It Comes With The Name

Chapter 31: A Crack In The Glass

"Just drop it, Lauren." His voice was stern and Lauren blinked in surprise before huffing in frustration.

"What the hell is going on with you?" She was sick of beating around the bush. Shane had never been someone Lauren felt she needed to worry about. In fact, for most of her life, he had been one of the few people she felt truly safe with. But for the past month, she was walking on eggshells every time she was around him and she hated it.

Shane turned around with an exasperated sigh. "What?"

"You have been so... intense lately. And I can't for the life of me figure out what it is that's bothering you so much. I mean, is it Lori? Andrea?"

"Andrea?" Shane looked at her, confused.

Lauren gave him a don't play dumb with me look. "Seriously? When you two came back from that search for Sophia her shirt was on backward and your belt was all twisted, it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together." Shane looked like a kid who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Lauren continued. "Look, I don't care what happened, your sex life is none of my concern... I just miss you. I miss the guy that you were before the world went to shit. I mean, you're my brother, Shane, and I love you but... you've changed."

"Yeah, I've changed. I got Carl and Lori out of Kings County, I kept em fed, and I made sure you didn't run off and get yourself killed in the city. I kept this group alive. Me. " His bitterness was evident as he spoke. "And then Rick shows up and now all of a sudden it's his call? He's the one makin' the decisions for everyone? Well let me tell you somethin, Lauren, I love Rick but he ain't got the guts to make the hard calls. I do. I changed because the world changed and Rick... he's the same. I'm gonna do whatever I gotta do to keep you Carl and Lori safe, you understand? And if Rick's got a problem with that... then he's just gonna have to deal with it."

Lauren stood there for a moment, hands on her hips, taking in all of what he had just said. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Before she could even begin to try and form a response she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned around to find Lori walking up to the two of them.

"Hey..." She looked between the two of them like she wasn't sure if she was interrupting. "Lauren, honey, could you head back to the house and help T-dog finish moving things in?"

"Yeah, of course," Lauren said, giving one last glance to Shane before she took off towards the house, the whole conversation leaving a bad taste in her mouth.

Moving the rest of their things into the house didn't take long. By the time Lauren reached T-dog and the others, there were only five boxes left on the porch. Taking the last box, which happened to be the one filled with her belongings, she walked inside. She stood in the doorway of the living room, scanning the room for a space to claim. It seemed that everyone had already taken up most of the downstairs. She walked into the kitchen and caught the tail end of a conversation between Maggie and Glenn.

"You can put your stuff in my room." She told him.

"With your dad in the house?" Glenn asked nervously, noticing Lauren in the doorway before turning back to Maggie. "I- I'll just put my stuff in the living room..."

Glenn quickly left, heading into the living room. Maggie let out a defeated sigh before looking up and noticing Lauren. Her face flushed a little with embarrassment. "You heard all that?"

Lauren nodded. "Just give him time. Glenn's a good guy he just... freaks himself out."

Maggie nodded, wrapping her arms around herself. Lauren shifted awkwardly before adjusting the box in her arms. "Well, I should probably find a place to put this."