Don't Cry

Talk to me softly, there's something in your eyes

Don't hang your head in sorrow and please don't cry

I know how you feel inside, I've, I've been there before

Something is changing inside you and don't you know?

Don't Cry (Original) - Gun N' Roses

October 2019 - The Heartbreak

Betty frowned down at her cocktail, wondering how she'd gotten to this point. She'd been lamenting to anyone within earshot about how men were nothing but no good motherfuckers and cursing the day she ever met Archie Andrews and Jughead Jones.

She chuckled bitterly to herself as she thought about how messed up it was that she'd only ever loved two men, who just so happened to be brothers, and both of them had broken her heart.

The longer she dwelled on her relationship with Archie, the more she realized that she really should've seen the cheating and break up coming a lot sooner.

Sure, they'd made sense together when they were younger– the captain of the football team and the perky cheerleader. But as time went on, they outgrew that picture-perfect facade (and each other).

Did his actions leading up to their break up hurt her? Of course, they did. No one wants to go through that kind of experience, but she came to terms with it relatively quickly. Even if that was entirely due to Jughead; the boy who burst into her life and swept her off her feet without even trying...

The boy she had fallen hopelessly in love with within just a few months...

The same boy who was too ashamed to admit they were a couple to any of their friends...

The one who couldn't even defend her when her ex flat out called her a whore...

And the only man who held the ability to shatter her heart worse than Archie Andrews ever could've...

A tear slipped down her cheek, her heartbreaking in two as she thought of all of the events of the last year.

Were all the sweets moments and promises they'd shared just a means to an end for him?

Was she really no more than a warm bed?

Had she really been stupid enough to believe that she was even worthy of anyone's love?

Betty exhaled heavily but was pulled from her spiraling thoughts by the last voice she wanted to hear at that moment. She quickly wiped her eyes, not wanting to give him more fuel for the fire.

"Oh super, looks like Bubbles is here. Aren't you supposed to be at that stupid Northside party with the rest of the Powerpuff Girls?" Sweet Pea taunted, sauntering up to the bar with Toni in tow.

God, he is such a douchebag... Betty thought to herself, sipping her drink and choosing to ignore them.

"That's what I was told. Hey Coop, you good?" Toni asked, eyeing Betty's demeanor closely. She could plainly see that the girl was distressed and -from the looks of it- very drunk.

Whatever happened must have been pretty bad because, for the first time ever, Toni found herself genuinely concerned for the Northsider. She and Betty were never friends, but she was a woman and Toni could sense heartbreak when she saw it.

"Gears, who the hell kept giving this one drinks?" she asked in annoyance, turning to the young bartender.

"Sorry, T. Blondie wasn't on the no-fly list and she seemed upset so I figured she needed it. Besides, she's only had a few drinks. I couldn't have known she was a lightweight," Gears shrugged sheepishly, moving down the bar to serve another patron. Toni groaned, cursing the stupidity of whatever man had caused Betty to drown her sorrows in multiple Dirty Shirley's tonight.

"Alright Hello Kitty, it's time to call it a night. You shouldn't even be here. If Jug finds you drinking like this in his bar, he's gonna lose his shit," Toni stated while attempting to help Betty off her stool.

As loathed as she was to admit it, she really felt bad for Betty. She could see that someone had obviously broken this girl, and while Toni was never the biggest fan of Northsiders', she also wasn't going to be cruel to Betty in her current state.

"No! I don't give a shit what Jughead -I'm the biggest dick in the world and I need to be punched in my stupid face- Jones thinks. He's a bastard and I'm here to have fun! You know what I say– fuck it! I'm a strong independent woman, I'll do whatever the hell I want! Fuck men and fuck Jughead Jones!" Betty shouted, wiggling out of Toni's arms.

Betty climbed onto the empty stage before Toni could stop her and started dancing provocatively on one of the stripper poles, still wearing her Velma costume, earning lustful cheers from the entire bar of drunk bikers.

"Well, I can't say I don't agree with some of your points, Cooper, but I still think it's time to call it quits for the night," Toni shouted with a laugh. She found that she was genuinely amused by the blonde's sudden devil may care attitude but knew well enough that this situation could only end badly.

