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"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU CARL."
I push his chest, and he stumbles back into a dresser. The mirror on top of it shakes, but steadies when Carl grabs it.
We stand in the entrance of our house. We had just walked inside after watching Spencer getting gutted, Olivia getting shot, and Eugene being taken. I was angry. Pissed at Carl for putting himself in danger, and getting other people killed. He killed two of Negan's men, and that cost us something. Everything costs something.
Sure, Spencer was an asshole, but no one deserves to die like that. And Olivia was a sweetheart, Judith and Daisy loved her. That's another thing I was pissed about. Carl practically brought Negan to our sisters. Negan held Judith, he fucking kissed Daisy's head, and it was Carl's fault.
"Nellie stop."
He says, his voice full of guilt. No. He needs to feel how I feel. He needs to see how angry I am.
Before fully thinking, I swing my fist at Carl, and it connects with the right side of his nose. Carl tumbles backwards again, groaning and holding his nose. I just punched my best friend.
"WHAT THE FUCK NELL?"
He hollers, his eye narrow as he stares at me.
"YOU HAVE TO STOP CARL. YOU'VE ALREADY GOTTEN PEOPLE KILLED, YOU'RE GONNA GET YOURSELF KILLED NEXT! I TOLD YOU NOT TO GO, I TOLD YOU IT WAS A BAD IDEA. YOU HAVE TO LEARN WHEN TO SURRENDER!"
I scream at him, furious boiling tears falling onto the floor. I feel hot, like my body's laid on the surface of the sun. Carl stands up straight, glaring down at me. I see that his bandage is disgarded, and for the first time ever Im intimidated by Carl. He towers over me, stepping closer to me.
"He killed Glenn, and Abraham. He almost made you fucking cut my arm off Nell. It needs to end."
Carl's jaw clenches as he speaks, his words coated in an anger I had never seen in him.
"Yeah, it does. But at the right time, with the right supplies, and with the right people. Not you, by yourself, with one lousy gun. You fucking idiot. You're gonna die if you keep acting like this, you know that? Do you wanna watch Jude and Daisy grow up? Do you wanna help build this community?"
I mumble lowly, tilting my head at him. My anger slowly fizzles out as I look at him, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thinks. It's hard to stay mad at someone when all you want is for them to thrive.
"You're right, Im sorry. I'll be more careful, 'promise."
He admits his defeat, and I nod once, backing away from him.
"Now go apologize to your dad, because you put him through a hell of a lot today."
I always catch myself mothering Carl. Telling him what to do, where to go, all of that. But the funny thing is, he always listens.
