Ok guys, so I have been excited to get to this chapter so I went ahead and finished it early so I could share.
HOWEVER... I want to say this chapter does have some intense moments, a lot of language, smut (of course lol). When I say it is intense, what I mean is: We all know Adam is a psychopath but in the last part of the chapter we get a further glimpse into just how twisted he is and how far he is going to go.
Soooo, just remember: TRIGGER WARNING.
I used two songs as a reference in this chapter: The song Betty dances to is "Familiar Taste of Poison" by Halestorm and the song that Adam is listening to in the end of the chapter is "Where the Wild Roses Grow" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ft Kylie Minogue. (If you have never heard it, listen to it. It's twist at the end is messed up but the song is amazing.)
Lastly, this is unbeta'd so any mistakes are mine. Let me know what you guys think!
-Bina ?
"Are you serious, Jug?" Betty asked, taking the crumpled paper from his hands to look at the number. "Sweet Pea is the Black Hood?" She asked in a hushed voice, causing Jughead to snap his head towards her.
"We don't know that-" he said abruptly, snatching the papers from her hand. Betty stepped back, shocked by his reaction. She'd never seen him act like this, at least not towards her. She cautiously stepped towards him, gently laying her hand on his arm.
"Jug... I'm sorry but these papers don't lie. If that is his number then he has to be at least connected in some way-" Betty tried to explain until he cut her off, standing up to walk away and pace the floor. He still couldn't put it together in his head, none of it made sense.
"No, I can't believe it... Sweet Pea wouldn't... he couldn't... there's no way..." Jughead shook his head, trying to somehow correlate the Sweet Pea he knew with what he knew of the Black Hood. He couldn't even see the Sweet Pea he knew as an accomplice. There had to be something else going on - he just felt like there was something missing - and Jughead knew he needed to get to the bottom of it before the FBI took over the investigation and it was too late.
"Charlie, if I give you permission to bug that phone, can you give me 24 hours to see what I can find out? I know that this evidence is pretty damning but this doesn't make any sense to me. Betty was getting harassment from the Black Hood before any of us knew Sweet Pea- at least well enough for him to develop a grudge against her. Something just seems off and I think someone might be trying to frame him to take the fall. Please," Jughead pleaded with his brother, hoping that his hunch was correct. Betty stepped forward to stop his pacing and looked into his eyes, searching for something that she must have found because she nodded understandingly and turned to her brother.
"Jug's right, Charles. It really makes no sense that Sweet Pea is the Black Hood. I mean, he might be using information from the original Hood case to scare me but that doesn't make him a killer. Sadistic and an asshole, maybe, but not necessarily a killer. If Jughead thinks something is off and that we should talk to Sweet Pea first, then I think we should do that," Betty asserted, her back going pin-straight as she spoke in a tone that was perfected from years of practice with Alice Cooper.
"Okay..." Charles sighed reluctantly, "Against my better judgment, I will hold off on the search warrant until after tomorrow. I can have the wiretap ready in a few hours so - for now - we will see what we can get from that. But Betty, I'm keeping the app running on your phone until we have everyone involved behind bars. Just- please be careful, both of you. If Sweet Pea really is the Hood - or even has anything to do with the Hood murders - then we don't know what he is capable of," Charles warned in an intense tone, giving them both a firm stare so they understood he was not joking around.
Jughead nodded and turned his back to pin the print out to the murder board, chewing the tip of his thumb nervously as he got lost in his thoughts. Betty hugged Charles and whispered goodbye, seeing him out the door before walking back over to Jughead and wrapping her arms around his waist. He placed his hand on top of hers and let out a shaky breath, hanging his head in exhaustion. His voice cracked as he confided brokenly, "I-I just can't believe it, Betts. I know Sweet Pea wouldn't do this- he couldn't be behind this."
"I believe you, Jug. We'll go to Black Betty's tomorrow and confront him with what we have to see if we can shake him up, see how he reacts. It's all going to be okay, Juggie. I promise," Betty murmured, her cheek pressed against his back. "It's late, let's get some sleep and we will get this straightened out tomorrow. Okay, Jug?"
"Yeah...yeah, let's get some sleep..."
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Juggie?" Betty asked apprehensively as she looked at the huge spray-painted sign above them that read 'Black Betty's'. Understanding that he had named the parlor after her was both flattering and haunting - all at the same time. This was the first time she was seeing any of his other businesses besides the Whyte Wyrm and this wasn't exactly the way she had expected to see his shops. Jughead grabbed her hand, bringing her back to reality and making her feel less anxious about what might happen once they walked through those doors.
"I'm absolutely sure, Betts. I know Sweet Pea and he can be a Grade-A dickhead but he's not a sociopath. Something is not right with what the FBI found, I just can't pinpoint it right now without more evidence. That's the reason why I need to talk to him before handing him over to Charlie," Jughead replied, his eyes boring into her.
