Within

forty six

The next morning, Ariana awoke to the warmth of the sunlight streaming through the cracked blinds, a rare and almost unfamiliar comfort.

Her body was wrapped in soft sheets that smelled of leather and cedar, Negan's scent.

It was disorienting at first, waking up back in his bed. For a split second, she forgot where she was, her mind caught in the quiet space between sleep and reality. But as soon as the memories of the night before came rushing back, her heart tightened with a familiar sense of dread.

She rolled over, expecting to feel the weight of him next to her, but the bed was empty. Negan was gone.

Ariana sat up slowly, clutching the sheet to her chest as she scanned the room. Her gaze fell on a folded piece of paper resting on the nightstand next to her, the corners slightly crinkled from being handled.

Hesitantly, she reached for it, unfolding it with trembling fingers. His handwriting was scrawled across the page in a messy, hurried script.

Doll,
Had to head out for a meeting. Don't worry, you're safe here. I'll be back soon and we'll talk more. You need anything just ask the guards outside.
N x

She stared at the note for a long moment, her emotions swirling in a confused mix of relief, anger, and something else she wasn't ready to name.

A meeting. Of course. Even after everything that had happened between them, his world hadn't stopped turning. He still had his people to lead, still had his responsibilities as the man in charge.

But what about her?

Ariana crumpled the note in her fist, a surge of frustration bubbling to the surface. She felt like a pawn in his game, moved from one place to another, told what to do, what to feel, without any real control over her own fate. The fact that she had woken up in his bed, a place she had once thought she would never be again, felt like a cruel reminder of how entangled they were.

Of how much he meant to her.

She tossed the note onto the nightstand and swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet touching the cool floor.

Her mind raced with thoughts she couldn't organise, each one louder than the last. She wanted to scream, to cry, to fight against the weight of everything crashing down on her. But instead, she just sat there, staring blankly at the door as if waiting for something to change.

Her hand unconsciously drifted to her stomach, her fingers brushing lightly over her skin as the reality of the situation hit her again. The possibility of being pregnant hung over her like a dark cloud, suffocating her with every passing second.

What would she do if it was true? How would she raise a child in this world, let alone with him?

A soft knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts, and she tensed, pulling the sheet tighter around herself. The door creaked open just a fraction, and one of Negan's guards, Tom, she thought his name was, peeked his head inside.

"Boss said to check on you." Tom said, his eyes flicking over her briefly before he stepped back, not wanting to intrude too much. "You need anything?"

Ariana shook her head, her voice caught in her throat.

"No." She whispered, feeling a wave of discomfort at the idea of anyone knowing she was here, in Negan's room. "I'm fine. Thanks."

Tom gave her a curt nod. "He'll be back soon. You can rest if you need to. Place is secure."

With that, he closed the door, leaving Ariana alone once again. The silence of the room was oppressive now, each second stretching into an eternity. She could hear faint voices and footsteps echoing from the hallway outside, the life of Negan's Sanctuary moving on without her.