wicked game . negan

49; visit

She shuffled in the dirt. "What is?"

"Your relationship."

She swallowed, pulling at the grass with knitted brows. "I told you it was."

"I thought it was physical."

"He got rid of his wives," she said. "If it was physical he would have just made me one."

A man exited the doors of the large building, causing the two to freeze in place. He didn't spare them a glance, however, and walked straight past. Vada let out a sigh and shut her eyes, climbing to her feet. She wiped the dirt from her knees and held a hand out for Vincent, who took it and stumbled up.

"You have a place we can talk about this?" She asked. "Alone."

"We don't have to talk about Negan." He hung his head. "We've talked enough about him."

"I think we do."

He looked up. "Why?"

"Because we need to get on the same page."

It was about a minute before he responded. "I have a place."

He led her to one of the housing units on the right. It seemed small from the outside, creaky wooden steps, and a feeble cream colored wall. They entered together and Vincent situated himself on the double bed, foot rested on his knee. He seemed to be waiting for her to talk.

"I love Negan."

He looked left and right and seemed to wipe a bead of sweat running down his temple. He held his face in his palms and ran his fingers down his eyes, massaging his jaw. "Come on, Vada."

"I'm serious."

"How?" He stood up and began pacing the room. "How could you love him? When you got here, you, you hated him more than I did."

"Things change."

Vincent pressed his finger to his chin. "I still remember our first conversation." He stopped pacing and sat down. "Do you remember it?"

"Not well," she admitted.

"You were reading Don Quixote. I was reading The Body. You were reading over my shoulder, and we started talking about the library and all, and then you told me where you came from, and for a split second, I was worried because I thought you were the one Negan was keeping as prisoner. I was relieved because he didn't lock you in a cell, but you were still a prisoner. You were his prisoner." His hands were over his eyes. "You told me you were there to keep the prisoner alive, which can only mean Negan gave you an ultimatum. You come with him, or he kills the prisoner."

She wasn't sure what to say because as much as she didn't want to admit it, Vincent was right. Vincent was logical. He could see what she was doing was wrong. Yet love was such a blinding thing.

"You told me he took me because he wanted to make me his wife. You made me think he was some guy who threatened women into being with him."

"He threatened Sherry!" Vincent banged his fist against the table, making Vada stumble back a bit.

"His wives were for the image. They never slept with him unless they wanted to."

"Is that what he told you?"

"You know nothing, Vincent." She looked through the sliver of a window and saw Maggie, Carl, Enid, Sasha and Daryl seated on the stairs outside the house. They were chatting away, Daryl cleaning his blade, looking much healthier than he did at The Sanctuary. "We're done talking about Negan because obviously, we'll never be on the same page about it. But Vincent, if you want to be my friend, you're going to have to accept it."