I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO UPDATE THIS *Loki voice* FOR 30 MINUTES
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Chapter Thirty-Eight
She felt it building. Feeling him and feeling his presence was enough to keep her calm, but only for a little while. It was taking over.
Her breathing was increasing and for a moment, she didn't quite know how to stop it.
She heard him saying her name over and over, and felt his hands on her face. He wasn't there, of course, but he was something that calmed her down. Other people she thought of were mostly Betty and Jughead, but also Veronica and everyone else she had been close to; even Reggie.
She slipped into her own little world, and forced herself to relax. She took deep and steady breaths. Talia reminded herself that this was nothing more than a panic attack; nothing more serious was happening. She was fine. Everyone was fine. Everything would be fine.
Talia felt the pain slowly melting away, and when she finally opened her eyes to see the setting sun on the horizon, she knew she had to tell him. He had to know.
He said he would always be there for her.
He said he would always protect her.
He said he would always be around when she needed him.
And fuck, she needed him now.
Lee had begged her to tell her what was wrong but Talia simply couldn't bear it. She had gone two days with the weight of this secret hanging over her like a noose at the gallows.
She had driven to Sweet Pea's trailer, shocked that she hadn't crashed the truck on the way there. She was proud of herself for talking her own mind and body out of a panic attack, but that didn't diminish her desperation to tell him. She stumbled out of it right as Sweet Pea ran out of the trailer, seeming surprised but relieved to see her.
"Lee said something was wrong," he said, coming up to her with his hands on her biceps and keeping her far enough from him so that he could see her face. "Tal, what's wrong?"
"I did something bad, Sweet," she said with a shaky voice, swallowing out of a nervous habit. "I did something really, really bad."
*
Sweet Pea was losing it. He was on the verge of screaming, it seemed. He didn't seem angry or overwhelmed, but... He looked somewhere in the middle.
"No, this isn't happening," he growled, and took his phone from his pocket to text someone before opening the door of the trailer and gesturing outside. "Let's go, Princess."
"W-Where are we going?" she asked, shocked that she was actually stuttering from nervousness.
"We're going to see FP. Jughead already told him," he said as they both stepped outside.
They got onto Sweet Pea's bike, and when she put her arms around him, she felt how tense he was. He relaxed only a little when he felt she was there.
They rode to FP and Jughead's trailer, and the entire way there, Talia was fearful. How had Jughead found out? Had Betty told him? Of course she had.
When they arrived, Betty and Alice were just stepping out of the station wagon and Talia and Betty locked eyes.
"We're all here for the same reason, I'm guessing?" Talia asked.
The mother and daughter before her both glanced at one another before nodding.
They went to FP's trailer and knocked. FP ordered them to come inside.
Upon some thorough questioning, they told FP everything they knew. It turned out that Jughead and Betty had gotten rid of the car the night before as well as the man's phone, so the only thing they needed to deal with was the body.
"I'll take you to where it is," Talia said, and instantly, Alice and Betty protested.
"Talia, honey, it's okay. It was my idea, I'll take FP-" Alice started, but was cut off by Talia.
"I'm going," she said curtly, staring down the two Cooper women. "That's the end of the story. You four," she gestured to Alice, Betty, Sweet Pea, and Jughead, "are going to meet us at the diner."
"Hell no," Sweet Pea growled. "That's not happening, Tal. I'm going."
"Sweet, I know you want to help but I shouldn't have-"
"Sweet Pea can help me," FP said plainly, and when she saw the look between him and Sweet Pea, she saw only an expression of understanding passing between the two of them. Both of them had people they cared about in this; people they wanted to protect.
"Help you?" Alice asked fearfully.
"Bury it."
They all blinked in surprise, but nodded.
They decided to use Talia's truck, and the three men stepped out before Talia felt Betty's hand around her wrist. She turned, and was engulfed in a tight embrace from her friend. Talia hugged her back before pulling away.
"I'm so sorry, Tal," she said, her eyes filing with tears.
"Don't be," Talia insisted. "I'm doing this because I want to, Betty. I'm your best friend; it's my job to keep you safe."
"You don't have to keep everybody safe, Tal!" she exclaimed. "You need to look after yourself. You shouldn't go out there."
"Yes, I do. And I'm sorry, Betty, but you can't stop me from wanting to protect you from this," she said, her tone stern as she turned and left the trailer, following after FP and Sweet Pea.
Sweet Pea and FP got onto their bikes, and Talia led the way out to the edge of town. She took them to the old pipe that Alice had decided to hide the body in, and the two men took the body and hauled it into the back of her truck.
FP took his bike and went in front of Talia, driving to where he thought he would bury it, while Sweet Pea was behind her. She found herself looking in the mirror multiple times to look at him.
She watched the two take the body further into the woods, and FP came back for the sodium hydroxide. He said that it would destroy the body within a week.
Sweet Pea came back with him, and Talia sat in the driver's seat of the truck with the door open. She watched him, her jaws clenched tightly.
"Sweet, I really am sorry I got you involv-"
His mouth was suddenly on hers. His kiss was so passionate and filled with such a blazing fire that it almost seemed rough. She didn't mind, of course. It was as if he couldn't get enough of her and the feeling was reciprocated to the highest degree.
He pulled away, and she became very aware of his hands resting on her thighs.
"We won't be done before midnight, so Happy Birthday, Tal."
With that being said, he picked up the shovel he had leaned against the side of the truck and walked into the darkness with it on his shoulder.
She waited until she could no longer see the Serpents patch on the back of his jacket before she let out the breath she had been holding.
With all that had happened she hadn't even bothered to remember her own birthday.
But he did.
YOU ARE READING
Back To Life ✧ Sweet Pea (DISCONTINUED)
Fanfiction"The first time she saw Sweet Pea was the night she pointed a gun in his face." ----- In which the Northsider with a gun didn't know she was dying until he made her feel alive.
