Sneaky

Chapter 86

The cold air bite at my skin. The chilling metal from the RV roof pressed into my legs, cooling my legs to a frigid temperature even through my jeans, but none of it mattered.

My eyes stayed fixed on the dark sky, searching for the stars around the sparse groups of clouds rolling softly over the sky.

It's not cold enough for my breath to mist in front of me but the dampness of the air makes it feel as if ice crystals should be forming.

Every minute or so, I look around, keeping watch for the first time almost since we got here.

We haven't needed to until now.

And who better suited to do it than someone who won't be sleeping tonight anyway?

Also why I let Daryl use my tent. I'm not using it and even if I was, we've shared a tent before. It wasn't difficult to convince him it ain't a good idea to go back to his camp tonight. It's too far from the rest of us, and he'd be alone.

As much as we both share an adoration for being by ourselves, now is not the time.

Andrea's soft crying from below me finally ended about ten minutes ago. I actually miss the days when I could cry myself to sleep. At least I could still sleep then.

The RV ladder made a noise and I pulled my gun, looking down but Rick is the last person I expected to see right now.

"Can we talk?" he kept his voice low, quiet; not wanting to disturb anyone who's managed to get themselves to sleep. Truthfully I don't think many of us actually are.

I nodded and he climbed up, taking my outstretched hand at the top before settling next to me, dropping his legs over the long side of the RV; mirroring myself.

I shifted, looking at him. Waiting for him to speak his mind. "I been thinkin' a lot about what he said. Dale. And what you said."

I watched his eyes roam the dark horizon, the barely visible fields. Rick's pretty easy to read when he's got something on his mind. He gets really quiet, almost me quiet, and he clamps his jaw shut; tightening it sometimes if he's wrestling with himself.

"I think it's time we let go of what used to be."

I tilted my head, confused but more interested in what he's thinking. I can take a guess that my face says it for me, 'What have you got in mind?'

"You know how to protect yourself better than anyone I've ever met. I came up here to talk about what we can do to make this place safer."

This, right here, Rick. Is why I trust you. These moments when you remind me you've got a good head on your shoulders. That you don't sit idle when waters get rough.

"We should start by figurin' out how that walker got 'ere."

We both looked over the edge at Daryl, staring up at us. And watched Glenn come up behind him, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Mind if I join?"

The corner of my lip pulled up and I motioned at them to come up, glancing at Rick who holds the look of leader once again.

The same look that's been wavering these last few days, but now it's set back in place. Confident. Identical to the one he had when he was set on rescuing Glenn in Atlanta and tried to convince us to head back.

"Here" Daryl took up a seat behind me, and I spun around, cross crossing my legs to face him. Only to find my knife in his palm, being held out to me.

My hand went to my thigh where it's supposed to be. How did I forget I gave it to him?

I took the blade, and a tension I didn't even realize was there lifted from my shoulders. Like a piece of my identity had just been returned to me.