Author's note: Spoilers from last night's episode! Read with caution if you have yet to see it.
The next day, after they had both gotten some rest, Jughead and Betty had agreed to meet up with Kevin. If Jughead was going to be honest with himself, he was only doing this because he was letting Betty take the lead. He didn't particularly have it in him to care about forgiving Kevin for his part in the cult. He knew he should want to; knew that Kevin wasn't a bad guy at heart. However, the fact that he blamed his behavior on missing Moose was enough to leave a storm brewing in a seething Jughead.
Just then, Jughead felt soft fingers tapping on his clenched fist lightly and looked down, then up to where Betty was staring at him.
"Babe, you're so tense," she murmured, running a comforting thumb against the back of his palm. He sighed.
"I'll just be happy when this meeting is over," he admitted, flipping his palm open so he could grasp her hand in his. She nodded.
"Me too," she muttered.
Jughead could hear the burning honesty in her tone and behind her words; he knew she was as anxious as he was to get this part of the day over with. Squeezing her hand gently, he nodded.
"It'll be over soon," he murmured. A soft, ironic smile lifted Betty's lips.
"What?" Jughead asked, and she sighed.
"That's what Edgar kept saying to me every time I asked him to stop. Funnily enough, it never was close to being over," she said quietly, eyes staring unseeingly at her coffee cup.
"Betts, look at me," Jughead implored, and when she didn't, he lifted her chin up gently in order to make eye contact. "What Edgar did to you? What you were subjected to? No one should ever have to go through that. Especially not as someone as good and wholesome as you."
"Am I, though?" Betty whispered. "Good and wholesome, I mean."
"Yes," Jughead said simply, tone booking no room for discussion.
Betty's eyes flickered all across his face, drinking in every detail of his expression, before eventually nodding.
"I love you, Jughead," she said softly, resting her head on his shoulder. He dropped a kiss to the top of her head as the door to the diner opened. Looking up, he spotted Kevin looking around the diner before his eyes landed on the couple. Inhaling, Jughead beckoned him over with two quick twirls of his fingers. Once Kevin had made it to the booth, he seemed uncertain if he should sit down or not.
"We're not here to fight, Kevin," Betty said bluntly, and Jughead rubbed her knee; he knew how hard this was for her. Kevin looked at Jughead apprehensively, who appraised him in turn, before nodding.
"Let me make myself perfectly clear, Kevin, alright? One. You get one chance to make amends with Betty. If you fuck it up in the slightest, good day, game over. Do you understand me?" Jughead asked firmly.
Kevin swallowed nervously. "I understand you."
Jughead assessed him for a moment before looking at Betty, who nodded her head. She cut her eyes to the empty seat across from them, a clear indication that Kevin should sit. He did so a moment later.
"Betty," he began, nervously wringing his hands together. "I don't even know what to say."
"I do," Betty said simply. "How the hell could you do that to me?"
Kevin sighed. "I know it doesn't amount to much, if anything, but I am sorry. I'm truly disgusted with falling for the Evernever's traps."
"Father and daughter duo of the year, right?" Jughead muttered.
"Actually," Kevin began, pulling at his shirt uncomfortably. "They're husband and wife, not father and daughter. She's 26, not 16."
Jughead felt like a bomb had exploded and judging by the look on his girlfriend's face, so did she.
"How the hell was Alice okay with all of that? How was she okay with letting Dagwood and Juniper be raised in that cult?" Jughead demanded angrily. He felt Betty slip her fingers of her non-damaged hand through his and stroked them gently; she was always tethering herself to him.
"Edgar had us all convinced he was this saint," Kevin murmured.
"Don't kid yourself, Kev, Alice knew exactly the kind of people she was surrounding herself with," Betty muttered dryly. "What I don't get it why you stayed. Didn't you find it odd that Evelyn was posing as a high schooler all this time and she had lied to all of you?"
Kevin sighed. "It's just…with Moose gone, I needed someone."
"Oh, for the love of my fucking sanity, don't give me that shit," Jughead snapped, irritated with the guy in front of him. "Look around dude, who had people. Betty, Arch, and me! Hell, even Pea would have been there for you because he too was friends with Joaquin. You fucked up. Man up and admit it."
Kevin nodded, biting his lip as he looked at Betty.
"I really am sorry, Betty," he said quietly, and Betty hesitantly reached a hand out to him.
"I forgive you, Kev," she murmured, and he looked up at her, eyes wide and hopeful.
"Yeah?" Kevin whispered.
"Yes," she replied firmly. "But, it's going to take some time to get the trust back all the way. On some level, it was easier with Cheryl because her and I haven't been close for that long. You? You and I go way back. I just need some time."
"Time is great," Kevin nodded his head quickly. "I can do time."
Betty laughed, and Jughead squeezed her hand. Just then, Betty's phone went off and she pulled it out, scanning the text quickly before going white.
"Betts?" Jughead asked in alarm.
"Th-that was Cheryl. It's Toni. She's been shot," Betty whispered.
That was all it took to have Jughead, therefore Betty and Kevin, sprinting out of the diner and to Kevin's car as they awaited anymore news on their friend.
Author's note: It was Boris Yeltsin's idea to have Toni shot so shout out, friend! Also, I didn't incorporate every part of last night's episode. Like Toni for example. I was so mad at her.
Anyways, enjoy! Feedback lovely! Will get to comments tomorrow! Xxx