𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝟑𝟖 | 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬.

Sometimes talking can be overrated. Lately however, that sometimes felt more like all the time. I have no idea how much time Danny, Rick and I spent just sitting there together without a single word being muttered. I'm grateful for it though. Sometimes you just want a chance to be in peace without having to feel alone too. But something dawned on me making the stillness come to an end. "What are you angry about?"

Rick shifted his gaze over to us as Danny sighed softly. Probably hoping I would forget about the fact that he had been holding onto his pain for some time now. "I just can't help but feel like it's my fault that Andrew and Luca aren't here with us. Maybe if they were we'd have a fair shot at the Governor then."

I couldn't hide my negative amazement.
"Jesus Christ, man. You've been holding onto that one for a while. Where was this conversation a year ago when we were house hopping through town. Hours we spent playing I spy and guess the person based off three clues. You didn't think to talk to me about this then?"

"Cause that wasn't a stressful time enough? We were barely getting by as it was. Plus it's not like you were trying not to bleed out from your reopened shark bite there or anything." He gave me a head tilted towards my thigh.

Rick didn't even try to mask his amusement. His fit of chuckling made us both look over to my other side at him.
"Not that I'm not happy about you being in high spirits, but what is so funny?"

"Is that what you told Jamie happened when you came back from town? A shark bite that reopened?" His ability to speak without laughing was awful. He leaned back against the wall to rest as he settled from his outburst.

"All right. See, I was exhausted and on painkillers." I defended myself regardless of hearing how ridiculous it sounded.

When he kept his comments to himself I focused back to Danny. "So personally I'm cool with a IOU for one free pass 'cause I don't want to hear jack shit the next time I hold my issues back from you."

He shook his head as he sat back. "I can just hear you now using this against me. You want a signed hard copy to throw back in my face too?"

"Nah, Rick being my witness is good enough. Seriously though, Why would you think it's your fault?"

His inner demons were casting their shadows over his wellbeing as I watched his aura fade into nothingness. "I was the one who fought to take in all those people. Miller knew that it was a bad idea. He said we wouldn't all make it if we did."

My brows pulled together. "It doesn't matter what either of you wanted or said. It was my call to make."

He bent his legs to rest his hands firmly on his knees. His eyes riddled with guilt at the thought of them. "Come on, man. We both know you hardly ever sided with the guys if I felt differently about something. They even knew it."

"That's because we're usually on the same page, Danny."

His argument continued. "All the people they sacrificed themselves for ended up dying anyways two months later. Just feels like they died for nothing. It was too late for Scotty but maybe we should've listened to Miller and just escaped with it being the five of us."