Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"What's the new car for?" The question slipped past Adeline's lips, curling her fingers around the open hood of the vehicle her husband worked on. Leaning against the metal warmed up by the sun, she situated her caramel eyes upon the engine. Rick and Daryl continued a search for Sophia seeing as the little girl had yet to return to the highway like she had been told, which left the group in a worrying wait.
Shane lifted his head and glanced at his wife, "Just for thought." he replied - not giving her the answer she really wanted. When he caught her expected expression, he let out a deep sigh and gripped the wrench in his hands. Peeking over the open hood, he made sure no one was around before he said his following words. "Listen, the only thing that matters to me now is keeping you alive. Traveling in a big group like this... Addy, it's not safe."
An immediate reaction surfaced to her face, furrowed eyebrows paired with confused eyes. "It's better than being alone. We have people watching our backs." Adeline reminded, watching as Shane ran a hand through his hair and cast his eyes to the ground. It was a habit he picked up on after he joined the police force, a nervous and frustrated one.
"See the thing is, I don't think they are." He retorted, pressing his boots against the dirt and moving closer to his wife. "The only thing these people care about is how they survive, not us, alright? Carol was too busy looking through clothes to watch after her own daughter and you had to chase after her through those woods, Addy. These people... they're gonna get us killed." The words slid off his tongue like they had been waiting for the right moment to leave and be heard.
"Shane-"
"No, Adeline. I need you to hear me on this, okay?"
Attempting to take a step back, he grabbed her wrist and cupped the side of her neck. Adeline stayed where he wanted her with careful eyes, "I am hearing you, Shane. But I don't understand what you want me to do." Her voice was soft, a hand of her own reaching up to his face and brushing her thumb against his dirt-stained cheek.
Shane searched her eyes with his own, "We need to leave. Just you and me, alright? Forget about Fort Benning, we go on our own and just survive." he pleaded, words tugging on a string attached to his wife's heart. His offer caused a blur of confusion, head moving back and trying to make out what he said and if it was a joke. When Adeline realized his expression was completely serious and his eyes were full of pools of dedication, she stepped back.
A wave of emotions rocked the shore of her body, pulling away from her husband and sending a skeptical look his way. It was almost as if she was looking at someone that she didn't know, someone that she had just met. But what caused her to cast her eyes to the ground was the slight tug of an agreement to his offer - a small part of her wanting to leave. The remembrance of her brother and nephew pulled her out, and Adeline couldn't find words that could express what she felt. She stammered over a thousand until something finally slipped past her chapped lips, "I-"
