When Bethyl Happened

Chapter 8- Enough

~Daryl's POV~

The presence of a thick tension in the air was undeniable. As always it was all my doing. But, even though it hurt to not speak with her, it would hurt a hell of a lot more if I became attached and she died. Her death is inevitable and I have come to terms with this. I am not strong enough to protect her.

"I don't understand!" Beth cried out suddenly in anger. My eyes widened and I flinched in surprise. "Shut up," was my short response.

"I don't care if those God damn walkers hear. We are gonna be stuck up here forever, anyways," she took a breath and continued, "Why shut me out, again? We always go through the same cycles over and over. I am always convinced that you are fully over whatever it is, but then you relapse. You go back to steeling your eyes and turning the other way so I have no chance on seeing the emotions on your face. Why can't you just tell me what the hell is going on your complicated?" I could hear Beth began to sob and I was glad for the darkness. If I could see her face, I may just give up and let my guard down. "Daryl, say something," she hicupped. Her rage had now turned into sadness. I felt my heart break just a small bit, yet I remained silent.

I knew sleep was not an option for either of us tonight. For one, we were stuck in a tree and the branches weren't quite like mattresses. Plus, one wrong turn in your sleep and you fall down and become the walkers little bitch. I let out a long sigh and rubbed my temples. The sobs had died down and now the heavy silence was back. I almost preffered the sobs. Almost.

About an hour had passed and I was drowning in my own thoughts. Maybe, I was making the wrong decision. It was really my dream that had pushed my fear of losing her, over the edge. But, by pushing Beth away I was losing her in a different way. Is this worth it to protect myself in the future? I didn't really know. I wanted to be there for her, but I didn't want the pain that came with it. Fuck this.

Finally, the reassuring light of the sun appeared. It had felt like the longest night of my life. My head ached from all of the thinking I did. Even with all the noise we had made last night, most of the herd had moved on. "Come on," I muttered. Beth still heard my words and began to climb down. I was the first to reach the bottom and I cleared the area of walkers. Then I heard a snapping noise and a sharp squeal. Beth was falling! I ran to the base of the tree and caught her in my arms. My heart stopped and I just held her there in a moment of confusion. "Put me down," she ordered sharply. Reluctantly, I obeyed.

She brushed the dirt off of her and avoided my gaze. I was still getting over her touch and the way it made me feel, when a walker came. Before I could even react, Beth had her knife lodged in his brain. Maybe, she could handle herself better than I give her credit for. Beth really was incredible. She shot me a pointed look and I just stared right back at her. After our what seemed to be a staring contest was over, we began to walk. We headed forward and hopefully enough eastward, we wouldn't run into the herd.

As we walked, I realized how far we had made it since the loss of our group. I knew we would never see them again and I had accepted that harsh reality. Yet, the optimistic side deep within me, told me there was still a small chance. I wondered if Beth had any hope we would be reunited with them. Doubt it. We hadn't actually talked much about it . The topic was best to be avoided.

Beth and I just kept walking on and on through the endless forest. My feet felt sore and I still had no set destination in mind to head towards. Goals will keep you motivated and alive. Right now we had none. I glanced over at Beth and saw the pure exhaustion showing in her expressions and on her face. Her eyes had a dull expression and dark circles emphasising her eyes. Beth's lips were chapped with dried blood and she practically dragged herself as she walked. It worried me to see her looking so unhealthy. I probably looked the same, though. Like shit.

"Daryl?" a nervous voice called out to me.

"Yes?" I replied looking away from  her.

"I'm sorry."

"What?" I asked looking at her with confusion.

"I shouldn't gave yelled and broke down last night. It could have attracted walkers. I put not only my life in danger but yours too," she explained. She looked at me with sadness and I could tell there was nothing she wanted more than to just be accepted by me.

"It's ok," was all I could say. Beth looked disappointed in my short response, but I was better than nothing. She nodded and gave me a weak smile. Before I could stop it, the corners of my lips twitched slightly upward. Beth obviously noticed and her forced smile became a real one. Did I really want to block her out. Could I even gain her trust back if I wanted to?

The two sides of my mind battled back and forth. All I knew was, Beth really fucked with my emotions.

~~~~~~~~~Author's Note~~~~~~

Thanx for 1000! Aaaaah I could cry! Ok thanx my lovely readers and please remember to vote.  See ya next Saturday! <3