❝ THIS IS ON YOU ❞
–
Negan's grip on the barbaric weapon was something she'd never seen before. His knuckles were an ill white and the tips of his fingers a crimson red. Every small step he took forward, closer to Vincent and closer to her made her stomach churn. The stained wood disfigured with the loose piece of dead flesh dangling off the edge didn't settle her nerves, either.
"Negan." Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat, attempting to steady her breath.
He didn't spare her a glance. He parted his lips and narrowed his eyes, letting out a breathy, croaking laughter. It was the same she'd heard at the lineup, the same she'd heard whenever he was around Daryl, or when he was pressing the iron to another man's face.
Vincent didn't say a word. He kept his lips sealed shut in a thin line and his eyes didn't show a hint of being the least bit frightened. His hair was pushed back and his jaw was tightened, giving it a chiseled look. She'd never seen him so collected around the man, but she figured he'd hit his breaking point.
"Oh, Vincent." Negan dangled the bat by his heels, twirling it through his fingers like he'd had all the practice in the world. "What a colossal fuck up. You know, I've never liked you, but now I really don't like you."
The air in the room was so tense and stagnant, she had trouble getting the air into her lungs. She flickered her gaze to the floor and collected her thoughts for a minute. She wasn't sure what to believe, what Negan would do.
Negan paused for a moment with his tongue over his lip and his brow furrowed. "Now usually I would let you plead your case but I don't think I want to hear your fucking voice."
Coughing under her breath, Vada spoke up hesitantly. "Negan, can I talk to you?"
He finally averted his gaze to her, but only for a fleeting moment. "Go ahead."
Vada glanced at Vincent and jerked her head toward the door. "Go, Vincent."
The boy moved a step forward before Negan straightened his expression and swung his bat up to rest on his shoulder. "Fuck no. He's staying."
Vincent, after a long second, shuffled back into place.
She narrowed her eyes at Negan. "Go."
The man kept his gaze locked on her with hard, unyielding eyes. He shifted his jaw and poked his tongue between his lips, inhaling sharply. "Stand outside the fucking door."
Without a twitch of his absent expression, Vincent strode toward the door and spun the corner. He slammed the door like an angry teenager and left the two in silence, gazing at each other with sheer animosity.
"If you do anything to hurt him, Negan." she sighed and twisted her head so that she was facing the window.
"You bet your fucking ass I'm gonna hurt him. People don't do shit like that and get the fuck away with it, Vada." His jaw was clenched and his fingers were dancing along the handle of the bat as if he were itching to swing it around.
"It was a kiss." She shook her head and eyed the ground. "Just a kiss. It was out of line but it isn't anything I can't talk to him about."
Negan raised his hand and scratched his beard. "I have rules around here." His voice was deep and gravelly. "Rules that my people fucking abide by and if they don't, then I have consequences set so that they know who they're fucking dealing with."
"I'd like to think that this would be an exception," she sighed, running her hand down her face. "Because I'm not just anybody and neither is he."
"We all get the same punishment."
"Bullshit. I know what you're thinking and doing that-" she paused, shutting her eyes. Visions of Carson cowering under Negan's gaze sent chills down her spine. "Doing that isn't going to do shit."
Negan paused, the corners of his lips rising. His eyes shone and his jaw twitched as he moved in closer with heavy steps. Squinting down at her, he played lightly with the handle of his horrific bat. "And what's that?"
"What?" She finally made eye contact, and at that moment realized how tiny she was in comparison to his large frame. Negan shuffled on his feet.
"What do you think I'm gonna do to him?"
Vada hardened her features and looked him up and down. "You know! The same thing you did to Amber's boyfriend, and doctor Carson!" She pressed her hands to her cheeks and tried to regulate her breaths. "It's horrible, Negan."
His tongue pressed firmly to his top lip as if he were thinking over what to say next. "Alright." He raised his hands and jerked his brows up. Vada looked up at him with glistening eyes.
"What?"
"I won't hurt him. Not physically at least. But shit, he's not fucking getting away with it. Someone who blatantly disregards my rules, shows that he fuckin' hates me. Why would I want someone like that around, huh?" He stared down at her with intensity. "Why would I want someone like that around you?"
"We can come to an agreement."
Negan smiled. "Alright."
"We can talk about this, all three of us. Nothing has to be blown out of proportion." She looked up at him with a slightly tilted head. "That's how things should be settled, right? By talking?"
"Not my fucking ideal but if you get him in here I'll give it a shot." He glanced toward the door with all the anger he had in him, then strolled over to the leather seating area. He plopped down on the love seat in a regal manner and slumped his arm around the side of it. Sparing him one last look, she scurried over to the door and poked her head out. She slowly walked into the corridor and turned to face the absent boy.
"We're gonna talk."
Vincent shifted his gaze toward her and seemed to manage the tiniest smile. "Is he gonna burn my face off now?" He swirled his finger in the air. "Cause I've been mentally preparing for it and I think I'm ready."
Vada laughed and shook her head, dropping her gaze to the cement ground. "No, he's not gonna hurt you."
"Really?" He squinted. "I mean I've seen Mark and Dwight and they look pretty fucking bad ass. I wasn't too torn over it."
