Black of Hearts #Wattys2017

Chapter Sixteen

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"So when did you see the note?" Negan asked as the two of us laid there later that night. I had woken after a bad dream and hadn't been able to go back to sleep, so Negan stayed up with me to keep me distracted, even after I assured him I'd be fine. I stopped tracing patterns over his chest for a moment, wondering if it was wise for me to answer, as I didn't know if the books were off limits. "I was going through your books; I was bored and thought it would keep me occupied. I just saw the note wedged between two books and was curious. I'm sorry...I realize now I shouldn't have read it." I explained softly, frowning as I apologized, and he nodded as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I need to remember to keep things like that in a better place. Can't get too mad when it's my fault for leaving it there." he replied after a moment, and  my body relaxed when I realized he wasn't upset. I bit my lip as I remembered something else,"And I'm sorry...for what I said." I continued, and I felt him shift beneath me as he cleared his throat. "Let's not talk about that anymore. Tell me something about you-- how old are you?" he asked, quickly changing the topic, and I didn't argue...I could still feel the tension from the last conversation. "Twenty-two. My birthday is about four months away." I answered, sitting up to look down at him. He met my gaze, staring up at me for a moment before speaking once again. "How'd you end up with Rick and the others?" he questioned, and I gulped as I thought back to when I first bumped into them.
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, letting out soft pants of air as I dodged trees and shrubbery, looking back every now and then to make sure they were behind me. "Come on, let's go! We don't know how close the biters are," I called back to my family. It was only then that I realised someone was missing, and in a panic I looked around. "Mom! Mom where are you?" I cried out, and my older sister followed suit as she began to call out. My brother, who was leading the group, stopped in front of me. "We don't have time to look for her. If she's...safe...she'll find us." he stated, trying to find the right words to say as he reached out to tug on my arm. I knew he was right, and even though I wanted nothing more than to find the woman who raised me, I understood that at this moment our lives were what mattered. I nodded in his direction, looking back at my sister.
"Clara, let's go! He's right, we don't have time." She looked at me with an almost disgusted look, but eventually her features softened and she nodded, hurrying to catch up to us. We'd been running for about an hour before my brother noticed something ahead. "Guys, guys...I see a light up ahead!" he panted out in excitement, and both my sister and I cheered in relief as we picked up our pace. It didn't take long before we barged into the middle of a campsite, its inhabitants all turning to face us.
Negan listened quietly as I told him everything. About how we got ran out of the camp by a group of walkers, and how we'd stayed on Hershel's farm. I then told him about the Governor, and how he destroyed the prison we'd made our home in....about Terminus. He blinked a few times once I finished, licking his dry lips. "Wow...you've put up a good fight. What happened to your family?" he asked after a slight pause, and I froze up, my head filling with things I had longed to forget. "I'm tired...think I might try to rest now." I stated quickly, and before he could protest I laid back down, closing my eyes as I forced myself to fall back asleep.