiet and awkward. Megan wanted to start a conversation, really get to know him but she didn't know how to start. She didn't want him to feel uncomfortable and based on his nervous behavior, there was a big chance that Megan would say or do something to make him feel that way. She had a small advantage. She wasn't completely sober. If she would make him feel bad she could always use that as an excuse. But she didn't want to excuse her behavior. She wanted to tell him how fascinating she was by him. A part of her wanted to show Daryl her sketchbook. He seemed like the kind of person that hadn't been given many compliments in his life.
"Native?" She was going for it. She needed to at least try to talk to this man or she would never forgive herself.
"What?" He seemed very surprised that she started a conversation.
"Are you native? To Ellijay? Like, born and raised?"
"Yeah." He nodded while answering her question.
After that things got a little easier. He opened up a little. Megan learned about his brother Merle, that he was a hunter and, most importantly, that he was single. It wasn't the easiest thing to ask without making it sound weird but she did it. It made her smile. She didn't necessarily think that him being single gave her some sort of chance. It wasn't like she was some sort of catch but it still made her feel happy.
After dinner they were sitting in Daryl's car. Megan felt very comfortable this time. She felt like the conversation she and Daryl had in the diner made a difference. She could tell that he was feeling more at ease, his body language was a clear indicator of that. He didn't seem like he was trying to get as far away from her as possible, not pressing himself as close to the car door this time.
"Do you need a ride back to the park or..?"
"No, I'm staying at the Inn. I don't drive, don't have a car."
They arrived at the Inn around 9pm, having spent a lot of time talking at the diner. She wanted him to kiss her, or herself to kiss him. This seemed a lot easier in romantic comedies.
"Thank you, for keeping me company and for the ride." He smiled at her and she exited the car. She walked up to her door and searched her pocket for the key, then suddenly stopped and turned around. She made her way back up to Daryl's car and just bluntly said what she had wanted to say all night.
"I want to see you again. There's something interesting about you and I can't stop thinking about you. You have one hell of a poker face because I can't for the life of me figure out what you're thinking. Do you find me incredibly annoying or…" She stopped to try and calm herself down. Daryl got out of the car with a look of total confusion. She couldn't stop. Not now. She took a step towards him, looking right into his eyes, oh, those beautiful blue eyes. She put her hands softly on his hips and gave him a soft, gentle kiss.