As Beth pulled out of the beach parking lot, she couldn't help but have mixed emotions. On one hand, she was pretty pleased with herself. She had convinced Daryl to come and stay with her, at least for the night, and she was glad that he'd put aside his uncertainties about it and allowed her to help him. Not to mention, there was something about Daryl that she couldn't explain – she wanted to get to know him more. She couldn't help but think there was something much deeper and softer under that hard exterior that you were immediately struck with upon meeting him. On the other hand, though, she was a little anxious as well. While she had a good feeling about Daryl, a feeling that he was a nice and genuinely respectful guy, she still didn't know much about him. She also didn't want word of his presence in the house making its way back to her uncle.
When Beth had decided to go to college in the area, her father had an honest conversation with his brother about the possibility of her living with him. Her uncle was very willing to let her move in, as she'd agreed to help out around the house, assisting with cooking, cleaning, laundry, and other work that he'd often times found difficult to get done given his long work hours. Her uncle, who had always lived alone, never marrying or having children because of his strict devotion to his work, was delighted to have her living with him, and it didn't take long for him to wonder what he'd ever done without Beth there holding the household together, keeping it running. A couple of years ago, at the beginning of her sophomore year, he'd gotten a job offer in California and the agreement was made that Beth could stay at the home as long as she took care of it and followed the rules that her uncle set out. He had always operated under a friendly guise of "I'll trust you until you give me a reason not to" – and many of his rules reflected this. However, he had a very strict policy about no male overnight guests, except members of the family. She knew that this was based partially in his religious beliefs and partially in his overall concern for Beth's safety and well-being. Over the time that Beth stayed with her uncle, they'd become extremely close and he always looked out for her, especially when it came to the guys she dated or spent time with. Beth knew she was lucky to have garnered such a good relationship with her uncle and to be able to live free of charge in his home – she would never want to do anything to break his trust and cause him to question her.
But she knew Daryl needed help, needed a place to go – and in this moment, she knew she was doing the right thing by trusting him, even if it made her a little apprehensive.
Beth looked in the rearview mirror of her car, making sure Daryl was still following right behind her. She saw the form of the Ford pickup truck that he drove and wondered how he felt in that moment. Was he anxious too? She also started to realize, in that moment, that she had no idea what she would actually do when they got home. Would he want to hang out with her? Talk more, maybe? Should she go and get them some dinner? Maybe rent a movie? Beth wasn't sure about that – it sounded a lot like a date, and she didn't want to give Daryl the wrong idea. While she really liked Daryl already, for reasons she couldn't really explain, she didn't want him to think she was trying to push their newfound friendship into a different direction. Most importantly too, was Daryl's own broken heart, which needed time to heal. She wanted to respect that and not put Daryl into a situation that he might feel uncomfortable in.
Beth realized she was over thinking things, and as she slowly pulled into her driveway, with Daryl right behind her, she decided that she would just play things by ear, see how she thought Daryl felt, and what he might want, and go from there.
As Beth climbed out of her car, Daryl also was stepping out of his truck, a look of uncertainty on his face. His face, and then his words, confirmed with Beth that her earlier questions about him had been true – he was very anxious too.
"Uhh… You sure about this, Beth?" he asked, looking up at the home. She could tell by his expression that the house was bigger than he anticipated.
"Yes! I'm positive, Daryl! Come on!", she said, brushing off her own concerns and waving him to follow into the house. "How much stuff do you have?" she asked. "Can I help you with it?".
"Nah… I got it… Ain't all that much" Daryl said, as he grabbed a couple of bags that had been in the passenger seat and headed toward her. As he approached her, Beth saw that he carried a fairly large black suitcase and a large duffle bag. She was struck with the thought of how heavy those bags looked, especially since they seemingly contained almost all of Daryl's possessions. Yet, he carried them as if they weighed nothing.
As they stepped into the door, Daryl seemed to hesitate again, but Beth reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him forward so that she could close and lock the door.
"Let's find you a place to put your things" Beth said casually. She wasn't sure which room she should put Daryl in – there were several unoccupied rooms in the house. When her uncle moved to California, he had moved all of his things out of the master suite, putting them into a smaller room instead – he did occasionally visit and still needed a place to call his own (especially since it was his house). Beth had been persuaded to move into the master suite – it was almost unbelievable to her, having a huge walk-in closet, large bedroom with an attached lounge area, and a massive bathroom. She knew she didn't need that kind of space, but she had enjoyed the luxury of it, nonetheless. While one of the free rooms was upstairs near her own, two more were downstairs. She wasn't sure if the distance would be good or bad, but she quickly decided for both their sakes that downstairs was best. So she chose one and led Daryl towards it.
As she walked into the room, Daryl behind her, she mentioned to him where the bathroom was that he could use, and where to look for towels and anything else he might need. Daryl had been out on the beach since late Friday night and Beth thought that maybe he'd want to shower immediately, although she wasn't sure. But once she'd mentioned the bathroom, Daryl thanked her and indicated that he did, in fact intend to shower. "I'm sure I smell awful" he said, seeming all of a sudden self-conscious in the sudden realization of his current state.
