𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐌 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 16 ~ So Dad's A Biker...

Daryl stood with his back to me and his familiar motorcycle propped up next to him, the kickstand nestled in the grass. Smiling slightly, I made my way over to him and cleared my throat, alerting him to my presence. He turned around and nodded once he saw me.

"Ready?" he asked simply.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion and crossed my arms over my chest casually.

"Ready for what?" I replied.

His hands gestured to the bike and I arched an eyebrow.

"I thought you had a surprise for me in town," I stated, suddenly curious to what we were doing today.

"Gotta get there, ain't we? This is the only way," he shrugged.

He walked over to the motorcycle then, throwing a leg over the dark leather seat.

"Well, come on, we don't got all day," he called over his shoulder gruffly.

I rolled my brown eyes and hesitantly took a step closer. I'd never ridden one before and I sure didn't want to start now. They'd always seemed dangerous to me. Then again, everything was dangerous nowadays so what was I so scared of? Maybe the fact that I'd never been alone with Daryl since that day in the church. The rest of the times we'd spent together since had been in the company of other group members.

Never by ourselves. The thought made me slightly nauseous. I still wasn't sure just how he felt about me - if he was even happy at the thought of having a newfound daughter. I know he loved mom...still loved mom from the way he talked about her. But me? I wasn't so sure...

I swallowed the lump that began to form in my throat before trudging over to the bike and hopping on behind him. Hesitantly, I gently wrapped my arms around his middle. He gunned the engine then before mashing the gas pedal. With a whoosh, the motorcycle zoomed down the road. The force of it threw me back a bit and I latched onto Daryl tightly, hanging on for dear life as the bike picked up speed. I could feel the vibrations in his chest and knew he was silently laughing at me.

I rolled my eyes at that. Empty houses and abandoned cars passed us by as well as half of a walker lying on the ground, its torso ripped in half, leaving a bloody mess on the pavement. The wind was cool on my face and I rested my cheek against his back, the scratch of his vest almost comforting somehow. He smelled like musk mixed with a woodsy aroma - his own scent that had now become so familiar to me. I closed my eyes and focused on the feel of the breeze and sound of the bike's engine. For the first time in a long time, I felt at peace here on my father's motorcycle.

Like we were meant to meet. Even if it was under bad circumstances. At least we had found each other. Several minutes later, Daryl slowed the motorcycle down and I opened my eyes. Surrounding us was an abandoned town. Small and out of the way, I had never seen it before now.

This must be a different route than the one I took with the Wolves, I thought to myself as Daryl turned off the engine. Throwing a leg over, I got off the bike and he mimicked my actions. Up ahead, I could just make out the outline of a dilapidated Target. I shot him a confused look but he just shrugged, leading the way over to it. His crossbow was slung over his back, hitting him gently as he walked. My sneakers thudded lightly on the pavement as I followed him, dodging bits of debris in the road.

What in the world where we going to Target for?

"We going to get some M&M's or something?" I joked to which he only grunted.

I frowned, pushing some strands of hair behind my shoulder.

"Tough crowd." I muttered in annoyance.

Pushing open the once-automatic glass doors a fraction, he slipped inside and I did the same. Inside it was pitch-black but I could just make out ivy covering the check-out registers. Bits of trash and old dented cans littered the floor as well as dried puddles of blood and a few dead walkers. Stepping over one dressed in a red Target employee t-shirt, I wrinkled my nose at the rotting smell.

"As odoriferous as a dead man in July." I sighed, shaking my head.

This time, Daryl did chuckle and a smile tugged at my lips. Finally, I got Daryl Dixon to actually laugh. Even if it was at some dark humor. Most of the shelves were bare - picked clean by other survivors along the way. But it was eerily quiet in here. Way too quiet for my taste and briefly, I wondered if there were walkers still lurking somewhere inside.

"Hey, Daryl, do you think we need to-" I started, glancing up.

My stomach sunk to my knees and I could feel my throat constricting. Daryl was nowhere in sight. And I'd left my gun at the house.