"Sweets, I'mma need you to call JJ while I try to wrestle Cooper's drunk ass off the stage."

Jughead huffed in anger stormed out of the Pembrooke to look for Betty, determined to beg her for forgiveness and to apologize for being the stupid asshole that he was.

He hated himself for how he'd handled the whole situation and for all the things he could've done differently tonight. Now he just wanted to find her and then spend the rest of his life showing her how much she meant to him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't having any luck on that front so far. He'd checked just about everywhere in town and he still wasn't having any luck finding her.

First, he went to her apartment and when she wasn't there, he searched all of her favorite spots in town that he could think of; Pop's Diner, the Bijou, the old Twilight Drive-In, Sweetwater River. He even went to the Riverdale Public Library (just in case) and still nothing.

He was just getting ready to turn around and head back to Veronica's to see if she'd heard from Betty when his phone rang, Sweet Pea's name flashing on the screen. Jughead hit the answer button, the call coming in through the Bluetooth in Jughead's jeep.

"Can whatever it is wait, Sweets? I'm kinda busy right now," Jughead said hurriedly, not in the mood to listen to whatever shit Sweet Pea was surely going blather on about. All of his focus was on locating Betty and making sure she was alright.

"Sorry to bother you, Boss, but we have a bit of a situation down at the Wyrm right now."

"What kind of situation? Can't you handle it?"

"Well, Northside Barbie's here and she's completely trashed. She jumped up on stage and is currently putting on quite a show for the boys. Honestly, I didn't know the prude had it in her," Sweet Pea chuckled on the other line. "Anyway, so you want me and Toni to just toss her ass for you after she's done collecting her dollar bills?"

Jughead cursed under his breath, making a sharp u-turn and flooring it towards the Southside, "No! I'll be there in ten. Take her up to the apartment and don't let her leave. Cooper and I need to have a little chat."

"Got it, Boss."

Jughead practically punched the end call button on his phone in frustration, gripping the steering wheel tighter as he thought about all the eyes that were likely on her right now.

I'll kill any one of those motherfuckers if they so much as lay a hand on her.

Seven minutes (and at least four broken traffic laws) later, Jughead pulled into his space at the back of the bar, heading in through the kitchen doors and up the back staircase leading to his apartment. Shouting from above had him moving double-time up the stairs, afraid that he might actually walk up on a physical altercation between Betty and Sweet Pea.

He blew out a relieved breath when he finally reached the top to find Sweet Pea sitting casually in an old wooden chair that he'd pressed up against Jughead's front door, scrolling mindlessly through his phone while the petite blonde on the other side continued to shout obscenities and beat furiously on the door.

"I know you're still out there, Sweets, I can hear your brain struggling to process abstract thought! I demand you let me out right this minute, you ill-bred monochromatic cretin! Fucking troglodyte!" Betty screamed, pounding on the closed door with all her might.

"Did she just call you a cave dweller yet?" Jug chuckled awkwardly, raising an eyebrow at Sweet Pea who just shrugged in return before putting his phone away.

"Yep. She has been yelling brainiac shit like that ever since I threw her ass in there and locked the door," he huffed, clearly annoyed with her antics. "Leave it to an egghead like Cooper to use big words even when she's shit-faced."

"Thanks for watching her till I got here. Will you go downstairs and help Toni clear the place out before you lock up? I've got this situation from here. It's gonna be a long night and not an enjoyable one," Jughead sighed, clapping Sweet Pea on the back twice before pulling his keys out.

"You got it, Boss. Let me know if you need me to call Rainbow Brite a cab," Sweet Pea replied with a salute before heading downstairs. Jughead let out a staggering breath, his shoulders slumping. He leaned his forehead against the door and prepared himself for whatever awaited on the other side.

"I mean it, motherfucker! If you don't open this door, I'll–"

"Sweets left, Betty. It's just me now. I'm coming in," he called out, effectively silencing her.

He unlocked the door and with one last deep breath, swung it open to see the woman he'd watched run out on him in tears only a few hours before. She stood with her back against the island in his kitchen, her eyes fixed on the floor. She chewed her thumb nervously while her other arm wrapped around her body protectively.

