Broken

Chapter 10

Eve lies beneath the bed as Negan talks with Rick downstairs. She's not sure what they're talking about, but she'd swear she heard Negan yell at one point. The door slams shut, and she lets out a deep breath as boots slowly make their way up the stairs.

Negan rubs at his temples as he steps through the door of his bedroom. "You can come out now, sweetheart, he's gone."

Eve creeps out from under the bed, parking her ass on the mattress. "Why were you yelling?"

Negan sits beside her, dropping his head. "I have to go out."

"What?" She almost whimpers, her eyes wide.

"Daryl's still out hunting, and Rick can't go out because his fucking leg is playing up.. i guess i've gotta take a little responsibility for that."

"But.. you can't," Eve says, her lip trembling.

Negan places his fingers beneath her chin. "I won't be gone long. It's just a delivery that needs picking up from the Kingdom. I'll be gone half the day at the most."

"Can't they bring it here?"

Negan shakes his head. "No, that isn't the arrangement."

Eve drops to his feet, her arms encircling his legs as she rests her head in his lap. "Please don't go."

"Sweetheart, i have to."

Eve shakes her head, his pants becoming damp from her tears. "You can't. They'll hurt me."

"No one's gonna hurt you, i promise."

Eve looks up at him, her eyes as wild as the day she met him. "You don't know that! You won't be here to stop them!" She gets up and kicks him in the shin.

"Ow! What the fuck?!"

Her face drops, heart pounding against her chest. She runs to her room, almost diving beneath the bed. Negan goes after her, rubbing at his shin.

"Eve, what are you doing? Eve?" Negan crouches on all fours, watching as her shoulders shake with each sob.

"I'm sorry," she cries into her arm, refusing to look at him.

"Eve, it's okay, it didn't hurt that fucking much anyway, i mean, you aren't even wearing any shoes. Probably hurt yourself more than you hurt me. Will you come out from under there?"

Eve shakes her head. "No. I'm not listening to you anymore. You're a liar."

"Since when have i ever lied to you?" His own question makes him feel like a piece of shit, considering the very big truth that he's keeping from her.

"You said you'd keep me safe, and now you're leaving!" Eve yells.

"Eve, if i didn't have to go, then i wouldn't. Trade is important between the communities. They have stuff that we need, and vice fucking versa. I swear to you, i'll be back not long after dark at the latest."

Eve lifts her head, her eyes red. She stretches out her hand, Negan placing his over hers. "Please, Negan. I don't want them to hurt me."

"Eve, they won't, i fucking promise you. But.. if you're scared, then i'll lock all the doors, we'll be the only ones with keys. No one can get in except us."

"What.. what if you don't come back?" Eve stutters, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Negan tilts his head, his heart sinking a little. To have someone care so much after being an outsider for so long, it felt strange, good strange, but strange all the same. "Come here." Eve crawls out from under the bed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she rests her head against his chest. Negan strokes her back soothingly, curling his hand through her hair. "It's gonna be okay. There's few people tougher than me. Take more than one of those undead fucks to take me down." She nuzzles his neck, he's sure not in a sexual way, but more for self comfort. And yet it sends shivers through his entire body, his skin breaking out in gooseflesh. Negan struggles to suppress a groan, swallowing thickly.