Angel

Chapter Eight: Jessie & Daryl

Jessie

I was pacing back and forth in the overgrown yard when Daryl got back. I had been pretending to pick up the dead branches that were scattered on the ground to give myself something to do, but all I managed to accomplish was the two in my hand I quickly grabbed when I heard him whistle he was back. I was mad at myself. The second I realized he was all right, I should have either made my presence known or left the area altogether. I should never have stayed.

"Hey," I said when I saw him. "How'd it go?" I was going to play it cool and pray he had no idea that I had been spying on him. I could barely look him in the eye. I'm such a piece of shit.

"Followed the trail for a while but it led nowhere. Did find a swimming hole not far down it. Good place to wash up. The water's cold, but clean from what I can tell," he told me. There wasn't any indication that he knew I had been there. That was a big relief. "I can show you where it is tomorrow."

Time to change the topic. I tossed the branches I held into the woods. "We need to talk about tomorrow."

Daryl's face got hard instantly. "What do you mean we need to talk?"

"C'mere, let me show you."

I headed toward our shack with Daryl following behind me. On the small counter in the kitchen, I had put our remaining food. There wasn't a lot left. "I need to go on a run. What we have left won't last us long at all."

" 'kay, we'll head out tomorrow."

"No."

Daryl looked at me confused. "I thought you wanted to do a run?"

"I do, but not you."

"Fuck that!" he shouted. "You're not going alone. Why the hell don't you want me with you?"

I had been expecting him to react this way. He couldn't handle a walker yet, and frankly, I needed time away from him. He was just too tempting. "Stop yelling at me and let's sit down."

I didn't wait for him to answer me, I just walked out of the alcove and sat down at the end of the bed. That had more or less become my spot. I waited for him to join me and even though the place was small, it took him way longer than it should have. Once he finally joined me, I saw he was staring at me in that intimidating way he had. Except, he didn't scare me. "Daryl, it's not that I don't want you to go, but you aren't ready yet..."

"Fuck that," he said jumping up quickly with a wince. He tried to play it off like it was nothing, but I saw the pain flash across his face. "Of course I'm ready."

He was a stubborn son of a bitch. "Okay, then cock your crossbow. Right now, do it. "

Daryl flashed me a look that said, "I got this." If he did, then I underestimated his recovery, but I was pretty sure there was no way he could pull the string back yet. I saw him try two days ago and he couldn't. His ribs were still healing.

The crossbow was leaning up against the wall by the door, so he walked over and grabbed it. I was watching his face the entire time, and he didn't dare look at me. Daryl pulled the string back, and the tension in it was fighting him. The muscles in his arms bulged, but from the thin line, his lips made I knew he was struggling.

I didn't say a word as I watched him lower the string and try again. He still couldn't do it. It was close, but the pain from his ribs wasn't allowing him to do what I'm sure he had done hundreds of times. He was proving my point.

The crossbow hit the wood floor with a loud crash. "Doesn't matter," he growled. "I'm going."

Arguing wasn't going to accomplish anything. I had to try to reason with him. "I know you want to go, Daryl, but I don't want you to go."