"Okay, that's all I needed to hear. Let's do this, Jones." Betty declared, winking at him as she stepped out of the car. Jughead watched her ease from the car, the lace-up cut outs on the back of her thigh-high stiletto boots accentuating her calves and making her ass seem rounder. Her high waisted leather skirt and black long-sleeved crop top showing just enough skin to make the man's mind wander. He snapped out of the daze his mind was in and before she could walk away from the car, Jughead was in front of her holding a bundle of leather in his hands. Betty looked up at him in confusion.
"What's this?" She asked, her innocent doe-eyed expression touching his heart.
"This is yours... I had it made after you disappeared and I have just been waiting for a good time to give it to you. I thought maybe you'd want it if you ever came back..." Jughead's voice trailed off as he handed her the bundle. When she held it up she saw that it was a Serpent's jacket, the emblem on the back matching Jughead's - except the crown wasn't gold. It was silver with purple gems stitched into the points. Betty looked at it in awe, tears cropping up in her eyes.
"Jug... What-?"
"Be my Queen, Betts?" He paused to take a deep breath, "To me, you always have been but let's just make it official? Please..." His eyes begged her, his breath stopping as he waited in anticipation for her answer. Betty grinned through her tears, slipping the jacket on with ease. It fit her like a glove and she knew it was truly meant for her.
"Yes." She responded quietly, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. She pulled back breathlessly and repeated her answer with more enthusiasm, "Yes!"
"Really?" She nodded and Jughead shouted in excitement as he picked her up, twirling her around and laughing. He sat her back to her feet and kissed her soundly, muttering "I love you, Betts," against her lips.
"I love you too, Juggie. Now let's get this over with," she said when they finally broke apart, gripping his hand firmly and pulling him towards the glass doors of the parlor. Once they were inside, Betty could hear the sounds of metal music playing on a low volume from the speakers above and she could smell the intense aroma of disinfectant. She looked around briefly, taking note of the binders spread throughout the waiting area - Most likely portfolios of Sweet Pea's work.
From what she could tell, the shop was well maintained and up to code and there were photos showcasing his best tattoos framed on the walls. Betty had to admit, Sweet Pea was an amazing artist. If she didn't believe he would purposely mess up her tattoo, or - you know - the possibility that he was taunting her and wanted to kill her (whichever, depending on what they learn today), she would totally have let him tattoo her.
Her admiration of his work was shattered, however, when she heard the venom in his voice behind her.
"What the actual fuck is she doing here, Jones?" Sweet Pea spat angrily. When Betty turned around, she could feel the irritation and hate radiating off of him. He looked her up and down with such a revolted stare that she nearly broke her teeth from clenching her jaw so tightly. She shook off his animosity and stepped forward.
"You know exactly why we're here, Sweet Pea," Betty bit back, standing tall and staring him down from across the room. Sweet Pea scoffed with a sneer and rolled his eyes, ignoring her and turning his attention back to Jughead.
"Seriously, what is this, man? And why the hell is she wearing one of our jackets? She isn't one of us, Jughead, and you damn well know it! Does Princess Buttercup just think she can swoop in and play Serpent whenever the fuck she wants? She didn't earn that jacket and just because she flashed her tits to an entire bar full of grown men when she was sixteen doesn't mean a damn thing... well, except that she's a fucking slut," Sweet Pea growled, leering at Betty with contempt. Betty lunged forward but Jughead held her back, his glare at Sweet Pea full of wrath.
"HEY!-" Jughead shouted before Betty stopped him.
"Fuck you, you narrow-minded twat-waffle! Is that what you think of every female Serpent that was forced to do that degrading strip show because some old men are too indoctrinated into the patriarchy to change the laws in order to respect the women around them?! Is that what you think of Toni? Or Peaches? I would have rather run the Gauntlet then get up there and dance for a bunch of pervs but I did what I needed to in order to be a part of Jughead's world. I have every right to wear this jacket, so how about you pull your head outta your ass for once in your miserable life and answer our questions?" Betty snarled, her patience with him running thin. Jughead held his hands up towards both of them, stepping between them to try and deescalate the situation. He was furious about the way Sweet Pea was talking to her too but he needed to keep his head on straight to get the answers they were after.
"Look, Sweet Pea, just answer a few questions and then we will be out of here and we can move on. At this point, the only reason we are speaking to you here instead of at the police station is as a courtesy. I have a small window of time and I need you to be 100% honest with me. Okay?" Jughead said, trying to remain passive. He didn't want to provoke either of them, especially if he was wrong about Sweet Pea.
"Fine. What is it, Boss?" Sweet Pea huffed, rolling his eyes.
