Return to Riverdale

XVIII

After saying our goodbyes, I shuffle up to my front door and sneak inside trying not to make a sound. As soon as I close the front door, a lamp flicks on in the living room. Dad sits in his armchair, gun in hand, ready to attack any intruders. I jump back, afraid he'll aim or me. He stands, creeping around the corner, until he sees me. 

"Oh," he breathes, hand over his heart. "Why were you out so late?" He questions. "I thought I told you to head home and stay safe." 

Dad becomes stern, staring at me with a raised eyebrow. I shrink under his gaze, afraid of him and his gun. I stand there, afraid that maybe he saw something I didn't want him to see, or he caught wind of something I wish he didn't. My fear takes over, my chest starts to heave, and my breathing becomes hollow. 

"Hey, hey," Dad tries, reaching out to me to steady my stance and demeanor. "It's alright kiddo, you're home and you're safe– that's all that matters." He reassures, petting my hair and pulling me into his arms. "Just tell me the next time you pull a disappearing act." 

"Sure thing, thanks, Dad." 

I head upstairs and stop at Kevin's door before deciding to leave him alone till morning. We need to talk, but we both need rest. Today was messy, and I feel like it's just the beginning. 

Being in my own room, lying in my own bed – alone – is weird. Despite my exhaustion I toss and turn all night, a multitude of thoughts swimming through my mind. 

"Kim," I hear, along with a knock on my door. "It's like noon, are you awake?" Kevin. 

"Yeah," I croak, my throat feeling sore and sliced by glass when I speak. 

I force myself up, eyes unbelievably heavy. My entire body aches. I stand, slowly, and start down the stairs to find Kevin. My mind won't stop, and talking with Kev might help something. 

Shuffling into the kitchen, I can hear Kevin snicker. I shoot him a glare, slumping into one of our dining chairs. 

"You look like you could use a pick-me-up." He says, gazing at my overall appearance. "Pop's?" 

"Will it be open?" I question. 

After last night I wouldn't be surprised if Pop shut down the diner for a day or two. 

"It's a 24 hour diner, Kim." 

We make it to Pop's and find a booth. As I expected, we're the only ones there. Everyone else is still dwelling on last night's events. I, too, can't get the last 20 hours our of my head. Everything that happened to me last night has me spinning. 

"Kev," I whisper, taking a sip of my milkshake and using it as a crutch to hide my worry. 

"Jug and Cheryl texted me late last night, about an hour before you came home. I didn't mention it to Dad." Kevin admits, avoiding eye contact. 

We sit, silent, for what feels like hours. 

"I warned you, Kim. The Serpents, and FP, aren't safe to be around. Why didn't you just trust me?" 

"I didn't realize you had first hand experience with a Serpent until the other day. Thanks for telling me about Joaquin, by the way. I'm so glad we tell each other everything." I pout, refusing to look across the booth. 

"Okay, I'm sorry I never mentioned Joaquin. I'm just tired of picking the wrong guy. I didn't want to rehash it with you, and I didn't want you to get all excited only to find out he skipped town." Kevin explains, swirling the straw in his milkshake glass. 

I reach across the table for his hand. 

"Kev, it's fine. It hurts, but I understand where you're coming from. I didn't tell you about FP. I wanted to, and I hate that you had to piece it together, but-" 

"I know. There's no way you could've mentioned it without me lashing out. It freaked me out more than anything, and I projected my feelings towards everything with Joaquin onto you. But how are you feeling now?" He asks, just as a the man of the hour walks into the diner to start a shift. 

My gaze follows him as he walks behind the counter and throws his apron over his head. He catches me watching him and smiles, offering a low wave. My chest tightens and I stop breathing. Kevin notices the change in my demeanor and gestures for us to leave. 

As we exit the diner, we pass the bar where FP stands, watching me walk passed him, avoiding his eye. Last night was a lot to handle, and I'm not ready to face it, or admit to anything I'm feeling. Kevin and I start walking home, his arm over my shoulder. 

Later that night, a knock raps on the front door. I offer to answer it, only to meet Jughead. My face falls, my eyes watching the floor intently. Jughead sighs, seeing himself in. 

"Kim," he glances around to see if anyone is in ear shot. "You've gotta help me talk my dad out of this gang war." He whispers, pulling me towards the front door. 

"Wh- what?" I struggle, staring at Jughead, dumbfounded. "There's a gang war?" 

"The Ghoulies. They kidnapped you as ransom." 

My eyes widen as he pulls me outside and down the stairs to his bike. He gestures for me to get on and offers me his helmet. Reluctantly, I take the helmet and step onto his bike. Without another word he starts it up and we ride to the Southside. 

"Dad!" Jughead calls as we enter the trailer. "I brought Kim." 

Jug and I head into the kitchen area where we see FP sitting at the table, gazing intently at his beer bottle. He looks up when we walk in, and his face changes at the sight of me. Immediately, he stands and strides over to us. His arms wrap around me and pull me into him. 

"I'm so sorry," he whispers, sounding close to tears. "I never, ever wanted you to get hurt." 

My heart lurches at his words. 

"What's this about a gang war, FP? That's anything but safe." I change the subject, hands on my hips, waiting expectantly for an answer. 

"I know," he gasps, "but it has to be done. They're trying to run us out of Riverdale. And I wont let them think they can loop you into this, ever." 

"I won't sleep at night knowing that you could be hurt or in danger." I counter, grabbing his hands in mine. "You and Jughead need to stay safe." I whisper, propping myself up on my toes to kiss FP. 

Without another word Jughead excuses himself, leaving me and FP alone in the trailer. FP takes this as his queue to pull me closer, lifting me up in his arms. Our lips mesh together, our tongues dancing together like snakes. He holds me as close as he can, determined to never let go. My legs straddle his hips as we stand against the wall. His hands move underneath my thighs, holding as much of me as he can. 

"I love you," I breathe. 

His lips venture down my collarbone, across my shoulder, and down to my chest. 

"I love you. You mean everything to me."