Jellybean Comes Home

Chapter 32

"Jb?" Ryder looked and sounded just as surprised as I was. He looked around nervously. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," I was shocked to see Ryder here, especially since I saw his kidnapper just a few minutes ago.

"Are you alright?" Ryder questioned, looking me over, stepping forward to place his hands gently on my shoulders. I leant into his touch. I had missed him so much. "He didn't hurt you or anything?"

"Not really," I told him, glancing towards the guy who was knocked out cold on the gravel-covered ground.

"What are you doing here?" Ryder repeated, gazing into my eyes.

"I came to say goodbye to Tyler and Mercy. They had to come back here. I'm heading to the bus station now" I explained. "And you? What are you doing here?"

"I..." Ryder looked around once again, and then quickly- gently- pressed his lips to mine. I closed my eyes, but it was over much too fast. As if he was clearing his head or something, Ryder shook his head.

"You have to go," he told me. "You can't be here. Not with me."

With that cryptic comment, Ryder pushed me away from him and told me to keep walking to the bus station, that he would stay there and watch the man in case he woke up anytime soon and try to follow her.

Turning on my heel I walked away from him. Ryder didn't even say 'I miss you', or 'I love you', or even 'goodbye', and yet he'd kissed me. He had walked out of my life with no explanation, and now that I saw him after 3 weeks of him being gone, he hadn't given one even now.

It was time to push Ryder out of my head, and heart, once and for all, I resolved even as I wiped tears from my eyes.

...oOo...

Ryder opened the door to his temporary home, wishing once again that he was still living in his crappy trailer back in Riverdale rather than living in this nice home in the outskirts of Toledo. Although he appreciated his brother's friend letting them live here, for the time being, Ryder would definitely rather be back in Riverdale with Jb.

He thought back to earlier when he had seen Jb. Ryder had missed her so much, and then having to say leave her again, oh did it hurt!

"Hey, buddy," Ryder's brother called out from the other room.

"Hey," Ryder hung his coat up, then walked into the dining room where Flynn was drinking a cup of coffee.

"Where were you?" Flynn asked as Ryder took a seat across from him. "I left the store and then you were gone."

"I was walking back past an alleyway, and I hear this guy mugging a girl," Ryder explained and his brother drew in a breath. "I took care of the guy - years with the Serpents taught me something at least. Turns out the girl was Jb."

"Jb, as in your girlfriend from Riverdale?" Flynn questioned, leaning forward.

"Yes, and I know what you're going to say, that's it not safe for her to be here, and that's what I told her!"

"Ryder, actually -"

Ryder cut his brother off, ranting. "Apparently she was in Toledo to say goodbye to her friends, and she had no idea she was here."

"Hey, buddy, can I tell you something - ?"

Ryder spoke over him again "Seeing her after all this time... I thought I could forget about her, move on, but I just can't. I love her."

"Ryder!" Flynn finally got his brother's attention. "What I was trying to tell you is: you can go back home now."

"What?" Ryder was confused. "You mean back to Riverdale?"

"Yes," Flynn smiled at Ryder. "The plan worked. The Jaguares are all in jail, for life. They have done a lot of bad things, and it's time they pay up for what they've done, including murdering our uncle, Mom and Dad."

"So we can go back?" Ryder got excited. "When?"

"Well, due to some slight complications with the last of the Jaguares, not until next week."

"What do you mean, 'slight complications'?" Ryder asked, sceptical.

"I mean, the Serpents and the police are doing some last searches for any last Jaguares, just to make sure there aren't any more. If there are, then they might come after us if they know where we are." Flynn told him.

"But we can go back in a week?" Ryder made sure what he was hearing wasn't false.

"Yes, in a week," Flynn clarified. "Oh, and you can't tell anyone you're coming back until it's safe. If someone lets it slip that they know where we are, then that could turn out not so well."

Ryder felt only slightly saddened at this news, his mood already happy with the knowledge that in on week, he could be back in Riverdale, with Jb.

...oOo...

The following day Jb sat at in a booth at Pop's, bored out of her mind.

Jughead and Betty were busy doing couple stuff, Cheryl and Toni had gone on a road trip together for the holidays, and Ty and Mercy were gone. Alice was looking after Caddy, so there was nothing for me to do. No good movies were playing at the Bijou, and even if there were, it would be weird going alone to a movie theatre, same with the 'Roving Eye' club. I wasn't a clubbing girl much anyways. And I didn't really feel like going to the Wyrm tonight.

Sipping on my delicious chocolate milkshake, I contemplated how dull my life was at present. Suddenly someone slipped into my booth opposite me and stole my milkshake from my hands! I looked up to confront whoever did this inappropriate act, but a pointer finger shushed me from speaking. I glared at the guy who had his eyes closed as he loudly slurped on - and finished! - my chocolate milkshake.

"Delicious, aren't they?" the guy opened his eyes and looked down at the empty glass in his hands. He signalled the waitress nearby and called out to her. "Two more of these please!"

I gaped at the guy, shocked at his acts. What on earth was he doing? I looked closer at him, slightly sure I had seen him before. When he turned his head, I saw a Serpent tattoo on his neck. That's where I knew him from! It all came back to me. He was a friend of Jug's or something.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"Ordering us milkshakes," he answered with a shrug. "You looked lonely and like you needed cheering up, so here I am, ready to up the cheer."

I chuckled slightly under my breath. The drinks arrived and we both sipped at our milkshakes for a while until I broke the silence.

"You are...?" I questioned, unsure of his name.

"Sweet Pea," he replied. "And you are Jellybean. Huh, I just realized, we both have 'sweet' names."

I rolled my eyes.

"So, what's troubling you today?" Sweet Pea asked as if he was my counsellor. I let out a breath.

"I'm so bored," I told him. "All my friends are either busy or gone."

"Well, I'm here," he smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you are," I returned his smile. At least there was someone wanted to talk to me.

Sweet Pea and I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening just talking and drinking many milkshakes.