Part 6: So Casually Cruel in the Name of Being Honest
"Yeah, I'm this horrible fucking whore, but you run from anything real in your life, Daryl Dixon, that's all you know how to do, run away and ruin everything you ever touch."
Daryl had been laying in bed staring at the ceiling until the sun rose. Her words cut him like a knife because they were true. He didn't understand why he was the way he was, it probably had something to do with his parents, and Merle, but he did try to be different for her. He just couldn't do it, as soon as he started feeling actual feelings for her, he panicked and ran and fucked it all up.
He ran his hands over his face and let out a loud groan and sat up in the bed. It felt like someone had ahold of his heart and was squeezing it and his stomach was in knots. Why of all the women was this one that made him feel this way? None of it made any sense, and to be honest it terrified him.
"Run away and ruin everything you ever touch."
Her voice was still ringing in his head, making the ache in his heart even more painful. Goddamnit, that's it.
He jumped up from the bed and pulled his jeans and boots on, throwing a shirt over his head and headed for the door.
"Where the hell you going?" Daryl barely even glanced at Merle who sat up from the couch shirtless, still clutching a liquor bottle. He busted out of the door, jumped on his bike and headed for her apartment.
When he pulled up he didn't see her truck anywhere, but still decided to go knock on her door anyway. He waited for only a moment before running back to his bike and heading for the bar, if she wasn't home she typically was either at the bar or school, so he'd try the bar first.
The only cars in the parking lot of the bar was Amy and Cowboys, the bouncer, but he still parked his bike beside Amy's car and walked inside.
Amy immediately shot him a dirty look from behind the bar where she was drying glasses. "What do you want, Boy?"
"Where's Alba?"
She laughed, "Why do you even care?"
"Please Amy, I'm begging ya, where is she? I just wanna talk to her."
Amy sat her lit cigarette down in the ashtray and put her hands on her hips and stared at him.
"You're too late, Boy, she's gone and I hope she never comes back."
Daryl felt his heart stop, "What do you mean gone?"
"She took that job in Atlanta, packed her bags up last night after your fucking little temper tantrum and left this morning. You've been the worst thing that ever happened to that girl, and I hope you never see her face again."
He felt his temper flare, but kept his mouth shut, there was no point in arguing with her or even defending himself, she was also right. All he did was stomp all over the best thing that ever happened to him, and he deserved every word that Amy just said. With a nod of his head, he turned and walked back out of the bar.
Alba took a deep breath and rubbed the palms of her hand up and down the sides of the black dress she was wearing, trying to get them to stop sweating so bad. It was the first time she'd been back in this town, the bar since she left 6 months ago. She thought about not coming back, to just sign the bar over to Amy completely, never think of this place again, but here she was. Trying not to have a mental breakdown before she walks in.
She didn't think it would hurt this much to be back to this place, all the death and heartache that resides here. Atlanta has been amazing, the job was perfect, she'd found a cute little apartment not far from the hospital, made some good friends, she should have never come back here.
Alba had finished this last semester of school, was offered a full-time position at the hospital. She had called Amy and told her she wanted to sign the bar over to her permanently so she could just walk away. However, Amy rallied and was able to convince her to come back for one night so she could throw her a party. Alba had listened, but now that she was here, she would give anything to just be back in Atlanta.
"You ready, bird?" Arlo came up beside her and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, and flashing one of his smiles at her.
They met up again in Atlanta a month after she had moved there and let him talk her into going on one date, and they'd been together ever since. He was perfect in every way, she had even started to fall in love with him, but it sometimes it felt like a part of her heart was missing and she knew who had it.
With one last deep breath she squeezed Arlo's hand and smiled at him, "Let's get this over with."
"Hey, I hear Baby Bird is back in town for the night."
Daryl looked up from where he was on the ground working on his bike, "Who?"
Merle threw his head back and laughed, "Oh don't play that shit with me, Boy. You know exactly who I'm talking about. That hateful old bitch is throwing her a party tonight at the bar, just figured you'd want to know since she's the love of your life."
Daryl's heart started racing, but he just shrugged it off. "I been with Kate now for awhile, I ain't even thought of Alba since she left."
Merle started laughing even harder, "Yeah that's bullshit, but ok. The boys and I were gonna go, just figured I'd invite ya. Have a good night, Brother." He laughed some more as he walked away.
An hour later he had cleaned himself up and called Kate to meet him at the bar. He was watching Kate walk towards him from her car on the other side of the parking lot, she tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled at him behind bright red lips. "Hey baby! I'm so glad you called, I was so bored."
He smiled and tossed her arm around her shoulder and headed for the door, his heart beating so fast he was worried he might pass out. He nodded his head at Cowboy as they went past and as soon as he was in, he immediately scanned the room to look for her. They sat down at the bar, Kate leaning across to order their drinks from Amy.
That's when he finally saw her, and his heart completely stopped, the breathing stopped, it seemed like the entire world stopped. Her hair was piled up on top of her head in a messy bun, the black dress was hugging her body like a glove. He didn't think it was possible for someone to get more attractive, but she had. There was a glow to her, her smile was brighter, hell, her legs even looked longer.
He doesn't know how long he stood there staring at her before Kate got his attention, "Daaaaryllll, earth to Daryl, are you ok?
"Yeah sorry." He took his beer from her and took a drink before she leaned up on her toes and kissed him.
As soon as Kate turned her head to talk to the girl sitting beside her he let his eyes wander back over to Alba, and gasped when he saw she was staring at him too. She stared at him for a minute before leaning over and telling someone something and then he watched as she rushed to the back of the bar, she was going out the door to the alley.
