Knight In Leather Armour

(25)

CHERYL POV:

We were with the twins when I get a call from my mom. "Who is it?" I look over at Toni. "I'll be back in a second it's my mom I probably should take it." I get up and walk into the kitchen. Why am I doing this? I pick up the phone. "Mom?"  My voice shakes as I say speak. "Cheryl, hi ummm, this might sound weird and out of character of me but I've changed and I want to meet at Pops you can bring your friend if you want." Am I hearing this right? "When?" Why am haven't I hung up yet? "Tonight around 5." I hear Toni come in. "Yeah, I I guess. I think we should catch up. Bye." I hang up the phone. "Cheryl." I turn around to her. "I want to hear her out. That's it I'm not letting her into my life completely." She nods. "Ok I'm not going to fight you on this it's your choice." I realized neither of us have the twins. "Where are the twins." She smiles. "Betty and Veronica are back. Want to go home?" I nod. "Yeah it's almost 5 anyways. Can you go with me I know it's in public and she can't kill me but I don't feel safe alone with her, and she thinks your my friend so I want to come out to her." She nods. "Yeah I be by your side no matter what it is unless it is completely stupid but I still will be just doing everything in my will power to talk you out of it." I laugh and take her hand. "Your such a dork." I pull her into a kiss. "Get a room." Alice says sarcastically. I pull away from her quickly. "Hey again we were just heading out. We'll see you guys later at school." I say to B&V as we walk out.

We get to Pop's to meet up with my mom. "I swear we are in here every other day." I see my mom sitting in a booth. "Cheryl it's ok. If you get uncomfortable you can make an excuse of why you need to leave. We've talked about it." She takes my hand and squeezes it. I take a deep breathe. "I don't have to forgive her." I remind myself. "Come on. She's waiting." We walk over to her. She turns around. "Cheryl I didn't think you would show up." She smiles. It's a actual smile not one of her fake smiles. We both sit down. "Hey. I want to talk." She nods. "We need to. Cheryl I'm not expecting you to forgive me, but I do want to apologize for putting you through hell. After Nana Rose died I officially hit rock bottom, I almost got your friend here killed." I stop her. "Girlfriend. We've been dating for a while now." She nods. "Sorry I almost got your girlfriend here killed and I put you in conversion therapy I'm not expecting forgiveness ever from you but I want you to know that after what happened to you." She looks at Toni. "I realize how bad I messed." She tells us. "I was raped because of you." Toni whisper yells. "Your the reason I'm afraid to go to sleep because I'm worried about Cheryl having a nightmare or anxiety attack. I had to break up with her and go back to being an alcoholic because of you. Cheryl is the love of my life and you made her life a living hell. She almost died and you didn't care to get her help." I didn't realize she felt this way about any of this I think she might have more hate for her than me. And I knew she stays up to make sure I'm fine but, I didn't know she can't sleep because of me. "Toni." She looks at me. "If you need to sleep." She shakes her head. "Not until you sleep peacefully." She take my hand. "How did you break your hand?" My mother ask. "Oh I got arrested for something I didn't do and I broke my hand when they were arresting me." I had to get this off my chest because she lied to me. "Why did you lie to me about JJ?" After I ask that everything gets quiet kinda like in the movies. She looks down. "Because I thought it would get you to talk to me or something." I start to get mad. "I'm in therapy twice a week because of you, I have to take anti depressants because of you." I tell her. She looks down. "I'm sorry I didn't want to put you through all of this." I stop her. "Than why did you?" I yell at her. I can't believe her right now. "I was grieving and I saw that you were happy." I take a deep breathe. "I was not happy when I was almost raped. You just pretended like that was me asking for it even though I was drugged." I get up. "I'm going to go to the bathroom and when I come back you better have a better excuse." I start to walk away but hear Toni come after me. I turn around. "Stay. I need to be alone for a minute, ok?" She nods and sits down.

TONI POV:

Cheryl seemed pretty upset but I get why she needs a minute. "So Toni how long have you girls been dating?" She ask obviously trying to change the subject. "Remember when you kicked her out? Yeah that night when we met was when we started dating." I tell her. "Oh really?" I look down. "Why? Why did you make her life so miserable? I don't sleep at night because of you. I'm afraid that she will have a nightmare and I didn't say this when she was here but, I'm afraid that she will hurt herself when I'm asleep because of you. She's already tried to kill herself once I'm not letting it happen again. I love Cheryl more than I will ever love anyone else and if she were to hurt herself because of the abuse you put her through or in general I would never forgive myself." I tell her honestly. She looks up and shakes her head. "I'm sorry I've put you through this. I'm sorry about what I did to Cheryl, I-." I interrupt her. "You told her she was a loveless monster! You told her she was deviant! She is the most loving, sensational, amazing person I have ever met! And she doesn't deserve me but she still fell in love with me. But you tried to stop us I had to break up with her because of you sending the ghoulies after us, Cheryl is the thing that keeps me sober because before her I had a problem with alcohol and I changed because of her." I rant at her, I know I'm not making any sense right now I just feel like it is the only way I can tell her that Cheryl is the love of my life and I will forever hate her for what she put my girlfriend through. "Now if you excuse me I am going make sure she is ok." I get up and go to the bathroom. "Cheryl?" I look over and see her in the corner cry. "Cheryl." I walk over to her. "I told you I wanted to be alone." She turns away from me. I feel so bad. "You shouldn't be alone." She turns to me and hugs me. "I just want to go home and cry to you. For the next hour." She pulls away. I wipe her tears. "Ok, we can go home if you want. Ok?" She nods. "Did you yell at my mom?" She giggles. "Yeah." She smiles. "Do you think she's changed?" I take at beep breathe. "Maybe." She looks down. "I don't want to forgive her but I want to at the same time." I step closer to her and cup her face. "It's your choice I will support you through it all. Come on let's go say goodbye to her and go home. Ok?" She shuts her eyes and cries into my hand. Once she finally collects herself we walk out. "Mom we were planning on going home I don't really feel that well. I'm probably coming down with something." Her mom nods. "Ok I was planning on heading out to. Well bye girls." We wave goodbye and head the car. "Cheryl..." I look over at her. She breaks down crying. "Cheryl it's ok." I take her hand and squeeze it. "I just want her to except me as her daughter." I rub her back. "I know let's go home and curl up on the couch and watch a movie or something. We don't have to worry about school tomorrow anyways." She nods. We drive home and go inside. "Pick a movie than get changed." She nods. I go get changed and walk out. I just feel bad, I think her mother as actually changed but I don't think Cheryl believes her and I respect that she is aloud to. We both sit on the couch with blankets and cuddle. The whole movie I feel her crying on my chest. I just pull her close I know today has been hard for her. "Toni?" She looks up at me. "Yeah what's up?" I ask her. "Thank you, for everything." I kiss her forehead. Why is she thanking me? "Cheryl you have been through hell and back a few times, and I love you and will always be there for you even if you just need to cry like tonight." She slowly kisses me. I gladly kiss her back. I love her so much. I want to marry her one day. "Toni, I don't want to see her again." I sit up. "Than don't, Cheryl I don't blame you, she put you through hell." She cries into me. "I love you." I take both her hands and kiss them. "I love you more than anything." I say to her. I wipe her tears.