Chapter 29

He kissed her neck, running a hand up her concave belly to grab a breast as she shuddered underneath his touch. He thought her heavy breathing and shaking limbs were due to how good he was making her feel, but when she let out a whimper he knew it was because of something else. He stopped, lifting his head up to look down at her. Her face was red and worried as she blinked wet, remorseful eyes up at him.

"I'm sorry, Negan," Amber's voice shook. "It's just…I'm…"

Negan let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand over his face. He was pressed against her, the hard length of him pulsating against the side of her thigh, dying for friction.

"It's fine, Amber," he replied in annoyance.

"Negan, really, I'm sorry," she begged. "Listen, just do it. I'm okay."

She grabbed his hips to pull him against her and opened her thighs. He obliged, thinking more with his cock than his heart, but as he started to enter her a fresh stream of tears rolled down her face and he lost it instantly. He pushed off of her.

"Just go," he growled out.

"I'm so sorry," she cried and rolled off of the bed to gather her clothes. "I'll get someone else. I'm sorry."

She ran out of the room with her clothing clutched to her naked front, the door clicking shut loudly behind her. Negan clutched the pillow under his head and squeezed his eyes shut, letting out a frustrated groan. He was stressed and he needed some release, and if he couldn't fuck one of his wives, then he would fuck up someone with Lucille. His people had been minding their Ps and Qs extra hard this month and killing someone who didn't deserve it wouldn't quite suit his needs or Lucille's. They were still a bit on edge after the last performance he put on with Mark, and he didn't want to bring morale down any further by feeding his dirty girl too soon. He would need to go out and find the next victim elsewhere.

He began to grow impatient as he waited for one of his wives to show up. They were all probably out there comforting Amber while she cried and moaned over her half-cooked asshole ex. He didn't know what the fuck any of them expected. The arrangements they made with him had come with strict rules that they were aware of and had agreed to. Amber had known what she was doing, just as Mark had, and he paid for their mistake dearly. They could only blame themselves, but it was Negan who was the heartless bastard in their minds. That didn't bother him as much as it pissed him the fuck off. Being responsible sometimes meant pissing people the fuck off - even more so when you had to maim the holy fuck out of them - but how else would they learn?

Everly's face appeared in his mind, her green eyes steadfast and her soft mouth set in a rebellious frown. She was another one who had a hard time accepting the rules and following them. She showed him time and time again just how stubborn she could be, and while it was one of the most aggravating things about her, it was also the most appealing. It excited him. He was used to people complying almost instantly and if it wasn't exactly instantly, it didn't take long for them to give in. He was even better with women to which he had his good looks to thank for. It was easy to be vulgar and hostile when he could turn on the charm just as quickly with a simple smile. That's how he got away with most of the shit he pulled before the world spiraled into chaos and the dead took over. Now he just used it as a means of demonstrating his control.

She was different, though. He knew he affected her in some way, that was plain for him to see, but she didn't let it get to her. She kept her distance and shielded herself from his advancements. He didn't quite want her to be another wife. He had enough of those already and it seemed like the ones he had were hanging onto him with loose but sticky fingers. They might resist at first, but he could shake them off when he wanted. No, he didn't want the mundane bullshit that came with being one of his wives. He just wanted to fuck her, be inside of her and feel her heat underneath him when he wanted. Sometimes he wished he hadn't been such a hard-ass to her, treated her a bit more delicately like he did with the others. Maybe she'd be more open and willing with him, but she had needed the punishments. They were tough lessons, but she had gotten the hint rather quickly thereafter.

He wondered about Simon's comment to her before their first meeting. He had joked with her about being a virgin and she had lit up like a bright red balloon. He wasn't exactly into that sort of thing, but he could imagine the fun he would have with her if she was. Show her what it was like to be properly fucked; have her squirm and yield underneath him as she panted and moaned his name. His hand reached down to grip himself as he pictured it and sweat began to pop up on the sides of his temples. His bedroom door opened.

"Get the fuck over here," his half-lidded eyes found Sherry in the doorway.

She closed the door and quickly walked over to the bed, stripping as she went. She stopped to let her underwear pool to the floor before climbing on the silk sheets next to him. He grabbed her by the hips and she straddled him, her opening hovering just above him. He pushed her down and he felt her heat as she settled on top of him, covering him completely.

He let out a moan as she rode him, his fingertips digging deeply into her sides. He bucked up into her as she came down and she let out a soft sigh, grabbing onto the bed frame in front of her for support. He wasn't far from what he needed. He was just a bit disappointed it was coming so soon, but he had kind of set himself up for that.