"Have you been sending Betty harassing messages and calling her to antagonize her?" Jughead asked plainly. He watched as Sweet Pea's face grew red with anger at the accusation thrown at him.
"Are you serious, Jones? Is that what this little bitch told you, that I was harassing her? Dude, this just proves that she is a fucking liar, Jug. I haven't called or spoken to her since she punched me in the jaw at the Wyrm. Why the hell would I want to have anything to do with your whore anyway?" Sweet Pea shouted, stepping closer to them with his fists balled up.
"I already told you to watch your fucking mouth, don't make me say it again!" Jughead growled back, striding towards Sweet Pea. Betty caught him by the sleeve and pulled him back to her, shaking her head. Sweet Pea wasn't worth Jug going to jail for, that much she knew, so now she had to keep him calm. She looked into his eyes in a silent conversation, hoping to let him know she could handle whatever Sweet Pea threw at her. Finally, Jughead nodded reluctantly and stepped aside to let Betty face Sweet Pea.
"Is that the best you got, Sweet Pea? Calling me demeaning names to try and heal your fragile male ego? Pathetic," Betty mocked, cutting her eyes at him. A sinister grin fell onto his lips as he glared at her and chuckled.
"Pathetic, huh? Well, Jughead didn't think I was so pathetic that night in his trailer," Sweet Pea snickered, smiling menacingly as he licked his lips and blatantly checked Jughead out.
"Shut the fuck up, Sweet Pea..." Jughead growled through gritted teeth, his face turning bright red. Even though he had told her about everything, he didn't want her to hear details of that night. Especially not from someone who was out to hurt her any way he could.
"What's the matter, Jug? You don't want her to know how good I got you off?" Sweet Pea ambled closer to Jughead, biting his lip and turning to Betty before he continued, "He moaned my name so loud that I'm surprised all of Sunnyside didn't hear it. He praised me .long - told me how good I was, how he loved the feel of my mouth on his cock. You know I got him off three times that night, just with my hands and mouth? Oh and Princess, I gotta tell you, when he sucked me off and made me come, he took it all. Said I tasted so fucking delicious. We would have gone all the way if he wasn't so exhausted," Sweet Pea smirked triumphantly, feeling that he had the upper hand - until Betty exploded into a fit of laughter.
"Oh? You mean the night he was so drunk that he couldn't even remember what the hell happened the next morning? The same night that he told you was 'a mistake' and that he 'didn't see you like that?' Yeah, you're a bit late to the party, Sweet Pea. He already told me. And guess what? I don't care. His sexual orientation is his own and I am happy with whoever he is. Don't sit here and act like I am such a prude that his experimenting with a man when we were separated bothers me. Oh, and before you throw it in my face too, I know about you confessing your love for him the other night as well so what ya got now, asshole?" Betty shot back firmly, her hands on her hips and cocking an eyebrow in challenge.
"Oh, so he told you about that, huh? Well Princess, did he also tell you we kissed that night too?" Betty's demeanor shifted slightly, her features mirroring the shock she felt for a brief moment. Sweet Pea cackled when he realized she didn't know. "Ohhh, your sweet Juggie didn't tell you, did he? I guess he enjoyed our kiss a lot more than he let on?"
Betty stood stunned for a second, trying to reason with what she was just told. He's lying, just trying to get a rise out of you. Don't believe him, she thought to herself until she glanced at Jughead. The truth was written all over him. He gazed at her with sorrow in his eyes before hanging his head in shame. "Jug?" She choked out, tears pricking her eyes as her mind ran wild. He wouldn't do that to you. He loves you, he'd never kiss someone else while you're together... He wouldn't have lied about that, he trusts you...
"I'm so sorry, Betts."
With his words something inside of her shattered, propelling her into a spiral. She couldn't even look at him without seeing the image of them together flooding her mind and the victorious grin on Sweet Pea's face just made her gut twist into knots. She couldn't breathe, her anger and despair getting the best of her, as she pierced her nails into her palms hard enough to draw blood. Jughead stepped forward - reaching for her - but she backed away, shaking her head violently.
"No. Stay the hell away from me, both of you!" Betty yelped as blood dripped from her hands before spinning to run out of the door. She knew Jughead still had her keys so she took off down the street they came up instead. She didn't care if she had a giant snake-shaped target on her back at the moment, she didn't care about anything except running away from the pain.
"Betts- wait, I can explain! Please!" Jughead cried out after her retreating form, tears forming in his eyes. When he watched her bypass the car and start jogging down 3rd Avenue towards the Wyrm, he turned back to Sweet Pea, speaking with complete malice in his voice.
"How could you do that, Sweet Pea?! Why would you do that?!"
"Bitch deserved it for lying to you, Jug. You know as well as I do that I haven't been harassing her but yet, she convinced you that I did. You're so whipped, that Cunt has you wrapped around-" before he could finish his sentence Jughead threw a punch and knocked him to the ground, scowling at Sweet Pea with his teeth clenched.