"Actually… you don't", was all Beth could muster to respond. She thought for a moment and then asked, "Would you want to have some dinner after you're done cleaning up? I can just order a pizza or something like that".
"Pizza sounds great. But let me pay for it…." Daryl responded, as he started to reach into his pants pocket for cash. But Beth stopped him.
"No… you paid for lunch. So it's my turn, remember?". She looked up at him with a sweet smile. She was still feeling so anxious – and she could tell that Daryl was too. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife and all she wanted to do was lighten the mood. That, and get out of there. So as soon as Daryl nodded, somewhat begrudgingly, she thought, she turned around and headed out the door. When she got to the door she stopped, turned around, and asked, "Oh… forgot to ask you what you'd like on the pizza…?".
"Anything's fine…" Daryl said. "Just… just no mushrooms. I hate them."
Beth smiled back at him. "No mushrooms, then!". She walked away, leaving Daryl to his shower.
Daryl wasn't sure how long he'd been in the shower. While he was in there his mind had wondered and he kept coming back to one question – what in the world was he doing here? He knew it seemed crazy to come here, but he didn't have any other options, not really anyway. And there was something about Beth that he knew he could trust. Something about Beth was different, special. He had been involved with many women in his thirty-two years of life, but what he felt about Beth wasn't like what he'd felt after meeting any of those other women in the past. He couldn't quite his finger on it, but there was something a lot more to her than just sexual attraction. Sure, he thought she was unbelievably attractive physically, but he was drawn even more to her personality.
Standing in the shower felt so nice that he just lost himself in the warm, as well as the warmth that thoughts of Beth made grow inside of him. Why did she make him feel that way? So at peace, so calm. And how, at the same time, did he also feel anxious, nervous, when he was around her?
After what was certainly too long of a shower, he stepped out, toweled off, and dressed in some fresh clothes. Daryl combed his wet hair back as best he could – it had gotten long since moving to Hilton Head and Andrea hadn't wanted him to cut it, telling him that it looked sexy. But now, one of the first things he wanted to do was cut it. Coming out of his room, he wasn't even sure where to find Beth, but as he wondered back towards the entryway where they'd come into the house, he heard her – she was singing. And she had the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard. And he knew it was crazy, but he stopped, dead in his tracks, and just listened. Finally, after several minutes had passed and she had started on a new song, he willed his bare feet to move again, entering the large kitchen where she was. She was sitting at the bar that bordered on the kitchen with a half empty beer in front of her and a huge pizza box from Giuseppi's Pizza. She was wearing a large t-shirt and her hair was pulled up into a messy knot on the top of her head.
"Beer and pizza, huh? My kinda girl…" Daryl said as he walked in, immediately realizing he'd spoken without thinking and the awkward context of his comment.
Beth looked up quickly and smiled. Daryl wasn't sure if she knew that he'd heard her singing, and decided not to mention it. What would he say, anyway? You voice sounds like an angel's? Like the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard? After his "my kinda girl" comment, he wasn't sure he trusted himself to say much at all.
But Beth didn't seem to mind the comment and offered him a beer as well. He agreed and she got up to get it from the fridge, as well as some plates. Daryl sat down at the bar stool right next to where she'd been sitting. Once she'd settled the items on the bar in front of both of them, she flipped open the box.
"I hope you like ham and pineapple. I probably should have gotten something more simple… but it's my favorite. And you said anything but mushrooms!" Beth gushed. She gave him a huge smile and he thought that even if the pizza had been anchovies, he would have been happy to eat it, as long as he was sitting there with her.
"Actually I love it… one of my favorites", Daryl replied. He was pleasantly surprised that Beth chose something that he liked so much. It seemed like a lot of girls just defaulted to pepperoni. That was fine, but just a little dull as far as Daryl was concerned. If he was honest with himself, pizza was one of his favorites. He'd eaten a lot of it in his life – maybe because it was fairly cheap, or because it was easy to come by and could be delivered before almost any other type of restaurant offered that type of service.
"Good!" Beth replied and started to help herself to a piece. "Then let's eat – I'm starving!".
Daryl couldn't help but laugh. Even though their lunch had been interrupted, Beth had eaten all of her food, from what he remembered. And he'd thought that was a lot. And now she was diving into this pizza, with a beer on top. This tiny little thing really could eat – and he couldn't help but love how carefree she was about it all. She wasn't afraid to be herself, she didn't try to pretend – and that made Daryl feel a bit more at ease being himself as well. He looked over at her and smiled, helping himself to a slice as well, following her lead. He couldn't help but love that she was content to just sit on the bar stools in the kitchen, eating pizza and drinking beer. He liked simple things in life, and couldn't help but think that Beth seemed to too.
