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Daryl couldn't believe their luck. Now that the garage was closing early tomorrow and would stay closed for the following two days, it seemed everyone and their dog needed extensive work done on their cars, and Daryl and his boss were forced to turn them away unless they didn't mind waiting until Tuesday to start repairs. He'd spent the morning finishing up all the longer jobs that absolutely had to be finished today, but he was caught up before noon.
"Of all days, huh?" Martinez asked him forlornly after turning down another customer. Daryl just gave a non-committal grunt in response and waited for the next customer needing an oil change to come through his bay door.
It had been at least twenty minutes since their last customer had left, so Daryl figured it was safe enough to send Beth a quick text message. She was usually the one to start conversations, so he thought it'd make a nice change for him to go first.
Hey sweetheart. How's your day?
Meh. Alright.
Everything okay?
Yeah. Just stuff on my mind.
Well, that doesn't sound good. He motioned to Martinez that he was going to head back behind the office for a quick cigarette and dialed Beth's number once he was settled at the picnic table the employees used for their breaks.
"Hello?" she answered, and Daryl was positive he could hear her smiling already.
"Hey. You okay?" he cut to the chase. Her text messages were usually much longer and held greater detail than what she'd been sending him today. Something must be going on that had her upset.
"I'm fine. Aren't you at work?"
"Yeah, but things are a little slow today. Thought talking would go faster and easier than texting." He left out the part about how he missed the sound of her voice in his ear.
"Good call."
"Yeah. So…what's going on?" he tried cutting through the small talk again to get to the heart of the matter.
"I got my student teaching assignment today," she explained.
Daryl knew from experience with Jeremy that some schools around Atlanta could be pretty rough. "That bad, huh?"
Beth giggled, "No. The schools are fine, but I'm gonna need to find an apartment closer to the schools. Ain't no way I'm driving almost an hour one way every day if I can avoid it."
He grinned as her normally smooth voice carried a slightly heavier twang. "Wow…watch it girl. You're starting to talk like me," he teased. "So what's the problem? Scared of moving out?"
"No, not scared, just…I don't want to end up living in a hole. I don't know what to look for or what to ask. Maggie's busy and I hate asking mom and dad."
Daryl thought of the crappy apartments he'd seen when he'd lived up in the big city, not to mention the less-than-safe neighborhoods. He didn't want to imagine Beth living anywhere near those places. Was she asking for his help? Did this mean something? That something was going on between the two of them – the something he'd been silently been hoping for? Is this what boyfriends did for their girlfriends? Are we boyfriend and girlfriend? "I…uh…I could go with ya if ya want," he volunteered.
"Oh my gosh, would you?" Beth asked excitedly. Daryl grinned as he imagined the look on her face, but frowned as she continued a moment later. "I couldn't ask you to, though. It's really sweet of you to offer, but I don't want you to have to take off work just for me."
"I wouldn't." He replied. Beth scoffed, but he continued, "We're having our parking lot resurfaced tomorrow. I get a free day off." He cleared his throat and added, trying to hide just how nervous he was about the prospect of spending the day with Beth, "You'd be worth calling off for, anyway." He hadn't intended to let the last part come out, but it was true. God, when did you turn into such a sap?
"Oh… Daryl, that's so sweet."
He cleared his throat again, "Yeah, yeah. Just don't let that get around." That's all you need – Glenn and Maggie riding your ass for being sweet. Shit, had she told them yet? Was there anything to tell?
"My lips are sealed."
"Tomorrow morning then? I could come pick you up, we grab some coffee and head out?" It would actually work out perfectly. Jeremy had been invited to a friend's house for an all-day pool party. Surely he could get Carol to drop him off.
"Sounds great. Thank you so much, Daryl. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Nah. Don't worry about it." Martinez appeared in the doorway making a gesture telling him to wrap things up. "Hey, I gotta get back, someone just pulled up."
"Alright. Have a good rest of your day."
"You, too. See ya."
Daryl rushed home after his shift, and before anything else, he asked if Carol could take Jeremy to his party. "Had some stuff come up," he used as a vague excuse. Carol cornered him with that suspicious look she had, the one where he could just feel her trying to peer into his brain to find out what was really going on. She never asked, and he didn't give any more clues, happy to leave it like that. Carol agreed, and Daryl thanked her with a smile...which was supposed to hide his sigh of relief.