"I fucking warned you, Samuel. Now, if you ever say something like that about her again, I'll put your ass in the ground! We're done, you hear me?! You're fired. Pack your shit and get the hell out of my shop. Stay the hell away from any Serpent business, stay the hell away from Betty, and you better stay the fuck away from me. You got that?" Jughead growled.
"You can't fire me, I'm a partner!" Sweet Pea shouted, an expression of disbelief on his face.
"Consider this your notification of a buy-out. I expect you out of Sunnyside by the end of the week. I'll have your money by then and we will settle up. After that, I don't care where you go but it won't be anywhere near Riverdale." Jughead turned to leave but Sweet Pea called out after him.
"Jug! I swear, man! I haven't made any phone calls or sent her any messages!" He cried out, pleading.
"You better hope to God you didn't because when they come for you, I won't be there to stop them anymore." Jughead said flatly, striding out of the parlor and jumping into Betty's car to try and catch up with her before something worse happened to her. Sweet Pea slammed his fists on the ground, shouting in frustration before pulling out his cell.
"It's me... We need to take this bitch down! Now!"
Betty could hear the rumbling of the engine before she heard his pleas. She was so furious but she couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks. She couldn't believe that he had kissed Sweet Pea and then lied about it. Why would he do that? Unless...
Does he still not trust me? Does he secretly have feelings for Sweet Pea and he's just afraid to admit it? Does he really believe I would break up with him over a simple kiss?
When the car pulled up next to her, she heard Jughead jump out of the driver's seat and run to her, blocking her path. She kept her eyes on the ground, her bloody fists clenched and turned away from him so he wouldn't see them. He won't see me break again...
"Betty... Let me take you home and I will explain everything, okay? Please?" He begged, lifting her chin to look in her eyes. She jerked her face away and nodded curtly, not speaking at all, before walking to the car. Once she was in the passenger seat, she buckled up and stared out the window. If he saw the tiny smears of blood on her seatbelt then he didn't mention them. They drove back to Elm Street in silence, the only sound filling the air was the roar of the engine and their heavy breathing. Betty was thankful that no one was home right now because she knew she was likely to explode at any moment.
Once they were inside Jughead locked the door, stepping towards her cautiously and grabbing her wrists. He held fast and pulled them up towards him, despite her attempts to snatch them away, and gave her a pleading look. She let out a heavy sigh and slowly opened her hands, her marred palms just starting to clot and scab over.
"Oh, baby..." Jughead whimpered, a tear slipping from his eyes. He pulled her towards the kitchen, cleaning and disinfecting her wounds before putting band-aids on them. He kissed each palm tenderly before reluctantly letting her go. He rubbed his hands over his face then into his messy locks and sighed heavily.
"Betts-"
"Why? Why did you lie?" Betty asked unexpectedly, her voice hoarse and trembling.
"I didn't- I mean, I wasn't trying to lie." Jughead whispered.
Betty shook her head and spoke again, "Do you not trust me? Did you think I was going to blame you or break up with you if I found out?"
"Of course not, Betty. I honestly didn't even think it was a big deal at the time. He kissed me by surprise and I pushed him off immediately. I was really so taken aback by his love confession that a forced - unreciprocated - kiss didn't even come to mind," Jughead explained quickly, still finding it difficult to meet her eyes.
"Not a big deal? Not... a big... deal? Are you serious right now, Jughead?! HE KISSED YOU! That's a huge fucking deal! I've told you everything since I got back, even about the Black Hood phone calls and what Adam did to me. How could you not trust me after everything we've been through together?" Betty screamed, making Jughead wince. He knew she was right, he shouldn't have kept it from her but he didn't expect the next question she asked. "Is it because you have feelings for him?"
"What?! How could you ask me that?! You know I love you! Please believe me," he pleaded, cupping her cheeks in desperation. Her anger waned briefly but she knew she needed to step away and think things through.
"That still doesn't answer my question, Jughead! Do you have feelings for him?" She yelled.
"No! How can you even think that?" Jughead shouted, his voice shaking.
Betty leaned closer, getting face to face with him as she growled back, "Because there has to be a reason you lied to me, Jug! Tell me, what would you have done if someone kissed me like that and I didn't tell you because 'it wasn't a big deal'?" Jughead's jaw clenched at the thought and he looked away, knowing he would have lost it too.
"Exactly. I need some time to think about everything and I suggest that you do the same because that bullshit excuse isn't going to fly with me! You need to figure out why you really kept it from me and then we'll try to talk. I'm going to work... alone. I don't think it's a good idea if you are there tonight... I don't think I can look at you right now," Betty confessed, standing from the stool she was perched on, grabbing her keys and walking out the door without a backward glance.
