I would like to apologize for the wait on this chapter. School is almost over, and soon, I will be able to dedicate most of my time to writing! :) I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I know I enjoyed writing it!
Chapter Sixteen
That evening, Daryl drove home in his truck with Carol and her visit still on his mind. Never had he thought she would show up at his workplace, he didn't even think she had known where it was. However, he hadn't minded the visit. Quite the opposite, actually. Once they were married, Daryl hoped that they would be a normal thing. Instead of taking his lunch breaks outside and by himself, he hoped more often than not, Carol would be there to eat with him. He wouldn't even care if the other guys gave him shit about it, like they had today. He had learned to ignore them and would call them out on their jealousy of him having a beautiful woman to go home to every night.
When Daryl pulled into his driveway, he put the truck in park and turned the engine off. It felt weird going straight to his own home, knowing that was where he would stay for the remainder of the night. There would be no Carol this evening and that made the rest of the night sound bleak. He was becoming a sap, pining for her like this, even though he had only seen her a few hours prior. For two years, Daryl hadn't needed anyone and preferred his days spent alone. Even when Merle was around, he liked to spend most days in the woods with just himself and his crossbow. But now, he felt miserable because he couldn't see Carol. What the hell was wrong with him?
It was all because of fear. He hated to admit it, but that was what it was. Fear. Daryl was afraid that this was all a dream and he would wake up at the bottom of that ravine with an arrow embedded into his side. Or that Carol would realize that this was all too much for her and she would flee. One of these days, he was afraid that he would push Carol too far and she would have enough of him and leave. Though she had seemed happy and carefree, earlier, even kissing him in front of everyone he worked with, it could have all been a play. Daryl wished to only see Carol happy and that all thoughts of Ed, and the life she had had with him, would disappear from her mind, forever.
If only that could be so simple.
His own early life had not been pleasant. Every time he talked openly with Carol about his feelings, held her in his arms, and kissed her, he was surprised at himself. Before Carol, he had abhorred the idea of touch. The only touch he had ever known had always been painful and left permanent marks on his skin, and it had always come from his father, sometimes, even, his brother. People who were supposed to love and care about him.
The scars littered on his back were testament to his father's cruelty. He wished to be with Carol every way possible, but thoughts of her seeing his scars and feeling them under her fingertips, kept him up many a night. Carol had scars of her own, but hers were on her heart. Invisible. His were not. They were there and they were ugly. How would she react when she saw all of them?
He couldn't even begin to think of that, now. It would surely ruin his happier mood from before. His scars were another hurdle they would have to face, but after they were married, they would face it, together.
Walking into his kitchen, after slipping off his boots, Daryl fished out the rest of the stew he and Carol had made for a dinner those few nights ago. It was still good. After placing the bowl in the microwave to be heated, he walked over to the sink and washed the rest of the oil from his hands. There's still a faint line on his ring finger from where Carol had slipped the string.
Once the stew was warm and ready to eat, Daryl would eat it quickly, and then head to his room, where he would begin to pack some of his things together. Tomorrow, he would go over to Carol's after work, and maybe spend another night with her body lying beside his. That thought, alone, had him wishing that it was tomorrow evening already. His workday would go by slow, now, and it would be full of Jim asking questions about Carol all day. But it would be worth it once that clock his six.
The microwave beeped, then, signaling that his meal was ready. Grabbing a used hand towel, he reached inside the microwave to grab the bowl, knowing it would be hot. Placing it in front of his spot at the table, Daryl grabbed a spoon and dug in.
Carol sat alone at her table and was eating a meal of macaroni and cheese. She hadn't felt like cooking anything, and had been relieved to find a box of macaroni shoved in the back of one of the cupboards. As she ate, one of her hands played with the little black box that contained Daryl's ring. Out of curiosity, she had tried it on and giggled when it slid easily off her finger. Her fingers were thin and long. Piano hands, her mother had called them. It had always been her mother's dream for Carol to learn how to play the piano, flawlessly. However, Carol had been able to take to the instrument and the only songs she knew how to play were Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Mary Had A Little Lamb.
Tears unexpectedly came to her eyes at the thought of her mother, who had been taken, ripped, from her way too soon. If only they had not gone out that night. They would have still been alive. They would have still been with her. If her mother had still been there when she had met Ed, she would have known right away the kind of man he was, even if Carol hadn't. She would have seen how bad he was for Carol, and would have tried to discourage her daughter from seeing him. Whether or not she would have listened, Carol didn't know. Ed had been charming when they had first started to see one another.
And if Carol hadn't listened to them and married Ed, anyway, her parents would have been there to protect her when she finally left her husband. Her mother would have hidden her, while her father would have gone and kicked Ed's ass. No man would ever put their hands on his little girl, again.
