Dead Silent

Chapter 21

Kirsty sits in the flower garden, a half eaten sandwich in her lap. She looks up as the door opens, expecting Negan. So she's surprised when she's met with Dwight.

"Hey," he nods, closing the door behind him.

Kirsty looks up at him as he makes his way over, unsure of whether he's in the loop that she knows about him. He sits down beside her, picking at his nails. She takes out her notepad, but he places his hand over it, pushing it away.

"Don't do that, it's not safe. My Gran was half deaf, you speak slow enough i'll understand you just fine," Dwight says, as he turns to her.

Is everything alright?

Dwight laughs, running a hand through his hair. "Is everything alright?" He glances at her. "Things couldn't be further from right, and you can stop looking at me like you don't know what i'm talking about. I know about you and Daryl."

Oh, Kirsty mouths, her shoulders sagging.

"Oh," Dwight nods. "What are you even doing? You know what's gonna happen, right?"

This isn't easy for me, Dwight. I'm not trying to hurt anyone.

"No, i'm sure that's not your intention. You know, i knew this was gonna happen. Not you and Daryl, but you and Negan. I could see it, from the moment you killed Joe. It's my fault that Rick didn't trust you, because i didn't think he should."

Rick should've trusted me.

"Maybe? But it's done now. I knew Negan would get what he wanted, he always does."

I love Daryl, Kirsty insists.

Dwight stares at her. "Maybe you do, but if you loved him you'd let him go. You know what Negan will do if he finds out."

Kirsty shakes her head. I'll leave before he does.

Dwight laughs, rubbing at his temples. "You really think that's gonna happen?"

But Negan said he wouldn't stop me.

"Negan says a lot of things, and if you really believed that, then why are you still here?"

Kirsty looks down at her lap, playing nervously with her hands.

"I saw you and Daryl yesterday, and you know why i saw you?"

Kirsty shrugs her shoulders.

"Because Negan had me follow you."

Kirsty turns to him, her eyes wide. What?

"He's had you followed ever since you first went out, now does that seem like the actions of someone who'd just let you go?"

He's had people following me?

"Yeah, i don't know why you're so surprised?"

Oh, i'm sorry, i forgot it's an everyday thing for someone to have you followed, she mouths, sarcastically.

"Well Negan's not an everyday guy, is he?" Dwight holds his head in his hands. "Daryl wants you to meet him at the barn again."

Kirsty taps his shoulder. When?

"Today, said he's gonna wait for you. He wants you to leave with him. If you do this, i'd suggest you both run and don't look back. Don't go to Alexandria, because that's the first place Negan will go, and it won't end well," Dwight says, getting up from the bench. "You need to make up your mind, and quick, before it's too late."