Chapter 25: Confessions

Sweet Pea hung around outside the back door for a moment and breathed deep. That went better than he thought it would but he still felt mortified. He had shared all of this information about himself that he hadn't intended to tell her. He wanted to seem cold and uncaring like it didn't bother him to see her but his heart made him get all weird. He had had been dying to see her, he had been working on himself and he was really ready for a relationship but he couldn't move on. She had ruined him. He tried to pick up girls but no one held his interest anymore. The girls that hung around the Southside looked at him differently since he turned in his jacket and the girls at school looked at him differently too. He could occupy the night with someone but there was no one he could talk to. No one who really understood who he was and supported him. Not like Betty.

He took out his phone and texted Toni to see what she was saying about him. He hoped and prayed that it was positive. He waited for what seemed like an hour but was in reality only a few minutes and his phone finally chimed. He pulled it out and mulled it over and clutched it in his hand. He didn't want to look but his curiosity got the best of him and he peeked. The message said, "She brought a boy but she's not serious and you have a chance. Don't fuck it up."

"Shit," he said shoving it back in his pocket. A guy? She brought someone; he hadn't planned on that. He leaned against the building and closed his eyes and felt the cool siding through his clothes. It was starting to be maple season and he knew that the cold would happen soon but it wasn't enough to dry the sweat from his brow. What was he going to do about the other guy?

He looked in the dingy window and could see Betty dancing with Jughead and then a stranger with dark hair came and cut in. That must be her date, he thought. If he squinted the guy almost looked him, if he was a hipster douche bag. The beard was too much for him to handle and he clenched his fist as he watched. The man held her closer and used his hand from her back to lay her head on his shoulder. She didn't smile and laugh the way that she would when they were together. There was no way she really liked this guy. He was just a place holder, maybe even for himself. He made up his mind, he was going to rescue her.

All of a sudden Colt's smile left his face and he stopped moving in time with Betty. She could hear that familiar voice behind her. "Can I cut in?" it asked. Betty turned slowly to Sweet Pea, knowing his exact location because now he was so close that she could feel his body heat.

"I don't think so, pal," Colt answered. "She's my date."

"Let's leave it up to her then," Sweet Pea said.

Betty didn't know what to do. Here she was smashed between at her past and her present and both felt scary. She didn't really have feelings for Colt but what kind of heartbreak would dancing with Sweet Pea bring?

"It's OK, Colt. He's an old friend."

He looked at her in surprise but he stepped away anyway. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. Sweet Pea tentatively took her hand and she placed the other around his shoulder. He brought himself close to her by tugging her with his other hand on her waist.

"You came back for me?" she asked out of breath.

"Yeah, I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to do. Are you mad?"

"No, I'm not mad."

"Your boyfriend looks pissed."

Betty looked over to Colt who was standing at the bar waiting for Toni to get him a drink. If looks could kill, the wooden counter would be dead. She knew he liked her. He was always trying to impress her when they went out but still, there was nothing. Not like how it was touching the man she was dancing with. It was all there again, just like no time had passed. It felt like the air was humming around them and an energy ran through them where they connected. The sound was so loud she could hardly hear herself think.

"He's not my boyfriend. Not really," she said, saying the first thought that came out of her brain.

"But he came with you from New York?"

"Yeah. He did. I didn't want to come to this thing alone. You know, weddings are supposed to be all about happiness and love and I was just sad."

OK, OK, he thought. So Tony is right; she's not in love with this guy for real, maybe there is a chance.

"I was ready to forget you, you know? After you told me about kissing Jughead. But I couldn't and I still can't."

"So what are you saying?"

"Look, I had to figure stuff out on my own; become my own man outside of the Serpents. Outside of my relationship with you. And I've done all of that but I can't stop thinking about..."

"What?"

"How much I still love you."

"You do?"

"Oh yeah. I figured it out right after my first fifth of whiskey when you left me."

"I still love you, too," Betty confessed. "So what do you want to do about it?"

Sweet Pea did not answer but scooped her up in his arms and began to fireman's carry her off the dance floor. She screeched as it startled her and she blushed hard as all eyes were on them again. "Sorry, everyone," he said loudly and waved. "The maid of honor has a previous engagement and might be indisposed for a while. No need to send out a search party." Again there was a 'whoop' and she was so embarrassed she did not want to even see her mother's face because she was sure she was horrified. Or Colt's. Oh, God, she thought. He must hate her now for sure. But she couldn't help this. This was love. It was like she had been sleeping these last few months and now she was awake.

