Home Sweet Hilltop

Chapter 9

Enid's Point of View:

I woke early this morning, ready to make breakfast for Rick and the rest before they had to hit the road back to Alexandria.  Carl had slept in my room again last night.  I liked having him there, knowing I wasn't so alone in the big empty room.  I almost want him to just move all his stuff into my room.  What I have barely fills half the drawers anyway, but I don't think Maggie would be too keen on the idea.  We are both still just kids after all.  I watched Carl and Rick say goodbye to each other and realized it was probably much harder for Rick, he seemed more aware of the situation, lingering in his goodbye.  I think it hasn't set in yet for Carl. 

After they all left it was back to business as usual at Hilltop.  It's laundry day, which means I was stuck washing clothes behind the garden all day.  Hilltop certainly isn't as high tech as Alexandria, which means we still use a washboard and metal tubs for washing the clothes.  After the first loads of clothes seemed dry enough, I took them off the line and began walking them towards Barrington. 

"Enid! Hey wait up!"  I stopped and turned to see Jax running towards me.  He was sweaty and still holding a shovel, coming from the construction of the new house we were planning next to Barrington.  "Hey," he smiled when he got to me, still panting and tired looking.

"Hey," I smiled back begging to walk again with him walking in tow.  "How's the digging going?"

"Good, yeah," he lifted his shirt up to wipe the sweat from his forehead, revealing the toned lines of his stomach.  "We're just finished the foundation, hoping to start actually getting stuff of the ground in a few days, but what's up with you? Need help with anything?"

I wiggled the basket I was carrying a bit and let out a soft laugh, "Nah, just laundry, I think I'll be able to manage."  I started to laugh again but stopped when I felt the weight of the basket dissipate.  Jax had scooped it out of my hands, popping it up onto his shoulder with ease.  He gave me a boyish grin and kept walking.  "Hey!" I tried to protest but he ignored it.

"So I saw you take Calvin outside the walls yesterday, what's up with that?" 

I made a face at first, confused by his statement until I realized he had meant Carl.  I let out a laugh at the realization, "You mean Carl? I dunno we used to do it all the time at Alexandria and I think Maggie wants him to know the land well enough, so why not?"  I kicked up a pebble before heading up the stairs to the front door, opening it and rushing inside to let Jax through. 

"Well maybe we could go outside the walls sometime then," he looked at me hopefully as I began heading up the stairs.  

"Uhhh yeah, sure if you want..." he'd never been very interested in going outside the walls before, so I was a little confused but assumed he just wanted a change of scenery.  I darted up the last few stairs a bit fast, Jax still following.  "Thanks, I can take it from here, have to put everything away now and what not." I began to take the basket from him, and while he gave it to me willingly he didn't seem to want to leave.

"No no, common let me help," I giggled at this, amused by his sudden interest in house work, "you'll get your work done faster."

"Alright fine." I stretched out the last word as he followed me into Maggie's room, walking to the other side of the bed as I tossed the fitted sheet up for him to catch the other side.  We finished making the bed, discussing the new house plans and him making a joke about how he thought I had gotten taller.  I noticed the sheets at the foot of the bed weren't quite sitting right and went to fix them, leaning over the footboard.  As I was leaning over I felt the sudden warmth of a body behind me, the sudden feeling of being enclosed surrounded me.  I stood up straight, softly bumping into him.  I turned myself around to face him, letting out a laugh at the odd position we seemed to be in.  His hands rested on the footboard on either side of me, making it hard for me to just walk away.  

He smirked with a soft snort, looking me up and down before finally speaking, "Hey."  

That was it, that was all I got? Hey?  "Uhhhh, hey?" I smiled as I said it, confused but not wanting to offend Jax in any way.  Perhaps just didn't understand personal space as much.  When we normally hang out he usually has an arm around me or a leg lain over mine anyway, though this position felt a bit closer.  That's when he did it.  Just out of no where.  He leaned down and planted himself on my lips, already attempting to move his tongue in.  I immediately began pulling my head away, but his lips only followed.  I squirmed, turning my face away and pushing on his chest lightly with my hands, enforcing some distance, but only some.  "Jax! Woah, dude what're you doing?"  I turned my face back to look him in the eyes, a clear questioning look engraved on my face.

He kept his face near mine, smirking and looking me dead in the eyes, "Finally giving us what we both want," and without hesitation he leaned in again, closing the gap.  

I turned my head again, having to squirm due to his close proximity.  "Jax stop."  I barely squeaked it out before his hand had reached up and turned me back to him, his mouth preventing any further words.  He had gotten me right up against the footboard, his legs pressed against mine, prevented me from being able to even step outs somewhere without tripping.  I attempted to push on his chest again, this time with a little more force.  I felt him move away slightly with my effort, but the space only lasted for a second as he reached up, engulfing my hand in his much larger one and beginning to pull it down to rest at my side.  I attempted to free my hand from his grip as soon as I felt it, but he wrapped his fingers around my wrist for a  stronger hold, pulling my arm down in an odd position.  I winced at the sharp pain that rushed through me with the strange bend, but he didn't seem to notice.  I began leaning back, assuming the odd movement would at least free me for a second to say something again, but he only followed me down.  My lower back leaned against the footboard, digging sharply at my skin, the weight of his body only adding to the pressure.  I began wriggling my whole body, skin already crawling and made itchy by the knowledge he was slobbering all over my chin.  Though he was relatively lean, he was much taller and overall larger than I.  A fact which I was only then realizing because he seemed to be tightening his whole body around mine, making it difficult to find any wiggle room.  Between the pain of my lower back, the throbbing of my wrist, and the discomfort of the whole situation, I had had enough.  

It sounded like a branch snapping at first.  Then I saw the red grow hotter and hotter across his cheek.  He stepped back, lifting a hand to his face, looking at me with shock and a twinge of anger in his eyes.  I looked down at my red hand, taking in the events that had just unraveled.  I looked back at him before I felt the heat rise in my eyes, a wetness beginning to fall.  I ran from the room, the laundry basket toppling over as I knocked into it.  

I launched myself down the stairs, unable to think of anything at the moment other than needing to get away.  I ran out of Barrington, whipping my head around rabidly, searching and scanning for anywhere to be alone.  My feet began to carry me there before I fully understood where I was going.  I turned the corner, slipping between the two trailers before falling out to that opening.  I stopped, catching my breath before sitting beside him.  The pocket watch still resting atop his grave, slightly rusted from the weather.  I smiled toothlessly though tears were still falling, happy I was with someone who made me feel safe.