Jughead walked into the Black Cat somberly, nodding to a stone-faced Harvey who was working the door. Harvey responded with a curt nod and a glare but he let Jughead pass through the doors with no problem. Well, at least she didn't ban me... yet, he thought ruefully. He knew Harvey had probably picked up on something being wrong since Betty showed up to the club alone - if she hadn't already told him what was going on. Here's hoping I don't get my ass kicked for showing up anyway...
Jug had spent the afternoon riding his bike around town and thinking about everything that Betty had said to him. He knew he'd fucked up really bad this time. He never wanted her to think he didn't trust her enough to tell her what happened, and he sure as hell didn't want her thinking he kept it a secret because he had feelings for someone else. Yes, he had defended Sweet Pea. At the time, he didn't want him to be falsely accused if he wasn't the one behind the Black Hood threats. But after the things Sweet Pea said to Betty, the things he called her, Jughead was done defending the man he used to call his best friend.
Jughead shook his head gently to clear his thoughts. He had to stop thinking about Sweet Pea and what he did. He was here to beg Betty for forgiveness and make up for how he had hurt her, that was all that mattered right now. He lit up a cigarette and headed towards the backroom when the lights dimmed and a slow familiar melody pierced his ears...
Is that?
Drink the wine,
My darling you said
Take your time,
And consume all of it
Let the roses,
Only to drain my inspiration
The promises,
Was born before they left your lips
Jughead nearly choked on his smoke when he saw the curtain rise before him. Standing in the center of the stage - spotlight trained on her - was Betty... in a school girl's uniform. A very short school girl's uniform. Her skin-tight white short-sleeved button-down did very little to hide the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, her pasties visible through the material. She wore a plain black tie, white sheer knee-high stocking with high-heeled mary janes and pigtails in her hair. Her red plaid skirt barely covered her ass so when she spun around and bent over slightly, you could see her crimson thong.
Jughead's eyes were glued to her, entranced by her presence on stage. She was a goddess, a literal fantasy come to life, and all be could think about was how he had hurt her. However, despite the pain he had caused her, he knew she still loved him. Her current song choice mirrored that fact.
It was the song that was playing on the radio when they finally lost their virginity to one another, the same night they had fought and ended with her showing him her scars. Betty always called it their song, said it was the song that she listened to when she wanted to remember how she'd felt that night, how openly she trusted him with her darkness and how willing he was to accept it.
I breathe you in again
Just to feel you
Underneath my skin,
Holding on to
The sweet escape,
Is always laced with a,
Familiar taste,
Of poison
Betty slowly made her way to a pole that had been installed in the middle of the stage and circled around it, her right hand gripping high up on the pole as she made her way around it. After a few passes, she stopped to remove the black thick-rimmed glasses that she wore, biting the leg between her scarlet lips before winking at the crowd as she tossed them away. Next was her tie, which she loosened slowly and flung as well, turning to face the pole.
I tell myself,
That you're no good for me
I wish you well,
But desire never leaves
I can fight this to the end,
But maybe I don't wanna win
Betty gripped higher up on the pole, spinning around it gracefully, her skirt fluttering as she wrapped her legs around the pole to hang upside down, giggling as her spin slowed. She drifted around the pole completely unrestricted like this was where she could truly let go and be herself.
Once she was on her feet again, she smirked at the crowd while her hands began running up her body to start opening the buttons of her blouse unhurriedly. She owned the stage, sauntering around elegantly as she popped one button open at a time.
I breathe you in again
Just to feel you
Underneath my skin,
Holding on to
The sweet escape,
Is always laced with a,
Familiar taste,
Of poison
Jughead's mouth ran dry as he lit another cigarette, his tongue swelling slightly while his eyes stayed captivated by the beauty in front of him. She mercifully hadn't noticed him yet, which he was secretly glad for since he was content to watch her work unrestricted.
He already knew she was furious with him, and she had every right to be, but watching her leave it all behind to escape into her work was the most intoxicating thing he'd ever seen. This was her domain and she was not going to let anything keep her from giving it her all.
I don't wanna be saved,
I don't wanna be saved,
And I,
Want you on my mind
In my dreams,
Behind these eyes,
And I,
Wanna wake up,
No, not this time
Jughead blew out his drag and chewed his lip, watching her tease and smirk at the crowd, his heart clenching tightly when he saw how it didn't quite reach her eyes. He walked closer to the stage, still hidden in the shadows as to not upset her further, and watched her glide around the pole. Betty did twists and bends that he never knew she was capable of and made a mental note to test them out at a later date.
Down boy... She has to forgive you first and you screwed up royally this time...
