❝HEARTBREAK IS ONE THING MY 𝗘𝗚𝗢'𝗦 ANOTHER❞
In which it no longer matters that Evangeline Waters was a hot shot lawyer with a nice apartment and the best daughter she could've asked for. Because if you don't know the right way to stab a dead...
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"You got that look on your face. Same as everybody else," Daryl said, his voice cutting through the stillness of the woods. The only illumination came from their flashlights, casting long shadows that danced with each step.
Lily raised an eyebrow, glancing sideways at him. "What look?"
"You don't think we're gonna find her. We only just started looking," he replied, his tone matter-of-fact but laced with concern.
"I hope we find her more than anything," Lily said, her voice tinged with frustration. "I just want to be realistic about her situation."
"It ain't the mountains of Tibet. It's Georgia," Daryl countered. "She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."
"I get that you're like Tarzan or whatever," Lily said, her tone light yet serious, "but Sophia's only twelve."
"Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost," Daryl admitted, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.
"What?" Lily asked, genuinely surprised.
"Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak," Daryl said with a casual shrug.
"What happened?" Lily asked, curiosity piqued.
"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich," he said, the words rolling off his tongue with a sense of detached humor.
"Daryl, that's awful," Lily said, her heart going out to him as she began to piece together why he was so harsh and standoffish.
"No worse for wear," Daryl shrugged, though there was a subtle ache in his voice. "Except that my ass itched something awful."
Lily couldn't help it; a laugh escaped her mouth before she could stop it. She quickly covered her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles. "I'm sorry," she mumbled through her laughter. "It's not funny."
Daryl let out a gruff laugh, shaking his head as he tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "At least Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage."
"I lost Sutton in the mall once when she was six. It was only ten minutes before a store employee found her, but it was the longest ten minutes of my life. When I found her, I couldn't stop crying. I can't imagine not knowing where she was for nine days," Lily shared, her voice softening as she thought of her daughter.
"That's 'cause you're not a bad mom," Daryl said, his tone surprisingly gentle. "Not like mine—"
"Daryl—"
A sudden rustling in the trees behind them cut her off. Both of them went still, their senses on high alert. Daryl held up his crossbow, and Lily unsheathed her knife, ready to confront whatever threat lurked in the darkness.
