You found me | Bughead

26: It is time

Jug moved in yesterday. It was crazy day. Before he came, I tried my best and went to store to buy breakfast and some other food. My fridge have never been this full. Jug found that amuzing and laughted for my effort. But oh boy we enjoyed our first breakfast. After that we unpacked his stuff. There wasn't much though. We didn't want to leave the place so we watched few movies and cuddled.

Mom called and we had a dinner with them. I missed her cookings, she is the best cook. Maybe I need to ask her some advice since Jug or me either doesn't cook. We had fun night on Elm Street. Hanging out with your folks is really different when you are an adult. How can it be this fun? And we heard that Jellybean is coming here for next week. I don't know do we have time to meet before the wedding but after that we are gonna. We stayed on Elm Street really late so we were really tired after we came back to our place. Our.

"Good morning roomie," I say to Jug when I wake up in his arms. "Don't say that. You are much more than that. Do I need to show?" Jug says and press his lips on mine. "Okay okay, I understand, my love," I giggle.

As we eating breakfast, I am in my thoughts. Today Toni and Cheryl will arrive. Our group is back. I'm feeling so grateful that I have them here with me. They all took me back even I was away for so long and acted like a shit. They have been acting so warm and sweet, like there was no time passing. I'm quite sure Cher and Toni will act the same as the others. Should I tell them? Would it help to set me free? Could it be the answer how to move on? Jug, mom and FP knows and it helped me a lot. Being with them is perfectly normal now and I'm free to be myself and feel what I feel. Our phone buzzes and it wakes me. Vee has added Cher and Toni to our chat.

Old group new tricks💀:
V: Todays plans! Blossom and Topaz is back soon. So Pops at six, Wyrm after that! Be there.
C: No ones gonna pass. I'm in a mood for little partying.
R: Cheryl is back!
J: We'll be there.
F: One day in a same apartment and they have become one unit with one answer.
B: I can speak on my own too. I wouldn't miss seeing my cousin and Toni. And rest of you too 😙
J: Yeah, shut up Fogarty.
T: 😳 😳 I feel like we have some catching up to do..
K: See you tonight! 🍻

I smile to Jug. "Can you help me tonight?" I ask. "Always. What can I do?" he says. "I wanna tell them. I wanna do it before too many drinks. After Pops. And I need you next to me and be there if I can't. You tell them if I need to breathe," I tell and taking deep breathes already, thought of that shivers me. It's scares me, I'm nervous. But I think it's time. "I'm there, we'll do it together. I promise you can do this. And then it only gets better," he comes to me and wraps his arms around me. My rock, my home, my safe place.

. . . . .

We are hearing so much noice from the hall. Someone bangs our door and my old door I think. Kevin and Fangs. They are yelling and whooping. It's time to go, it seems. "What the hell are guys doing?" we enter to hall and see Fangs banging the doors. "Let's go already, I can't wait anymore!" he shouts. We laugh. Then the other door opens.

"Well well well, what a nice way to welcome us Fogarty" Cheryl comes out to their place with a smile though, Toni follows. After hugs we headed to Pops and met Reggie and Ronnie. We ate and did basic catching up. Then we went downstairs. I sensed that Betty was nervous, so maybe we needed to start with her plan.

Ronnie has filled our table with glasses of sparkling wine. "Toast! For all of us being here. I missed this!" Ronnie says and raises her glass. We cheer to that and take sips. I look Betty. She nods. I place my hand on her tight and stroke a little. "You can do this," I whisper.

"Can I say something? I own an apologize. I did a stupid thing a long time ago and I made even worse decision after that, to live my life without you guys. So I'm sorry I disappeared. But I'm so happy that I accidentally answered when Vee called and she tricked me to come here. It was scary, but somehow Jug and all of you have been nothing else but good and so sweet to me. And it's a big deal," she starts and everyone is quiet. But they smile. They understand. Betty is not okay, I see her panicing. "Betts, can you go on? You wanna try?" I stroke her back and others are confused. "Betty, what's going on?" Kevin asks.

"I don't know where to start. I say it first that I have lived alone my life since graduation. No friends, no family. No one to talk to. So I have been dealing every fucking thing alone, and that's why I think I'm this messy and this broken as I am. And forgive me, my body reacts for all this," she goes on. It feels so bad to watch her trying and her body shivering, her breathing is so heavy, eyes full of tears already. Our friends look so worried and grab their chairs right next to hers. She sobbs. "Betts, you breathe, I can take it from here," she nods, I kiss her forehead and then she puts her head down to her knees. I keep stroking her back as I go on.

. . . . .

I keep my eyes closed as I listen Jug telling my story. He knows how to tell it. He strokes my back the whole time, he takes care of me. We are at the end of the story. Everyone has been quiet. I can't look at them. Not yet. I hear chairs moving again and then I feel so many hands on my shoulders, on my back, storking my hair. I burts into tears and all I can do is cry. I totally forget that we are in a bar. After minutes and minutes, I lift my head up and open my eyes. They are all there.

"Thank you for telling us. We are here for you," Vee says and I see tears in her eyes too. I place my hand on my best friend's cheek and wipe her tears away. "Don't cry for me. These past weeks in here, they have helped me a lot. I have had only few nightmares and I have been so relaxed and happy. You guys did that. I'm going to be fine. I'm sure of it now. Thank you," I feel better already.

I look at Jug and giving him a kiss. "You did good, I know it wasn't easy to tell," I thank him too. I know he hates what happened to me and he can't do anything about it. And I heard his voice while telling it, it was hoarse. "I promised. But you are right. It's not easy to tell," he says and wraps his arms around me, his hands shivers a little. I put my hands top of his and they stop shivering. "I'm not saying this to dish the rest of us but I think Jughead is the only one who can safe her," Kevin is right. "Yeah. You guys are the best. But Jug is my home, my safe place".

After that emotional start we ended up having so fun. It was much easier to hang with them without my secret. I was free to be me. We laughed a lot and heard more what's been up to Toni and my cousin. I was happy to hear they had a nice life in San Fransisco. That could be beautiful place to travel someday. It was a long night with many drinks. I just can't believe I'm this happy and this lucky.