My Secrets In The Apocalypse

Chapter 25

Riley laid in her spot for what felt like hours, listening to the hushed conversations between the group and the two idiots. Feeling her frustration only becoming stronger, she got up quickly and went to the back room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She moved to the far side of the room and sat down in the corner.

Riley sighed as she replayed the conversation in her head. Almost everything she thought she knew was a lie. Everything she went through, all the pain and loneliness, and that fucking idiot Dimitrij had the nerve to say he was protecting her?

Riley felt tears well in her eyes, pulling her knees to her chest, she buried her face in her knees and cried quietly. For the first time in a very long time she let herself cry for herself. She had decided when she was young that she wouldn't feel bad for herself and she wouldn't cry over her situation, but now after all this time, her walls were crumbling. She couldn't hold back the emotions anymore. She curled into herself more, sobbing quietly, all alone in the dark stock room of the abandoned convenience store.

Riley nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt someone rubbing her back gently. She snapped her head up quickly, her green eyes meeting the familiar piercing blue ones.
"Daryl," she said in a shaky voice. "I didn't hear you come in," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks quickly. She knew he saw her crying, but for some reason she felt like it was stupid for her to be sitting in the dark feeling sorry for herself.
Daryl didn't say anything, just watched her carefully as she tried to hide the evidence of her breakdown. Riley looked up at him expectantly, waiting to hear what he had to say.
"Come here," he mumbled. Riley obediently scooted closer to him as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"I bet you think this is all really stupid, huh?" she asked quietly.
"Kinda," he mumbled.
"You don't know what that man put me through," she whispered harshly. "I was just a kid, and he forced me to..." she stopped to release a shaky breath as she tried to hold back the tears. "I never asked for any of this," Riley said burying her face in her hands, Daryl tightened his hold on her slightly.

"Maybe it would have been better if Daniel had just let me die like my mom," she mumbled quietly.
"Hey!" Daryl said angrily, grabbing Riley's shoulder and turning her to look at him.
"The hell are you saying?" he asked angrily. "Just cause things ain't what you thought, now yer just ready to quit?" Riley looked into his eyes, surprised by his sudden angry outburst. He was a hot head, she knew that, but he had seemed to mellow out in the last few months. It had been a while since she had seen him so angry.
"Ya can't just quit when things don't go yer way! You've kept it together through everything so far, and now yer gonna let sumthin stupid like this break ya? What's it even matter anyway?" he asked her roughly. "That life is over! That world is gone!"

Riley couldn't help but feel like an idiot for saying what she had said. Daryl was right, she couldn't just give up now, not because of those two idiots out there. They'd controlled and ruined her life enough, she wouldn't let that happen anymore. Never again.
"This is our life now, not what it used to be," Daryl growled angrily.
"You're right," she sighed. "I'm sorry. It was just a lot to take in all at once, I guess," she said softly.
"Stop apologizing," he huffed, wrapping his arm back around her and pulling her back against him. "Just, don't go givin up," he mumbled. "Its gettin harder out there, everyone losin hope, can't have you breakin down on me too," he said quietly.
"I know," she sighed. "I've seen it too, everyone is completely exhausted running around all the time. Lori is barely on her feet anymore, she needs to rest," Riley said.
"Thought y'all wasn't buddy, buddy no more?" he asked.
"I don't agree with her decisions, but that don't mean I want her to fall out on us because we're running her ragged," she said. "We need to find a safe place, somewhere we can be for a while."
"This place ain't permanent, but you were right, its got enough for now," Daryl said. "I'll talk ta Rick bout stayin here a few more days, restin up before we move again."
"Ok," she said quietly, watching as he stood up and dusted off his pants.
"You coming?" he asked, looking down at her expectantly.
"Yea," she said smiling up at him. She stood and dusted off her pants as well.
"Wait," Daryl said stopping her as she started to walk out of the dark room. She watched him curiously as he pulled her hatchet from his belt and handed it to her. "Keep it on ya," he said sternly.
"Right," she said taking the hatchet and slipping into its place in her belt.
"Come on," he said, leading her out of the back room.