Shaking her head in disbelief, she patted his back and motioned toward the door. "Alright bad ass, sorry to tell you but I convinced him to omit the violence this time around." She looked at him with a gleam in her eye. "Maybe next time."
"Maybe," he muttered, sauntering into the ordinate room with ease. He didn't seem the least bit frightened, even after he'd had minutes to ponder over his fate in the empty hallway. Following quick on his trail Vada figured it'd be best to sit next to Negan.
The man loosened his arm from around the couch and slumped it over her without taking his gaze off Vincent. Vincent sat opposite to the two, one foot kicked over the other, his eyes hooded and simmered with no emotion.
"Well, it's your lucky fuckin' day Vince. My girl here convinced me not to burn the right side of your goddamn face." He cupped her shoulder and twisted his jaw. "As much as that would joy me to do. But you know, if I don't get to press a nice hot iron to it, then I sure as fuck don't want to be seeing it at all." He dropped his tone and playfully poked his head up. "So I guess you're on your own now."
Vada's breath hitched in her throat with widened eyes, and it was just then that she realized what he meant by that. "Wait- no. No. This isn't what I wanted."
He tore his gaze from the boy. "It's called compromising, Vada. Tit for fucking tat because I've noticed for a goddamn while here, your boy Vincent isn't too loyal to me. He doesn't give one shit about me or The Sanctuary we've built, so why should I give a goddamn shit about him? And on top of that," Negan leaned forward and cupped his hands. "You go and try and touch my goddamn girl and that is most definitely not okay with me. But I'm gonna go easy on you because Vada, she has a big heart. I know why you like her. I fucking get it but it's too bad for you, Vince, because she is already spoken for." He leaned back into place with comfort and slung an arm around the tense girl. "In fact, I'm giving you what you want here. Freedom. You've made it crystal fucking clear that you have no respect for me so go on right ahead and leave, cause I sure as hell don't want someone who doesn't give a shit."
Vincent, with an unblinking and wan face, averted his gaze to Vada. She stared back at him with sorry eyes and a pumping heart, beating so fast it felt as if it'd burst from her rib cage. She wanted to lean forward and hug him but she knew well that it wasn't an appropriate moment.
"I'll give you a knife for a little solace because I'm a nice guy. Pack whatever shit you wanna take with you, but you better be ready to hit the road by tomorrow cause you're hoofing it and you'll have a long goddamn day ahead of you." He paused and didn't take his eyes off the boy, yet Vincent still had his gaze locked on Vada. "You hear me?"
Vincent finally tilted his head, barely glancing at him. "Loud and clear, sir." Even Vada could pick out the hint of sarcasm in his tone, but Negan ignored it to irritate him further.
"If only you had that much respect before you dug the deepest fucking hole you could, huh? Then it would've worked out just fine for all of us." Negan stood up and held out a hand for Vada, but kept his gaze on Vincent. "This is on you. Completely on you."
Vada grabbed his hand but stood on her own. Negan kept his palm in hers and interlocked their fingers, pulling her closer to her side. "Go. Stay in your room and be up by eight tomorrow."
Negan turned to Vada and slipped an arm around her slender waist, tugging her closer into his torso. He looked down at the speechless girl for a few moments before directing his attention back to Vincent.
"That means leave."
Vincent let the corners of his lips upturn in the slightest as if he were unbothered by the whole thing, then took his hand from his pocket and gave a quick wave to Vada. "Bye Vada."
"Bye Vincent." She didn't wave back. He spun on his heel and ambled off as if nothing had happened, as if the last time they spoke wasn't going to be the next day. When the door swung shut slowly behind him, Vada placed her hands on her head and rubbed her temple with her thumb. Her heart was beating quickly and it seemed as if every last nerve ending was buzzing with anger, sorrow, and shock.
She fell down on the bed and sprawled her limbs out with her back against the headboard. She didn't look at Negan but his gaze was set intently on her. He trailed over to the other side of the mattress, sat down and took off his leather coat. He threw it over a chair and shuffled in beside her, linking his fingers behind his head.
He rubbed his eyes and emitted a tired sigh, kicking one foot over the other. "Are you gonna talk?"
"I really don't want to right now."
"I'm sorry."
She pressed the backs of her hands against her eyes and rubbed. Her eyes were dry despite holding back the stinging tears threatening to spill. "If you were then you wouldn't have done it, would you?"
"I went easy." His voice was low and just above a whisper, but he was close enough so that it was perfectly audible. She shivered and closed her eyes, feeling his right arm rub up against her left. "I had to do something. Not just because of what he did but if anyone ever disrespected me the way he has been they wouldn't have been let off as easy as I just did." He dropped his voice even lower, if it were possible. "I did it because I love you."
Vada shook her head and got up from the bed. Her left arm grew cold. She walked over to the sink and poured herself a glass of water to ease the sweat coming from her roots. "I'm going for a walk."
Negan's features hardened, but he was tentative to open his mouth and refuse. "Just stay here, Vada."
"I need to go for a walk." She chugged the rest of her water. "Get a drink."
Negan closed his eyes and huffed, running his hand down his hair and flattening it in the process. "Alright. Go, just try and be back soon, please."
She said nothing more before slamming the door behind her.