He scanned the room before looking down, seeing Makayla sleeping on his chest comfortably.
He exhaled heavily before moving away a little to get up, trying not wake her. Before leaving the room he made sure to cover her body up with the blanket since he now wouldn't be there to warm her up.
He quietly walked out of the room and went to grab a shower and change his clothes.
After he was done he walked out of the room taking his backpack with him.
He was walking down the hallway seeing Tommy and two men talking at the end of it when Joel aproached them.
Tommy noticed him.
"I'll be there in a sec, wait for me." He told the guys and they nodded walking away before Tommy motioned Joel to follow him.
He opened the door of some room and walked in before Joel did the same and Tommy shut the door behind them. There was a table and one chair right next to a cabinet so Joel went to sit down with his legs spread wide, one hand in his lap and the other resting against the armchair.
"Care to explain what happened yesterday? You created quite the fiasco down there." Tommy looked at Joel fixedly.
"Just- Are you delivering her or not?" Joel balled his fist, demanding an answer, not wanting to talk about what happened in the basement at all.
"Joel." Tommy sighed and leaned against the table before continuing,
"Are you sleeping with the girl?" Tommy asked and Joel's gaze shot up at him, not answering as he looked away, scoffing.
"Afted what happened I tried findin' you and as soon as I stepped into the hallway I heard what I wasn't supposed to. I wasn't tryna eavesdrop it was just impossible not to hear."
Joel poked the side of his cheek glaring at Tommy. He knew it wasn't his fault but the fact that he found out angered him. He also felt a bit of shame considering how much older he was than Makayla.
"Look, I'm not judgin'. I mean- actually, great for you. But are you really planning on handin' her over to me like a damn package and dissapearing? Does she even know?" Tommy reasoned.
Joel leaned back in his sead with an a annoyed, "I'll talk to her." Joel looked at Tommy and Tommy just looked away, knowing trying to reason with Joel and his stubbornness was quite impossible.
"Okay. ..Let me talk to Maria." Tommy looked at him one more time before he walked out. After a few moments Joel followed him, still grumpy.
...
Makayla walked out of the room after getting ready, not even being suprised Joel wasn't there anymore.
She went outside right away, pushing the wooden door open and she could already hear Maria raising her voice.
"Absolutely not! You tell him to go find somebody else."
Makayla looked down to the side, seeing Maria in the middle of a fight with Tommy while Joel was sitting a few meters away from them on some giant boxes with his head low and one hand resting against his knee.
"Maria I can't have this hanging over my head." Tommy protested and in the meantime Makayla walked down and over to Joel. He didn't even look up at her.
"Hey." She said and he just gave her a faint look before looking back at the ground.
"What's that all about?" She asked him while Maria and Tommy still screamed at each other.
"Do you have any idea how many men we've lost here this week?!" Maria grabbed her hair out of frustration.
"Does that have anything to do with me?" She stepped closer.
"We'll talk about it later." Joel shrugged.
"Did he tell you where the lab is?"
"We'll talk about it, Later." He said with a harder voice this time.
"It takes one fuck up and I turn into one of those widows!!" Maria's voice rang in Makayla's ears as she focused her gaze on Joel. Of course he was looking at the ground again.
It all just clicked now.
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She scoffed taking a step back, "Yeah..later of course." She turned around and walked away.
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Joel tried to say something to stop her but as soon as he opened his mouth he gave up and decided to let it go.
"I have to do this. I don't know what else to say." Tommy ended their conversation and Maria just huffed angrily before stomping over to Joel.
"You!"
"Here we go.." Joel stood up with a grunt, ready to take all the heat she's gonna throw at him.
"If anything! Anything at all happens to him it's on you!" She pointed at him her finger.
Those were her last words before she made her way inside, shutting the door behind her.
"She's thankful, you know." Tommy said.
"Yeah I know." Joel turned to look at him.
"I'll take that girl of yours to the Fireflies. You don't have to worry about it."
Joel just nodded his head before stepping closer, "It's best this way."
"Maybe some real good will come of this." Tommy seemed to be positive but Joel remained with his head low before he looked at him, "I need to talk to Makayla."
Tommy nodded, understanding as he picked up his phone that's been ringing. They both started walking their separate ways, Joel ready to have a talk with Makayla when Tommy suddenly alarmingly called his name, "Joel!"
"What? What is it?" Joel turned back around.
"That girl of yours. She took one of our horses and took off." Tommy stormed past him making his way to the horses.
