infection | D. Dixon

chapter thirty-nine

secret

I nodded but didn't say anything.

He was still for a short second before he walked around the table and grabbed me, slamming his lips onto mine. I grabbed his hair, opening my mouth against his, his tongue slipped into my mouth and I tugged on his hair. He growled into my mouth and I smiled into the kiss, happy I could make him make that noise. He pushed me onto the table, hovering over me without breaking our lips apart. He pulled back to connect his lips to my neck, I arched my back against him and snarled at the burning under my skin.

Miguel climbed on top of me, pushing my hands flat against the floor. "You deserve this," he said as he pushed himself into me. "You're the one who made this ugly," thrust, "No one will ever want you," thrust. He bit down on my shoulder as he pushed himself into me again and again.

"Stop!" I jumped, pushing Daryl away from me. I locked eyes with him and tear fell from my eyes. "I'm sorry- it's not that I don't want to, it's Miguel. What he did to me, I-"

"I know." he said. My eyes snapped up to his surprisingly.

"You do?" I asked, swiping my hair out of my face.

He nodded and sat next to me on the table, "I had a crap dad. Every time someone raised a hand ta me after I would expect em ta hit me. It's kind of the same thing." He said.

I nodded, "yeah, it's kind of the same thing." I said quietly. "After the prison, I tried to find you. I followed your trail to some moonshine cabin. But I lost it after that. I lost hope for a while," I admitted. "But I found you. I don't want to ruin it." I whispered.

He smirked and leaned against my shoulder, "you ain't ruined nothing, Trix." he said quietly, adopting a nickname for me

I smiled and leaned against his shoulder equally. "So, what now?" I asked. Daryl shrugged next to me. I smiled quietly.

We made eye contact.

----

The concentrated light hit my face harshly as I stepped out of the house in the morning. There were no departed around, but I could smell the dead lingering in the air. I raised my hand against the light and walked out to the car sitting on the side of the road. Daryl followed me quietly.

"We'll go back to the high school around sunset?" I offered, putting all our stuff into the trunk.

"Sounds good. We're heading east first, have to check out the big spot." He said, getting into the driver's seat.

I climbed into the passenger seat, "I think we should take the group out of the high school. If we spend an extra day out here and look around for another place to settle down we could make our way up to the Catskills, or a farm or something." I said, using a blanket I had taken from the house to curl up.

Daryl smiled at me but didn't say anything as I removed my shoes and jacket; switching them for fuzzy socks and a large sweater. I laid my head on the window and watched the trees and stray departed go by.

"Do you think we'll make it through this?" I asked, "All of us?"

Daryl shifted in his seat and leaned on his elbow. "Maybe." he said quietly. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about walkers tearing into my family. "We will." he said. "Me and you, Tessa and Merle, too." he said confidently.

I smiled over at him and laid my head back on the window, "we will." I repeated quietly and closed my eyes to sleep.

We headed east a couple miles until we hit big spot. It was hardly even touched, it wasn't surprising, most of the people here headed to Atlanta in the beginning. Daryl headed off to the food and weapons while I walked around hygiene and other isles. If we found Judith we would need some baby supplies. No, when we found Judith.