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Ch. 10 - Already

My back had sunken into the mattress beneath me, my legs propped against the wall. I studied the ceiling of my room as I awaited my dinner shift. My fingers drifted from fiddling with my comforter to rest on my stomach, picking away at each other. As my eyes traced the sporadic pattern of the drywall above me, I began to recollect the night before.

"Tell me about your people," Harry said, raising his glass to his lips.

"My people," I reached for the bottle of wine and filled my glass that had been emptied by Negan. "I think you would like them a lot."

He hummed in response, nodding his head lightly.

"They're kind, selfless, protective. You'd fit in with them pretty well, I think." Once my glass was filled, I placed the cork back in the opening and rested the bottle back in its place. "Rick is our leader, he's almost like a father to me. He has a son, Carl, and a daughter, Judith. She's a ball of sunshine, only just a toddler."

"A toddler?" He asked, taking a pause. I nodded my head in confirmation. "I feel bad for children these days. I can't imagine growing up in a world like this."

"If she's anything like her brother and Rick, she'll live long after this shit is over." I took a swig of my wine before placing the glass back on the tabletop. "There's Michonne, she's a badass woman. Everything you would want to be in this world, she is. Sasha, Maggie, Gabriel, Eugene, Aaron, Carol, Daryl," I stop and take a deep breath. "Daryl is here, somewhere. I'm not sure where anymore, Negan took him prisoner."

"I'm sorry," Harry said remorsefully. 

"It's not your fault," I express. "Tell me about you, how did you end up at The Sanctuary?"

He cleared his throat as he readjusted himself in his seat. "I was just visiting the U.S. when the breakout started, in New York. Me and my friends kept moving around and eventually I was alone. Everybody I was with was attacked at one point. I thought I was going to go crazy when I was alone and then I stumbled upon the gates of The Sanctuary. And the rest is history," he let a dejected smile grow for a split second before his face fell flat again. 

My gaze trailed from the ceiling to the wall my jean-covered legs rested against. The thought of being alone for as long as he had been made me uneasy. Taking care of myself has always been something I've prided myself on, but for years, like Harry? If a walker didn't get me first, my own mind would surely be my demise. 

The latch of the door drew me away from my thoughts. I turned my head, resting my cheek on the mattress, to find Negan standing in the doorway with Lucille resting on his shoulder. I returned to my original position, looking at the ceiling again. 

"Please, come in," I greeted him ironically. The door closed with his swift push, the latch closing once again. The heavy thud of his boots meeting the ground grew closer as he approached my bed and slightly stood over me. Without turning my head, my eyes met his.

He bit the corner of his mouth, puckering his lips and suppressing a smile. He quickly scanned over my position before releasing his toothy grin.

"Can't say I've tried that position, darling," he mocked. I promptly swung my legs around and sat up, crossing my legs over one another and facing him. I looked up at him through my lashes and let out an annoyed huff, my shoulders hunched forward.

"Can I help you with something, or did you come in here to be an asshole?" I tilted my head to the side and furrowed my brows. 

A low chuckle escaped his lips followed by a drawn croak. "You better watch your tone, sweetheart. I would hate to have to punish you further," he winked.