Sacrificing Love || Negan's Daughter Book 2

Chapter One

Chapter One
"Secrets"

Salem's breath rests on Carl's cheek, he chuckles quietly as he watches her fast asleep on his chest. A meager snore comes from Salem, it makes Carl laugh again.

"Why are you laughing at me?" Salem mutters under her breath with a small smirk.

"You're adorable," he says and Salem laughs.

"Yeah, yeah. Get some sleep." Salem says and pushes his head to the pillow below them.

"I love you, Salem."

"I love you, too."

*****

{Salem's POV}

My eyes shot open and I tilt my head up and look out the window. The sun hasn't reached the sky yet, but a little light from it is starting to appear. I barely see orange and pink bubbles and lights, and I just wish Carl could see it to. But I have to do something. Something alone.

I crouch down to where he can't see me and quickly tip-toe away from the bed and near the door, where I quietly slide out.

My heart pounds swiftly as I sneak out the front door and onto the patio. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.

No one is out yet, so I figure this will be the best time to do this.

I sneak over to one of the corners of the fence, nearest to the large building of the Hilltop. I take my hands and unravel the dirt, kicking and using my hands as a shovel. I finally see a black wire-stick, and I pull it out.

A walkie-talkie.

My father left this for me a while ago when I first came here. I want to talk to him, but I have no idea what the hell he'll say. I can only hope for the best.

But as my finger slides onto the button, I pull it away and let out a sigh. I don't want him to know I'm gone, missing, here. He'd kill me. I quickly bury it back and walk back to the house. I feel like someone's watching me, but I don't dare to look. I just walk in, slam the door, and go back upstairs to take a shower.

****

Once I'm done with my shower, I quickly slip on a dark blue button down shirt and some jeans, along with my combat boots, which just happen to be my favorite. I slide my hair back into a ponytail, the blue highlights I had in it years ago still barely showing, and slip the ponytail holder onto it. It looks fine.

I look... fine.

We have showers, but yet, there's still so much dirt just matted onto my face that I can't get off. It's hardened there. And many, many cuts. Like the one in my head. It's healing, at least. It wasn't that hard of a hit.

That thought brings my back to thinking about my dad, which I don't want to do.

I walk out of the bathroom and Carl greets me with a soft, warming smile that brings my mind off my dad.

"Hey Carl," I say.

"Hey Salem. Is everything okay? You look a little pale.." he says, rubbing his finger on my cheek.

I shrug. I don't want to lie. Nothing's okay. But a shrug is all I want to do right now. Carl nods, and even though he knows something is wrong, he leaves it at that. As he should. He knows if I really had something important to tell him, I would. And my dad just isn't important.

****

Carl and I make our way outside with our hands bundled together. As he walk and enjoy the sunshine, Enid approaches us. I want to hide from her. But there's no turning back now.

"So, she's back," Enid says to Carl, completely ignoring me.

"Yes, Salem is back." Carl says as my heart pounds swifter.

"And you said you didn't care if she came back? Well, you seem to care now." Enid says with cruel eyes, and Carl's grasp on my hand tightens. I feel faint.

Carl didn't want me to come back.

He must still have feelings for Enid.

My heart drops into my shoes as I let go of Carl's hand. I face him, his ocean blue eyes filled with the slightest of curiosity but the rest with fear, sadness, hollowness, loneliness. I don't want to see Carl hurt, but I can't handle the fact that he would say that. My shoulders tense as I speak.

"Carl, you didn't want me to come back?"

"Salem, that's not at all what I said." Carl says defensively, as Enid just shakes her head.

"That's exactly what you said! You also said you wanted to talk to me. Probably getting back together with me." Enid says as she flips her hair, her plum lips puckered into a frown.

"Enid, just get out of here! I finally go-"

"Carl, you love her." I say, stabilizing my thoughts. My hands clench into fists and I lick my teeth. "You love her, and I allow it. Have fun you two." I walk away, but as soon as I'm out of there view I run. I run to the walkie talkie, and see that it's gone. There's just a big hole where it used to be.

"Shit," I mutter and look around. But there's nothing.

I want to run back to Carl and tell him everything, but he wouldn't understand. Instead, I see him running up to me. My heart pounds fiercely against my chest.

"Salem, you have to listen to me.. I just wanted to say that I'm-"

Suddenly, I watch in horror as a bullet is ripped through Carl. I don't know where it hit, but all I remember is him mumbling words and falling to the ground, which I soon collapsed myself in fear and in shock.

Did we just die?