𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 ¹

|𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂-𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮 | 𝓛𝓮𝓽 𝓜𝓮 𝓢𝓱𝓸𝔀 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓐 𝓟𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓦𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓓𝓸𝓮𝓼𝓷'𝓽 𝓔𝔁𝓲𝓼𝓽|

A/N - There's a bit of explicit content towards the end of the chapter, it's brief but I know not everyone likes that so if you wish to skip it just look out for the paragraph that begins in bold letters, the end of the scene will be indicated by bold letters as well, happy reading💕

***

Chapter Twenty-Five - Let Me Show You A Place Where Pain Doesn't Exist

Fly away with me baby,

I've been falling for days, been lost in the maze, 

I hope you can save me,

Cause we're both going higher, we can both touch the sky,

Let's follow the sun's love, so let's start off like we'll never stop,

Baby, just be still let your body talk to me, I'll give you everything you need,

-Jordan Fisher, "All About Us,"

***

ᴠᴇʀᴏɴɪᴄᴀ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

"This is nice," Mike sighs, as he gently runs his calloused fingertips over my sides, my arms are wrapped around his torso and my head rests on his bare chest, his chin is perched on my head but every once in a while he'll place gentle kisses on my forehead, 

"I know," I reply,

"I've missed you, it feels like I haven't seen you in forever," he says pulling me closer, 

"Yeah, rehearsals are just kicking my ass," I say, which is true, to some extent at least, it's not that I don't care about Mike because I do, I mean he's perfect, the type of guy my parents would want me to marry, he's sweet, caring, hardworking, he takes care of me and makes sure I know how much I mean to him, his looks are just a bonus,

But, there's just something about, Archie that makes it impossible to stay away, which was extremely annoying when I was fighting it but now that I embrace it, it's kind of intoxicating, 

It's not like I don't feel guilty because I do, I'm just not sure if I feel guilty because I'm cheating or because I like it, 

Soft knocking on the door pulls me from my train of thought, 

"Who is it?" Mike calls out, the door slowly creaks open to reveal a small brunette clinging to a stuffed bunny, I have one exactly like it, Mike won each of us one on one of our many trips to the local arcade, if there's anything I admire about Mike it has to be his relationship with both of his sisters, but specifically with Rosie, he cares for her as if she was his own child, which I've learned she basically is, their mother is basically out of their lives, it's only them, and the fact that he doesn't let her know that, and he makes sure that she holds no resentment towards her mother makes me admire him more,

"Can I come in?" Rosie asks, 

"Yeah come here," Mike says sitting up, Rosie rushes towards the bed, the ruffles of her pink Pajamas rustling with her quick movement, Mike leans over the edge of the bed and picks her up, sitting her in between us,

"How come you aren't asleep?" he asks, Rosie sighs dramatically laying her head on my stomach she stretches her body so her legs are resting in her brother's lap,