Hold You Down

Chapter 24 - Impulse

Veronica came home sporting a layer of sweat from the rage she felt. She knew everything she was about to do went against any 'skills' she'd learned in rehab, but she didn't care.

Calling out for Hermione as she walked in, hearing nothing back assured her it was safe to go for the liquor cabinet.

She made herself a stiff martini, and slowly made her way to her bedroom.
Slowly, she undressed and started her shower.
A few sips later, the glass was empty and Veronica was burning her skin off under the scolding water coming from her shower head.

Her thoughts were angry, temporarily her capacity for sadness had been depleted, and all she could think about was how she'd let herself get so embarrassingly co-dependent with Archie and all of his immature qualities.

The thoughts got darker and darker.

All of this proved to her that Archie would not have been able to handle a teen pregnancy.

The more distorted and intoxicated her thoughts became, Veronica convinced herself that sleeping with Reggie was a subconscious act of sabotaging a relationship that wasn't meant to last beyond high school.

To think she'd seen a future with him.

To think merely hours ago she thought they'd had a breakthrough in therapy, that there was finally some hope.

She couldn't stomach how rejected she felt, so Veronica continued to drink until she finally passed out in her bed.

Her boozy sleep didn't come soon enough though, because the sadness crept in, and Veronica realized no one would ever love her like Archie did.

And that thought triggered a flood of self hating beliefs she'd been too familiar with.

The intrusive thinking didn't stop until the moment she finally drifted off.

Archie drove home cursing himself for having spoken so impulsively.

"Fuck!"

He knew though, if he hadn't said it then, he never would.

Immediately, Archie starts thinking about how hard it would be to get Ronnie back after this. But he meant what he had said, Archibald Andrews needed time, and should have asked for it a long time ago.

Still he couldn't confront the thought of their relationship being over for good.

Shaken up and anxious, he walked into his house, greeted by his dog, who was begging for a walk.

Archie grabbed Vegas's leash and headed right back outside.

He didn't want to be alone right now, but the thought of calling any of his friends just didn't seem appealing either.

Maybe Betty would be of some comfort, or at least escape, but then he wondered if she was already with Veronica.

His friendship with Betty had drifted since Veronica left, mostly because he had become consumed with the bulldogs.

He felt guilty for that. At the same time, it was always hard for him to discuss his relationship with Veronica with her knowing how close the two were.

Archie felt slightly resentful in the moment.

After walking around the neighborhood with Vegas for a while, he decided that there was no harm in trying Betty's.

"hey, are u home?, i'm right outside" he texted her from his porch, ushering Vegas inside.

"coming xx" Betty answered immediately and Archie chuckled, knowing that she was poking fun at a previous text message he'd received from his mom in front of Betty not too long ago.