Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 8:

Chapter 8:

They've eaten a good hole into the basket, but it has hardly left a dent in it at all. Looking at Daryl, his mouth covered in different sugars and chocolate, he looks happy and childish sitting next to her. Her stumble rumbles from exhaustion and they laugh at it.

"I think we ate too much..." She says as she pushes back from the counter.

"Yeah...definitely over packed, but so damn good." He pops another jelly bean into his mouth and smiles at her, obviously in a choco/sugar high right at the moment.

"Why did we do this?" Beth grumbles as she stands and goes to sit on the couch. Daryl follows her and sits on coffee table in front of her.

"I don't know... I thought you were the candy expert?"

"No in eating a ton of it...I never ate so much candy in my life. I feel so sick."

"Haha, I feel fi...." His stomach gurgles and he frowns. "Never mind finishing that sentence..."

"Haha...oh my stomach aches so bad." Laying down on the couch, she holds her sides and Daryl laughs and rolls her onto her side with her back to the back of the couch. Laying down facing her, there is just a few inches between them to give them space. She looks into his eyes and can see herself perfectly.

"How'd you learn to make all those good things? And why'd you make em taste so good that you can't have just one of anything?" He growls and she giggles.

"My mom taught me a few of em when I was lil before she died. We'd sit in the kitchen for hours perfecting the chocolate and the caramels...all of it. After she passed I started learning more and more recipes that opening a store sounded like the right thing to do. So I went to business tech for two years and three years ago, I opened my shop. Everyone loves candy, so I sorta get a great feeling when I see people smile when they eat what I bake." Scooting an inch forward he smiles and wipes the corner of her mouth where a bit of caramel was. She looks at him and wipes the chocolates for his. Being so close to him, she can feel the heat in his abdomen reach. "What about you? Why'd you become a cop?"

He props his head up and looks down at her. He hates this whole cop story. He hates reliving all of it every time someone wants to know. Tucking his arm under her back, he lays her down onto her back so she's flat. Looking deep into her eyes he leans forward and kisses her lips. Feeling her lungs expand and her back arch a bit, he moves his hand to her waist and thumbs her skin. He wraps his one leg between hers and hovers over top of her while remaining against her lips.

Pulling back he looks down at her dreaming eyes and can't pass her question that's still on her lips. Sighing, he rests his head on the pillow while his hand still plays beneath her shirt on her waist.

"My childhood was terrible. I seen some bad things go down and when I was 18 I wanted to change my fate...so I became a cop." He quickly says before sitting up. The demons in him have begun to jump and awaken in him. Looking at his scarred back, Beth remembers him saying they were from his father, but now she sees cigarette burns also. "My mom smoked and when she drank or got high...she'd put them out on me like I was her ash tray. Merle was always out doing dumb things and one day I just left. When I was gone she fell asleep with a cigarette in her hand by the curtains and caught the house on fire....she was too drunk to wake up that it all just consumed her."

Beth sits up and holds him from behind, pressing her face to his history of pain.

"When my dad got home, he was pissed and took it out on me. Merle was in Juvi after that for beating kids up to the point they'd be hospitalized and I was so scarred of the abuse that I couldn't stand up for myself. So when I got out, I never wanted to be like my dad or ma, or even Merle. Didn't wanna be a Dixon...or even myself."