The Sheriff and The Archer

Chapter Ninteen: Talk About Twisting The Knife

The first time we kissed we ended up making out, but this time it just lingered until I pulled away for air. I took a few steps back and was prepared to walk again when Sheriff decided to tear my heart into a million pieces.

"I don't want you to go." Halting, I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to convince myself he never anything when, "I need you." Talk about twisting the knife.

"No, you don't need me. Please... please, Carl. You - you have to understand that I'm only trying to -"

"Hurt me? Before you leave, just promise me this." I nodded. "You'll tell me about your past."

"Okay," I whispered just so he could hear. "But you've been warned." How am I supposed to tell him? I have a hard enough time dealing with it myself. Whatever. We'll just find his people and then I'll leave.

Right after that he took a couple steps forward, his arms opened up - so did mine, I think - and he hugged me. I don't know, there's something about the way he hugs me that makes me never want to leave... or let go. It's like he can tell me how much he cares about me only through how tight he holds me.

Sheriff's only around two inches taller than me, but he uses both of those inches so it feels like he's a freaking bear: he attacks, then warms me up instead of killing me. However, he's killing me internally with this hug, it may possibly be the best one I've ever had! Occasionally his arms would snake a little tighter around my waist and pull me up to my toes a little, then he'd let go. Jesus it was like he was trying to tease me. Asshole. And just when I thought he was gonna end the hug his fingers would reach out and sorta stretch on me and holy shit... I swear it took everything in me not to moan.

I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck and just stood there, in utter peace and relaxation. Focusing on his heart beat which I could hear clearly through his shirt, the only indication that any of us were really here and not a walker. His heart beat calmed me like nothing else. Of course, that scared me shitless, but at the same time it made me smile and hug him tighter. I didn't want to let him go, and I wasn't going to let him slip through my fingers. I was going to protect this group because I couldn't protect any of the others. I couldn't protect my family, or the people of... I couldn't protect or help anybody. This will be different. This has to be different. I have to help these people.

Then I'll - then I'll... I don't even know what I'm going to do anymore. I know I need to go, but Carl, Carl wants me to stay. Do I go with what Carl wants? Or what will keep him safe? I wasn't thinking about Carl's heartbeat as much as I was thinking of whether or not I would be leaving him.

I don't know exactly how long we were like that, but when we let go of each other again we caught the last seconds of the sunset.

"Shit!" I gathered my things and started running while simultaneously tracking our old footsteps. I heard Carl's rapid feet racing past me.

"Last ones a rotten egg!" He laughed. I didn't care that I was trying to keep arrows from falling out or that my bow kept hitting me as I ran... He was going down.

"You're on, Grimes!"

A lot of times I find myself writing a chapter, realizing it's too long, and then cutting it in half to make two chapters...