They would have liked Daryl.
But would she have known Daryl if they were still alive? Would she still find herself in this small house, in this little down in the middle of nowhere? Or would she stay where she was safe and loved with her parents?
There was a sharp pain in her heart. What if she had never met Daryl? A sob escaped her lips before she even knew what was going on. Daryl had only been in her life for a little over a week and she couldn't imagine her life without him.
Was this what falling in love felt like? She had never loved Ed, she knew that now. What had felt for him was an infatuation. He had been a handsome man, showing interest to a young woman who had felt so alone at the time. He had made her feel pretty and wanted. But he had never cared that her parents were dead, hadn't showed his sympathy for her lost loved ones and hadn't even gone with her to visit their graves on the anniversary of their deaths.
She wished her mother was there to tell her that she was making a good choice in marrying Daryl. She wished her father was there so he could give his daughter away.
Carol pushed her food away, her appetite gone. Sadness over took her and she brought her knees up to her chin and cried.
Daryl had found an old suitcase in the corner of Merle's closet. Fortunately, it had been empty. Knowing his brother, it could have been filled with any number of things and none of them good. Opening his drawers in the only dresser he had, he began to empty the contents of them in the suitcase. Carol had said she would start making room for his stuff in her own dressers. It made him kind of giddy to think that they would be sharing clothing space.
When they were younger, and both their parents alive, he and Merle had to share a room. Merle hadn't liked the idea since he was six years older and didn't like sharing with a 'baby'. Half the time, Daryl would walk in the room and see all of his stuff scattered all over the floor. This, of course, had made him angry, and the age of seven had flown at his brother in a rage. Merle had easily taken him down, but not before they woke up their father from his drunken slumber in the living room.
Daryl had gotten his first scar that day. The first of many.
A sudden vibration in his pants had him searching through his pockets to retrieve his phone. No one ever called him, except Carol. Could it be...? But it was late. Was something wrong?
"Carol, is everything all right?" He answered without even checking if it was really her.
"Who the hell is Carol?" ...And it wasn't.
"Merle?"
Calling it a night, Carol cleaned up her mess, left the dishes for later and slid under her covers. Dried tears stained her cheeks and she peered down at the phone in her hand. Daryl's number was typed in and all she needed to do was press the green call button and soon, she would be hearing his voice.
Would he come if she asked?
Of course, he would. Right now, she needed him. She needed to curl into his side, tuck her face in his shoulder and just cry, knowing that he would soothe her with either words or gentle touches.
Pressing the call button, she held the phone to her ear, desperate to hear Daryl's voice. She nearly burst into tears when she got a busy signal.
"So, who the hell is this Carol, baby brother?" Daryl was still in shock that Merle was actually on the phone talking with him. He hadn't heard his brother's voice since the last time he visited him in jail, a month ago.
"Did you finally get yourself a girl while I've been away?" He cackled.
"Shut up, Merle," he growled, not ready to talk about Carol with him, yet. First, he wanted to find out what the hell his older brother wanted. He had never called him before.
"Probably wondering why I called you, huh?"
"Uh, what the fuck do you think?" Daryl sat down on his bed, packing not at the back of his mind. Whatever Merle had to say wouldn't be good. He probably got his ass a longer sentence or-
"I'm gettin' parole!" He announced.
"What?" Daryl sputtered. "When?"
"Three months. Ain't that great, little brother? I've been rottin' in here way too long. It's about time I get out."
Daryl's mind reeled. Things would definitely change once he was out of jail, but by that time, he and Carol would be married, and Merle would have the house to himself.
Merle continued on, even though Daryl hadn't said anything. "But you should still visit me once or twice before, then. Gets a little lonely, here."
"Uh, sure." Daryl knew he needed to get it together before Merle started to get suspicious.
"How about in two weeks? Figure that should get you enough time to call off work."
In two weeks, he would be married.
"Daryl? Did you hear me? Fuck, these phones are shit." A banging sound met Daryl's ear and he was brought back to the present. "Daryl, you there?"
"Uh, yeah. Sorry."
"Somethin' the matter? Am I interruptin' somethin'?" Daryl could almost hear Merle's eyes narrow into tiny little slits.
"No, just a little tired, I guess. Think I'm goin' to be callin' it a night."
"It ain't even nine, yet! Don't tell me you've gone soft on me, boy."
"Naw, course not. Just had a busy day at work, that's all." He faked a yawn.
"All right, I get the hint. Night, brother, and remember, the Dixon's will finally be reunited, soon."
Yeah, he thought once he hung up and tossed the phone on his nightstand. And there's goin' to be one more Dixon there than your use to, brother.
Hope you all liked this chapter! :) And thank you all for reading!