Betty ran as fast as her legs would carry her. Where she was running to, she had no clue – all she knew was she needed to get away. Far away. Her breath was coming in short puffs and her heart was pounding a tattoo against her rib cage. She could hear the beating of her heart reverberating against her ears, drowning out every other sound in the night.
"Get back here!" James's voice pierced the night air and Betty felt fear swim through her veins. Still, she carried herself onward, not looking back once. She knew that if she could just run far enough to put distance between her and James then she'd be okay; she'd be safe. That's what allowed her legs to move faster, propelling her further and further away from him.
She had reached the end of the street she was on and came to an abrupt standstill, looking around in a frenzied rush. She didn't know which way to turn – which way would keep her hidden from the monster who claimed he loved her. His footsteps sounded against the pavement, alerting her to the fact that he was fast approaching. Sighing, she turned to the left on impulse and ran.
Betty didn't know where this road led or if she'd be even remotely safe running it, but she knew she had to try. Try anything to get away from the abusive clutches of the man she once loved. It wasn't until she reached the end of the street did she realize how screwed she was. Each way she looked there was brick walls closing in on her, leaving her with nowhere to run; nowhere to hide.
Breathing heavily, she slowly turned around as she heard the pounding of his footsteps inching closer and closer to her. She knew she was about to meet her end and there was absolutely nothing she could do to prepare herself for it.
"Well, well. Look who we have here," James said lowly, smirking as he came to a stop.
"James, please. I'm begging you. Leave me alone," Betty whispered, not above getting down on her hands and knees and begging for her freedom. James licked the tip of his lip, eyes raking over her body in a way that didn't bode well with Betty. She drew her sweater around her more tightly, trying to shield herself from his prying eyes.
"You'll never be free of me, my darling," he said. Betty knew in that moment he meant every word he uttered. She forfeited the small glimmer of hope she had had left inside of her.
"Alright," she muttered. "Just don't hurt me, please."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he murmured, circling her predatorily.
He raised his hand.
XXXX
Betty woke up with a gasp, feeling a thin sheen of sweat coating her skin.
"God," she groaned. Her heart was going a mile a minute and she was shaking. Chancing a glance at the clock on her bedside, she noted it was five in the morning. She laid in bed for a moment, willing her heartbeat to calm down long enough so she could back to sleep but in the back of her mind, she knew sleep would remain elusive for the rest of the night. Sighing, she eventually threw back the covers and got out of bed, on the hunt for coffee. A cursory glance at the closed door as she passed it told Betty Chery was still asleep.
She padded her way into the kitchen, turning on the lights as she did so. The clock above the stove told her it was a little after five in the morning. Not the most idyllic time to wake up on a Sunday but she supposed she'd rather wake up at that time than continue having a nightmare. Sighing, she started pouring coffee grounds into the filter, before switching the machine on. Soon enough, the smell of coffee beans circulated around the kitchen, giving Betty the impression she was back in the coffee shop. Closing her eyes, she could almost imagine Toni and Jughead right next to her at the table.
Her phone vibrated and she stared at it on the counter she had placed it on, wondering who on earth was texting her at the crack of dawn. Sighing, she looked at it.
Come out, come out, wherever you are -James
Betty stared in horror at her phone. She knew if James was texting her this early it meant he never went to bed. She hadn't heard a peep from him in about a week now but she knew better than to think he'd just walk out of her life without putting up some form of a fight. She instantly deleted the message and blocked his number, (something, she thought angrily to herself, she should have done as soon as she left).
The coffee pot beeped and she started, turning around to face it in surprise. She quickly switched it off before it could wake up Cheryl, making a mental note to brew her a fresh pot when she actually did wake up, and she poured herself a cup. She was trying to get the tremors in her hands to stop sliding through them but it took effort. Eventually, her hands stop shaking and she was able to actually hold the damn cup of coffee without the fear of dropping it.
She headed into the living room, where she could sit without being disturbed, and sat down on the couch. She pulled the throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around her. Winters were always harsh in the city and this one was no different. She really wanted to go for a run, something she hadn't done since leaving James. She knew that it'd be the only, (healthy), coping mechanism that would help her clear her mind. As she had that realization, her fingers itched to curl in towards her palms. She looked down at them lovingly, thinking how easy it would be to give into the pressure of her mind.
She stared at her palms for a long moment, feeling the furious waves rolling off of her in a repetitive motion. Eventually, she knew she needed to do something to gain control of the situation and waking up Cheryl this early didn't seem appealing. So, setting her mug on the table in front of her, she sat with her legs crossed underneath her and cautiously pressed her fingernails into her palms. Not enough to tear the skin completely, just enough to feel the all too familiar, (and, beautiful), sting. She relished in the way it soothed her frayed nerves. Everyone had their vices.
XXX
Cheryl eventually woke up and by the time she did so, Betty had taken care of the redness around her palms and had a cup of coffee waiting for her.
"Morning, Cheryl," she greeted, and Cheryl plopped down at the kitchen table a little less than gracefully, shielding her eyes against the morning sun.
