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CHAPTER TWELVE,
home.
━━━━
Daryl was the last person that Nicole wanted to see at that moment. No, she wasn’t mad at him because if it was her brother, she would’ve done the same thing. She was heartbroken though. The one thing Nicole valued almost as much as family was honesty and promises; Daryl broke his promise to come back to her. Daryl promised to never leave her, and he did. He left in the one moment that she needed him the most. She knew there was no possible way that he could’ve known that Dylan was going to try to do what he did; she just wished that he was there to make her feel safe. For almost a year, Nicole relied on him for comfort. He brought her back from the pit of anger and hatred that she held most of the time - and she was the same for him - but once again, Nicole couldn’t blame him for leaving with Merle. They were blood, and they had been separated for nine months. She couldn’t be angry at him for that.
Hershel checked Nicole’s stitches and cleaned up the site. Thankfully, she hadn’t popped a stitch like they originally thought she did. She just strained them. Hershel bandaged her back up before they turned in for the night. Nicole made her way to her cell, slipping off her bloody shirt. She kept up like this, she wouldn’t have any clean clothes left. Nicole told herself that she’d have to find the time to go wash the clothes as she tugged on the last shirt she had - Daryl’s flannel. She sighed, staring at it for a moment, thinking back to the day she got it. She tugged it on, making sure to button it up before she sat down on her bed. Her eyes skimmed the grey walls and the floor, and eventually, they landed on the bloodstain that she caused.
Her heart jumped for a second as she thought back to that moment. She was scared of herself; she couldn’t control herself, and she didn’t like that. Nicole breathed out heavily before she decided to exit her cell. Everyone was settling down and into their beds after a crazy day, but she doubted that any of them could sleep after the events that happened today. She carefully trotted down the stairs and unlocked the cafeteria gate. Nicole spotted Merle in the corner, watching her as she stormed past him. She went outside -well, not outside outside. Nicole stepped into the small fencing area just outside the door to the cellblock - she wasn’t going to take the chance of getting sniped.
Nicole sighed, pulling out the last cigarette from the pack, being sure to cup the flame so she could light it. She took a deep hit of it, blowing out the smoke as she listened to the crickets and the snarls of the monsters. When she heard the cellblock door slide open behind her, she glanced back to see a hesitant Daryl. He shut the door before moving close to the person he felt the most guilty for leaving. “Hey, Nik,” he rasped. Nicole felt her heart flutter at his voice, but she forced herself to ignore him as she took in another breath of the cigarette. “Ya know, I was wondering where those went,” he said with a slight chuckle. Nicole rolled her eyes playfully, taking one last hit before handing it to him. He hesitated to take it, but he did, taking in the nicotine in no time.
