The Lost Dixon // The Walking Dead

Ch. 85

The Lost Dixon

Ch. 85- Mutual Protection Pact

Reece's Point of View:

Daryl and I sat at the pond where the new water system was displayed. For a long while, Daryl and I didn't say a word. I didn't want to start the conversation. I was more angry at him than anything. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy he's safe and alive, but I'm angry he brought the girl with him.

"Alpha came to Hilltop while you were out." He begins. "She came to get Lydia back. After I found out what was happening to her, what happened to her- everything she'd been through, I didn't wanna give her back. But Alpha had Alden. Had no choice. Couldn't risk losing more people. Henry left a note and went after Lydia. I went after Henry. We got away. Covered our tracks in case they tried to follow us. Made it here." I let out a scoff and shook my head.

"So, I'm supposed to trust this girl because she gave you some sad, sob story of what she's been through?" I ask. "It doesn't matter if she didn't want to be with them or not, regardless, she was there."

"You need let it go." He says. "Jesus is gone. He died. It's a shitty thing to happen to you, but you can't blame the girl. She didn't wanna be with them." He says. 

"Daryl, I don't care who she is." I shake my head. "I could care less about her. She was with them. She belongs to them. I mean, none of this would've happened if Henry just stayed his ass at Hilltop. I mean, he's always getting himself into shit he doesn't need to be getting in. And nobody sees it. Everybody just think he's a kid. That he doesn't know what he's doing. But he should. He let the fact that a girl and sad sob story get into his head and clouded his judgment. They came back for her again. Now, they're still looking for her, and now, they're gonna be looking for you, too. And I can't take another loss, Daryl. I just can't. It's just so...infuriating that this all happening. It's all Henry's fault." Daryl nods his head.

"You're not pissed about this happening." He says.

"No, I am." I argue.

"You're not." He says. "You're pissed at the world. Pissed at everything around ya. Pissed at him. Pissed at him for dying. You see everyone else around you with their husband because they're still alive. And you're pissed at the universe because you think it's not fair. You're pissed because you couldn't have done something to stop him from dying."

"But I could have, Daryl." I say. "I could had stopped him from dying."

"Nobody seen it coming." He shakes his head. "Yeah, we were aware of what was happening. But how could we have tell the difference between them and the dead? We didn't know then what we know now. You gotta stop being pissed at him."

"But, he-"

"And you gotta stop blaming yourself." He adds. I look down at the water, seeing ripples in the water. I inhaled deeply and shook my head. "Being angry and stupid and blaming yourself, it's not gonna bring him back. It's gonna get your hurt, get someone else hurt, or yourself killed. You gotta let go. Let him go. You got Adrial and that baby to think about. They already lost their dad. They can't lose their mom, too." I inhaled deeply and lay my head on his shoulder. 

"I miss him." I say quietly.

"I know." He utters. "The scream you let out that night. Right before you started going after them..." He blows out  a huff of air. "never heard you sound like that before." My mind echoes the scream I'd let out when I watched Paul die right in front of us. "Scared me. I got worry. And I knew something was gonna happen to ya. I just didn't know what. And then you were stuck in that state. I was worried you'd never come out of it. And then I left, and now you're here. Why are you here?" I pull my head off his shoulder and cleared my throat.