"Is he alive?" Ana stumbled in after we had already settled Daryl in and Rick and I were sitting on his bedside.
"He'll be fine. We're just waiting for him to wake up" Rick answered
"Did you tell Rick about our argument, too?"
"What the fuck? I told Maggie because she's my sister" I said standing up and Rick grabbed my hand.
"Isabelle" he said softly
"I'm surprised you wouldn't tell your boyfriend too"
"Who?"
"Rick"
"Oh, you mean the married man? Just leave. Please" I said and sat down as Ana left.
"You okay?" Rick asked turning to me
"Fine" I mumbled biting my thumbnail and looking away from him
•••
When Daryl woke up, Rick got Hershel. Hershel told Daryl he had to take off his shirt.
"Want me to leave?" I asked
"Nah" he said taking off his shirt "you ain't the one who likes me"
"True" I mumbled as Dad got his tools ready to stitch Daryl up.
"Where'd you find the doll?" Rick asked
"She must've dropped it when crossing the creek somewhere" Daryl replied
"Where'd my horse go?" Dad asked
"If she was smart. She fled the country"
"Nelly. Nervous Nelly is her name, for a reason too" Dad says
"Hows Carl?" Daryl asked Rick
"Recovering"
"That's good"
•••
When night fell, there was a dinner set up for all of us. I didn't want to attend. I watched from outside on the porch, it was silent. Beth, Jimmy, Maggie and Glenn sat at a 'kids' table. It seemed more like the 'Hershel's-daughters-who-are-pretty-enough-for-a-boyfriend' table and there wasn't a seat for me.
"You gonna join us or just stare all night?" I jumped at the voice and turned to see Rick "didn't mean to startle you"
"No ones talking" I reply
"I saved you a seat"
"Next to Ana?"
"Next to me"
"Who sent you to say that shit? I don't like you. You know?" I say standing up
"Why're standing up?"
"Because I'm going to join. Not for you. For the food" I say and walk past him into the dining room.
The sound of silverware scraping on plates was all I heard. There were two seats empty, one next to Lori and the other next to my dad. I assumed I was next to my dad and I sat there. There was food already on my plate.
"Thanks for joining us, Isabelle" Dad said.
"It's my pleasure" I mumbled and ate a bite of chicken.
"Anyone know how to play guitar?" Glenn said trying to lighten the mood
"Otis did" I say looking at Shane.
"Oh" he replied and turned back to his table.
I smiled at them. How lucky. I've never been in love, 32 years and nothing. I've never found the one. The one that made me smile and laugh but also be mad because they couldn't make it home in time. I wanted that but I never got it. Maybe my birth father made that more difficult for me. I looked at Rick and he ate silently. Lori didn't bother to lift her eyes from her plate. I wanted Rick to know that I cared more than Lori did. When he started to turn his head, I looked away. But he kept his gaze on me, I turned to look at him and he smiled. I smiled back and turned away before anyone could notice but Dad seemed to. My smile fell and I shrugged my shoulders at him.
"I'll bring a plate to Daryl" I say standing up.
I scooped a bit of everything and put it on a plate. I walked to Daryls room where he laid. I saw he had some scars on his back that looked similar to mine. He turned to see me and quickly raised his sheet to cover them.
"I brought you dinner" I said and laid the plate on his side table
"Thanks" he mumbled
"Your back" I said, I wanted to know
"What about it?"
"I got similar stuff on mine"
"And?"
"Just saying" I said and started to leave.
"Isabelle. I'm sorry" he stopped me.
"It's okay. It doesn't matter anyways"
"They from your father?" He asked and I backed up to talk to him.
"Yeah. He liked alcohol. And meth"
"How'd you end up with Hershel?"
"Me and Maggie have the same mom. She married young and had me. But they got divorced, met Hershel and they had Maggie. But then she died. Then Hershel remarried and had Beth"
"That's good you ended up here" he said relaxing.
"I didn't treat them right for a while. Still don't know how to treat others right"
"Me either"
"You stay closed off and just don't want to get close to someone and they just hurt you. I don't think I'd be strong enough to get out" I said sitting on the mattress next to him
"You would. I don't know you too well. But you're a bad ass. You're tough" he said punching me softly
"I'm just a bitch, Dixon"
"And that" he joked and I let out a small laugh "and she laughs"
"Shut up" I mumbled and pushed his leg
"Is it true you like Grimes?"
"Who said I did?"
"I heard you and Anas bitch fight. I went back to sleep after"
"We're friends"
"So are Maggie and Glenn"
"Why would I tell you anyways?"
"Didn't we just bond over our deepest darkest secrets, ginger?"
"I guess so"
"Well, do ya?"
"Why do you care so much?"
"It all leads back to the whole bonding shit"
"Do you like Ana?"
"I asked first"
"If I answer. You do too" I propose a deal
"Yeah. Shake on it? Because we're all about middle school shit here"
"High school" I say and shake his hand
"So?" Daryl said while raising an eyebrow.
"Isabelle?" I was interrupted when Rick opened the door "just making sure you two weren't, like"
"Fucking?" I say the obvious. My
"Because Daryl is in bad shape. Not because I care who you fuck" Rick answered with his cheeks red.
Daryl looked at me with a smirk.
"We're good. Just two buds" Daryl said with a laugh
"Yeah. Two buds" I say with a huge smile and Rick leaves confused while Daryl and I just laugh at the whole encounter.
•••
Check out my Daryl fanfic I just posted today ??? Leave feedback pls !!