Sherry noticed his urgency and knew he wasn't far from release. She picked up the pace, enjoying the moment, too, but she wasn't quite where she needed to be to get off. It wasn't often that she did, either. If she ever did, guilt would eat at her for days and seeing Dwight around the Sanctuary made it much worse. She rarely found a moment of pleasure worth all of that pain.

Negan tensed up beneath her as he let out a long, deep grunt; the image of a certain redhead on top instead helping him to ride out the waves of his release. His rough hands held Sherry in place as he finished, and he let out a long breath as he relaxed into the bed, his chest gleaming with sweat as it rose up and down.

"Sweet holy fucking fuck, I needed that badly," he rasped, not feeling an ounce of guilt for thinking about another woman while he fucked one of his wives.

"Glad I could be of service," Sherry sarcastically replied, slipping off of him.

"Cool it with the attitude," he shot back, annoyed. "You're gonna ruin the afterglow, baby."

"Yeah, your afterglow," she lay down next to him with an arm above her head.

"Oh, right," he smirked. "Sorry about that. I nearly nutted on my own before you showed up. You want me to…?"

Negan pointed to her closed legs and she shook her head; she really didn't care that she didn't get off, too. She just liked giving him shit for it.

"I'm good, don't worry. Women aren't necessarily like men in that sense," she said.

"Yeah, I'm quite fucking aware," Negan sat up to roll over her and off of the bed. "But you can't say that I've never been willing to make you come when you wanted me to."

"Don't be crude," she squinted at him.

"Me?" Negan put a hand to his chest and scoffed. "When the hell am I ever?"

He gave her a wink as he crossed the room to the bath. She watched him go and couldn't help but admire what she saw. He was a cruel and selfish man, nearly taking everything away from her, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the small redeeming qualities he possessed; his firm backside being one of them.

She sat up and ran a hand through her hair as she watched him start his shower. She figured she should do the same, but she was comfortable where she was at. She could feel still feel him inside her and she wondered if this time would take. Doubt was a hasty slap to the face as she'd had unprotected sex with Negan numerous times and it had concluded nothing as of yet. Sherry wasn't particularly intent on getting pregnant by him, but the thought of a child filled her with so much longing. It was something she hoped could ease the constant ache in her heart if it ever did happen.

After his shower, he came back in the room and handed her a towel, a satisfied smile dimpling his cheeks. "Your turn, dear. Go clean yourself up."

She took the towel and did as she was told. When she entered the bedroom again, Negan was dressed in a clean, soft gray t-shirt and jeans. He was lounging on one of his sofas with a drink in hand. She went past him to the bed and picked up her scattered clothes off of the floor to put them back on.

"Hey," he called out to her softly. She looked over at him as she zipped herself up to see him staring at her and he crooked a finger. She walked to him, forcing a tiny smile on her face as he stood up.

"Yes?" She asked as he slid arms around her waist, hugging her to his chest.

"Thank you for tagging in. Amber's still having a tough fucking time, apparently," he said and she grimaced inwardly.

"You're welcome, and yes, she is." She tried hard not to sound bitter.

"Talk her out of it, please. I don't want a repeat of tonight. Not that you didn't fully make up for it."

"I'll do that." Her smile was tight.

Negan returned her smile and leaned down to kiss her, invading her mouth with his tongue. He pulled away and kept his eyes cast down on her face for a few seconds. She was starting to feel uncomfortable when he let her go and she took a step back, waiting for his dismissal.

"You can go. Get some rest," he finally said, placing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

She turned and walked to the door, her heart thumping in her chest angrily. She reached for the knob and started to turn it when an unexpected knock at the door had her almost jumping out of her skin. She took a deep breath and grabbed the handle again, opening the door to reveal Arat, one of Negan's more hardcore followers.

"I need to speak to Negan," she demanded.

"I'm here, Arat. Come in," Negan replied for Sherry. Sherry stepped aside as Arat rushed in.

"I have some information you might find useful," Arat spoke quickly. "It's about Daryl and that redhead, Everly."

Oh, shit, Sherry thought. She wondered what was going on and hoped it wasn't anything that was going to get them into trouble again.

Negan grabbed his whiskey off of the coffee table and gestured for Arat to go on.

"They had some sort of fight. I'm not sure about what, but he left her room angry as hell and she's in there wailing like a drowning cow."

"This happened just now?" Negan asked after he took a sip from his glass.

"Yes. I rushed up here after that hick asshole nearly knocked me down. I should've kicked his sorry ass for that." Arat grew angry again at the thought.

