𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 4 ~ No Attraction

"Hot diggity dog! This place is magnificent!" Negan said in delight just as my feet hit the asphalt.

Carl was close behind me as I made my way over to Rick and the group. He'd taken everything we had - even the mattresses. My blood was boiling by now. He'd taken all we had from us! And he was steadily taking more! While Negan kept on talking, I tuned it all out - letting my eyes roam the figures standing behind him when suddenly, I caught a familiar brown-eyed gaze.

"Daryl! Hey-" Rick started to speak, beating me to it.

My legs had already begun taking me to my father when all of a sudden we were all cut off by a stern voice.

"No. Nope," Negan said coldly, coming to stand in front of Rick, "He's the help. You don't look at him, you don't talk to him, and I don't make you chop anything off of him,"

I was about to say something snarky when I was abruptly pulled back by strong arms around my waist. The scent of pine and pudding filled my nose and I could feel Carl's warm breath in my ear, the feeling calming me down slightly as he buried his face in my neck.

"Shh, don't say anything," Carl whispered quietly.

I almost turned around in his embrace, feeling secure in his arms when Negan walked over to us. He arched an eyebrow at Carl, almost daring him to keep holding on to me. But after Carl shared a look with Rick, he begrudgingly let go and Negan stepped up to me. His face was inches from mine and I could see every dark speck of brown in his eyes. I clenched my jaw, staring back at him defiantly. He thought I would break.

I knew exactly what he wanted. But under his rule or not, I was still a Dixon and I still wouldn't give up without a fight. Because if I was going down? He was going down with me!

"So...you and the kid...it exclusive?" he smirked, his warm breath fanning my face.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust and I thought I heard something like a growl come from my boyfriend beside me.

"'Cause I was thinking...maybe you could come back to the Sanctuary with me. Make you one of my wives-" he started to offer, grinning in a manner that I supposed he thought was seductive.

I scoffed, cutting him off before he could say more, "I'd rather die!"

He smiled, shaking his head as a hand went up to caress my cheek. I felt Carl shift from beside me but Rick shot him a warning glance. Just as Negan's fingertips touched my skin, I slapped his hand away hard. Suddenly making a noise in my throat, I reared my head back slightly before shooting a wad of spit at him. The saliva hit his cheek just as I spun on my heel and sashayed away down the road, not once looking back to see his reaction. I could hear the deathly silence behind me...until it was broken by the sound of whistling followed by deep laughter.

Negan's voice rang off the tin wall that surrounded the town then.

"Mm, mm, mm! I like her! She's got fire! Didn't get that from you, did she, Daryl?"

I didn't hear the rest of what he said because by then, I'd already made my way to the church. It wasn't long before Negan and his men left, their trucks roaring out of the gate. Dad was in one of those trucks, I knew. And it was so hard to watch them go as I gazed out after them from the church window. Everyone headed back to their houses then, myself included. But when I went up to my room...the bed was gone.

I gaped at the large empty space in the middle of the room where it had been. His men did this. They took my bed! Someone brushed past me then, sweeping into the room with a bundle in their arms. Glancing up into Carl's blue orb, he smiled down at me sadly before squatting down to spread out some blankets. I leaned against the door-frame, a sigh escaping my lips as I ran a hand over my eyes briefly.

"So this is it then, huh? This is our new 'normal' now? Living like this?" I seethed in anger, my eyes hardening.

Carl sighed, his hands stopping mid-way through what they were doing. He stood up then and making his way over to me, he stopped.

"Look, I'm not happy about this either. But we have to follow what dad says. He knows what he's doing," he told me but I can sense a bit of hesitation in his voice.

I scoffed again, crossing my arms over my chest, "Does he, Carl? Because it doesn't look like it. Our whole livelihood and all we've worked to build is slowly being torn down by that monster! And Rick is just sitting back and letting it happen,"

His blue eye narrowed at me and I knew I'd struck a nerve.

"As I recall, you weren't even here when we first began working to better this place," he shot back curtly.

I bit my lip, glancing down at my boots as I felt the anger swell inside of me. But when I looked back up into Carl's face, I saw a mixture of irritation and concern there. He was trying hard. I knew he was. And as Negan was trying to tear down our home, he was trying to tear down US as well. Sighing, I let myself fall into his arms. Within seconds, Carl's arms encircled me and I closed my eyes.

"I'm sorry. I just...I just hate this," I breathed out slowly, letting the anger dissipate from my words.

"I know. Believe me, I do. But this won't last forever, okay? We just have to wait for the right moment,"

Silence ensued then but before I could untangle myself from him and help with the blankets, he spoke up again.

"Will you come with me tomorrow?" he asked me suddenly.

My eyebrows knitted together as I glanced up at him in confusion. What was he talking about?

"Why?" I asked simply.

"Because that moment may be closer than you think."