The CROWN ☁︎ Negan

PART 21

The last thing Sally needed after the torment was being thrown back into her dark dungeon. But once they were leading her up the stairs and to the higher stories, she knew she was meeting Negan and that was all she could ever ask for.

Not preventing the two Saviors from doing their job, Sally let them see her into Negan's room. They locked her inside like she would run after the man. And most probably she would. The separation was too much to bear. So she expected him to barge in right away, but the longer she stood near the door the less certain she was about his intentions.

The wait was endless and she could hardly stand straight, exhausted she took off her shoes and turned to the bed when the door unlocked. Her senses on high alert, she spun right back. But Sally's anticipation was still not met with satisfaction. Again, it was one of Negan's men rolling in a utility cart with a washbasin filled with clear water and with some towels on the side. After that, Sally was left alone again to the insufferable linger.

She climbed on the bed and nestled herself on the grey sheets. The next time the door opened, Negan made his appearance.

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Negan entered his room and as much as Sally wanted to run after him just moments before, she sat up on the bed but did not move. They were both waiting for the right impulse because after that there was no way back. In the meantime, their communication channel remained silent.

Lucille ended up leaning against the nightstand and Negan then proceeded to take off his jacket and left it nearby his bat. Sally wouldn't let her eyes wander off him as he moved the cart closer to the bed where he finally sat down only arms length away from her. He reached out and wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her closer to him. She obeyed and moved to the edge of the bed.

Never letting go of her forearm, he took one of the towels ready on the cart and soaked it in the basin. The water was lukewarm against her skin as he washed the dry walker blood off.

"I... Daryl... It wasn't me," Sally said quietly watching Negan's hands trace her skin.

"I know that now," he replied in the same low voice. "But you were running from me. I had to be sure."

The justification of such a torment he put her through came easy to him and Sally had to give it to him, he found the glitch in her unshaken devotion. However she tired to persuade herself and change the way she saw things, deep down she still couldn't help it. Lucille ruled there, the iron was just an abomination. Negan used it against her without any flaw.

"I understand," she nodded subtly and with that the issue was settled. No bad blood remained between them.

"Do you want to tell me where you headed?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I had to go get him."

Negan figured she was talking about Daryl. She even tried to get him back. He could not take anymore how mistaken he was about her and rather changed the subject. They still had her Hilltop visit to talk about.

"Simon told me about Hilltop. Is there anything else you want to add?"

Hilltop and Alexandria are allies, Maggie is alive in there. The words were circling in Sally's brain. Hilltop, Alexandria, allies, Jesus, Daryl, Maggie, alive...

Sally shook her head. "No, I've got nothing, just ..."

"What is it?" Negan asked, moving the towel to her legs. While he was on it, Sally noticed there was a hairbrush on the cart as well so she used it.

"It was fun," she shrugged untangling wilted flowers from her hair, "let me go next time Simon goes."

"We'll see about that. I might need you here, instead."