Unbreakable threads

Chaptet twenty- seven: unexpected friendships

The morning air was cool, a light mist hanging over the fields of Hershel's farm as Alyssa stepped out of the tent. Her eyes, red and puffy, stung slightly as she blinked against the brightness of the new day. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a shiver that wasn't just from the chill in the air.

From across the camp, she saw Shane emerging from his own tent. His gaze met hers almost immediately, and he paused, taking in her disheveled appearance. Without a word, he made his way over to her, his hand settling around her shoulders in a steadying grip.

"What's the matter, kid?" he asked, his tone surprisingly gentle. The warmth of his voice seemed to break something inside her, and Alyssa's lip trembled as she fought to keep her emotions in check. But it was too late. Everything she'd been holding back—the anger, the pain, the loneliness—was bubbling up, slipping through the cracks.

Shane's arm tightened around her as she leaned into him, her shoulders shaking with each sob that tore through her. He didn't say anything, just kept his hand rubbing small, soothing circles on her back, waiting for her to speak.

Between gasps, Alyssa began to pour out everything that had been weighing her down. How she felt ignored, like she was invisible to Rick. She understood that Carl had been hurt and needed attention, but it stung that Rick hadn't taken a moment to talk to her since they left Atlanta. She wanted to connect with him, to make up for lost time, but every time she tried, he seemed to slip further away.

Shane's expression hardened as he listened, his jaw tightening. His own feelings about Rick had been festering for weeks, an anger simmering just beneath the surface. Hearing Alyssa's pain, how Rick had failed to see her, only stoked the flames within him. To Shane, it confirmed everything he'd been thinking—Rick couldn't protect anyone, not Carl, not Lori, and certainly not Alyssa. He couldn't even recognize the needs of his own daughter.

"You know," Shane murmured, his voice low, almost conspiratorial, "sometimes people get so caught up in themselves, they forget who's really there for them. Rick... he's got a lot on his plate, but that doesn't mean he gets a free pass to ignore you." He paused, looking down at her, his gaze intense. "You got people here who care about you, Alyssa. People who'll look out for you. You don't have to go chasing after him."

Alyssa looked up at him, her face wet with tears, her expression a mixture of confusion and longing. She wanted to believe him, to feel like she had a place here, even if her own father couldn't see her. But she also knew that what she really wanted was Rick's acknowledgment, his acceptance, even if it felt like she was grasping at straws.

Shane continued, his voice taking on an edge of bitterness. "Sometimes people ain't who you think they are. You're stronger than you know, Alyssa. Don't let anyone, not even him, make you feel like you're less."

As his words settled in, Alyssa felt a flicker of resolve growing within her. Maybe Shane was right. Maybe she didn't need to rely on Rick for her sense of belonging. But at the same time, a small voice inside her couldn't shake the hope that one day, Rick would finally see her for who she was.

Just then, the door to the farmhouse opened, and Rick stepped outside, his eyes scanning the area as he seemed lost in thought. Alyssa's gaze shifted to him instinctively, her heart clenching. Shane followed her line of sight, his jaw tightening again as he watched Rick.

"Come on," Shane said softly, pulling her away from the line of sight to the farmhouse. "Let's get you something to eat. You don't need to worry about him right now. You got me."

Alyssa nodded, though her gaze lingered on Rick for a moment longer. But as she let Shane guide her away, she couldn't shake the strange feeling that things were shifting, that alliances and loyalties were becoming blurred in the uncertain world they now inhabited.