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Ch. 12 - Soul

My back had been pressed against the wall for quite some time, propping me up as I sat on my bed across from Sherry. Her legs were crossed and hanging over the edge of my bed as her body was positioned in my direction. We had hung out a few times already, she was easy to talk to and fun to be around. She was explaining why she had become one of Negan's wives, and how she would leave him if she could. Her life in The Sanctuary as a wife seemed mundane, she wasn't allowed to work for points and anything she wanted was readily available to her.

"I just get so bored, you know?" She said, leaning her weight back onto her hand that rested against my bed. "I want to do something, anything."

"Anything?" I questioned her, "Like what?"

"I don't know," she let out a sigh. She looked down at her lap while she chewed on the inside of her cheek, thinking of activities she could partake in. Her head swung up back toward me after a long pause, and her jaw dropped, a loud gasp escaping her lips. "A party!"

"A party?" I chuckled in response, "You really think Negan would allow that?"

Her cheerful expression dropped at my question, only for a split second, before a suggestive look took its place. Her hand moved from my bed to my ankle, giving me a gentle squeeze.

"He might if you ask," she bid. I shook my head back and forth as my cackle filled the room. "Oh come on, J. Please?"

"Why don't you ask him?" I queried. "You're his wife, Sherry. I'm sure he'd let you if you asked."

She shook her head back at me and brought her legs to the surface of the bed, crossing them in front of her. Her hand left my ankle, the cool air of my room reclaiming the surface of my skin.

"He treats us well, sure. But he won't approve this if I ask." Her hands reached up to her face as she pushed strands of hair back, tucking them behind her ear. She was careful not to break eye contact, clearly hoping I would at least try for her. I let out a noisy huff from my nose, recognizing she would not stop asking until I agreed.

"Okay okay, fine," I granted. She squealed once I had succumbed to her plea. Her body catapulted toward my own as she embraced me in a warm, grateful hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she expressed her gratitude repeatedly.

I brought one hand around to pat her on the back, my chest rising and falling with short laughter. Without warning, my door opened, revealing Negan. He took in the scene before him as he entered, leaving the door cracked open behind him. His tongue peeked between his lips, his dimples sinking deeper as his smirk grew. Sherry pulled away from my grip and shuffled off of my bed, falling to her knees and hanging her head in front of the man. I stayed where I was, refusing to kneel for him. She stood after a moment of silence and tugged the ends of her dress down, straightening the fabric.

"Oh man, goddamn," his voice boomed, his teeth shining in a wide, flirtatious smile. "Don't stop on my account," Negan suggested, pointing towards me with Lucille, urging Sherry to sit back down. I scoffed at his provocative remark.

Sherry turned to face me and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll see you later, J," she smiled. She motioned toward Negan with her eyes and raised her brows, ensuring I would do as I promised. I gave her a confirming nod and off she went, quickly shuffling past Negan who stood in the doorway. "Bye, Negan."

Once she left, Negan entered my room further and stood next to my bed. I remained in the position I had been for the past half hour. I had seen Negan periodically since our trip to Alexandria a few weeks prior, our encounters were short and lighthearted. He hadn't let me go on any runs since my punishment, I was only allowed to work in the kitchen with Harry. I decided to lay low and not cause any trouble, I didn't want to piss Negan off again and lose somebody that I actually cared about. Not seeing Negan every day made his theatrical presence more bearable, but I found myself missing our typical banter.