Survive ( twd carlgrimes)

Chapter 54

MADISON'S POV.

"Oh...."
Our breaths are heavy and too obvious and we stand awkwardly apart as Maggie walks in on us. Her face contorted with shock.
Her mouth hangs open as she stares between the two of us. It's obvious we've been caught.

Shit.

"Maggie.....what are you doing here" I mutter.
She closes the door behind her quickly and sits down on a near by chair.
She suddenly breaks out into a wide, sadistic grin.
"Well I was going to tell you that we're leaving in the morning but it seems the two of you were a little... preoccupied."
She teases.

Carl sighs and flips her off. "Maggie c'mon, this isn't funny."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize it was so serious." She grins, having fun now.
"We're not!" I say defensively.
"We're not." Carl backs me up but it sounds more like a question directed at me.

Maggie looks to me then, waiting for an answer.
"We- why does it even matter. You didn't see anything."
"Uh, yeah I did. I see you both-"
"No, Maggie. You seen nothing." I clarify once more until she understands what I mean.

Her smile disappears. "That's unfair."
"No, it's not. What it is, is none of your business" Carl snaps.

She rolls her eyes playfully before turning back to me.
"What happened to you saying 'nothings happening between me and Carl'" she tries to impersonate me.
"Maggie will you just leave.... Please." I beg.
She puts her hands up in surrender.
"Okay, okay!" She says, but just before she closes the door she whispers something.

"I knew it. I knew you to were up to something."
"Get out!" Carl groans.
She laughs again before leaving.

I march over and slam the door closed myself. Even from the other side of the door I can hear her laughing.
I turn slowly around to Carl, wincing at the awkwardness.

"Umm, yeah, she likes to tease." Carls says.
"Oh, I know." I laugh nervously.
I can feel Carl closing the distance between us again. And I open the door again, stopping him in his tracks.
"I should go to bed. Early start tomorrow. " I suggest.
"Sure, yeah." He says hesitantly.
He passes me but stops beside me at the door, turning his head to whisper as low as possible.

My eyes meet his. Everything tells me to look away from such intense contact but I stare back.

"Look, I don't know how to do this, I've never- ... I'm not sure how to even say it so I guess I'll just say it as it is, that's all I know how to do, so, ... I like you. Like I really like you. And I guess I didn't really know how much I liked you until recently."

He frowns as he continues to explain himself and I'm rendered speechless.
"I didn't like seeing you like that on the alter, after you were shot at. I guess that's when I knew..."

"I like that you're brave and and you don't depend on others. You say how you feel and you don't care if others don't agree. You can take care of yourself. I also like the the things about you that probably shouldn't. I like that you're too stubborn, you're impulsive and it gets you into some sticky situations, I like your temper and your snappiness. I like all of it, even when I know I shouldn't."

I'm silent as I take in everything he's said.
He likes me ? like he really likes me.
I'm not sure what to do about that.

Id be lying if I said his words didn't make my stomach jump leaps and bounds or that my mind raced ahead of our conversation to works where we could've been together and the dead didn't hunt us. But the smarter voice in the back of my head, the more realistic voice told me that caring for someone else makes me more vulnerable. It makes me weak.

I take a deep breath, still speechless. I have absolutely no clue what to say.
"You're also pretty good with the bow, so that's cool too." He shrugs.
We both chuckle and I'm glad he so swiftly lifted the mood again.

I open my mouth to speak, unsure of what's about to come out.
How do I separate what I want and what I need ?

As if reading my mind, he shakes his head. "You don't have to say anything. Just think about what I said and if you don't feel the same then I'd understand."
He chest aches. How do I tell him that's not true, with out giving him a sure answer? I care about him, I like him too. I'm not ignorant to my emotions but I don't know what to do with them.

He grabs my hand and squeezes it once before disappearing out the door.
I sigh and lean against the back of the door. I run my hands through my hair in frustration as my heart sprints a marathon.

I open the door and walk out and to my surprise life has carried on, blissfully unaware of our intense conversation in the back room. Everyone is getting ready to settle into bed for the night. There are still a few quiet whispers of conversation when I find my makeshift bed next to Abbie.

I lie next to her and concentrate on matching my breathing to hers. I relax slightly. This world is too cruel to keep anything as good as Carl around. Although, he's made it this far. Knowing my luck though ...
He's another person to care about. Can I handle that ?

I look at Abbie and Nick, both lying uncomfortable on their make shift beds.

I decide to just stop thinking altogether. I can do that in the morning. Right now, I need to sleep because whatever this virus thing is, it's got to go. My mother would always say sleep and fresh air did the trick.

I've technically been outside for as long as I can remember now so I don't think fresh air will do any good for me now.
I'll just sleep it off and see if that works. I keep my eyes closed until the morning light is shining on my eyelids. I roll over to my other side to block out the sun coming through the window.

Im not sure how much longer I sleep until I hear an ear piercing shriek. I bolt awake and my hands immediately go for Abbie. I recognized her cry and my heart drops when my hands find nothing but her bed.

I grab my bow and load it as I stand to my feet. Nick isn't there either. I relax only a fraction, knowing they'll be together.

"MADDIE!" She sobs.
I look around the church for danger but I see nothing unusual except Abbie standing alone in the church doorway with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"HE'S GONE!" She wails so loud my ears hurt.
"Who?" I look around, still confused from sleep.
When I look at her again in the doorway alone I realize who she's referring to. I feel my heart sink to my stomach. I feel sick.
"Who's gone Abbie?" I ask again, my voice barely a whisper.
"Nick. Somebody took him."