Growing Together

Chapter 10

"Betts?" I hear Jug calling out.

"Betty?" Nick's voice echoes over the back as well.

I pull away from Veronica's arms and shoulder and try to make my face look better, small sobs still escaping my throat. "It's alright," she chuckles sadly.

"No it's not, I feel gross and my feet hurt and I'm tired," I cry.

She sighs and so does Toni next to us. "Jughead?" the pink haired girl calls out. Jughead appears on the doorway almost immediately and frowns.

"What's wrong?" he asks worriedly, looking at me silently crying.

"She's being emotional... We still have some food to finish. Stay here with her?" Toni asks.

Jug nods and lets the girls go out of the room as he himself moves to sit down on the bed next to his very pregnant girlfriend; me. "What's up?"

"I feel gross," I cry.

"What do you mean?"

"My feet are swollen and I'm nauseated and bloating and I just feel bad."

"Aww, baby," he says, chuckling quietly. "It's just your hormones."

"No it's not," I cry, knowing very well it is.

He kisses the side of my head and waits for a few minutes until I've calmed down before raising his head and looking at me. "Feeling better?"

I sigh and nod. "Sorry."

"It's alright." He kisses my forehead. "Nick's here with his family already, and Sweets and Jelly got here too."

"This place is amazing," Sarah says, walking into their room now too, Nick following with Noah on his lap. I smile a little and they both chuckle at my face. "Pregnancy sucks, but it'll soon be over," she says.

"I hope so," I sigh, getting up to hug them all.

"Woah, you're huge," Nick murmurs when I try to hug him normally.

"Shut up," I whine.

"How many months are you now?"

"30 weeks."

"It'll be over soon," Sarah says again. I smile and I see Jug sighing, sounding pleased.

"You got me pregnant, stop," I tell him, making the others laugh.

He smirks. "You need some help with the food?" he asks me as we walk to the living room.

"The girls got it," I say and hug Jellybean and Sweet Pea now, who I haven't seen since Thanksgiving.

The doorbell rings, so Jug buzzes them right in, not bothering to even look, and opens the door a bit. I eye the table where Toni and Veronica earlier put their baby-shower gifts on. There are more gifts now, probably from my brother's family and Jelly and Pea's.

"Hey guys- wow, this apartment looks amazing," Jake's voice says. I smile, going to him and Ava. They both smile at me and hug me, my brother remarking how huge I am once again and handing me the gift, which I accept with a sigh and place on the table again.

"Hii," Cheryl smiles, coming inside with her boyfriend, Max, and pushing a baby stroller with gifts inside.

"You are so extra," Veronica giggles from the kitchen.

"Cher," I sigh, but still hug her really tightly, having missed her and all the others. She introduces her boyfriend to all of us and I hug him briefly as well, closing the apartment door after him. I see Cheryl hugging all the others as well, and then looking around the apartment with an approving look. "Cheryl?" I ask when she comes back from the self-tour and point at the stroller. "Are you serious?"