Overcast Night Stars

33: Rain Carries In Waves

Chapter 33- Rain Carries In Waves

Rain pours and pours hard onto the windshield. Tiny droplets form into thousands of tears. Fp was still recovering from seeing his father for the first time in years. He never thought he would see him again and now that he had. He wished he hadn't. He knows his dad feels sorry, but it's too late now. Time hasn't healed. Rain still carries in waves. He's not sure where his son could be. All he's sure of was that he's been driving for hours.

He thought now that Clifford, Hiram, Penny, Hal, Polly, Gladys were all gone that his happiness would stay. He never thought his son could be taken. He wants answers and still prays for answers.

He walks into their home at 12 P.M. He earns judgmental looks from Jughead. He knows it looks like he's been drinking. But he hasn't been. Jughead wants to believe his father is still sober. But he's having a hard time believing the lies. Betty and Cheryl know he's adding something, specially about someone named Abby.
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An hour later, Fp finds Alice sitting at the dining room table with a teacup pressed to her lips. He sees her eying him with suspicion. He knows that he seems like he's slipping.

"Where have you been? You never came back like you said you were going to." Alice asks in accusing tone.

She doesn't know where he has been. She been grieving all by herself for hours. The kids had gotten home from school hours ago. She doesn't want to come to a conclusion. The first thought was he was cheating on her and the second he was drinking again. Either of the thoughts made her blood run cold.

Fp's eyes blink in surprise. He didn't think she didn't trust him. It hurt that she didn't trust him. But he didn't fault her. He had lied in the past. So why wouldn't she be more cautious. Even his own son questions him without words.

"Nowhere." He lets the lie slip off his lips.

He knows the damage was done and he can't back out now. Alice taps her fingers on the table and scoffs.

"Don't you lie to me, Fp. If you think I don't know you're lying? You have another thing coming." Her voice curls into a threat.

She doesn't want to act like this. But the lies had to stop. He was gone from the time he dropped her off and who knows where he's been. While she was grieving over son. He's cheating— she hopes to god not. Or was he drinking? If that was the reason. She will kick him so hard until he sees daylight savings day.

"I'm not, Baby." He forced out another lie as he goes for the fridge.

"Then look me in the eye."

He turns to her and scoffs," You gotta be kidding me? Alice do you seriously not trust me?" She doesn't answer.

"Where were you?" She demands as her teeth grinded against another. He avoids her gaze again.

Now she's getting tired of the bullshit," Fine sleep in the doghouse for all I care!" She shouts as she stomps upstairs and slams their bedroom door hard.

He sighs as he watches her storm off. He knows he should just tell her but he's afraid. Her fuse has been getting shorter and shorter since Koel's abduction. His fuse was getting shorter too. He can't blame her for getting frosted with the situation. His son was still missing and he needs to find him.
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Jughead and Betty witnessed the whole fight. He still can't believe his father was lying again. After all the obstacles they've been through. He's still lying about where his been. Cheryl heard the arguing from inside her room. She already didn't like it. She sat in her bed listening to her new mom cry. It broke her heart. She wanted to slap Fp across the face and knock some sense into him.
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Fp sighs as he heads upstairs and knocks on the door. He hates that he can hear sniffling in the background. He caused this and now he feels so stupid. He should've just told her in the first place.