"No, you did the right thing," Negan praised her. "Thank you for letting me know."

"Anything for you, Negan," Arat replied in thanks of her own and Sherry rolled her eyes.

Negan dismissed her and she walked past Sherry and out of the door just as quickly as she had entered it, barely giving the wife a sideways glance. Sherry knew Arat wished to be one of them, but she wasn't Negan's type. Being a loyal minion was the best she was ever going to get.

"What're you going to do?" Sherry asked him.

Negan finished his drink and placed his glass on the coffee table. He'd had a sinister smile on his face the moment Arat spoke Everly's name. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Don't worry yourself about it."

"Please leave them alone," she begged. "This has nothing to do with you."

"You think so?" Negan cocked an eyebrow at her, his smile flattening. "It's not any of your fucking business what I do here or who I do it with. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Negan. I'm sorry," she complied, her mouth turning down at the corners. She crossed her arms and took the tense moment as her signal to leave, turning her back on Negan to face the open door. His voice calling her name again stopped her from stepping over the threshold, and she looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze.

"Next time," he said, his voice reasonable and calm, "try to sound a little bit more fucking sincere when you apologize to me. You know your options; I'm not forcing you to be with me. So whether or not you're faking all of this shit, do a better job at convincing me you want it. Otherwise, you can fuck off."

She nodded and looked at the floor, hurt. "I don't mean to act like I don't care. And I wasn't trying to pry into your personal business. I love you."

"I know you do," he nodded with a small smile. "Leave."

And without another word, she did. Sherry made her way out of his room in to the dimly lit hallway, closing his door behind her. She hurried down the hall, her heels echoing noisily through the corridors. She felt sick suddenly and she wanted to cry.

This isn't how my life was supposed to be, her innermost self repined. You were so much more than this. You had so much more.

She wondered if she should go to Daryl and Everly to warn them about what Negan knew, but in the end, she decided it wasn't her any of business after all. She already felt like she was treading on thin ice with Negan, and, really, she had no idea what his plan might be. They had done nothing against him. The only thing he would do was maybe give them a hard time about their fight or he might try to convince Everly to be his new wife… For the time being, though, she was going to keep her mouth shut until an issue arose. She trusted Everly's judgment enough to think she could make wise decisions on her own. And at this point, Sherry wasn't sure if any help she offered would make the problem better and not worse. Besides, she had more important things to worry about and all of them included Dwight.

"Alright, once we finish folding these, we'll be done," I told Suzanne and the two women who were with us. We were folding laundry and putting them in their proper boxes so that they could distribute them later.

"Thanks for your help, Everly. You really didn't need to," Suzanne said.

"Yeah, thanks. It's pretty cool of you," Sarah agreed. Her blonde hair was falling out of her ponytail as she bent over the table.

"Oh, please," Bobbie rolled her eyes, but she held a warm smile. She was an older woman with tan skin and gray streaks in her rich brown hair. "Everly here might be a higher-up now, but she'll always be one of us. Ain't that right?"

"It's the truth. I can't deny it," I smiled at Bobbie. "It doesn't feel right telling you guys what to do. It was only a few weeks ago I was being bossed around right along with you."

"If not worse," Bobbie added. There was a murmur of agreement as we concentrated on the large pile of clothes before us.

"Speaking of, how's your friend Daryl?" Suzanne asked.

I faltered in my process, dropping the shirt that had been in my hands at the unexpected mention of his name. I picked the shirt back up and resumed folding, not sure how much I wanted to say. I hadn't seen or spoken to Daryl since our fight a few days ago, and I frankly had no idea how he was doing. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Okay, I suppose."

"You don't know?" Sarah asked, brushing the hair out of her eyes.

"I…haven't really seen him lately," I responded truthfully.

"Uh, oh." Bobbie gave me a sympathetic look. "Any reason for that?"

"Ummm," I sighed. They were all looking at me expectantly, the clothes half forgotten in their hands. "We had a fight."

"What about?" Sarah leaned over the table, the garments temporarily forgotten. She seemed eager to hear the story.

"Sarah," Suzanne admonished her in a grandmotherly tone.

"Oh, please! I'm so bored! This place is so boring. Please, Everly! Maybe I can give you some good advice," Sarah was bouncing on her toes, the piece of clothing she had been folding now clutched to her chest. Bobbie was rolling her eyes again.

"Okay, well," I hyped myself up to tell the story. "He came to see me in my room when he got back from his last run, and I was really happy to see him and him me."

"Uh huh, yeeeaaah." Sarah flapped her hand at me to go on. "Keep going."