"Hey babe, I gotta run out to the bike for a minute, I forgot something."
"Ok babe." She kissed him again before turning back to her conversation and then he was out the door before he had time to talk himself out of it.
When he walked around the corner he stopped and just watched her, she had both of her hands pressed into the brick wall with her forehead laying on it taking deep breaths.
"Finch."
She stiffened at his voice and dropped her hands from the wall, "Get out of here, Dixon."
"Listen.."
She turned so fast it made him take a step back, "No you listen to me, Daryl Dixon, I don't want to hear a goddamn word you have to say. You just take your no good ass back inside to your girlfriend that's probably wondering where you are."
He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand before taking a deep breath, all he wanted to do was grab her and kiss her.
"Hey Bird, where'd you get to?" Arlo stepped out of the back door and stopped when he saw her and Daryl standing there. "Is everything ok here?"
Daryl felt his heart get ripped out right then and there, "THE FUCKING HIPPIE?! SO I WAS RIGHT?!"
Alba didn't even flinch, "You're pathetic, Dixon."
Arlo walked to stand beside of her as he just turned and stalked off. He couldn't believe this shit, nor could he believe how its been six months and he was still in love with her.
"You ok?" Arlo ran his hand up the back of her arm and then rested the palm of his hand on the side of her face.
She leaned in and welcomed the comfortable warmth, "I'm fine, I'm sorry I'm such a mess."
He laughed and kissed her foreheard, "You are the most beautiful mess I've ever seen. Want to hit the road? I'll run you a hot bubble bath, light your favorite candle, and then kiss every inch of your body."
Alba smiled up at him, "That sounds absolutely amazing, let's go tell Amy we're leaving."
As they turned to go to the door, Merle and a few big men stepped out into the light. "Aw ain't you two fucking cute?"
"Go fuck yourself, Merle."
She went to walk around him as he grabbed both of her arms and slammed her into the brick wall, the other two grabbing ahold of Arlo as he tried to intervene.
"Oh no, Baby Bird, my brother has told me how good you taste, and I ain't letting you leave until I can see if he's lying." With that he ran his tongue up the side of her face.
"Let her go or I will fucking kill all of you!" Arlo was still fighting to get loose when one of them punched him in the stomach.
Arlo fell to his knees as the other guy brought his knee up and smashed it against Arlo's face. Alba went to scream as he fell backwards, but Merle covered her mouth with his. He reeked of cheap whiskey and sweat, so she gagged against his mouth and he pulled back.
"You either let me have my fun with you, or we'll kill him right here in front of you."
Alba slammed her forehead into his nose and felt so much relief when she heard it crack, he let go of her and howled as he grabbed his face right as the blood started pouring out. She ran towards the door, if she could just get Amy's attention they would be ok, but she was grabbed by her hair and yanked to the ground. She seen stars when the back of her head smacked into the pavement and Merle was back on top of her then.
"Well, you made your bed, Girl, I hope it was worth it." He pulled her up into a chokehold and made her face where Arlo still laid, finally waking back up.
The tallest boy walked over and pulled a knife from his pocket, "Merle, stop..please…I'll do whatever you want, but don't hurt him, please."
Arlo saw her and started to sit up, and that's when the tallest boy slammed the knife into his side. The scream that started its way out of her was muted when Merle shoved his arm across her nose and mouth. She started fighting with everything she had when the other guy stabbed Arlo in his chest, they stabbed him a few more times when she was finally bit down into Merle's arm as hard as she could, ripping away a large chunk of his arm. As she spit that out of her mouth, the scream that had been clawing it's way out of her came out.
The guys picked Merle up and ran as she crawled to where Arlo laid motionless.
"Baby girl, oh my god, oh my god, Cowboy call 911 now!" Amy came running and collapsed on her knees beside of her.
Alba was shaking as she tried to apply pressure on his wounds, but she there was just so many. "Arlo, please don't leave me."
"Baby the ambulance is here, you got to let them help you." She hadn't even realized that she had just laid her head down on his chest, but she didn't want to move, she wanted to die right there with him. "C'mon, sweetie, you've got to get up now."
"He's dead."
Alba hadn't even noticed that Amy was crying too, "I know he is, sweetie, but you don't want to let him lay here behind the bar forever."
"I want to ride with him."
Amy looked at the EMT's and they shook their heads yes, "Ok, let's go. I think you got a concussion too, we need to get you looked at, baby girl."
Alba let Amy help her up from the pavement, stumbling as she went. One of the EMT's grabbed her and let her use his body as a crutch, "Let's get you on this stretcher before you hurt yourself."
"No, just help me walk." The guy looked at Amy and she nodded at him, so he just wrapped a sturdy arm around her waist as they started walking behind the stretcher that carried her now dead boyfriend.
An audience had started to gather around from the bar to see what was going on, she saw his face immediately.
He pushed to the front of the crowd, stopping in front of her, staring at her torn dress, the skinned knees and the blood that had gushed down from her mouth onto her chest when she bit Merle. His face lost all of it's color, almost like he would pass out.
"Who?" he asked the question like he already knew the answer, but had to hear it anyway.
She gathered every last bit of the blood that was still pooled in her mouth and spit it in his face. He went flying backwards, wiping his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
"I hate you."
He dropped his hands to his sides, defeated. Alba let the EMT help her into the back of the ambulance and shut the door, as she reached under the blanket and held Arlos hand one last time.
Goddamnit, she hates this town.