Sweet Pea spun her around and indeed, her mom did have a shocked look on her face but instead of yelling, she grabbed FP's hand and squeezed. He patted her arm to reassure her and then gave a hidden thumbs up to them before Betty was carried away down the hallway to Sweet Pea's room.

Sweet Pea threw Betty down on his bed and was on her in a second, kissing down her neck and biting her shoulder. She put her hands on his chest and held him away from her and he bit at the the air as a joke and gave her a huge smile.

"What?" he asked trying to get back to kissing her

"I think we need to talk, don't you? We have seen each other in months."

"What do we need to talk about?" he replied as he grabbed her wrists and pinned her arms over her head.

He sucked on her neck viciously and her mind emptied. She fought to keep her mind steady even though it felt amazing to feel his mouth on her again. He now was using only one hand to keep her arms held up and hiked up her skirt with the other. She felt his fingers moving her panties to the side and she pulled it together long enough to say his name insistently. This did make him stop and he searched her face for what was wrong.

"Please, talk with me, " she pleaded and he let go if her hands.

He sat down next to her on the bed and put his hands in his lap to show he was going to be a good boy but he didn't want to talk about this. He had been dreaming about her all summer, imagining what would happen if they bumped into each other some time in town. He had sorted out his stuff and it made himself the kind of man who that Betty deserved. He missed her so much. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt him; everyone makes mistakes and as he had it in his heart to forgive her. When he never saw her again, it ripped his heart out.

"I mean, it's a lot to process, isn't it? Me loving you doesn't erase what happened between us. I hurt you, really badly."

"Betty. It's OK. Yeah I was really hurt but I've had time to think about things and I'm not mad anymore."

"I just want to say that I am so sorry. I don't feel like I deserve your forgiveness."

"Even if you didn't deserve it, you have it. I do forgive you. I should have been prepared that you probably had unresolved feelings for Jughead. Think about how we got together in the first place. Not that what you did was OK but-"

"I know. And I should have been more careful, too. It was like... it was happening before I even realized what was going on. I promise you though; it is totally over between Jughead and me. The only person I love is you. I've been trying to move on and I haven't."

"While we are pouring our hearts out here, I guess I can say it's been the same for me too. I have still been thinking about you a lot."

"So do you want to give it another go or do you think we had our chance and blew it?"

"I thought I made that obvious when I brought you in here to defile you," he said leaning in and kissing her.

"It's going to be harder this time, you know? I have to go back to school tomorrow."

"Does the train still run to New York City?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then we can make it work. You just have to promise me one thing. From here on out, I am the only one. I couldn't take you cheating on me again. I'm not built that way. I've never let another girl in for that very reason, hell I didn't mean to let you in, you just snuck up on me."

"I absolutely promise."

An hour later, the two of them emerged from Sweet Pea's room so they could rejoin the party. Betty did her best to retouch her make up and fix her hair but she felt like she was still a little rumpled. Even if it wasn't for her looks there was no way people wouldn't be able to guess what had happened in that room because of the huge smile that Sweet Pea had plastered all over his face. Their hands were intertwined as they headed out to see her friends who Betty hoped hadn't left while she was gone. She let out a sigh of relief as she saw Veronica and Archie were still there, standing over at a table talking with Jughead. Colt was nowhere to be seen.

Sweet Pea tapped Jughead on the shoulder and he asked him to follow him to the the bar. Jughead looked to Betty and she shrugged he shoulder so he picked up his drink and followed him. When the boys had gone, Veronica squealed and demanded that Betty tell her everything.

"I don't know what you are talking about," Betty said coyly.

"Oh my God girl, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about! Was this the first time you have seen each other since graduation?"

"Since before graduation.

"And there were, sparks?"

"I'd say. I never stopped thinking about him."

"He hasn't stopped thinking about you either, Betty," Archie added. "He's been working for my dad and he always round about brings you up to see if I'd heard anything about you."

"So romantic!" Veronica said squealing again.

"Speaking of romance, have you seen Colt? I'm sure he's super pissed at me."

"Yeah, I don't think he was too happy. He got shit faced at the bar and then went outside."

"This is going to be an uncomfortable ride back to the city."

"Maybe he already left?"

"I don't think so. His bag is still at my house." Crap.