They fell into an easy conversation. Daryl told Beth about his family, sharing a lot more than he'd intended to at the beginning. He told her how his father had been an alcoholic, and horribly abusive to him, his brother, and his mother. He told her about his brother Merle and how he was always in trouble with the law. And he told her about his mother's death when he was only 12 years old. Beth, in turn, shared about her family, which was much more functional, it seemed – her older sister Maggie, her older brother Shaun, and her parents, Hershel and Annette. Daryl learned that Maggie and Shaun had a different mother than Beth, but that their mother had died, leaving Hershel in a terrible state. He had taken to drinking, most every day and night, and Beth's mother, who had lived nearby had been there to help with the children and help Hershel through his grief. Daryl couldn't help but think, in that moment, that it must be in Beth's genes to help those who were in difficult situations.
The conversation between the two went on and on. They shared about their lives, funny stories, and serious ones too. They both talked about things they liked to do and interests they had. Beth told Daryl about her studies in college, and he learned that she hoped to be an elementary music teacher, and that she would start her senior year in August, part of which would include student teaching at a local elementary school. Beth also told Daryl that while her plan had never included staying in Hilton Head after graduating, she'd fallen in love with the area and hoped to find a job in the Beaufort County school district once she'd graduated.
Before either realized it, it was 3 a.m. – they'd lost all track of time.
"I had no idea it was so late" Beth said, after they'd both realized the time. "I hardly slept at all this weekend… so I've gotta get some rest!" Beth stood quickly and took she and Daryl's plates to the sink. Daryl also stood quickly, picking up the half dozen empty beer bottles they'd collected and taking them to the sink as well.
"Yeah… of course. I'm sorry…" Daryl said, starting to apologize as he walked up next to Beth. He all of a sudden felt terrible about monopolizing Beth's time.
"Daryl…" Beth said, turning towards him, and placing her hand on his forearm. She had a way of doing that just in the right moments – her way of providing reassurance. "You don't need to apologize to me, okay? I wanted to stay up… I wanted to talk to you."
"Okay…" Daryl responded. It was all he could muster. In that moment he realized how close Beth was to him.
"I'll see you tomorrow" Beth said. Daryl thought she would walk away, but instead, she reached up and put her arms around his neck, bring him into a hug, just like she'd done when she'd found him at the beach that afternoon. At first, he didn't really respond, he just stood there. And then, all of a sudden, his brought his arms up around her, pulling her even closer.
"Thank you, Beth… for everything" Daryl whispered.
Daryl knew he should pull away, but he couldn't. And for some reason, Beth didn't either. They just stood there, for what seemed like several minutes, both wordless.
Finally, Beth pulled away, just enough that she could look Daryl in the eyes. Her face was only inches away from his now and he looked down on her angelic face and felt so at peace – he felt like anything else that had been on his mind was now a thousand miles away. She kept his gaze for some time, then suddenly turning, without anything else, walking out of the kitchen. "Goodnight!" she finally called to him, already out of sight.
"Goodnight, Beth" Daryl said. He wasn't sure she'd even heard him, but he was glued to the spot where he heard. He thought there would be more conversation about what tomorrow would hold. Would she need to leave early in the morning to go to work? Would he need to leave? Of course, he thought. He'd need to start looking for a job anyway, and figure out a better living situation. He couldn't stay here with Beth passed this one night, he knew that.
For some reason though, it pained him to think about leaving. The more he got to know this girl, the more he wanted to know – and the more he wanted to be around her. He knew that was a dangerous thought. But as he made his way towards his room, finally, he couldn't help but think one thing – this was the best night he'd had in as long as he could remember. He couldn't help but feel like he could be himself around Beth. She didn't mind who he really was, even if he was a bit rough around the edges. And after his relationship with Andrea, he couldn't help but appreciate that about her.
Daryl knew he couldn't start something romantic with Beth right now. He wanted to, God, did he want to. In the kitchen a few minutes earlier, when he'd looked down at her sweet face, just inches from his, he'd wanted to close the distance and kiss her. He almost did. But he knew he couldn't. He wasn't ready. And he wouldn't make the same mistake he did with Andrea – he wouldn't jump into another relationship that didn't have any real depth. No, now, Daryl would be content just to be friends with Beth. That was probably all she wanted anyway, right? Her certainly wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable around him, anything that would make her second guess his presence. Yes, being friends could be enough for him. In less than a day's time he recognized that he'd do almost anything just to stay near her.
Daryl undressed down to his underwear and slowly slipped into bed. It felt strange being here in this bed, but at the same time, if felt wonderful. He knew Beth wasn't far away and it filled his heart with pure joy. For some reason, he felt like he had nothing to worry about – he knew everything would work out for him somehow, even if he had no idea how. Daryl should have been tired - he hadn't slept in 2 days! But his mind was filled with so many other thoughts, it was hard for him to turn his mind off. So he closed his eyes and tried to find sleep – but all he could do was think about Beth's face.