Chapter Text
Nancy's POV
I knock on the door to Robin's house and almost leave before she answers.
But she does.
And she smiles.
Of course she smiles.
“Hey Nance! We don’t have plans, do we? I can get ready in 5 minutes.”
I almost let her.
Instead I shake my head and sigh. “No, I just needed to talk to you. Can we do it in private?”
She gives me a look before motioning for me to follow her. I hate myself for doing this to her but it’s the only way to protect her from- no, don’t think about it.
We walk down the hallway into her room. It’s full of cassettes, posters and books. I take a look around, trying to memorize it all for the last time. I gesture for her to sit down.
“Nance, are you okay?”
Her voice is so full of concern that for a second, I can see it—exactly how this is supposed to go. I tell her everything. She tells me it’s okay. We figure it out together like we always do.
But that version of this ends with her getting hurt.
So I don’t let it happen.
I grit my teeth and start. “Robin, we can’t be friends anymore.”
Immediately she starts to protest, but I continue.
“It’s for our own good. What happened between us was-
My voice almost catches.
I force it steady.
“-was a mistake.
“No, Nance” Tears are streaming down her face, as she cries out, “It’s not a mistake. You’re so-I love you.”
She keeps talking but I don’t hear anything after that. I love you. It echoes in my brain over and over again. I stand up, not trusting what I'll say if I stay around her. Not trusting what I might do.
I bang open the door and climb into my car.
The drive feels surreal.
I don’t remember most of it—just flashes. Stoplights. Empty roads. My hands gripping the wheel too tightly.
I don’t go home.
That was never an option
By the time I realize where I am, I’m already pulling into Steve's driveway. It’s strange, I haven’t been here since Barb disappeared.
I sit there for a moment, realizing that Steve is not on my side. He and Robin are best friends anyway. Still, I’d rather have him yell at me than go home, where it will be much worse than yelling.
I look in my mirror, wipe my eyes and go knock on his door.
Surprise is an understatement for the look on Steve’s face when he opens the door.
“Nancy, what are you doing here?” He closes the door and steps onto the porch. “I hope it’s because you're here to apologize to Robin.”
My stomach drops. “She’s here?”
“She was a mess after you dumped her and it’s a miracle she was able to call me. Otherwise…” He pauses, grief flooding his features. “Well, I don’t know how much she’s told you, but shit could have gone downhill quickly.”
I stay silent, not trusting myself to respond to that.
“Why did you do this to her?”
I shake my head, “It doesn’t matter.”
I correct myself. “ It can’t.”
“It matters to her!”
“I know!” I say, sharper than I mean to,
“I know.” I pause. “I know."
Silence stretches for a second.
Then my knees give out before I can stop them.
I sit on the edge of the porch steps, arms wrapped tight around myself, like that might hold something together.
Steve crouches down in front of me and asks again, his voice softer.
“Why did you do this to her? She loves you.”
“I know!” I sob. “I do too. I love her more than anything in this world! And that's why I had to break up with her. To protect her from-”
I stop abruptly. No one was supposed to know why.
Steve frowns. “Protect her from what, Nancy?”
I know that he will never stop asking, so in a small voice I confess.
“My dad found out.”
Steve’s expression changes into something I can’t read. He stays quiet, letting me continue.
“And he didn’t take it very well,” I continue.
That’s an understatement.
“He said I embarrassed him.” My fingers tighten against my sleeves. “That he was going to fix it—talk to the right people, make sure it ‘never happened again.’””
I swallow.
“He thinks she’s the reason.”
Steve’s expression hardens. “Nancy—”
“I couldn’t let him see her,” I cut in, finally looking up. “If he knows who she is, he’ll go after her.”
My voice stays steady.
Barely.
Steve exhales slowly, some of the anger draining out of him, replaced with something heavier.
“So you thought,” he says carefully, “if you pushed her away—”
“He’ll lose interest!” I insist. I don’t care if I sound desperate or crazy; I need this to be true. “If it’s over, if I act like it was nothing, like she doesn’t matter—then there’s nothing for him to go after!”
“And you think she’s just… what?” he says, quieter now. “Gonna be okay after that?”
“No, she’s not okay,” my voice cracks. “But she’s alive. And that has to be enough.”
I look away as tears begin to flow.
We sit in silence for a while before I continue.
“When she told me she loved me I almost stayed. Because I was scared that if I stayed one more second,” I respond, “I wouldn’t be able to leave at all.”
Steve looks away for a moment, running a hand over his face.
When he speaks again, his voice is quieter.“You don’t have to go back there tonight.”
I let out a shaky breath I didn't realize I was holding.
“But this isn’t over,” he adds. “You and her? This whole thing? You don’t just get to end it like that and pretend it’s fixed. You're going to have to tell her the truth eventually.”
I nod weakly. “I know.”
Steve leans back against the wall, staring ahead.
After a second, he mutters, “She still loves you, you know."
I squeeze my eyes shut.
“I know,” I whisper. "That’s the worst part."