"Is that coffee?" Cheryl asked. Betty nodded.
"Bless you," she murmured, taking a sip from it and sighing deeply. Betty hid her smile by taking her own sip out of her second cup. Cheryl and Toni had met up at some club last night and by the sounds of it, Cheryl didn't come stumbling in until around three. Betty knew she'd be spending the majority of the day nursing her hangover.
"You're welcome," Betty replied softly, not wanting to trigger a further headache. She drained the last of her coffee, before looking at Cheryl.
"I'm going to go for a run and then I'm apartment hunting this afternoon. You've got the place to yourself," she assured, and Cheryl frowned.
"You know you don't have to move out right? You're helping with rent. I'm fine with it," Cheryl said, but Betty smiled gently.
"Cheryl, I appreciate the offer, truly, but I've got to get back to my normal routine," she replied, knowing how true that was. She missed being able to have her own place; her own sense of freedom. Perhaps Cheryl understood that because she nodded a moment later.
"Alright, B, enjoy your run," she murmured, and Betty patted her on the shoulder before going to change into running attire.
XXX
As Betty's feet hit the pavement, she felt her chest huffing along with each step she took. She had already exceeded her normal five-mile run and was seeing how far she could go before absolutely having to stop. She didn't know if she was running away from something or not, but no matter what, she kept her head down and her feet moving. She was flying.
XXX
Betty eventually made it back to the apartment, breathing heavily. She worked her way up the stairs instead of taking the elevator and let herself into the apartment. Upon inspection, she found Cheryl had moved from the table to the couch with a washcloth placed firmly over her forehead and eyes. Betty winced in sympathy at her friend.
"Hey, how's the hangover?" Betty asked.
"Dreadful. And, be a dear and use your indoor voice, please," Cheryl murmured, and Betty stifled a laugh.
"Sorry," she whispered. She went to go take a shower, knowing she wouldn't have to worry about agitating Cheryl there. Once through, she made her way to the guest room and got dressed. Since she was on a mission to hunt for an apartment, she grabbed her eyes, wallet, and jacket. She'd catch an Uber.
XXX
Thirty minutes later and Betty was standing outside of a nice-looking building that housed somewhat reasonably priced lofts. She was talking to the management when a familiar voice called out to her.
"Betty?"
She turned around. "Jughead? What are you doing here?"
"I live here. What are you doing here?" Jughead parroted her question back to her. Well, things just got interesting.
"I'm looking for a place to call my own and found this place to be nice and reasonably priced," she murmured, scratching her forehead absentmindedly as she thought. If she lived in the same complex with Jughead, what kind of impact would that have on their work environment?
"Well, I can assure you it is a nice place to live in and I can attest to the reasonable price. I've lived here the past three years," he said, bringing her out of her musings.
"Hmm," she hummed. "Well, I'm still looking but this is definitely one of the best I've seen so far. I think I'll look at the rest after lunch, however."
"Funny, that's where I was just headed. Want some company?" Jughead asked.
"Yes, please," she replied politely.
"Do you like Chinese?" Jughead asked, and she nodded. "Great, there's this little place down the street that serves the best orange chicken this side of the city."
Her stomach rumbled in response.
"Let's go," she urged.
XXX
"So, you don't want to live with Cheryl anymore?" Jughead asked twenty minutes later over lunch. Betty swirled her chow mien on her chopsticks, taking a bite. She thought as she chewed, before eventually shaking her head.
"Living with Cheryl is great, exactly what I needed this past week. But I do miss my own sense of freedom. I want to learn how to rely on myself again," she said.
Jughead quirked a curious eyebrow at her. "You seemed like you were doing that just fine before."
"Looks can be deceiving," she laughed. He tilted his head at her, inviting her to elaborate.
"James, well, he controlled everything I did," she explained, getting lost in the memories of the past. "He told me what to wear, what to eat, things like that. At first, I never took notice of it because I just thought that was his way of expressing love."
"And now?" Jughead asked, and Betty looked at him. "Is that how you still think people express their love normally?"
Betty shook her head. "No. That was controlling abuse. I think I always knew the signs, deep down. I just chose to try and see the good in James."
"He abused you, Betts. I don't think there is any good," Jughead muttered.
"I said tried," Betty chuckled, heart feeling lighter than it had all day.
Jughead mirrored her laughter before they fell silent as they ate some more. It was only a few moments later that Jughead was clearing his throat.
"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" Jughead asked, and Betty looked at him curiously.
"Nothing, why?" Betty replied, and Jughead grinned.
"If you're up for it, I'd like to show you the city from a photographer's point of view," he said earnestly.
The offer was too appealing to pass up.
"Alright," she acquiesced.
"Great," he grinned. The finished eating and he paid for their lunch, ignoring her protests that she should at least pay for her half.
"I invited you out, therefore I pay," he said simply.
"Fine," she caved. "But next time, I'm inviting you out."
He had a twinkle in his eye as he held the door open for her. "Until tonight, then."
"Until tonight."
Author's note: Enjoy Xxx (Also, I don't have a beta. So any mistakes I make are my own but I do proofread and try to catch them).
