broken claims

Part 28

"I'm heading out to check for game."

Leigh looked up in surprise from where she was sitting on the floor, packing a bag with supplies. "Can I come with you?"

"Nah. Just wandering the area some, getting a feel for where we're sitting. I'd rather you stay put. Maybe stick with somebody? Don't go off on your own." They had all taken rooms, awkwardly shuffling scant belongings through, planting their feet in some vague sense of normalcy. Her bedroom felt like a foreign place. Leigh didn't know how to trust it or what she was supposed to do with the space.

She zipped up the bag. "Sure. Can I go see Beth?"

Daryl looked at the bag and frowned. "Yeah. They're squared away down the street. I'll walk you on over."

Maggie, Glenn, and Beth qualified as a compact unit despite being at icy odds with each other. Leigh wondered how much longer Beth would settle in with them before striking out on her own, still stung and raw from the betrayal.

Her face must have revealed something because Daryl narrowed his eyes slightly. "You ever gonna tell me what the deal is between them?"

"Can't."

He sighed. "Don't get involved with any of these pricks. Don't got enough of a feel for anybody yet. Stay out of their houses, don't go talking to them alone."

"Stranger danger. Got it." Leigh stood up and left the bag where it was. He was holding his crossbow over one shoulder and went off to his room for something so she left him, opting to slip outside and wait on the porch. Birds were chirping. Leigh whistled and tried to mimic their call. It didn't quite take so she tried again, drawing a hesitant response from somewhere up in the branches.

"Didn't know you could whistle." Daryl's voice floated from the door as he tugged it close. "Tried teaching you when you were little but it never took."

"The world ended. Learning how to whistle went somewhere between rereading shitty magazines and figuring out how to shoot a gun. Basic life skills, right?"

"Smart ass. C'mon. It ain't far."

Chalk drawings were vibrant on the streets. Children must have freshened up their original designs, sketching out daisies and butterflies between mailboxes. Leigh tried to keep her eyes fixed to the sidewalk but kept looking despite herself at the houses, catching flashes of faces peering back at her.

The attention made her feel small. Daryl walked like a brick wall beside her, one hand resting on the back of her neck. "Rick made sure we kept close together. See?"

Deanna had them placed in one of the apartments nestled into each other like a row, completed with window boxes and individual red doors.

Just two streets from where she was with Daryl.

It helped knowing how small the distance really was. Daryl had a knowing look on his face and Leigh felt suddenly very seen, like he knew how to stop some of the anxiety from starting up again. "Got it," she said quietly, avoiding meeting his gaze.

"I already talked with Carol and she's got lunch sorted out. Make sure you check in with her."

"Yeah, sure."

"I mean it, Leigh."

"Jesus. I'm not a kid." Her frown switched into a scowl as his hand came up to ruffle her hair, irritating her. "Go kill harmless woodland creatures."

"I'm gonna be back."

"Okay."

But he hesitated, discomfort flickering across his face. "I'll find you when I'm back," he said again, a little quieter. Daryl looked like he wanted to say something else, like he was hesitating. "Get into any trouble? Go find Rick. He'll sort it out."