I breathe you in again
Just to feel you
Underneath my skin,
Holding on to
The sweet escape,
Is always laced with a,
Familiar taste,
Of poison
By the time Jughead pulled himself out of the fantasy that had invaded his thoughts, Betty had removed most of her clothing - save for her skirt, her stockings, and her shoes. She bent over, pulling her hair loose to flip it as she slung her head back and smiled seductively at the crowd. She lowered herself into a split, gripping the pole for balance and rolling over to place it between her legs. She laid down to arch her back, her perfect breasts accentuated by the bend, her hands roaming from her lips and down the valley of her breasts towards the hem of her skirt.
Betty lifted herself off of the floor unhurriedly, pulling herself back up by the pole before trotting slightly to get a faster spin. Once she was on the pole she wrapped it around the backs of her knees and let go, her torso spinning vertically to the pole as the song's final chorus crescendoed. She kept her eyes closed, a real grin on her face this time, and it made Jughead's heart vault. He loved seeing that smile and the look of freedom in her expression.
A familiar taste,
Of poison
A familiar taste,
Of poison
He watched her slow as the song ended, doing a few more delicate passes on the pole before she took her bow just as the curtain fell. With the spell he was under finally broken, Jughead put out his cigarette and hurried to the back before Betty could leave the stage to wait for her in the dressing room. He knew there was a chance that she would call security on him and have his ass booted from the club but that was a chance he was willing to take. He couldn't stand the thought that he had betrayed her.
Now all he could do was wait...
As Betty walked off stage, she smiled, feeling a lot better than she had when she first made it into work that day. She had spent all night replaying the fight she'd had with Jughead and - while she honestly didn't like him not being here with her - she was still just so hurt.
It wasn't even just the fact that he'd lied, it was why he could've possibly kept it from her. Did he secretly still harbor resentment towards her? Did he not really trust her? Was he still confused about his feelings and orientation? Those were the thoughts that plagued her mind all night. If he had just been honest with her from the beginning then this wouldn't even be an issue right now.
Well, he did tell you about Sweet Pea's love confession...
Yes, that was true, but why not tell her everything? Why would he think kissing someone else wasn't 'a big deal'? What was the point of hiding it if it didn't mean anything to him? She wasn't sure what his reasons were, all she knew was that when she saw him again they were going to have a long discussion about this subject. As she entered her dressing room, a shadow from the corner moved and she flinched, crying out slightly until she realized who it was.
"What the hell, Forsythe! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" She scolded, slapping his chest a few times as he neared her. She watched a look of despair cross his face briefly before she noticed his eyes were blown black, his irises almost completely consumed by his pupils. She could feel desire radiating off of him and swallowed thickly, her anger quickly replaced by yearning. She stammered as she spoke, "W-What are you doing here, Jug? I thought I made it clear I didn't want to see you here tonight?"
He lowered his eyes, staring down at the floor in humiliation, "I know, Betts... but I couldn't stand the thought of not being here with you. Of not protecting you, even if you might hate me for what I did."
"Juggie... I don't hate you."
"But I'd understand if you did. I fucked up, Betts, I know I did. I just- I hope it wasn't so bad that I can't fix it," he whispered as he lowered himself to his knees, resting his forehead on her abdomen as a tear slipped past his lashes. Betty's heart cracked at seeing how vulnerable he was being with her. She knew from years of growing up with Jughead that it was hard for him to be vulnerable with anyone - but he did it with her. She grabbed the sides of his face, tilting his head so she could see his eyes.
"Why did you really lie to me, Jug?" She asked in a steady tone, not willing to give away that she was already half-way to forgiving him. He closed his eyes, a few more tears slipping down his cheeks before he spoke.
"Truthfully? I was afraid of how you'd react," she stiffened as he replied but relaxed once he continued, "I honestly was afraid you'd beat Sweet Pea to a bloody pulp once you found out and I was foolishly trying to run damage control. I had already confronted him about it and told him that there would never be anything between us, so I stupidly thought forgetting about it would just be best. Now, I realize just how fucked up that line of thinking was."
"So, you don't feel anything for him?"
"Not in that way, no. He is- he was my friend... I didn't want to lose my friend but I fucked up because instead, I risked losing you and- God, I wouldn't survive that, baby. I almost died last time, I would probably succeed this time," he whimpered, the tears flowing faster. Betty's heart shattered fully, seeing his pain and knowing it was real. All she wanted to do at that moment was comfort him, even if she was supposed to be mad.
"Shhh, baby, don't cry," she whispered, lowering her lips to press against his tenderly. She could taste the salt from his tears as he parted his lips, allowing her to swirl her velvety tongue around his. She felt his moan reverberate through her body as she continued to kiss him, his hands gripping her hips roughly while he uttered apologies against her lips
She pulled back, looking into his stunned eyes as she asked, "Are you really sorry, Juggie?" He nodded slowly, completely mesmerized by her. "Show me..." she whispered, stepping back to let her robe fall to the ground. She stood in what was left of her costume, watching as his hungry eyes wandered over her body. He remained on his knees as she backed herself towards the loveseat, sitting slowly as she reached it. Still kneeling in the position she left him in, Jughead removed his jacket, tossing it to the side before doing the same with his shirt.
