The Heart Won't Lie
Chapter 9
Daryl looked down at his cup of coffee and chuckled when Beth threw her hand over her mouth and tried not to laugh so hard.
"Ya still snort when ya laugh," he said, laughing himself.
When she calmed down a little bit, she slapped his arm.
"Quit laughin', Daryl! I can't help it."
Daryl and Beth had been spending more time together in the two months since Maggie forced them to talk.
Daryl loved spending time with her but every time she left to go home to Phillip, he felt like a fool. Somehow spending time with her made him feel worse. He still loved her but she didn't love him anymore yet here he was, hanging on her every word like some little bitch. He hated feeling like that but in his own twisted way, he loved it. He loved her, everything about her. He loved every second he got to spend with her. He finally had to admit to himself that he was jealous of Phillip and that just pissed him off.
No matter what he felt, he'd never do anything to ruin Beth's happiness. The pain he felt was worth seeing the smile on her face.
"Where have you been?" Phillip asked Beth when she got home.
Beth shrugged her shoulders but otherwise ignored his question as she sat down the pizza box she had and grabbed her a slice.
"I tried calling and texting you, Beth. Where were you?"
"I was with Daryl," she replied.
"What? What the hell were you doing with him? Are you sleeping with him?"
"What?!" Beth nearly spit her pizza out, "No! He's my best friend, Phillip. I'm allowed to spend time with him."
"You're best friend? What the hell does that make me, Elizabeth?"
"Oh God," Beth shook her head and threw her pizza down, "I'm not doin' this again, Phillip. I'm not hiding anythin' from you."
"You're fucking him, huh?"
Beth's fists clenched at her sides as she stood up.
"No. I am not fuckin' Daryl. We. Are. Friends.," she said, staring him in the eyes, "You and I are getting married in a month. If you don't trust me, tell me now because somethin's gotta give, Phillip. I love you but I can't keep doin' this."
"If you really love me, stop spending time with him."
Beth huffed, "I'm not choosing between y'all. I love you but I refuse to make that choice!"
She stormed out of the room with Phillip calling out for her. She needed to get away from him so she decided she was going to go to Maggie's.
Phillip did his best to not get mad at Beth. But her leaving made his anger grow even more.
With Beth at her sister's house, he went out. He didn't know where he wanted to go but he ended up at a bar. The same one he had heard the Dixon's frequented since their return.
Phillip scanned the smoke filled barroom but he didn't see either of the Dixon brothers so he sat down at the bar.
By the time he was starting on his fifth beer, Daryl and Merle walked in but neither one payed attention to who was there.
He waited and ordered two more beers before he found himself walking over to the table Daryl and Merle were sitting at.
"You need to stay the hell away from Beth," he all but slurred while pointing at Daryl, "I warned you about what would happen if you didn't."
Daryl leaned back in his chair. "I ain't scared of ya or whatever ya think yer gon' do ta me. All that matters ta me is that Beth's happy."
A few more words were exchanged and before anyone knew what was happening, Daryl and Phillip were throwing punches, knocking tables over and then on the floor.
Daryl had Phillip pinned beneath him while his fist connected with his face over and over again.
Merle did his best to pull Daryl off of Phillip when the cops walked in but unfortunately he couldn't.
Both Daryl and Phillip were arrested.
Beth was sitting at Maggie's kitchen table with her. They were discussing a few wedding details and the fact that Maggie was pregnant.
"Well, Glenn and I already know who we're askin' to be the baby's god-parents."
"Who?" Beth asked.
"You and Daryl."
"What? Why would you ask Daryl?"
"He gets along better with Glenn than Phillip does. Besides, he hasn't just been spendin' a lot of time with you, Bethie. Did you know daddy hired Daryl to help out at the farm?"
"No, I didn't know," Beth took a sip of her soda, "How's it been workin' out?"
"It's workin' out good. It's almost like he never left."
Beth opened her mouth to speak when her phone started ringing.
She answered the phone. Maggie could see Beth's face turning red before she hung up.
"What's wrong?" Maggie asked.
"Phillip and Daryl are in jail."
"What?!"
"I gotta go," Beth said, grabbing her purse.
She drove as fast as she could to the police station.
When she got there, she was ready to kill both Daryl and Phillip.
She was taken to where the two men were after being told there weren't being charged with anything.
"What the hell is wrong with y'all?" she growled at them.
Daryl looked down, obviously ashamed at what he'd done but Phillip didn't look even slightly ashamed. In fact, Beth thought he looked quite happy with himself and for what, she wasn't sure.
Since both men were drunk, Beth carried Phillip home before dropping Daryl off, neither saying a word to the other.
When Beth returned home, Phillip was still up waiting for her.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Phillip? You can't just go out and started fighting with someone like that!"
She knew she wasn't going to get an answer from him so she left, going back to Maggie's.
Four hours and a couple glasses of wine later, Beth knew what she had to do. Her wedding was fast approaching and for better or for worse, she had to make a choice, Phillip or Daryl.
It was one she wasn't sure she could make but she had to do it.