Next he went down the hall to his son's room to explain the change in plans. Daryl found him sitting on the floor, leaning back against his bed, holding the Nintendo zapper gun, aiming it lazily at the TV screen. "Hey, kiddo," he said, sitting on the end of the bed next to Jeremy. "I ain't gonna be taking you to the pool party tomorrow."
"What?!" he said, not even bothering to pause his game. "Why can't I go?"
The disappointment in his son's voice stabbed through Daryl's heart, but he still managed to grin as he explained, "Did I say you couldn't go? I just can't take you. Carol's gonna."
"Oh." Jeremy seemed instantly relieved. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he asked, "How come?"
Shoulda seen that coming. "I, uh...I gotta help a friend out with something."
Jeremy looked at him skeptically. "You have a friend?"
Daryl narrowed his eyes, "Watch it."
"Who?"
Daryl sighed. No point in trying to hide it now. "Her name's Beth."
A silent moment passed between them. "Beth?" Jeremy finally asked, and Daryl could see the puzzle pieces falling into place.
Talk about a loaded question. "Yeah. She's real nice, and she needs my help." Jeremy didn't seem convinced. "I tell you what, to make it up to you, we'll head out to the firing range Sunday and get you going on using a rifle."
Jeremy looked up at him again with a new excitement in his eyes. "Really?"
"Hell yeah," Daryl smiled down at his son. "Can't have ya tryin' ta take down a deer this fall with yer little zapper there." Jeremy grinned up at him, and Daryl had to bite back a laugh when he saw the space left from the tooth Jeremy had lost just a couple weeks ago. "Gotta get ya registered and everything, too. We'll do that Monday. Got me a long weekend."
Jeremy nodded. "Okay." He looked down at the plastic gun in his hand for a minute before looking back up at his father. "You like her?" Daryl frowned down at him, not quite sure what he was talking about. "Beth. Do you like her?"
Daryl chuckled and mussed up Jeremy's hair. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. I think you'll like her, too. She's a music teacher. Ya still like music, right?"
Jeremy shrugged. "It's okay." He had apparently gotten to the phase where most subjects in school were just "okay." Daryl snorted a little at his response.
"Alright, kiddo. C'mon and we'll see if Carol needs help getting dinner ready."
Even though he didn't have to work, Daryl had set his alarm to make sure he was up nice and early. He realized he hadn't confirmed what time he was going to pick Beth up, but figured she was usually a pretty early riser, and he wanted to make damn sure he got to her house before anyone else (especially her father) was up and about to avoid having that conversation. Not that Beth was sneaking out – for all he knew, she'd already told her parents anyway – he just wasn't exactly looking forward to any awkward conversations. Sure, he'd met Beth's parents before, but never under these kind of circumstances.
The weather forecast called for a beautiful day, which made Daryl grin at the thought of spending the day out on his bike with Beth sitting snug behind him. Jeremy's mom had never understood his love of motorcycles, which Daryl tried repeatedly to dispute with the fact that she'd never ridden one, but was always ignored. He wasn't sure how Beth was going to react to his plan, but he couldn't imagine her acting like it was beneath her to ride with him.
He arrived at the farm to find Beth already sitting on the porch waiting for him. A thought crossed his mind that she was waiting outside so he wouldn't have to come to the door, which could be her just being nice, but it could also mean she didn't want her parents catching wind of him. Was she embarrassed of him? Ashamed to be associating with him? Did she already know her parents wouldn't approve?
She was just wearing jeans and a shirt, nothing really remarkable, but he swore she looked just as beautiful as she did the day of Glenn and Maggie's wedding. He cut the bike's engine once he got close enough to the house and grinned as Beth hopped down the steps and practically skipped over to meet him. She looked so damn excited to see him, all smiles, that his self-doubt vanished at the sight of her.
"Morning!" she greeted him cheerfully.
"Morning," he smiled, and without thinking twice about it, reached out to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her in for a quick kiss. He wasn't sure where this sudden boldness and familiarity was coming from, maybe just from seeing her so happy to see him, but if she wasn't complaining, he wouldn't question it. "Ya ready?"
She nodded, a great big smile stretching across her face. Still seated on the bike, Daryl pulled the spare helmet from the side compartment and handed it to her, helping her fasten it under her chin. He held out a hand to help her keep her balance as she swung her leg over the seat of the motorcycle, holding onto his shoulder with her free hand. Once she was settled, she rested her hands on his sides, just below his rib cage, but he gently took them and brought them to rest just above his navel. He wasn't about to tell her he was particularly ticklish in that area. "Gotta hold on tighter than that. Don't want ya flyin' off once we get on the highway." Yeah, and that's the only reason you want her arms wrapped around you. He fought to silence his inner monologue and focused on making sure Beth was safe.
