The Heart Won't Lie

Chapter 8

Two weeks after her fight with Daryl, Beth was in the dressing room of the bridal shop, staring at herself in the mirror, when there was a knock on the door.

"Bethie," Maggie called out, "come out and let us see the dress."

"Give me a minute, Mags."

Maggie went back to the waiting room and took a seat next to Annette.

Maggie's aunt Carol owned the shop, so even though it was a Sunday and it was supposed to be closed, Beth was still able to get fitted for her wedding dress.

Her bridesmaids, Sasha and Tara were being fitted for their dresses as well but Maggie, her maid of honor, had asked if she could wait a few days before being fitted for hers.

They were all talking and going over ideas and the plans Beth had already made when there was a knock on the door of the shop, making all of them jump.

Maggie rushed to the door and smiled when she opened it.

Daryl was standing there, nervously clenching one hand while he chewed on the thumb nail of the other.

"You made it!" Maggie said excitedly as she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him inside.

Sasha and Tara looked at each other and then just stared at him while Maggie and Annette shared a knowing smile.

She led Daryl back to the dressing rooms and knocked on the door of the one Beth was in.

"Maggie, I told you I will be out in a minute!"

"Just open the door."

Beth groaned as she opened it.

Beth gasped when she saw Daryl standing behind Maggie and Daryl's mouth fell open when he saw Beth in her wedding dress.

Maggie looked between them and shoved Daryl into the dressing room.

"Neither of you are allowed to leave this room until you talk. Really talk," she said sternly before shutting the door.

"You...wow...," Daryl rubbed the back of his neck, "you...you look beautiful."

"Thank you," Beth said, a slight blush forming on her cheeks, "What are you doin' here?"

"Maggie asked me ta come."

Beth raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

"Well no, she threatened me more than she asked me."

Beth covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laugh.

"What?" Daryl asked with a slight smirk.

"Nothin'," she waved him off.

"Hey, she scares the shit out of me."

"She scares everyone, Daryl. But, I just, I can't believe you're still scared of her after all these years."

Daryl shrugged.

"I'm sorry about the other day, at the diner," Beth said, "I...I'm happy, Daryl. I hadn't been happy for years when I started seein' Phillip and then seein' you, I know how he treated you but he really is a good man."

"I shouldn't have yelled at ya like I did," Daryl said, looking at the floor.

"Why did you leave, Daryl? Why didn't you ever try to contact me?"

"I had ta leave, Bethie. Me, Merle an' Ma, we had ta go."

Beth nodded, "I figured as much but I wanted to hear it from you. Daddy carried me over to your house when you didn't come home. But that doesn't explain why you didn't tell me you were leavin' or why you never came back. So why?"

"Mhmm."

Beth wiped her tears from her cheeks.

"So, you're really happy with 'im?"

"Yeah," Beth sighed, "but I know I could've been happier with you. I don't want to lose you again, Daryl. You were my best friend. Promise me that won't happen. That no matter what, you'll always be here."

"I cain't do that, Bethie."

"I need you," she whispered more to herself than to him.

Beth watched as Daryl tried to wipe away his tears without her noticing.

Daryl left the bridal shop even more confused and nervous than he was before he went in.

His talk with Beth went better than the last time but it wasn't what he had expected. He expected her to still be angry and to ask him a million questions, but she didn't.

All she wanted to know was why. Why didn't he contact her. Why didn't he come back to her.

Truth is, he didn't have an answer. He didn't know why.

After his daddy beat him and his mama that night and they left with Merle, he felt ashamed and embarrassed by what had happened. He tried to tell Merle to stop the truck or carry him to the Greene farm but the words never left his mouth. After that, the voices in his head kept telling him he was a worthless piece of shit and he didn't deserve her. He guesses that's 'why'.

The whole way home he thought about Beth and the way she looked in her wedding dress.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts of Beth that he almost drove straight into the Cadillac that was parked in the driveway.

He scanned the area around the house but didn't see anyone.

Grabbing his gun from under the seat, he put it in the back of his jeans.

If the car told him anything, it was that it probably belonged to some drug dealer who was looking for Merle.

Daryl carefully got out of his truck and started towards the house.

The driver door of the Cadillac opened as he approached it but he didn't feel any relief when he saw who it was.

"Daryl, can I have a word with you?" Phillip asked.

Suddenly, Daryl wished it had of been one of Merle's friends or even the devil himself instead of Phillip Harris.

Daryl bit his lip and gave a nod so Phillip began.

"Beth told me about the two of you, what you did. She was happy, well, until you showed back up. You may have been a part of her past but you have no place in her future. She and I have been together for years. We love each other and we're getting married. But I can't watch her hurt because of you."

Daryl's fists clenched at his sides while Phillip stared, searching his face for any emotion but Daryl didn't show anything.

"I'm here today, Daryl, to ask you to stay away from her. If you ever loved her or cared about her at all, you'll do that. If not, well, I'd hate to have to make you disappear."

Phillip didn't wait for Daryl to respond before leaving.

All Daryl could do was stand there.

Beth had told him she didn't want to lose him again and as much as he wanted to run and let her be happy without him, he saw the pain and fear in her eyes today.

He couldn't do that to her. Not again.

A/N: okay, so there wasn't that much Daryl/Phillip in this chapter but there will be in the next.