He was left in just his jeans - slung low enough to show off the fact that he hadn't bothered to wear boxers - and he began crawling towards, his mouth watering as she spread her legs for him. He could smell her arousal as soon as he reached her, a low growl escaping his throat. He looked up at her, waiting for her to give her permission before he hooked his fingers into the sides of her panties and pulled them off.
Jughead leaned in, inhaling her intoxicating aroma before dragging her legs over his shoulders. He kissed the insides of her thighs lingeringly, whispering words of apology and reverence against her soft skin. Once his tongue finally found her center Jughead took his time, his tongue slowly lapping at her aching sex. Betty moaned, her eyes fluttering closed at the overwhelming sensations she was feeling.
He suckled at her bundle of nerves, building her up steadily before inserting a finger inside her slick cunt. Her hands found purchase in his raven locks, her hips finding their rhythm as she ground herself onto his wicked tongue. As he slipped another finger inside her she felt herself quivering, her climax crashing over her heavily. He worked her through her orgasm but didn't stop once the waves subsided. He continued to feast on her, his movements becoming faster and fingers curling inside to hit her sweet spot.
Jughead's tongue swirled around her clit as his fingers pistoned into her, her breathing becoming erratic as she felt the coil inside her winding up again. It successfully snapped when Jughead sucked her clit between his lips and began nibbling on it. Betty had never come so hard in her life, her essence flowing out of her and coating his chin before dribbling onto his chest. Jughead licked up every drop of it he could reach, loving the taste of her. Once he was done he sat back and wiped his mouth on his arm, allowing Betty to bend forward to undo his belt and pants before pushing them down past his hips and freeing his throbbing erection.
She stroked him with one hand a few times before grabbing his chin roughly with the other so he would look at her as she spoke hoarsely, "I'll forgive you this time. But mark my words, Forsythe, next time I won't be so forgiving. If you ever lie to me about something like this again, I'm gone. Forever. I'll allow you to see JJ as much as you'd like but you and I will never be together again. Do you understand me?" He nodded shakily, tears pricking his eyes as the finality of her words hit him like knives in his chest.
"Good, now come here," she whispered, grabbing the back of his neck and crashing their lips together. She pulled him on top of her as she laid back on the couch, waiting as he kicked his boots and jeans off before wrapped her legs around his hips. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, tears shining in them from the intensity of the moment.
"I love you, Elizabeth. Only you. It will only ever be you," he whimpered as he thrust into her, pushing himself to the hilt. He held her there for a moment, kissing her gently before he began to rock into her slowly. Betty writhed under him, the slow speed of his thrusts driving her crazy.
"Please, Juggie... I need more..." Betty muttered against his lips. Jughead growled, driving into her at an unrelenting pace and fucking her into the soft padding of the loveseat. Betty could feel her next orgasm taking over her body as she cried out, her body trembling under him as he continued to surge forward. Another orgasm erupted in her as soon as the other dissipated and he followed shortly behind her, shouting her name as he came deep inside her.
Jughead collapsed onto her, his face buried in her neck as the tears began to fall again. Betty pushed him back, taking his face in her hands. "I love you too, Juggie. So much. I love you. I love you. I love you," she whispered to him, kissing him repeatedly between each 'I love you'.
"I'm so sorry, Betts. I swear, I will never hide anything or lie to you again. I love you and I never want to lose you," he sobbed, hugging her to his chest as he pulled them to a sitting position on the couch. Jughead clung to her like she was his own personal lifeboat, his salvation. Betty wrapped her arms around him, comforting him as he continued to weep.
"Shh, I know. I know. I forgive you, Jug. Shhh," she ran her hand through his hair as she held his head to her bare chest. Once his tears had dried, she pulled away and looked down on him with a smile.
"Let's go home, Juggie."
As soon as the couple walked into the front door, Betty and Jughead were meet by the sight of their family gathered around their murder board in the dining room. Alice and Charles were hunched over paperwork whispering to one another as FP stood back with Kevin, looking over the pins on the board carefully.
"What's going on?" Jughead asked, stepping into the living room cautiously. Alice spun around in surprise, her face promptly forming a frown as she stood tall and crossed her arms defiantly.
"Did you two forget that you weren't the only ones working this case? We've been studying your evidence any chance we could get to see if maybe fresh eyes will catch anything you may have missed. We're a family and we will solve this together as one. Now get your asses over here and explain to me all this mess with Sweet Pea so we can see what we're working with," Alice demanded, turning back to the papers she and Charles had been studying.