Once he was satisfied with her grip around him, he started the engine and slowly made his way back toward the main road, letting Beth grow accustomed to leaning with him as he took each curve of the driveway. As they hit the highway that ran past the farm, Daryl gunned the engine, barreling them down the road, and Beth clung tightly around his waist and squeezed her thighs tightly around his. She let out an excited "Whoo!" as they sped down the road into town. Daryl grinned behind the mouth vent of his own helmet and tried to focus on the pavement beneath him rather than the woman behind him.
Daryl stopped at a café on the edge of town, near the interstate. He shut off the motor and lowered the kick stand, then held out his hand to help Beth off the bike. He knew from experience that the first time riding a bike did a number on a person's equilibrium and certainly didn't want her to fall. She stood like a newborn deer, all knock-kneed and staggered steps, which just made her all the more adorable in his eyes. He rushed to stop her from falling, his elbows hooking under her arms, hoping he hadn't hurt her. Girl couldn't weigh much more than a buck twenty-five; he felt positively huge standing next to her.
Once she was steady on her feet again, he took off his helmet, then reached up to unclip hers, noticing that some of her hair had come loose from her ponytail. After he stowed the helmets in the side compartment, he brought his hand up to tuck her stray hairs behind her ears. He wanted to kiss her – it seemed he couldn't get enough of kissing her – but decided to refrain, at least for the moment.
She smiled at him, a slight blush gracing her cheeks. She took a step back, allowing him room to dismount the bike himself. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into the tiny café.
They placed their orders, both getting a coffee and a pastry – a bearclaw for him and a cherry Danish for her. He loaded his coffee with plenty of sugar (something he couldn't do at home without catching an earful from Merle) and led her to a small table near the window to eat their breakfast. Daryl started casting glances at Beth and chuckling before she finally let out a frustrated, "What?"
Daryl leaned over and reached out his hand to her chin, thumb extended. "You got a little cherry on your cheek," he explained softly. His eyes never left hers, but he still saw the blush creep over her cheeks as he wiped away the sticky sweet smudge. For an added little jolt to her system, he brought his thumb to his mouth and sucked the cherry goo off, still not breaking eye contact. Just watching her reaction was enough for him to suggest calling off the apartment hunting and head back to his place for the day. Well, almost enough.
The two finished their breakfast over light conversation, trying to escape the tension that was building between them. Beth showed Daryl her list of apartments, pointing out where they'd be going today. Daryl was glad when he saw none of her choices were in any bad neighborhoods. He'd take her, regardless of their location, but he was impressed with her decisions and realized she had a good head on her shoulders. They cleared their places and walked back out to Daryl's motorcycle, their arms brushing against each other with every step. The electricity growing between them was palpable, and Daryl wondered if she felt it, too.
He waited until she had her helmet in place again before helping her back onto the bike. He navigated down the interstate toward her first appointment, definitely enjoying the feel of her slender arms around him, not to mention the feel of her thighs squeezing his at every turn they made.
The leasing agent met them at the front door of the apartment building and showed them in. Daryl kept his thoughts to himself, wanting to see just how observant she was of her surroundings. He could tell she liked the place well enough, but he knew it wasn't good enough for her, though he was polite enough to not embarrass the leasing agent by pointing out all the unit's faults. After they had seen all the rooms, Daryl asked questions about the lease and utilities, stepping in where Beth had not. It wasn't that she was stupid, she just didn't know what to ask. That was the whole reason for him being here with her. Once all his questions were answered, the agent shook their hands before they walked back out to the motorcycle.
"So what'd you think?" Beth asked. She looked so darn hopeful, Daryl hated the answer he had to give her.
"No. Not that one."
"Why not? I thought it was cute."
"Your nose work okay?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "That smell in there was mold. Shit's hard to get rid of." He immediately regretted how he'd phrased his answer. Idiot. Quickly, he added, "Besides, ya never go with the first one you see," to try to soften the blow.
Beth hung her head and kicked at the ground. Well, don't you just feel like a piece of shit? Asshole idiot. She grabbed her helmet before hopping on the back of Daryl's bike again, not saying another word. Daryl felt awful. He certainly could have pointed everything out a little nicer. He grit his teeth and promised himself to go easier on her at the next one.
