Little Darlin' | CHONI |

Thirty Six

'You know what!' Toni said storming to her bedroom ripping the letter and necklace from the drawers before making her way back to Cheryl and tossing it at her. 'Now tell me I'm a liar'.

Cheryl managed to catch the necklace but the letter dropped to the floor. The redhead didn't think she'd ever see Toni again never mind hold the most special gift she'd ever received.

'Recognise that?' Toni said spitefully.

'Of course I do,' Cheryl replied her tone softer now, more vulnerable as she bent down to pick up the letter.

She waited a moment before she carefully opened the crumpled up ball of paper straightening it out before she read it.

Toni,
I am so sorry I don't have the guts to tell you this to your face, but it has to be said. I don't want to be with you. I never did.
I love Reggie. I only love Reggie. What happened with you started out as a joke and I should have ended it long before now.
I wanted to tell you I think you should be with Moose. He loves you. He doesn't have to know about this.
Maybe it's best we don't speak anymore. I'm a cruel person Toni. I hurt people. You could do better than being friends with someone like me. You meant nothing to me.
Cheryl.

Toni noticed the crease in the redheads eyebrows as she read. The brunette admitted to herself that she looked shocked maybe even hurt as she read it, but like she said before Cheryl's a good actress. She really managed to convince the brunette that she loved her even though she didn't.

'Toni, I swear to you I didn't send this,' Cheryl said looking up. 'I would never hurt you like that and I definitely wouldn't tell you to go back to Moose Mason'.

'Then who sent it Cheryl? The only person that knew about us was Fangs and he was with me when I found the letter'.

'I don't know, but it wasn't me. I promise you it wasn't'.

'Please Cheryl, stop lying,' Toni said. 'You-'

There was a knock on her trailer door, probably a neighbour coming to complain about the noise. Cheryl looked at her with the necklace and letter still in her hands neither of them moving. The knocking came again and Toni blew out a breath as she brushed passed Cheryl to answer the door only it wasn't a neighbour stood in front of her.

'Moose, what are you doing here?' Toni asked a little taken a back.

'I wanted to see you'.

'Nows not really a good time'.

'Toni come on it's been years. I just wanted to catch up before you leave again. You left without a goodbye. I was heartbroken'.

'Moose we were teenagers. It was a crush nothing else'.

'You don't mean that Toni, you're drunk you don't know what you're saying. A lot of time has past, but we were good together'.

'I know exactly what I'm saying and you're starting to make me uncomfortable please just leave'.

'Toni, just-'

'She said leave,' Cheryl said coming into view.

'What is she doing here?' Moose said talking to Toni but looking at the redhead his eyes drifting to the letter and necklace hanging from her hand.

'Who I have at my trailer is nothing to do with you Moose'.

Cheryl felt something in her stomach at the way the dark haired man looked at her. His face faulted and she noticed it. It was as if something just clicked.

'It was you,' Cheryl said.

'What?' Moose and Toni said at the same time.

'All of this is because of you'.

'What are you talking about you crazy bitch'.

'Hey!' Toni said. 'Watch your mouth!'

'Toni come on you can do better than being friends with someone like her'.

'What did you say?'

'I said you can do better'.

A line of the letter forced its way into the front of her mind.

You could do better than being friends with someone like me.

'You?' Toni whispered as she felt her body heat up with rage. 'You sent the letter!'

'I did it for you,' Moose said proving Cheryl was right, she didn't write the letter. 'She was never going to choose you over Reggie. She's cruel Toni. I could have given you the world. I would still give you the world. She corrupted you. I understand it wasn't your fault'.

'How...'

'The party,' Cheryl interrupted, she vaguely remembered bumping into the then teenage boy after her argument with Toni. 'Were you listening to our conversation?'

'I saw the way she looked at you Cheryl and you couldn't care less about her. Why else would you shove your birthday gifts from her in a drawer of clutter like they meant nothing to you? I was doing her a favour. I knew you'd upset her, that's why I followed you both that night to make sure she was alright. I didn't... expect to hear what I did, but-'

Toni couldn't take it anymore, she pulled her hand back and slapped Moose harder than she'd ever slapped anyone in her life.

'If you know what's good for you Moose you better leave now while you can still walk'.

'Toni, this is all a big misunderstanding. I didn't think you'd leave'.

'A misunderstanding? You ripped everything away from me. How dare you? How fucking dare you!'

'Everything all right here?' FP asked basically appearing out of nowhere. 'I've had a couple of phone calls saying there's a problem'.

Toni's eyes were still fixed on Moose, she was seething. She wanted to hurt him. Really hurt him. He'd taken everything from her and she blamed Cheryl. She'd spent years convincing herself that she hated the redhead and everything they had was nothing but a lie.

'Toni?' FP said.

'Get him out of here,' Toni said her eyes still on Moose's. 'And make sure he doesn't bother me again'.

FP nodded his head as he pushed Moose away from the brunettes trailer. She had no idea what to do or what to say. She was hyper aware the redhead was still stood behind her. Maybe what she and Cheryl had was real and the one that ruined it was herself not the redhead.

'I'm going to go,' Cheryl said and Toni didn't stop her.

They both needed time to process and for now that was probably the best option. The only option. Toni watched as Cheryl left closing the door and breaking down into tears as soon as she was alone. After all this time the reason she left Riverdale hurt and now she knows it was all a lie it killed her.

She just wanted to leave.

She wouldn't though, not until after Sweet Pea and Veronica's wedding. After that she'd go and never return. She missed out on her opportunity to be happy here and she didn't want to suffer for any longer than she'd have to.

She kicked herself for allowing herself to be fooled by Moose Mason. He was always so sweet, maybe a little strange after they broke up but she never thought he'd be capable to do anything like this.

And Cheryl. Technically she was right, Toni did abandon her. She had so many questions, but they would all go unanswered because she didn't want to feel the pain that came along with the truth.

The redhead had a life of her own now. She had a little boy and probably a husband. Toni missed her chance to be with her first and only love. Deep down she did help Cheryl was happy though even if it stung.

'Two more days,' she said to herself as she stripped out of her clothes and crawled out of bed. '...and then this nightmare will be over'.

Toni wrapped herself in the blanket letting her emotions get the better of her as she cried herself to sleep.