"He tried to kiss me and…I blocked it," I admitted, not looking at their faces. A resounding 'Oooh' circled the table. "I asked if he wanted a soda. He declined and said he should probably go. I told him to come back later, and when he turned to leave, he stopped and…"

I was embarrassed about the next part. I didn't want to divulge the intimate details of my time with Daryl to others, even if they were my friends. It made me feel awkward.

"Oh, look. Her face is turning red," Bobbie snickered, but it wasn't mean.

"Everly!" Sarah persisted.

"You guys, she's clearly uncomfortable. Give her a moment." Suzanne's attempt to spare me was much appreciated.

Sarah leaned heavily on the table and leveled her eyes with mine. She cocked an eyebrow at me after a second of staring.

"Fine!" I let out. "He came back in and he kissed me. Just full on grabbed me off the bed and…started trying to suck the life force out of me."

Sarah laughed out loud.

"In a good way!" I added once I realized what my last comment sounded like. I was so bad at this.

"Oh, I bet," Sarah snorted, getting herself together.

"Was that it?" Bobbie pried. She was still folding the clothes, but the majority of her attention was on me. I realized none of them had anyone special in their lives. Not that I knew of, anyway. My story was more than just a way for them to pass the time.

"Not exactly," I mumbled with a small smile. Sarah threw a t-shirt at me.

"Tell us! All this talk about him sucking the life force out of you has got me picturing some freaky shit. I gotta know the rest. I gotta know what else he was sucking on, too."

"Sarah!" Suzanne exclamation was mingled with Bobbie's exasperation of, "Dear, Lord."

"What?" Sarah shrugged her shoulders innocently, but then gave us all a wicked smile.

"Things got more heated. There was some groping and grabbing, not as much sucking," I gave Sarah a pointed look before indulging her with a small smile. "And then I got freaked out and pushed him away."

I said the last part quickly, hoping they wouldn't really catch what I said. I threw the last article of folded clothing from my pile into the box beside me, wanting to leave the story at that. I was about to pick up the box and walk out of the room to handle passing them out myself when they stopped me.

"What!" Sarah threw her hands up in the air incredulously.

"Now, she has her reasons," Suzanne interjected. "If you're so concerned about what happens in other people's bedrooms, I suggest you find more things to fill your day."

"I wouldn't be so concerned with what happened in other people's bedrooms if I had my own, and trust me, I'd love nothing more than to find things to fill my day with, but the pickings here are slim if you guys know what I mean."

"What about Zack?" I asked her. "I thought you liked him? Or he liked you. Whatever."

"Yeah, I liked him for the first 30 seconds, but he went limp after that."

"Cheese and rice, Sarah, stop!" Bobbie scolded her half-heartedly and it was my turn to laugh.

"All I'm saying is if I had a man alone in my bedroom that clearly wanted me, with all this sucking and groping going on, I wouldn't be pushing him away," Sarah put her hands up apologetically.

"Yeah, I think we can all surmise what you would've done," Suzanne gave her a fed up look.

"No shame." Sarah gave Suzanne a big closed-mouth smile and a wink.

"So, I take it your friend Daryl got mad at you because you wouldn't have sex with him? Typical man, the jerk." Bobbie tossed the neatly folded clothes into the box beside her which made them not so neat anymore.

"Well…I don't think that was quite it," I pondered.

"Did the fight happen right after you pushed him away?" Bobbie asked.

"Yeah, but-" I began.

"No 'buts'. He's an asshole, and you're better off. I say forget about him and find someone else to go after," Bobbie concluded.

"Hey, now, you're just making assumptions. For all we know, the fight could've been about something completely different," Sarah added in. "Maybe he was just so excited to see Everly after being gone for so long and he was really disappointed. Or maybe he thought she's got someone else since he was gone for so long."

They all looked at me and I shook my head. "No! Not at all."

"So, there you go. He's an asshole," Bobbie concluded again as she turned to Sarah.

"Oh, my God! He's not an asshole, he's just lonely and horny. I know you're all mummified and dusty down there, but have some sense!" Sarah exclaimed. Suzanne and I exchanged shocked looks.

"Hey!" Bobbie yelled defensively, a hand on her hip. "I'm not mummified and dusty down there. The creek might be drying up a bit, but it's still flowin', honey!"

"Then why're you trying to cock block, Everly?" Sarah countered and she turned to me. "Listen, here's my expert advice: you need to go to Daryl, tell him your sorry for whatever it was you two fought about, then you need to rip his pants off and ride that cock until your legs give out-" Suzanne and Bobbie let out a simultaneous groans of disgust, "-because if you don't, a part of me will die a slow and agonizing death, and it'll all be because you didn't have sex."

