Heartless ➳ TWD² [COMPLETED]

Chapter XXIII ➳ Evolution†

➳ TORY and I spent time with Aunt Tara while Mollie wandered off with Henry. Accidentally or not, it seemed to me that she wanted to spend more time with Henry than with her Aunt Tara.

Nevertheless, I didn't complain when she wandered off and Tara volunteered to look after Tory while I made my rounds around Hilltop and reuniting with some old flames and friends.

First, I approached Brie just as she was coming out of the medical trailer, seemingly looking over a clipboard in her hand. "Hey," I smiled and she looked up at me, surprised. "There you are."

"Tess?" she breathed out before I walked right into her, placing my arms around her stomach while hers were around my neck. "Oh, my gosh. What are you doing here?"

We separated, just as the clipboard nearly knocked me out on the back of my head. "The girls and I wanted to see Paul and Tara again," I answered through all the honesty in the world. "Saddiq told me that you came back here yesterday. Glad that you and Enid were here for Rosita before Saddiq came."

Brie nodded and replied, "Yeah, I was afraid that she wasn't going to make it. But, I'm glad that Enid and I were here for her."

I nodded, too, and placed my hands on my hips. I glanced away, seeing Alden off in the distance and working as a blacksmith, alongside Earl. "So, how is he? Alden, that is."

She smirked, glancing from Alden back to me, before signaling her head towards him and folding her arms over her chest. "Why don't you go and ask him, yourself?"

I shook my head and made sure that he won't catch me looking his way again. "Nah, I'm good."

"Tess," came Brie's warning tone, as she tried to look for my eyes. I allowed her to, but only for a split second. "He's not mad at you and you shouldn't be mad at him, either. You two used to be so close."

I nodded my head around before grunting out, "Yeah, I used to be close to a lot of people. Shit happens."

She shrugged her shoulders up and pursed her lips. "You two can't avoid each other forever. You know that, don't you?" She has no idea how well that I can avoid him. "The only thing that changed y'all is when I became pregnant with his child. You had something that I ruined, and I should be the one who is sorry."

I shook my head and waved my hand at her. "No, don't be—"

"No, seriously," she quickly cut me off before I could break out into song. "I am sorry. You forgave me before Alden could even explain himself." I really and truly was trying to avoid any sort of eye contact with her now. "He wanted to tell you about us. Even I wanted to tell you about us, but we never got around to telling anyone. It was our little secret, and what he did wasn't okay. He is sorry, trust me. You guys should talk about it and talk everything through, too."