Chapter Eleven
Beth disappeared into the trees with her test and Daryl turned around, his crossbow at the ready. Could never be too careful. But after a while he let it drop. You idiot, he thought.
He had sounded like he didn't care, like it didn't matter to him, when of course it did. Beth had to know that. She had to know that he wanted it to be her decision, and that he would support her either way. But what he meant and what he had said were two different things.
And Beth had made her decision. If there was a baby, she was keeping it. He just couldn't help but be haunted by what had happened last time. The prison had seemed so safe. But they still hadn't been able to protect Judith. Not in the end; not when it had mattered. This time there was only the two of them.
But maybe Beth was right. Maybe this could be different. In his mind's eye he saw a little girl who looked like Beth; blonde hair, blue eyes, smile like a ray of sunshine. Surely it wouldn't be right to deprive the world of that, however terrible the world might have become.
But the fact still stood. Beth shouldn't have had to make the decision in the first place. He should have known better. It was his fault. He just didn't know how to fix it.
He heard rustling behind him as Beth emerged from the edge of the forest.
"Negative." She pronounced matter-of-factly.
He tried to keep his expression neutral.
"You don't have to pretend you're not relieved." She reproached him lightly, a small smile on her lips. Now that the weight of not knowing had been lifted from her shoulders, she could breathe again. "I know I am."
"You sure?" he gestured towards the test.
"I have eyes, Mr Dixon." She said, handing the test over. Tentatively, he took it. One, very clear line; not pregnant.
They walked back to the funeral home in silence, but it wasn't the strained silence they had both suffered under for the past few weeks. It was more comfortable, less heavy. Beth decided that had to be a good thing.
As relieved as she was, a small part of Beth was slightly disappointed. She had been half way to convincing herself that the confident words she had said to Daryl were true. But this false alarm had made her sure of one thing. Daryl wasn't going to get away with ignoring the issue anymore; they were going to talk about that one night. They were going to talk about what had happened. He could cringe and look away all he liked - they were going to talk about it