chapter twenty three !
❪ you're tugging her away from me ❫

"HE TOTALLY ditched me!" riley paced around star's room. "i mean, can you believe that shit?"

"you've been rambling about this for twenty minutes," the redhead reminded as she continued to flip through the comic book that she borrowed from riley.

"it's not like i care," riley continued. "but i know when he's lying... he avoids eye contact!"

"oh my," star closed the comic and sat up from her bed. "did you know where he went?"

"he said he had to go do something with his dad."

"maybe he actually had to do something," she shrugged.

"he didn't!" riley yelled.

"hey, don't get mad at me." star raised her hands. "i'm not the one that lied to you."

riley huffed and sat down on the mattress. "i really don't want me and carl to drift away." she whispered. "before i came here, all i had was his comfort and i just don't want our friendship to end."

star gave the girl an apologetic smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. "are you sure this is about friendship?"

riley sighed, her hands on her face before pushing her hair back. "maybe it is something more," she confessed. "i think my feelings are starting to grow stronger."

"you think?" star raised her eyebrows at her.

"i know that my feelings are growing stronger," riley corrected. she faced star, "should i tell him?"

the girl smiled. "you should." she nodded. "i have a feeling that he feels the same way about you. who wouldn't?"

riley gave her a small hug and got up from her bed, "okay! i'm gonna go see if he's back and i'll update you if anything happens."

star gave her thumbs up before flopping back into the bed.

riley exited the house, going around the neighborhood cluelessly to see if carl had came back.

"hey there girl." jack appeared at her side, his hands shoved inside his flannel pockets. his presence startled riley a little.

"jeez," she rolled her eyes. "don't sneak up on me like that."

"sorry," he apologized, trying to keep up the same pace as her. "where we heading to?"

"not that it's any of your business," riley continued to stroll down the street. "i'm trying to find carl."

jack's tracks trailed off and his eyebrows furrowed. "he's with enid right now." he informed her.

riley stopped walking and turned back around to face the boy. "what?"

"i saw him following after her. enid likes to go over the gates sometimes and i saw him going out after her." he explained, stepping forward.

riley disliked the thought of carl and enid hanging out. jack noticed the change of her demeanor. "jealous?" he chuckled.

the brunette scoffed and covered her hidden sadness with a small smirk. "yeah right, he can do whatever he wants." she began walking away but that didn't stop jack from following her.

"you know... you should go to the school that we have in the garage." he suggested. "that means i get to see you more."

"and who would want that?"

"me," he stated boldly.

riley had a tilted smile and turned her body to face jack once again. "what's your game here, smoker?"

the boy grinned and connected eyes with the girl. "i like you riley," he admitted. "and i want to get to know you better."

she shrugged. "why? you barely even know me."

"i know more than you think." he cocked his head to the side.

she narrowed her eyes at his response but the moment was cut short when they heard yelling a few blocks away.

they glanced at each other before taking off at the same direction that the noise was coming from.

"why did you let these people in?" aiden looked at deanna for an answer.

"because we actually know what we're doing out there." glenn stated.

his response seemed to trigger aiden since a punch was swung at his direction but glenn quickly dodged it before striking aiden himself. "aiden, no!"

one of aiden's men, nicholas, got protective and walked up to glenn but daryl was fast enough to tackle him to the ground.

"that's enough!"

riley ran towards the conflict when it finally met her view. "that's enough!" deanna ordered more firmly this time.

she was surprised when rick came running in and pulled daryl back from nicholas. riley walked over to them and pushed the archer back further, "what the hell is going on?"

daryl kept pacing around, continuing to glare at nicholas. "i want everyone to hear me, okay?" deanna yelled out. "rick and his people are part of this community now. in all ways as equals. understood?"

she looked at aiden, who shrugged. "understood."

"all of you, turn in your weapons. then you two, come talk to me." she ordered the two men.

the group shared glances with each other and thats when riley met carl's blue ones. the tension between them was undeniable. she would've sent a smile towards his way but she saw a figure next to him.

enid.

carl looked at the other brunette, who was standing near him. "you don't like me, do you?"

enid glanced down and avoided the question by walking off. jack seemed to notice riley still staring at the two and walked over towards the girl.

he grabbed her hand, tugging her away. "let's get out of here."

she didn't stop him and allowed him to pull her away from the jealousy feeling that was showing.

carl's eyes trailed to the two teens, guiltiness building inside him.

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

AUTHORS NOTE:

ooo 🍵

this season is gonna be very messy for carl and riley so we just gonna have to get through it 😔✊🏼

please vote for the next chapter and DONT BE A GHOST READER <3