They made their way through several neighborhoods before arriving at her next appointment. Beth took off her helmet and looked at the building. Neither of them bothered with getting off the bike. The place was falling apart from the outside in. Even Beth with her lack of experience was bound to notice the building was in awful condition. He turned and gave her a doubtful look. Beth asked, "Do we even bother?"
"Your call, darling." Again with this 'darling' thing. What the hell? "Can't imagine it looks much better on the inside. Look along the foundation line. All those cracks…you're gonna have bugs and water coming in all year long."
Beth sighed heavily and fished her phone out of her purse. She dialed up the management company and cancelled her appointment. When she ended the call, she wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist and peeked over his shoulder. "Guess we've got some time to kill."
He glanced at her over his shoulder and smirked at her. "Any ideas?"
She grinned, "I trust you."
Oh...shit. This girl...
Daryl put his helmet back on, turned to her again and said, "Buckle up." She hurriedly fastened her helmet and grabbed hold of his waist just before he revved the bike's engine and rumbled down the street. He drove slowly through the neighborhoods, taking his time getting to his impromptu destination. They ended up pulling under a shade tree at the edge of the small park he and Jeremy often visited. Beth hopped off the bike and took off her helmet, placing it in the side compartment; Daryl was impressed with how quickly she had become accustomed to riding his bike. Daryl stood next to her and slowly ran his fingers down her arm before lacing his fingers between hers and pulling gently on her hand, silently asking her to follow him.
They found a comfy looking spot under the tree; Daryl sat down, leaning against the trunk, and pulled Beth down to sit between his legs. She looked over her shoulder at him questioningly. "What?" he asked, trying to sound innocent. "Can't have ya leaning against the tree, getting yer shirt all dirty." She smiled softly and relaxed against his chest; he sighed beneath her, letting himself relax as well. Her head fit perfectly in the space between his shoulder and his neck, her blonde hair, blown free during the ride despite wearing the helmet, tickled his skin...not that he minded.
"This is nice," she murmured contentedly.
"Mm-hmm," he hummed in agreement. She just looked so damn tempting, and having spent over an hour with her wrapping herself around him had worn on his resolve. He readjusted until he could bend his head down to kiss the side of her neck. She spun around and stared at him, her eyes wide with surprise. "Sorry," he muttered. "Couldn't resist." He smiled guiltily at her, knowing his apology wasn't exactly being taken seriously.
While they weren't all that far from the parking lot, the tree they were sitting under provided enough seclusion that he let his resolve weaken even more. He leaned forward and caught her lips in a soft kiss, unable to resist any longer. When he felt the slight pressure as she kissed him back, his lips moved against hers, drawing her in. Daryl wound his arms around her waist and tugged her into his lap, his mouth never leaving hers. He smiled against her then teased the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue. She opened her mouth readily to him, accepting his tongue as he tasted her, that hint of cherry doing things unspeakable to him. He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers, then cupped her jaw in his palm as he let the kiss take on a life of its own.
Beth slid her arms around his neck, pushing her tiny body closer to his. His hands felt rough against the light fabric of her shirt, and he felt once again just how much bigger he was as they damn near covered her entire back. He wanted to lose himself in her, but knew he needed to stop before they either got too carried away or someone there in the park noticed them and called the cops for public indecency. He pulled back suddenly, all but hating himself for having done so. Beth gazed up at him, a worried look crossing her face.
"Don't wanna get carried away," Daryl apologized. "We are in public, and you've got another appointment to keep coming up soon." The expression on her face looked like he'd just kicked her puppy. Way to go, idiot. "Hey." He raised her chin with his forefinger, waiting for her eyes to meet his. "Trust me, I'd love to get carried away with you." He brushed his thumb across the blush spreading on the apple of her cheek and kissed her again, trying like hell to keep the kiss innocent, before returning her to the place between his legs, letting her relax against him again, praying she didn't feel that he was partially aroused just from a few minutes of kissing.
Beth was leaning against him, his arms draped down her sides, her hands resting on his, but he could still feel the tension in her body. He realized what he'd just said to her. Jesus. 'I want to get carried away with you?!' Why don't you just come out and say 'I can't wait to fuck you?' Idiot. He thought about trying to explain himself so he didn't come across as some sex-crazed pervert making moves on her in public like this. Wouldn't that just hurt her feelings, though? 'I don't really want to. I was just kidding.' Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon. His internal clock gave him a mental ping, pulling him from his thoughts and letting him know they should start getting ready to head out again if she wanted to make her next appointment.
