Red

Chapter Twenty Five

A/N:

I should've said this last chapter, but there's gonna be a huge time skip here. Okay, cool. Enjoy!

***

FIVE MONTHS LATER...

Veronica POV:

It's been five months since Kurt and Ram died. JD hasn't spoken to me since that morning.

No texts. No letters. Once, I could've sworn I saw that station wagon outside of my window, but nothing else. He's not at school anymore, either. I sort of hope he's disappeared for good now. I sort of think that he has.

Chandler didn't handle Kurt and Ram's deaths very well at first, but she's doing better now. Maybe she's convinced that it really was a suicide pact. Maybe she just feels like she doesn't have to be afraid anymore. I know that she probably should be. I know that JD could appear out of nowhere and probably murder us, but I don't want to worry her.

I don't know if I'd ever considered what Heather Chandler would look like if she were pregnant, but she's still beautiful. She's impossible. She, however, does not seem to think she looks so beautiful. She's also pissed that she has to find maternity clothing.

"None of this shit is cute," she complains in the mall, browsing through the maternity section. "Look at this. Look at this fucking top. They expect people to actually wear something like that."

"Your bump is barely noticeable," I tell her. "You really could just wear your regular clothes. Besides, first time moms don't usually get as big, and you were small to start with. You might not even need maternity clothes."

"I need something, Sawyer! I'm getting fat. Look at me." She turns to the side, attempting to get me to agree with her. The bump is barely noticeable, and I just think it looks cute. She's as stunning as ever.

"You're not getting fat, sweetheart," I tell her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. She still looks somewhat annoyed, but I can tell that the kiss softened her slightly. She sighs.

"Fine, but I'm coming back at six months," she replies. "At least for some baggier blouses."

"Whatever you say," I reply.

"Are we still going out tonight?" she asks.

"Of course," I say. "You still up for it?"

"Absolutely," she answers with a smile. "Is the Grove still fine?"

I nod. "Yes, it's perfect."

"Do you want to come over to get ready with me? I sort of stopped giving a shit about surprises after this one." She rests a hand on her stomach.

I let out a light laugh. "Sure. That sounds great."

"Great," she says, reaching down and holding my hand, interlacing our fingers. Every time she holds my hand, I feel like it's the first time we're together. I feel like it's the first time we're showing the world just how much we really feel for each other. It's terrifying and exciting all at once. "Let's go then."

We walk hand-in-hand out of the store, and though I'm blushing profusely, this is the best I've felt in a long time.

***

Chandler POV:

I'm wearing the most loose-fitting dress I own. Luckily, it shows off plenty of cleavage. Veronica still might find me slightly appealing in this.

I'm putting on my makeup when she walks up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her face into my hair. I let out a short, breathy laugh. "I can't very well put on makeup if you're clinging to me like this, Sawyer," she tells me.