Unbreakable threads

Chapter seventy: Alyssa Storms off

Beth ran out of the shack after Daryl, her voice echoing through the woods as she shouted, "Daryl! You idiot!" She caught up to him, finding him standing there in the dark, looking stunned and lost as the weight of what had just happened settled over him. Her anger flared, her voice trembling with frustration and disbelief as she faced him. "How could you do that to her? You outed her! You're supposed to care about Alyssa, and you just... you just threw her under the bus!"

Daryl's jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides as he tried to process her words, his own guilt bubbling beneath the surface. "I didn't mean to—" he started, but Beth cut him off, her eyes blazing with a rare intensity.

"You didn't mean to?" she snapped, her voice filled with disbelief. "Daryl, you know what you did! You know how much Alyssa trusts you, how much she looks up to you, and you just... you threw her truth out there without thinking about what it meant for her!" Her voice cracked slightly, her emotions catching up to her as she continued. "She's in love with me, isn't she?"

Daryl hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground. He nodded slowly, his voice low and gruff. "Yeah... she is."

Beth felt a wave of emotions crash over her—shock, guilt, and an ache in her chest that she couldn't quite place. She realized now why Alyssa was always so gentle with her, why she always seemed to protect her above everyone else. It all made sense. Alyssa, who was usually ruthless, hardened by the world they lived in, had always been soft with her. And that realization made Beth both happy and sad. Happy, because she meant that much to Alyssa. Sad, because she knew she couldn't love her back in the same way.

"I care about Alyssa," Beth said softly, her voice trembling. "I care about her so much, but I can't... I can't give her what she wants. I'm not gay, Daryl. But she deserves better than this." She gestured toward the woods where Alyssa had disappeared. "She deserves to feel safe, to feel loved, and you just made her feel like she has no one."

Daryl's face twisted in pain, the realization of his mistake sinking in deeper. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I screwed up, alright? I didn't mean to hurt her. I was just tryin' to get you to back off, stop askin' those damn questions..." His voice trailed off, the weight of his actions pressing down on him.

Beth stepped closer, her voice soft but firm. "If you love Alyssa—if you really care about her—you need to fix this, Daryl. You need to find her and make this right. Because right now, she probably feels more alone than ever. And that's on you."

Daryl, still clouded by the lingering effects of the moonshine, felt a surge of anger flare up. For a brief, haunting moment, he felt like his father—a man he had spent his entire life trying not to become. The thought made him angrier, and before he could stop himself, he snapped at Beth, his words sharp and cutting.

"If Alyssa's gone, that's on you," he growled, his voice low and venomous. "You're the one who started that damn stupid game, pokin' and pryin' into things you didn't need to know. And all you've ever done is lead her on, makin' her think she had a chance when you knew damn well she didn't." His words were harsh, his tone filled with a frustration he couldn't quite control. "Alyssa's strong, fearless, but you—you've made her weak, Beth. She should be out there fightin', survivin', not babysittin' you."

Beth froze, her eyes widening in shock at his words, but it didn't take long for her to recover. Her face flushed with anger, and she stepped closer, her voice trembling as she snapped right back at him. "How dare you, Daryl!" she shouted, her tone fierce. "Don't you dare blame this on me! I didn't know Alyssa felt that way. I didn't know she was in love with me. And I never—never—tried to lead her on. I care about her, but that doesn't mean I'm the reason she's upset. You're the one who outed her, not me!"