He took her all over the area, meeting with agent after agent, inspecting apartment after apartment. After a while, Daryl felt they started to blend in together, and he wondered how she was keeping them all straight. As the day went on, he noticed her getting more and more frustrated at not having found a place just for her. "Don't freak out just yet. We'll find something," Daryl reassured her as they climbed on the motorcycle to meet with yet another agent.
After the last appointment of the day, Beth was visibly disappointed. Daryl made an executive decision. "Come on. You'll feel better after lunch." He held her hand and led her inside a hole-in-the-wall deli he used to frequent. They ordered their sandwiches and found a table near the back. He watched as Beth nibbled at her sandwich and wished he had something comforting to say to help brighten her mood. He continued eating, but he noticed she was distracted by something on the wall near them. She pointed a flyer out to Daryl, "What do you think?"
He read it over; the flyer advertised a place for rent, the address just a few blocks away. Daryl shrugged his shoulders as he swallowed his last bite. "Sure. Why not?" He tried to sound hopeful, "Who knows, you might get lucky." He could have kicked himself for letting the innuendo slip out, but her blush showed she wasn't taking it too badly, so he just winked at her. Apparently she was okay with a little flirting here and there...not that he really knew how to flirt to begin with.
Beth quickly finished her sandwich, apparently in a better mood with this new prospect, and cleared both of their places before Daryl had a chance to. She was obviously in much better spirits, and Daryl found the feeling contagious as they walked out to his bike, hand in hand.
They pulled up to the house, and Daryl could tell Beth was excited. She all but ran up the path to the front door and knocked. Even though his legs were much longer than hers, he had a hard time keeping up with her. An older, bearded gentleman with wild eyebrows and soft brown eyes opened the door. "May I help you?"
"Hi, I'm Beth Greene," she introduced herself. "I saw the flyer for an apartment to rent at the deli down the block and wondered if it was still available."
"Ah! Nice to meet you. My name is Dale...Dale Horvath," he offered his hand for a handshake. "Yeah, the apartment is still available. Let me open it up for you." He stepped outside and led them both to the back of the house. He climbed the steps that led up to the second story door and let them in.
They stepped into a small living room, and Beth started exploring the space on her own. Daryl stayed behind with Dale in the living room. He had a feeling Beth had just found her new home, so Daryl just wanted to get a feel for her new landlord, feeling more and more protective of her the more time he spent with her. If she was going to be living up here on her own, he wanted to make sure the guy wasn't a creep or a crook. To his relief, within minutes of conversation, he realized Mr. Horvath was definitely a good man to be trusted.
"We'd saved up for when we retire, bought an RV and planned to travel the country. Then my Irma was diagnosed with cancer and...well, it's just been me for a little over a year." His eyes glanced over at Beth, who had come to join them in the middle of the room. He smiled, a little sadly, and continued, "I sold the RV and poured myself into converting the house to split into this apartment. All this room was far too much for just me. It'll be nice to have someone close by again."
Daryl looked over to Beth, "Wanna give me a tour?" Beth grinned and took him by the hand and led him back through the apartment. Everything looked good to him, but he wanted to let her take the reins on this one. "So what do you think?"
She grinned up at him, "I really like it. What do you think? Is it...okay?"
"Seems to be," he shrugged. "Neighborhood seems pretty nice. Won't take much to keep this place warm in winter, everything seems pretty on par as far as pipes and electric. It's up to you, though."
Beth smiled up at him before going back to talk to her potential new landlord. "I love it! What's the next step?"
"I'll run downstairs and grab the paperwork for you to fill out," he excused himself.
Daryl was leaning in the entryway to the kitchen, watching Beth, getting a kick out of how excited she was. She came over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, and he pulled her into a loose hug. Their eyes met as he looked down at her. "Thank you so much for coming with me today. It really, really means a lot to me," she said softly
"Ain't nothin'," he shrugged it off, and it really wasn't. It made him happy to see her happy. A part of him had grown fiercely protective of her, and he was just glad they'd found a good place for her.
"It is something," she argued. "You took your day off to spend with me, and you helped me so much. What can I do to repay you?"
Daryl only smirked and lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. "There. We're even."
