𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙨 ♔ 𝙙.𝙙𝙞𝙭𝙤𝙣

96

THERE IS SO much anger and sadness built up inside her body that one day, it's all going to explode like a volcano. She won't be able to stop it for the lava will continue to leak out until the volcano is empty and everything around her is destroyed. The ashes will fly up into the air and she'll look up at them with a smile on her face and she'll whisper, "You underestimated the fire in me and now look who's the one left standing." She can't be quiet forever, she won't be quiet forever. They take her quietness for granted and they aren't ready for the fire that's about to come.

Aria kneels near the front of the crowd, exactly where Dwight told her to go. She's currently exhausted and drained, she didn't feel like arguing with the blonde. Her blue and bloodshot eyes raise up towards Negan, her hands fiddling nervously with each other. Not only did she cheat on Daryl, she slapped Negan, something's going to happen. She can feel it. "You know the deal. What's about to happen is gonna be hard to watch. I don't want to do it. I wish I could just ignore the rules and let it slide, but I can't."

Aria's eyes scan around the room as she searches for one person; Daryl. Her eyes catch sight of him and immediately, their eyes lock with each other. Aria knows she looks like a mess, she hopes Daryl can see the remorse in her. "The rules keep us alive." Aria breaks eye contact with him, her eyebrows flying up in alarm at the loud voices.

"That.. is right." Negan exclaims as he walks down the stairs, the heels of his boots clicking with each step. "We survive. We provide security to others. We bring civilization back to this world. We are the Saviors." Liar. Aria thinks to herself, her eyes narrowing. He's a liar, they don't bring civilization to this world. They brutally bash people's heads in with bats, that's what they do.

"But we can't do that without rules. Rules are what make it all work. I know it's not easy. But there's always work. There is always a cost." Aria freezes as Negan's hazel eyes connect with hers. This is directed towards her and she realizes it now. "Here, if you try to skirt it, if you try to cut that corner —then it is the iron for you." Aria flinches back at the sound of his voice, fear building up in her. He strikes fear in her and Aria doesn't like that, it shows her that she's weak.

As everyone stands up around her, she quickly follows suite, her hands clutched behind her back. Silence consumes the building and Aria wants to shrink back into a hole and disappear. "Watch closely, darlin'." Negan whispers to Aria as he grabs the iron off the stick, the bottom of the metal iron glowing red with heat. "Mark, I'm sorry. But it is what it is." Negan stares at the sweaty man for a few seconds before walking forward the iron pressing against the cheek of the man.

His screams of agony fill Aria's ears as she stares at the man wide-eyes, her eyes unable to move away from his face. Terror fills her eyes as she watches the man fall limp in the chair, his screams stopping abruptly. Negan pulls the iron away, some skin peeling off with it.

Aria takes a step back, only to bump into a man. The man's hands land on her back and he shoves her forward, causing her to stumble to the ground, tears threatening to spill over. This group, they're sick, they're insane. "Dwight — take her to my room." Dwight pulls Aria up and this time, she doesn't fight, she doesn't want to.

As the pair walk in silence, Aria struggles to wrap her mind around what she just witnessed. "He — he did that to you too?" Aria quietly asks Dwight, looking up at the man with wide eyes. Dwight doesn't reply and Aria takes that as a yes. "Why would you stay with him? He's a monster." Dwight pushes Aria into Negan's room, his eyes narrowed down at her. "You don't know nothing. He will be in here in a few minutes."

♚ ♛

"Like i've said before Aria — I like you, you're a cool as shit girl." Aria blankly stares up at Negan, her hands pressed in between her two legs to stop them from shaking. "I only kissed you to fuck with Daryl's head and it worked." One way to get Aria riled up is to mess with Daryl and Negan's most definitely riling her up right now.

"Stop messing with his head. He's been through enough shit. He shouldn't have to deal with you." Aria snaps, eyes narrowed at the man before him. She shakes her head slowly, the anger slowly disappearing as she blows out a breath. "Haven't you had someone you cared about before? My group wanted me to plan that attack and I did because I care for my group, they're my family."

Negan blankly stares at her, leaning back in his chair as he waits for her to continue. "But, I tried to convince them not to attack that outpost, they didn't listen. I tried to save your guys' asses because that's the type of person I am. Usually, I can figure people out but you're difficult to figure out. Well, until I had enough time to study you."

"You're an insecure asshole who loves to torment people. You hide behind some badass facade to try and get people to be scared of you because you like the control. If you didn't have these people, you'd be lost or even better, dead!" After a few moments of silence, a smirk forms on Negan's face as he leans forward, rubbing his jaw filled with facial hair.

"Well, shit, look at you go. You honestly think your 'group' cares about you? Honey, they just use you." He chuckles, the sound dark and menacing. His tongue runs over his bottom lip as he stares into Aria's eyes, which was a mistake on his part. Aria has become an expert at being able to find out people's emotions through their eyes except this time, she's finding it hard. The emotions running through Negan's eyes are switching back and forth and Aria can't seem to figure out what the emotions are.

"Darling, you don't know me. Don't try to act like you can figure me out because you can't. Hell, not even Dwighty boy could figure me out and you think you can? Humor me some more." Aria shakes her head, her eyes rolling as she stands to her feet.

"Oh, come on, Negan. Get rid of the facade already! I can see through your little act, I'm not a stupid little girl." Negan stands to his full height, towering over Aria.

"If you're not stupid, what's your name?" Aria stares at him, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion at his question before realization dawns on her and she smirks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm Aria Harrison."

A U T H O R
i'm not sure how i feel about the conversation between negan and aria. i think i'm content with it but then again, i'll probably end up changing it.

anywho, i'm going to get a little sappy because why not? i just wanted to say how amazing you guys are! you all have stuck through the ups and downs with this book and despite me having a horrible update schedule, y'all still follow aria through her journey and i love that. i absolutely adore all of your comments and read every single one of them. thank you for everything!

also, i know how negan is in the show and i'm trying to write him like that but dang, it is difficult.