let's just pretend the trench coat in the photo above is long sleeved😂💀

I sit next to Ronnie in the speakeasy, Tori i. my lap as we stare at the customers. My heart felt guilty for treating Hiram the way I did. I did the same thing to Tori he did to me. I was just as guilty as him.

I thought about Hiram and my birth mother. If they were happy. If she had lived, what would have became of us. I had so many questions, yet I had no answers.

"We need to figure out who did this, E." I slowly look up at Ronnie, who's tapping away at the bar. Her eyes skim back and forth anxiously.

"I thought you said Archie did it."I add, nonchalant. I had barely seen Archie since we last spoke. But now everyone in Riverdale knew the truth.

Even Cheryl and Toni.

My mom had called me when she heard that I knew. She was crying, even. She told me that no matter who's blood I shared, I would always be a Blossom.

Which was a shock.

I was always considered "the golden child" compared to Jason and Cheryl. A Daddy's girl with straight A's. Until we slowly learned who Jason's killer was.

And then my mother learned to hate me.

When we found out about Uncle Claudius, Cheryl asked if I was still attending the ceremony. I said of course. Cheryl had became distant, unsure of what to do with herself now that she was truly an only child. Veronica and I are still learning how to be sisters.

Veronica shakes her head at my Archie statement. "I don't think he could do this..." She says under her breath.

Suddenly, we see Elio wall down here, standing next to the two of us. "Hello, Ladies." He nods at me. "I don't believe we've formally met, Elio Grande."

He holds his hand out, which I shake. "Emilia Blossom-Lodge. Depends who you ask." I say blandly. He shrugs as Reggie comes in behind him with a large bouquet of flowers.

Veronica stands, staring at the bouquet as I hand Reggie my daughter, and he parts ways with us. "From my family to yours." Elio says. Veronica looks at me and I give a slight shrug.

"While I love a grand gesture, Elio," She turns slightly to meet his gaze. "Diamond are a girls best friend." She says with a blunt tone.

Elio keeps his hands in his pockets. "I would only keep those gifts for the friendlier Lodges." His eyes gaze between mine and Veronica's and she scoffs.

"Leave my sister alone." Veronica mutters.

Elio shifts, unsure what to say. "These are for your father." He blurts, changing the topic. "I heard he was still in the hospital, and wanted to come here, personally, to let you both know I'm praying he pulls through." He tells us.

"To paraphrase Samuel Clemens," I say, looking up at him. "Reports of his death have been greatly exaggerated." I snarl.

He smirks slightly down at me. "The vultures are circling, girls." He steps closer to me and Veronica. "They're eager to swoop in on your father's territory."

"Are you talking about yourself?" V says lowly.

"I'm offering some friendly advice." He retorts to her. "Jobs like the hot on your father? It's very rare they go unfinished." He turns to me, "I hope we see more of each other, Emilia." He takes my hand, kissing my knuckles before slowly heading out the door.

Veronica and I stare after him until he's out of sight. "Em, you just ended things with Archie, and your friends with benefits with Pea and you're already getting Elio lining up." She teases.

I scoff, playing with my blue dress. "Have you met anyone that works for your dad? They're all that weird sexual tension-flirtatious deal." I laugh.

She sighs, resting her elbow on the bar. "We have to find out who did this to our father." She says under her breath.

"You said this five minutes ago." I remark.

She sends a playful glare before sighing again. "But I'm serious. We have to do this without getting our hands dirty." I watch the latina as her eyes light up at the spark of an idea. "Get your coat, new sister, we have our personal Sherlock Holmes to meet."

Riverdale High was practically empty aside from the golden light flowing from the B&G office window. Veronica and I open the door, walking in to see Jughead typing away on the typewriter Betty gave him.

He pulls away from the obsolete object, looking at his two good friends. "Nice hat, Bacall." He says to my sister.

We waltz in slowly. "I've got a job for you, Jones." V says, straight to the point. "I want you to find out who shot our father." She tosses a bag of money onto the table, as if it was nothing but a piece of trash from her purse.

Jughead takes the cash in his hand, flipping through it. "You'll get the other half when you give us their name." I say to him.

