Living Next Door To Alice

23/ Anybody Home?

It was around five when they finally made their way back to Riverdale, all full with nerves and filled with questions. Alice had bit all her nails as a way to manage her anxiety, which was a failed attempt. Why did FP come home? And what happened in Toledo?

When Fred parked he noticed another car that he could spot out of millions. Jughead really had spoken the truth. FP was in Riverdale.

"His truck, it's here. He's home." He pointed out, his head turning towards his friend next to him.

She looked calm, but he knew that she was more scared than she'd admit. Her trembling hands told him enough.

"Are you ready, Alice?" Fred asked her, even though she didn't have much of a choice.

If he was in their apartment she was going to face him sooner or later, even if she decided to back-out now. But she wanted this. She wanted him to know how she feels about him even if he couldn't return those feelings.

"I don't know, I just want to see him." Alice felt determined, even when she was filled with anxiety, questions and confusion.

"We can watch how this turns out, right?" Archie asked, earning a laugh from Alice. At least someone was breaking the tension.

This was it. They were going upstairs and see FP again. It was now or never. Alice wasn't sure what she was going to say, but thinking of looking into his sweet and loving brown eyes again made her heart swell. One thing was for sure— she would have her friend back in her life. One that she was madly in love with, but a friend nonetheless.

At the same time, FP was almost ready to open the door to apartment 4A, expecting to find Fred and Archie at the kitchen table or on the couch eating dinner. If one thing was for sure, he knew he was going to have to apologize to his friends. He took a breath and walked inside.

"Fred, before you freak out—" He barged in and immediately tried to excuse himself, but then he noticed the absolutely silence. Nobody was there.

"Hello? Fred? Archie?" FP called, to see if someone would respond from out of the bedrooms. Nothing. No reply.

"Anybody home?" He asked once more, confused or where they could be.

Where they having dinner at Alice's maybe? Did he even dared to see her right now after abandoning her?

Before FP could turn to knock on the door of apartment 4B, a voice called from behind him. He knew that voice out of a thousand. It was the girl he was so deeply in love with, the woman his heart belonged to.

"FP?" A soft voice spoke to him.

He turned around and was met by Alice's beautiful but teary eyes. But she wasn't alone. The whole gang was standing behind her. What was going on?

"Alice?" His voice was nothing but a whisper.

She took a few steps into his direction so she'd finally enter the apartment completely. Everyone followed closely behind.

"You came back." She whispered with a happy smile on her face.

"I came back." He whispered as well, his eyes not leaving hers. Something was different. Something changed. Something good.

"We were in Toledo." She told him quietly, looking behind her to tell him that they had all joined her.

"You were?" He asked in utter disbelief, not understanding why all of them would come his way.

Alice nodded and smiled softly while her first tears escaped her eyes. She took a deep breath and let the words do their thing. It was her time to come clean, to be honest about how she truly felt about him. It is what she owed to both him and herself.