Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 64:

Taking Kylie home, Beth can barely breathe from how scary this morning was. She felt as if her whole world was undone in mere seconds. Laying in her bed, with Kylie asleep in her crib, Beth just stares up at the ceiling and takes deep calming breaths. It was almost over. Everything. If she would've lost Kylie, she would have no choice but to lose herself.

"You getting any sleep over there? Or are you still thinking about this morning?" His voice is low, but soothing as she hears him walk across the bedroom and climbs in bed beside her.

"Thinking."

"You always have a problem with that."

"Are you one to talk? You always over think your emotions." Beth directly says. Kissing her neck, he ignores her comment and pulls her close to him. "Daryl..."

"What?" His lips never leave her skin and his hands don't stop touching her as she comes back to her brain.

"We need to talk."

"About what?"

"Like where you've been for the last two months." Daryl finally stops kissing her and lays on his back with a grieving sigh.

"Beth can we just not right now."

"No, I'd really like to know Daryl or else..."

"Or else what? Yer gonna keep me away?"

"Daryl, this is what I'm talking about. You fly off the handles before we can even talk. It's...it's as if yer a child." She sits up and so does he. Throwing his feet over the side of the bed, he shoves his face in his hands and runs his fingers through his long growing hair. "Daryl."

Going behind him she curls her body around his and lays her face against his back.

"We need to talk about this. You need to be open with me. Please. Just tell me, where were you?"

"I was staying with Rick."

"See, that wasn't too hard to say."

"Beth..." He stands up and faces away from her, head casted down and shoulders slumped.

"It's not like you were with someone else..."

"Beth..."

"I mean, you just needed space and...."

"I slept with Carol." His back stoops even more and Beth loses her reluctant expression and it falls into hurt.

"Wha...what?" She barely can breathe. Her whole body feels like she's been run over.

"It was one night, we'd been drinking, and..."

"You said you loved me...

"I do love you Beth. I love you so much."

"No. You can't. If you truly loved me, you wouldn't have done what you did." She starts to get upset and he steps forward towards her. "Don't. Don't touch me."

"Beth, I made a huge mistake. It happens. I didn't know what I was doing I was so drunk...Beth..."

"Just cause you feel guilty doesn't mean it's right."

"Beth, I love you. I..." He steps closer to her.

"Please go, Daryl. Please just go!" He steps back and lowers his hands. "I don't know why I ever thought... that anyone...anyone could ever love me the way I love them..."

"Beth..."

"I said GO!" Turning, he walks out the bedroom door and down the steps. When she hears the front door slam, her heart breaks into tinier and tinier pieces. Falling to her bed, she curls herself around her body and just shivers. How could he do that to her? How could he hurt her so damn bad? Every man she's ever loved always ended up hurting her- why did she think it would change with Daryl?