Beth rolled her eyes and grinned up at him. "Daryl..." she started, but was interrupted by Dale returning with the paperwork. She brought the papers into the kitchen to fill out on the counter, then wrote out a check to cover the deposit.
"When do you plan on moving in?" Dale asked.
"Over the weekend, if that's alright."
"It's fine with me," the older man smiled warmly. He held out two shiny silver keys on a key ring. "Welcome home, young lady."
Daryl watched with pride as Beth locked up her apartment and walked with her to his bike. He was half tempted to drive below the speed limit, or even take state highways instead of the interstate, just to make their time together last a little longer. They were just outside the city limits when he heard Beth yell over the rush of wind to ask him if they could stop for dinner before taking her home. Daryl grinned and nodded and steered them in the direction of the diner. He ordered a bacon cheeseburger meal while she got a grilled chicken sandwich; as they waited for their food and over the course of their meal, they talked about all manner of things, mostly having to do with Beth's new apartment. She was positively radiant with excitement, and Daryl just marveled at her – her enthusiasm as much as her beauty. He noticed that she kept ordering refills on her vanilla coke, and he played along, realizing neither of them wanted the day to end, regardless that they couldn't escape the reality of being apart for much longer.
Beth snatched up the check before Daryl had a chance to, arguing that he had spent his day carting her around and giving free advice and she owed him for that since he wouldn't let her pay for gas. Daryl could only scowl at her, not wanting to start a fight after the day they'd spent together, but made a note to be quicker on the draw the next time they went out, swearing that this woman would never pay for a meal on his watch ever again.
Finally, they couldn't avoid taking Beth home any longer. Daryl crept the bike down the driveway, finding no need to go any faster than he had to in order to keep their balance. Beth slid off the seat from behind him, using his shoulders for balance, but having no trouble standing like she had earlier, and handed him the spare helmet. "Thanks again for everything, Daryl. Really, it means so much to me that you came along."
He swung his leg over the bike to stand, facing her. "Don't worry about it. It was fun for me, too, ya know?" In fact, he couldn't think of a time he'd had more fun with a girl, not for a long...long time.
"Really?" she asked incredulously. Like he would make something like that up.
"Well, yeah. Spend all day outside instead of in the garage, out on my bike with my girl wrapping her arms around me the whole time..." he cut himself off, realizing what he'd just called her. What the hell are you thinking? He felt the tips of his ears grow warm, already knowing they were glowing red.
"I'm your girl?" she asked softly. He only shrugged and looked at the ground. God, he really was an idiot. Her question told him that she was just in this for a little fun, not for anything serious. And why the hell would she? He was at least ten years older, an old redneck mechanic, and she was on to bigger and better things with her college degree and fully-functional family. Who was he kidding?
He felt Beth gently place her hands on either side of his face and tilted him to look at her. "Let me try that again," she grinned. "I'm your girl." It was a statement this time, not a question. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips...and his heart skipped at least a couple beats.
Not giving her a chance to pull away, Daryl pressed her body close to his and poured all the emotions he was feeling into their kiss – happiness, excitement, and relief among others. He felt her fingers slide through his hair, and let his own wander along her waist, around her hips to the small of her back. Their tongues chased each other, tasting and tempting along the way. He was completely lost in the taste and feel of her, not able to get enough of how closely they were pressed together. He stepped into her, straightening as he did so his hips aligned with hers...just as Beth shifted slightly to the side. She immediately broke the kiss with a gasp and stepped back. His eyes snapped open as he realized just how much of him she had felt brushing against her.
"Beth, I'm so..."
"Daryl...I..."
They both laughed nervously after interrupting each other. Beth spoke again first, "I should probably head back in. Besides, you've got work tomorrow."
"Yeah. It's gonna suck going back after today, though," Daryl half-heartedly complained. It wasn't her fault he was suddenly addicted to her, all of her. He found himself wanting to touch her again, and brushed the backs of his fingers against her soft cheek.
"Let me know when you get home?" she asked, just barely leaning into his touch.
"Think about me until I do?" he grinned.
Beth blushed again and smiled shyly, "You know it."
"Alright, darlin'. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"
"Okay. Good night, Daryl. Thanks again."
"G'night Beth," he murmured, fighting the urge to kiss her just once more. He started up the engine, giving her one last, longing look, hating to leave her without knowing when he'd next see her, and drove down the long driveway and back to Merle's house.
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