My Secrets In The Apocalypse

Chapter 10

She watched as the bathroom door creaked open and she was met with a face she thought she would never see again.
"It can't be," he whispered to himself.
"Dad?"

Riley's eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly. It had been a long time since she dreamt of her old life. Looking out the window she realized it was early morning, the sun was just rising. She rubbed her face and realized there were tears on her cheeks. She had been crying? She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, being careful of the cut on the side of her head.
"You alright?" Daryl's voice caught her off guard making her jump.
"Jeez, you scared me!" she breathed.
"Sorry," he muttered shrugging.
"I'm fine," she said looking back down at her hands. Her dreams didn't usually bother her so much but she couldn't seem to shake this one, it just kept replaying in her head.
"Don't look fine to me," he said looking her over, noticing the tear streaks on her cheeks and her shaking hands.
"It was just a dream, it was nothing," she said quietly trying to ignore the feeling of his eyes on her when a sudden realization hit her.
"What are you doing here anyway?" she asked curiously. He seemed a little uncomfortable, like he was trying to think of something to say.
"Rick asked me to check on ya," he said quickly, suddenly finding the wallpaper very interesting.
"Oh, ok," she nodded.
"What was yer dream about?" he changed the subject back to her.
"My life. From before," she answered vaguely.
"About yer Dad?" he asked. Riley's head snapped up, her green eyes meeting his piercing blue ones. "Ya talk in yer sleep."
"What did I say?" she asked staring him down. She needed to know how much he had heard, how much she had said. She hadn't told them everything back at the CDC for a reason.
"Enough ta know you still ain't telling us sumthin," he said firmly, never breaking eye contact.
"Shit," Riley sighed looking down and running her hand through her hair.

"So," Daryl said expectantly.
"So, what?" she said pretending not to know what he wanted. He gave her a flat look, not buying her act.
"Its not that simple ok," she sighed in exasperation "I can't just come out with all the dirty details of my life like this. It would only make things harder."
"Make what harder?"
"Trying to be part of the group," she answered simply. She noticed him watching her with a questioning look. "They don't trust me. Hell, I doubt half of them even wanted me to stay after the CDC."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. I've seen the way they look at me when they think I don't notice. Lori and Carol act like I'm some crazed maniac that's one step away from snatching their kids and shooting up the whole camp," she said frustrated. When he didn't answer, she knew he had noticed it too.
"That's why I went after Sophia. I'm not what they think I am. I don't know why she would stab me, but that's still no reason to abandon her," she said sliding back to lean against the headboard of the bed.

"It was Carol," Daryl said catching her attention.
"Carol?" she asked confused.
"Me 'n Rick went to talk to her, let her know about Sophia," he said sitting up a little straighter. "She says she told Sophia you were dangerous, that she needed to stay away from you."
"You gotta be kidding me!" Riley sat up furiously. "After what she accused me of back of the CDC, then she goes telling Sophia stuff like that!" Her voice steadily raising.
"She didn't know what ta think is all," he cut off her ranting. "None of us did," he added quickly.
"The hell is that supposed to mean?" she scoffed crossing her arms angrily.
"It means that fer weeks we all thought you were just this little shy girl who don't talk much. Then outta nowhere you were beatin up on guys twice yer size and shootin people in the head," he said sternly, staring her down. "Then we find out about yer past, none of us were expectin sumthin like that." Riley sighed realizing he was right.
"Well you seem to be handling all of this freakishly well," she mumbled.
"I ain't afraid of a dinky little thing like you," he said chuckling at the dirty look she shot him.
"Watch it with the short jokes or next time I punch you, it'll leave more than just a little bruise," she said angrily.
"Calm down Dinky," he continued to pick at her. She glared at him, not happy about the new nickname.
"What do I do about the group?" she changed the subject.
"Give em time," he shrugged, "its all you can do."