Back To Life ✧ Sweet Pea (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Seventeen ✧ What Really Matters

Chapter Eighteen

Christmastime came to Riverdale very, very quickly.

Talia's parents, of course, spent little time at home. Even Christmas wasn't enough for them to come around. She suspected they wouldn't be having a Christmas dinner or anything like that during the holidays.

Talia found herself spending more and more time with her friends. Betty, Jughead, Archie, and Veronica didn't want to spend much time together, though. So she ended up hanging out with them more often one-on-one than in their usual group. She also spent a lot of time with the Serpents, too. She slept over at Jughead's house often, as well as Fangs' and Toni's, but she hadn't slept over at Sweet Pea's yet. She knew what that would entail with the way that their relationship was going.

Talia hadn't taken part in the Secret Santa her friends had arranged. Instead, she had decided to give them all gifts. That included Reggie, who seemed surprised that she would after everything that had happened.

"We're still friends," she had said. "You've been there for me when I needed you, Reggie, even though you knew I would push you away. That isn't going to vanish just because of a kiss."

She worked a lot in the coming weeks to raise money for presents. She also worked in order to help the Serpents give back to the Southside, which was their usual Christmas tradition.

She was in Pop's, and it was three days before Christmas. It was late at night and Pop was in the back. She had no idea what he was doing but never asked, figuring it had something to do with the business and that he would appreciate not being bothered.

Talia cleaned some dishes and shut off the grill, since it would be closing time soon and she doubted anyone would else would come in. She realized she had spoken too soon when she heard the familiar ringing of the bell above the door.

Sweet Pea gave her a wide grin, running a hand through his hair and melting away the few snowflakes that had remained in his strands.

"You have time for a milkshake?" he asked sheepishly.

She scoffed. "You don't have time to finish it, Sweets. We have twenty minutes 'til closing and you're a slow drinker."

He came up to the counter, the grin shifting to his signature smirk as he leaned his elbow on it and put his head on top of his hand.

"Then I guess you'll have to share it with me."

He took a seat and clasped his hands on the counter, his lips curled upwards into the softest of smiles as he watched her work. He looked at her like watching her clean glasses was entertaining.

"What kind?" she finally asked, setting the class don and leaning against the counter with her hip jutted out.

"Vanilla, please," he grinned.

"I have to admit, "please" is the last word I'd expect to leave your mouth," she smirked.

"Damn, Tal," he put a hand to his heart. "You really know how to hurt a guy."

She laughed and then turned to get the milkshake. When she was done, she went around the counter and sat beside him.

"You know, you're spending more and more time here. And you conveniently come at the end of the night when I'm done all I need to do."

He chuckled, taking a small sip from one of the two straws. "Guess I've been caught, huh?"

"Yes you have. Why are you here so often?"

"I wanna see you, obviously."

"You see me every day, Sweet," she said with a knowing smile.

He just watched her with a pleased expression, taking drinks of the milkshake when she wasn't.

When she reached out to bring the straw to her lips, however, his eyes shot to her right arm. She looked down to where his eyes were trained, only to see the short but thick pink scar on her shoulder poking out along the top of her bicep. Her t-shirt sleeve had ridden up. Her left hand immediately went to cover it.

"No, stop that," he said, taking her hand and pulling it away before she could stop him. He pushed her sleeve up and saw only half of the scar, his eyes wide. "Jesus. Where the hell did you get that?"

She was frozen. She hadn't wanted him to see it. She should have worn a long-sleeved shirt or something. She should have covered it with makeup. He never should have seen it.

"Tal?"

His eyes were locked on hers, his thumb subconsciously going over the scar and causing a shiver to run down her spine.

He was so close now. His knee was in between both of hers, and he was leaning forwards. It reminded her of when they had danced and kissed and danced some more.

"How did you get this?" he asked again. His tone was rougher now.

"I-I got it when I was with Lydia," she said, and reached up to move his hand away.

Instead of pulling away like she wanted, he instead took her hand in his and held it gently. Talia took no issue with that. She suddenly felt cold, while he reminded her of a blazing fire in every way.

"That's your old friend, isn't it?" he said, though it was more of a statement and less of a question. "Jughead talked about her."

She blinked. She hadn't expected him to remember.

"You know, it's not your fault," he told her. "I know you think it is but it isn't. You can't blame yourself for what other people do."

She also hadn't expected him to be so gentle with his words. How could he be so calm? She had never once told him about Lydia. She wondered how he wasn't thinking he couldn't trust her.

Maybe she hadn't told him because she didn't want to run from the fantasy she had created in her mind. That maybe, one day, they could be without pain. They could be together without pain.

She had thought of it before. Being more than just a friend to him; being more than whatever they were in that moment. But how could they when she didn't want to tell him everything? She didn't want to bring him into the darkness that lurked around everything in her mind as well as everything in her life.

"I didn't tell you," she said, getting up. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. You should go, I need-"

"What you need," he said, grabbing her arm, "is to trust me when I tell you that what happened before you came here, wherever the hell you were before this, doesn't matter. What matters is now, okay?"

"I know it matters," she told him, swallowing. "But how can you not care about what happened before?"

"Because I didn't know you before. I know you now."

She gulped again, biting her lip and feeling her eyes begin to sting.

She was falling deeper and deeper every day. She had been in a river of doubt but now she was drowning in a sea of adoration and desire for the Serpent sitting there in front of her.

From the look on his face as he finally said goodbye and left the diner for the night, he was fully willing to drown along with her.