my tears ricochet

Chapter Sixty Three

Daryl was clearly on some kind of information exchange with Maggie and Glenn. Every so often she would see them whispering back and forth, trading some kind of details around. And Ivy didn't know how she felt about it.

Because she had a feeling she was a reoccurring theme in that hushed conversation.

Despite how clean Beth and Ivy had been in stealing the guns and the keys, it had been a bad show tossing Ron's specific name out. Daryl was on the subject like a bloodhound, constantly needling at her with subtle attempts at solving where the tension was coming from.

And Ivy really didn't want Daryl finding out.

He would freak. He would probably murder Ron without thinking twice about it. And then Deanna would kick him out of Alexandria and he wanted the place so badly. She knew every morning she watched him get ready for work, every time he didn't rebel against the rules and policies.

Ivy couldn't risk ruining it for him. If Alexandria was what Daryl wanted, she wouldn't let it crumble around them.

But it was getting hard, coming home and finding notes left under the door. Ron was pushing harder and sooner Ivy would slip up, coming home late and not being the one to find them. They were like dead rats left for her, little signs that someone was creeping around where they shouldn't.

'See me or everyone finds out what a whore you are.'

It wasn't signed but she recognized the writing from the piece Carl had stolen. Ivy stuffed the note in the shoebox beneath her bed with the others before fleeing the apartment, locking the door tight behind her and testing it by jiggling the handle twice.

She wanted to carry her gun but it was one of the rules Daryl had, forbidding her from taking it out of the apartment. Her knife wasn't enough but she was so tried, keeping an eye out for the boy whenever he strayed near.

It didn't help that she had slept badly again the night before. Ivy had wasted most of the night restless, throwing up in the bathroom and trying to keep Daryl from hearing. It was especially hard, creeping around when she didn't always hear the noise she was making.

But morning had come and the sickness seemed to have passed, mostly, leaving her worn out.

Ivy stomped down the stairs and entered the street, avoiding Aaron's wave and turning to the left so she wouldn't get stuck talking to him. Beth was hanging around with Maggie and Ivy started off towards Bob's, intent on checking whatever he had for something that would help kill whatever bug she had. But Abraham cut her off at the intersection, clearly looking for her.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here for a minute?" Abraham greeted her, jingling some keys. "Your dad loaned me a car for the day."

Ivy looked at him curiously. "He said I could leave Alexandria?"

"Asked him myself. Daryl wants us back by sundown so if you're in, let's hustle. We've got plans."

Tiredness and irritation aside, Ivy was happy to follow, letting him guide her to where a car was parked by the gate. Eugene was on duty and Abraham refused to look at him, holding the passenger door open for her before shutting it securely. The backseat had a duffle bag thrown in and she twisted around to check it out but Abraham stopped her. "Let's not ruin the surprise, kiddo. Just enjoy the ride for a bit."

She wasn't going to kill the mood by being tired.

Eugene unlatched the three locks on the gate and hauled it open, rocking back on his heels as he forced it back. "Where are we going?" Ivy asked, watching the scenery change as the car pulled down the road, manicured landscape turning into burned out houses.