Happy Accidents

Chapter 45

//Enid's POV

After Rick was done with his conversation with Daryl, I walked up to him.

He gave me a look of recognition.

"Have you seen Carl?" I asked. I hadn't seen him since Michonne's funeral and I was getting worried.

He sadly nodded.

"I saw him in passing," he explained. "I tried calling out to him, but he completely ignored me. I don't know where he is now."

"What do you think's wrong with him?" I wondered.

"Probably still upset over Michonne," he figured. It was obvious how much it pained him to say her name.

I nodded and touched his arm in sympathy before walking away.

I had a feeling that this wasn't just about Michonne. There was something more.

Almost instinctively, I walked over to the wall and climbed over.

I walked through the woods, looking really hard. Carl had to be out here. He had to be.

After around 10 minutes of looking, I heard a voice from above me.

"Looking for something?" it called down to me.

I looked up to see Carl, sitting on a high tree branch, leaning against the trunk with his legs stretched out on the branch.

I sighed as I came to terms with the fact that it was him.

"Yeah, I was," I confirmed, trying to put a little playfulness in my voice. "I was looking for you."

He nodded. "I was gonna look for you later. I wanted to talk to you."

"Well, let's talk," I offered. "Come down."

"I don't think me coming down is the best idea," he warned.

I stood there for a moment before shrugging. "Okay," I complied, walking over to the tree trunk and starting to climb.

"What are you doing?" Carl called, clearly slightly alarmed.

I laughed. "Well, if you're not gonna come down."

I eventually got up to his branch and sat next to him, fully aware that there was almost no space between us.

Now that I got to see him up close, I could see red rimming his eye. His cheeks were pinker than usual.

"Have you been crying?" I asked worriedly.

He took a deep breath and stared down. Instead of answering, he simply mumbled, "Tess didn't attack Alexandria. It was all Negan."

I was confused. "Well, that's good, isn't it?" I asked. "You and her can be together."

He quickly shook his head, almost causing his hat to fall off. "No," he breathed. "We're not..."

I inhaled sharply as I realized what he was trying to say. She broke up with him.

I laid my hand on top of his and was slightly surprised when he took it, intertwining our fingers and gripping my hand tightly.

And, for a change, it was him that laid his head on my shoulder. Usually, it was the other way around. Because I've always been the one that's needed comforting. Now it's him.

We stayed there for a little while before he slowly lifted his head.

"I..." he breathed. "I told Tess I loved her."

My eyebrows raised, a pang of jealousy stabbed my chest. He loved her? Why would he tell me this?

"And she said," he continued. "That she wasn't the only person I loved."

My shock sky rocketed. He looked at me.

"And..." I said, it being my turn to be breathless. "Is that true?"

He just stared at me for a moment before saying, "No."

I couldn't help feeling disappointed. It definitely wasn't the answer I was hoping for.

Tearing my eyes away from him and staring at the floor, I whispered, "Oh." Wanting to not seem hurt I added on, "Good."

We simply sat in silence before I spoke up.

"I should go," I mumbled.

Carl sighed before nodding, "Okay."

I quickly got past him and climbed down, walking back to Alexandria as fast as I could.

I hated myself for the tear that slid down my face.

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Author's Note: Carl's a douche