Farmer's Daughter (Daryl Dixon Love Story)

Chapter 43

Melinda's POV

"Dixon!" I jump awake at the booming voice out side of the tent. Little light came through, meaning it was barely morning. "We're fixing to head out!" They yell again.

I groan at the realization of having to get up. While the ground was hard and cold, it was still rest that I needed.

I had gotten very little sleep that night. Thoughts of the people just outside my tent kept creeping into the back of my mind. The only thing that split us apart was a thin sheet of fabric that could be easily destructed.

It seemed like Daryl and I were on the same page for the whole night. If I wasn't tossing and turning, he was. We went in turns, competing with each other to see who could make the most noise.

"Come on Lovebirds, we wanna get to the next town over before sunset!" Another man yelled.

"It's not even light out." I groaned. I heard Daryl snort from beside me.

"I don't think they care." He mumbled tiredly. He sat up and stretched out his arms. His bones pop as he lets out a yawn. "Let's go."

I sigh before standing up and opening the tents door. The cool morning breeze blows across my body and I almost want to jump back in the tent and refuse to leave. But I choose against it and zip Daryl's coat all the way up.

Daryl clears his throat from behind me. I turn around to see him handing me my bag I had gotten from the highway and my crossbow. I grab them from him and whisper a soft thank you. He nods in return.

Daryl quickly takes down the tent we had been provided with and straps it over his back. His crossbow hangs loosely in his hands as he walks in front of me to the claimers.

"Ready?" Joe ask everyone that surrounded him. A couple yeahs could be heard, along with a head nod seen. "Alright, let's get to it."

The stronger men walked in front of the group, keeping watch of any threats in the area. While Joe and the weaker men walked behind them. Daryl and I straggled behind, keeping our distance so we were more comfortable and could talk to one another.

"How do you think this is going to play out?" I reach up and rub at my tired eyes, but soon regret it as a slight headache forms.

"I don't know. We just got to make them believe everything we say. Or who knows what happens." He mumbles.

I thought about the last time Daryl and I had talked this much. It wasn't often that he'd say so much to me. Within the last couple of days I feel like we are the closest that we've ever been. And while it's a pleasure for me, I'm not to certain on how he feels about it.

I mean at the farm he told me he didn't give a damn about any of us, and then mere hours ago he told me he cared too much. And while I couldn't wrap my head all the way around his thoughts, I was certain that we would get closer on this trip.

"Mel." I snapped my head in the direction I heard his voice echo from. "He's talking to ye." He nods his head in the direction he's speaking of, and I find Joe looking back at me.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" I chuckle nervously. I didn't want to seem as if I was scared, but these people put a bad taste in my mouth.

"I ask, how did you and Daryl meet?" He slows down so he's walking next to me. I look Daryl's way and stutter on my words before spitting out a random answer.

"Merle." I state thinking of the hunters brother. I leave my response floating in the air for a while before remembering he's never met Merle. "That's Daryl's brother." I sum up.

"Ah." He nods his head with a slight smile. "You two meet before or after things went loose?" I almost laugh at his wording of the situation but decide against it.

"After." I keep it short and sweet, hoping he wouldn't ask anymore questions that would get us killed.

"It's nice how things play out isn't it?" He questions. "If it wasn't for the apocalypse, you two may have never met." He laughs before speeding up to catch up with his members.

"Maybe." My sad eyes look up to the spoken of man. His head hangs low as he watches his feet. And I wonder what would it have been like if I never did meet Daryl?

Would things not work out with Tyler? Or would I be a happy woman living without the hunter?

The day goes on and the thoughts don't leave my head. Each second I'm being tortured with the thoughts of my dead fiancé and the man that doesn't know my feelings. I contemplate on if I moved on too fast, or if I even loved Tyler as much as I thought. They were two different people, Daryl and him.

One was soft and caring, didn't mind showing his emotions and the way he felt. And the other, didn't want anything more than to be silent and keep it locked away for no one to see.

But the silence spoke loudly.

While he was silent, you could hear that he was hurt. You could hear that he didn't want to keep the process going.

But, you could hear that he actually cared. Because while his lips didn't move, his body did. His actions spoke louder than words ever could. And I think that's why I loved this man the way that I did.

That's how I knew, I loved him more than I could have ever loved Tyler.

"Break time!" One of the men bellowed through my thoughts once again. "Let's eat!"

The mention of food made my stomach flip. A sickening feeling took over me as my head spun.

Every thought I've had within the last two days came crashing down all at once, like a cinder block on a baby bird.

"I-I need to be alone." I stutter while making a dash in the opposite direction. I couldn't seem to catch my breath as I leant against a near tree. I clutched my chest as pain traveled through it. I slid down the tree as tears did the same to my cheeks.

My shaky hands pulled at the fronts of my hair. My breaths shook, and my heartbeat elevated.

"Why?" I whisper to the ground. "Why must you make this so hard on me?" My teeth grit together in annoyance.

"What have I done to deserve this?" Another tear glides down my cheek and I wipe it away bitterly. "You've taken everything from me. My job, my fiancé, my little girl dammit!" I curse to the sky's.

"She's one of the only things I've got left. She's so innocent in her way. She doesn't deserve to be without a parent. She doesn't deserve to sleep at night wondering where mommy went to, again!" The bitterness cuts through the air. "Oh, that's even if she can sleep at night!" I sarcastically add.

"I'm tired of the cruel games. I just want her back." I whisper.

"Who are you talking about?" A voice cuts in.

A/N

Short but... Eh... Chapters a little emotional... I'll just leave this here...

Please comment, it only takes a minute to tell me how you feel ;)

-Melinda