Fued//Book 2

Chapter 31

A/n: Hello everybody! Today is November 11, 2020. PLEASE REREAD CHAPTER 31 I HAD TO EDIT IT BECAUSE THE ORDER OF EVENTS WAS OUT OF ORDER 

As Steve drives along the coast, he keeps glancing at Y/n.

"What?" She giggles.

"Nothing, it's just great to look at you and think: 'That's my girl. That's my girlfriend,'" Steve says.

Y/n blushes and kisses his hand. "You know that I've had a crush on you for five years, right?" He asks.

She looks at him, utterly shocked. "What?!"

He laughs. "Yeah, since '81. You hit puberty around the time you turned 13, and you got super hot. I'm surprised you never picked up on it. I wanted to make a move on you, but Nancy and I got together and I figured it would be a good distraction. Then Billy showed up, and I realized that I was just kinda... stuck on you. But you were clearly super happy, and Billy made it very clear I needed to stay out."

"What did Billy say?" Y/n asks, bewildered.

"Oh, nothing, he just threatened me and said he knew about my feelings, but that you were his and I needed to back off," Steve says casually.

Y/n snorts. "That sounds like him."

"When you guys broke up, I thought I had a chance. I was actually going to ask you out on Christmas. And then he showed up. Again. You were so happy, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. And then you got pregnant and seemed so determined on getting him back. I didn't think I stood a chance," he finishes.

Y/n's jaw drops. "I- wow. I'm really dumb! I can't believe I never noticed! I think I started feeling something at his funeral, actually. Obviously I still was mourning and lost without him, but when you just showed up behind me and hugged me, and let me cry, I felt so safe," she says.

Steve looks at her with a face of pity and rubs her cheek lovingly.

\--/

Y/n and Steve stand together in front of Joyce, Jonathan, Will, Mike, Eleven, Max, Lucas, Dustin, Erica, and Robin. Everyone expectantly looks up at them, as they were all summoned here.

"So, as you all know, Steve and I have been best friends for a really long time," Y/n begins. "I just came back from the trip to California to scatter Billy's ashes, which went very well. It was nice to take Sarah there and to feel him around me at the beach. However, I came to a realization. I realized-"

"That you were in love with Steve?" Robin asks.

Y/n's jaw drops. "I-how did you know?!"

"Girl, we've known for a while. We were just waiting for you to get smart enough to see it!" Erica snaps. "Also, we watched y'all make out at your graduation!"

Y/n looks at everyone else. "Did you guys- did you guys know too?"

They all nod, collectively mumbling their agreements. "I think I really realized when you had Sarah. I also kinda realized it would be okay if you got together with Steve. The way he cared for you throughout these past 3 years has been really...mature. Even though it's difficult to call him mature. And Erica's right. You guys were sucking face at graduation," Max says.

Steve rolls his eyes playfully. "Well, that makes things easier," he says.

\--/

Y/n sits up in bed and leans back against her headboard. She fiddles with her cuticles and takes a deep breath. Today is the day.

After getting dressed and eating, she rides her motorcycle to Max's house. Knocking on the door, Max opens it and glumly nods at Y/n, letting her in wordlessly.

She makes her way through the house to the room with the closed door. Opening it, she's hit with waves of memories. She sits down on Billy's bed, still unmade from when he last slept in it. She thumbs the sheets gently, remembering that fateful night.

Today is July 4th, 1986. One year since Billy died.

Standing up, Y/n walks around, looking at all the colognes and hair products on his dresser. She laughs lightly as she picks up one cologne in particular. Billy told her this was the one he used when they had dates.

Opening the drawers, she finds all his shirts and tight jeans. At the bottom drawer, she finds a bunch of her stuff. Hair ties, shirts, Y/n's favorite chapstick, a stuffed animal, and a perfume bottle. Stuffed in the back, Y/n pulls something out. Unrolling it, she laughs. It's a poster of a girl from Playboy, which Y/n forced him to take down.

She told him if he wanted to have a photo of a half-naked chick on his wall, Y/n would model for him. And so she did. Rolled up in the poster is a two Polaroids. A half-dressed Y/n striking the model's pose, and the same Y/n laughing.

Sitting back on her butt, she looks around. "I did what you told me too. I got together with Steve. I hope you're not mad. I still miss you and love you, but now that you've moved on, I need to also."

Max knocks on the doorframe and steps inside, looking around her brother's room. "We don't really go in here anymore. I come in here every other week or so, but it hurts. I wish we got along better, honestly," she admits.

Y/n nods and motions for her to sit down. Max sits down and silently puts her head in Y/n's lap. Y/n's fingers come and comb through the ginger tangles, stroking her head softly. "He did love you, you know."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. He told me, actually. He took out his anger with his mother leaving him and his dad remarrying so quickly on you. But he did care for you. He also did it because he thought you hated him."

"I only did it because I thought he hated me!" She exclaims. "I wish I could say I'm sorry."

Y/n looks around the room and smiles softly. "I think he's right here. I think he can hear you."

\--/

Y/n knocks on Steve's front door. He opens it and says nothing, but pulls Y/n into a tight hug. He presses a kiss to her temple and ushers her inside. Climbing up the stairs, he leads her to his bedroom and she sits down on his bed.

Wordlessly, tears begin rolling down her cheeks and Steve sits down beside her, pulling her into his chest as they lay down together. "I-I love you, Steve! But I miss him so badly!" She sobs.

He rubs her back and puts a leg over her body, drawing her closer. "I know, Princess. I know. It's okay. I'm right here. Steve's here."