"Uh, I'm gonna just jump in the shower first but Jughead can explain what we learned today," Betty said quickly, shrugging at Jughead as she kissed his cheek before turning and running upstairs. Jughead let out an unsteady breath and stepped up to the board in order to answer their questions.
"How did it go with Sweet Pea? " Charles asked lowly, noticing the discomfort in Jughead's expression. Jughead shook his head and sighed heavily, tugging at the curls that fell in his eyes.
"Not good actually. He said he didn't do anything. Called Betty a liar and - some other really nasty things - but he denied making any calls or threatening Betty. However, I'm done defending him, Charlie. I honestly don't know who he is anymore. Maybe you'll be able to get more out of him when you pick him up. I fired him after what he said to her and gave him a week to get the hell out of Riverdale. I told him I would buy him out at the end of the week so that should keep him from outright running now, but I assumed the FBI will pick him up well before then," Jughead said solemnly, pinning a scrap of paper that read 'BH Suspect or Accomplice?' under Sweet Pea's name. Charles laid his hands on Jug's shoulders comfortingly, staring at the board with his lips in a grim line.
"The warrant will be ready in the morning, Jug. As soon as we have that in hand then we'll be able to pick him up and question him. Which reminds me, any calls today?" Charles asked. He hadn't gotten an alert about that particular number but that didn't mean the suspect wouldn't try to use a different number to torment her.
"No, not that she's told me about. Listen, we've both had kind of a rough day, can we do this in the morning?" Jughead asked, exhaustion taking over as the stress of the day began catching up with him. Alice turned, seeing his tired eyes, and laid her hand on his cheek to check his face in a motheringly manner.
"Of course, sweetie. You're right, it's late. We should all get some rest and start fresh in the morning. Charlie, you and Kevin are staying here tonight, no arguments. The basements guest bed is already made up so you might as well. Come on FP, let's get some sleep." Alice said firmly, dragging his dad upstairs without another word. Once Jughead made it up to his room, he stripped his clothes off and pulled on a pair of boxers before collapsing onto their bed. He wasn't sure how long he'd dozed off for when he felt Betty nudging him to roll over but he drifted back off to sleep with her whispering how much she loved him in his ear.
They call me The Wild Rose, but my name was Elisa Day. Why they call me it I do not know, for my name was Elisa Day...
The haunting melody of Nick Cave's 'Where the Wild Roses Grow' filled the air of the seedy hotel room as Adam laid out all of the things he needed to pack in his kit. He grinned at each item in front of him as he checked them each off his list, one by one:
a hammer
ropes
duct tape
an ice pick
handcuffs
gloves
mechanics rags
shower cap
rubbing alcohol
garbage bags
a box cutter
two hunting knives.
After he'd received word that his lovesick fool of a partner was ready to proceed to the next part of their plan, he knew what he needed to do. He had gone to every hardware store in the tri-county area in order to cover his tracks and bought all of the equipment he needed to carry out his revenge on the girl he once knew as Juliet. It was almost time for everything to be set into motion and it filled him with devilish delight just to think about what he was going to do to Betty once he got his hands on her.
I can't wait to see her try to scream with my hands wrapped around her throat... He thought as he slipped on a pair of gloves and slowly began to place the items into the black duffle bag. Everything was set, all they needed was a distraction to get her separated from her family and then he could grab her quickly. Adam felt his phone vibrating in his pocket and answered immediately.
"Yeah? Are they at the house now? What do you mean the fed is still there?! Well, if we are gonna do this thing tomorrow like you wanted then I need you to get them out of that house. I don't care how you do it, just make it happen!" Adam shouted into the phone before ending the call and packing the last of the rope and duct tape into the duffle bag. He picked up the picture laying on the side table, staring at it with a wicked grin as he licked his lips.
He gazed at the printed out of a photo of 'Juliet' and her red-headed partner at The Black Cat, both girls' eyes scratched out and puncture marks on their bodies from where he had repeatedly stabbed the photo. He could already feel himself growing hard just from the thought of how it would feel to plunge that knife into her soft flesh... He pulled himself free from his jeans and gawked at the picture in his hand while listening to the final verse of the song.
On the third day he took me to the river, he showed me the roses and we kissed. And the last thing I heard was a muttered word as he knelt above me with a rock in his fist.
On the last day, I took her where the wild roses grow and she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief. And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die" and I lent down and planted a rose 'tween her teeth...
"Oh, Elizabeth... The horrible things I'm going to do to you..." he whispered as he gripped erection and closed his eyes, working himself to completion before grunting as he spilled himself in his gloved hand. I'll see you soon, Betty...
They call me The Wild Rose, but my name was Elisa Day. Why they call me that I do not know, for my name was Elisa Day. My name was Elisa Day... For my name was Elisa Day...