"Psh, some expert advice," Bobbie mumbled. "Put out the fire in your own damn pants before you spread it with that horrible nonsense you just spouted."

"What! That's sound advice!" Sarah and Bobbie started arguing back and forth about if I should forgive Daryl or not. The fashion in which I should or shouldn't forgive him became more detailed and graphic, so I was grateful when Suzanne got my attention and distracted me with what she thought I should do.

"I think that if you really care about this man, you should give it some time. Let each other cool down a bit, and while you put yourself on the backburner, think about what you want also. Remember, you don't have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable, and that includes being with a man you don't want."

"I know," I told her with a smile. "I'll try that. Thank you, Suzanne."

"Anytime, dear." She smiled sweetly back at me, a warm glow spreading through her cheeks.

"I think I'm gonna go before I become the target again," I gestured to the two women who were still bickering with each other. At that point, Sarah was only being vulgar to piss Bobbie off, so Suzanne nodded her head and shooed me on, saying they would handle the rest of what was left. I was happy to leave the table, and I set out to remind the rest of the workers to begin cleaning up for the night.

As I left and wandered back to my tiny bedroom, I tried to think about what I could fix for dinner. I was able to get larger rations of provisions with the influx of points I was acquiring daily, so I had a few groceries sitting in my mini-fridge. The thing was, I couldn't concentrate hard enough to figure out what I wanted. I was too transfixed on Daryl and the myriad of advice I'd received earlier. Should I confront him now? Be the initiator this time and…do as Sarah suggested? Or should I wait and give it time?

I wasn't going to heed anything Bobbie said because I knew Daryl wasn't an asshole. Well, not in the sense that he only got upset because I wouldn't have sex with him. He was still an asshole for what he said to me, but I don't think he meant it, just like I hadn't meant to slap him. My emotional reflexes had been sharper than my logic that night as his bad choice in words had been for him. We'd both wronged the other, but would Daryl forgive me?

Yes, I decided. He would forgive me if he hadn't already; eventually, anyway.

He needed to know why I was pushing him away and understand what I was feeling, though. Or else he might never know why I couldn't be with him; not until we were back in Alexandria for good, at least. That was going to be the hard part. There was no telling how long we would be here for or if we'd be able to go back home at all. Would it be worth it to run all the risks of feeling everything for him and losing him just as easily or should I have nothing and play it safe for the both of us? I didn't feel quite selfish, but it seemed as if I should.

Dwight's words ran through the projector wheel of my thoughts again, and I shuddered in excited dread at the possibility of a new ally and at the prospect of a having another nursery-rhyme deciding my fate. That was the biggest factor I needed to consider. I would wait it out until this issue with Dwight was resolved, and even if Daryl and I were still stuck in the Sanctuary after, fuck it. I wouldn't deny myself the pleasure of his company anymore. Life was too short as those of us who were left knew all too well.

It was as I was walking down the corridor considering these options that I saw him. It had been odd to not run into him the past few days since our argument, and I took that to mean he had made sure his schedule was opposite to mine as a way to avoid me. That hurt a bit, but it was also understandable. He stopped mid-step, his eyes holding mine silently as he stood statuesque at the opposite end of the hall. I had slowed my pace when I first spotted him, but I kept my measure steady as I got nearer to my turn. The hallway to my room was before I'd have to walk past him, so I could easily ignore him and go about my night if I wanted to. I was half tempted to do that with the way he was looking at me, like he was half scared and still a little bit angry, but ultimately the decision was made for me when a small group of Saviors rounded the corner behind him and stopped to talk.

"Daryl! Just the man I wanted to see," a burley, blond headed man said, grabbing his shoulder in a friendly gesture.

Wow, you're making friends. Good for you, I thought sincerely. I was happy to see the sight.

Daryl didn't pay the man any mind at first, and I gave him a small smile when he continued to stare at me instead. I hoped it was enough to show him that I was sorry, even if it was the smallest of gestures, but Daryl turned away at that exact moment and I wasn't sure if he saw it or not.

A cheese sandwich, I settled on for my dinner. It was all I felt like I deserved.

Edited by lolasskicker.

Well, I hope this chapter wasn't too cringe worthy. I don't know how well I write sex scenes, but I guess this one will do? It made me giggle like the ten-year-old girl that I am on the inside, so I got something out of it at least.

I wonder what Negan has planned... I wonder if Daryl and Everly will make up... I wonder what you all think about the matter!?