My best friend whistles. "That is a big job." He says. V rolls her eyes as I cross my arms. "I think half the people in this town want to see your old man kick the mable barrel, no offense."

"None taken." Veronica quickly replies. "I'll give you your first suspect. My mother." She says. Jughead pulls out a piece of paper as she describes the fight she heard from when she had her seizure.

"What if you don't like what I find?" He asks her.

Veronica links her hand with mine. "We're big girls, we can take it." She says with no emotion.

"Well, then," He stands up, "Consider me your Philip Marlowe." He holds his hand out, and Veronica takes it.

Where was this going to take us?

I sit at Jughead's trailer with Sweet Pea and Tori. "I'm scared, Em. If FP finds out-"

"He won't, Pea." I say. "Everything will work out fine." I turn my head to the screen, a kids channel on as T sits in her bouncer, squealing and laughing.

I didn't feel comfortable going to Thistle House, and neither did Sweet Pea. In all honesty, I was thinking of re-renting out my old apartment in the Pembroke. Until then, I was either bunking at Jugs or Veronica's. Sweet Pea staying back at the quarry.

There was a knock on the door, and I stand, walking over. I swing open the metal to see Elio, looking rather uncomfortable in his position. "Can I come in? These people are looking at me like I'm some vulture." He says.

"To them, you probably are." I tease. I step to the side and let him walk in. "How did you know I'd be here?" I ask him.

He sighs, looking around. "I heard the sheriff lives by the quarry, and your Blossom sister said Id find you here." His eyes land on Pea and he shifts his weight. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had company."

"Elio, this is Sweet Pea, Victoria's father." The Serpents six foot stance towers me slightly, however him and Elio are the same height.

"Nice to formally meet you, your daughter is beautiful." Elio says to Pea politely.

Sweet Pea looks at Elio up and down. "Yeah, she is." He looks at me. "I'm going to go and meet up with Fangs for a bit, okay?" I nod and he kisses my cheek before heading out.

"He doesn't like me." Elio says when Pea leaves.

I look back, sighing. "Well, you're another family like the Lodges, you're not going to be popular." I joke. "And uh, the last guy that walked through my door got partial custody of my daughter so," I walk towards the kitchen. "Scotch?"

"Of course." He says as he walks over. I pour two glasses, handing one to him. "You know, I can't imagine how hard it is. Learning your whole life is a lie not only once, but like three or four times."

I laugh. "My dad killing my brother, my dad having a twin he tried to murder, my uncle being a serial killer, and the whole time none of them were actually related to me and I was related to some other psycho who ruins people's lives and commits perfect murders." I say as if my life is normal.

"You know, Veronica's statement was quite intriguing."

I furrow my brows. "Which one?"

"Diamonds are a girls best friend." He says to me. "Marilyn Monroe always had a point."

I nod, giving a fake smile. "I guess." I say, walking to my black dress, which is for the funeral.

"And I normally wouldn't do this, but..." I turn around in confusion to see Elio pull of a black velvet box, tied with a red ribbon. "I thought that maybe a gift would make your day better." He says.

I look at him with wide eyes, before slowly taking the box. I untie the silk ribbon, letting it fall graciously to the floor. It was a white gold Cartier necklace. "Elio, this is beautiful, I can't take this-"

"It's nothing, really." He says, a smile on his face. "Here," He pulls the necklace out of the box, gesturing me to turn. As I do, he moves my red locks to the side, sliding the chain around my neck. His fingers graze the back of my neck slowly, and I feel off, as if this is wrong.

He fixes my hair and I turn back around. "Thank you, really." I say. "But I have to go to a funeral-ceremony-"

"I understand, Emilia." He nods. "Until next time." He kisses my cheek, his lips warm against my skin. I watch him walk out the door, and I sigh, rubbing my face with my hands.

Boys need to get out of my life cause I did not ask for this.

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i remember someone saying she should have a fling w Elio or something, but i don't remember where.

at least i think it was for emmy, maybe it was for someone else😂

this chapter is actually super short (only three scenes, two from the show) but i wanted to stop here so next chapter soon!