"Betts?"

Betty shook her head, not answering him at first before finally whispering, "What are you doing here, Jughead?"

"Well, I do kind of own the place..." he joked, laughing nervously.

She made no move to look at him, just kept her head down, staring at her feet and not speaking. His heart ached to comfort her, his body in physical agony with the need to reach out and touch her– to protect her. He took a small step towards her, praying she would listen.

"Betty..."

"No, Jughead. I meant, why are you here when you clearly care more about Archie's precious feelings than mine?" she grumbled, finally looking up at him, the anger and hurt she'd been holding in dancing behind her eyes. "Shouldn't you be off somewhere consoling poor little Archie? He's family– I'm just the piece of ass you've been fucking for the last year."

"Stop, Betty. You know you mean more to me than that," Jughead countered, stepping closer. He didn't want her to think that was all he wanted from her. He just needed to explain, to tell her how he felt about her.

"Well, you sure as hell could've fooled me with how you acted tonight! Oh wait, who are we kidding, with how you've been acting for the last fucking year! You had plenty of opportunities to tell people about us but you always used the same excuse not to," Betty retorted, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Betty, you knew how hard it was going to be for me to tell Archie about us! I told you that from the beginning and you agreed, so don't give me that shit about me keeping us a secret when you were a willing participant!" he stated firmly, his temper teetering on the edge. Betty cocked her head to the side, her tongue in her cheek as she contemplated what he said before conceding.

"Alright Jug, I'll give you that one. We did agree to it. But we also agreed that we'd tell him together and you swore to me, Jughead. You promised you'd have my back when it came down to it and you broke that promise. I went to bat for you, I kept us a secret because I knew you wanted to protect Archie but who's going to protect me, Jug?"

"Come on, Betty, that's not fair! You know damn well that I'd protect you with my life."

"Oh, like how you protected me when Archie called me a whore and treated me like a piece of trash? Oh, that's right, you didn't. You just stood there and let him tear me down. Thanks for that, by the way."

"Dammit Betty, I was in shock! I didn't think he would actually say some messed up shit like that to you and I froze! I would never let someone talk about you like that under normal circumstances!"

"Oh, but it's okay for Archie to say all those awful things to me because he caught us having sex? You had the perfect opportunity to tell him the truth about our relationship but you kept your mouth shut and didn't say a damn word to him other than it was 'complicated'! But besides that, why don't we talk about how you never once stood up for me when all your Serpent friends talked shit behind my back?"

"Come on, Betts... I did defend you when it was out of line but I don't think they don't mean anything by it, they're like that with everyone," Jughead sighed.

"Figures you'd back them and not me. I guess I should've seen that coming all along since it seems like you never took this relationship or my feelings seriously. You're just perfectly content to come over to my place to fool around or to take me out where no one knows us– like I'm just some dirty little secret you're keeping locked away."

"Come on, it's not like I was actively trying to keep us a secret because I was ashamed or anything. I just wanted to spare Archie's feelings after what he's been through the last year," Jughead saw the flame that rose up in her eyes as soon as the words left his mouth and he knew he'd struck the wrong nerve.

"Excuse me? His feelings... what he's been through? I understand it's been a horrible year for him but what about my feelings, Jug? What about what I've been through? I'm the one who got cheated on, tossed aside for someone more exciting and new. I'm the one who's had to endure the glares from your old fuck buddy anytime she saw me and the constant put-downs from all your friends," Betty yelled, getting in his face. Suddenly, she averted her eyes, her chest heaving as she collected herself, laughing humorlessly before she stepped back.

"Oh, that's right. No one gives a flying fuck about Betty's feelings. No one cares about what Betty's gone through because she's not important enough to have anyone care about her. Well, you know what I think? Fuck all of it! Fuck relationships, fuck feelings, fuck love, and fuck you, Jughead Jones. Fuck you and Archie Andrews and your stupid promise to him! And fuck that mouth-breather who locked me in here until you could come to talk Crazy Cooper off the goddamn ledge," tears pierced her eyes, stinging and threatening to fall.

She was so angry with herself for letting her heart get broken again so easily that all she wanted to do was leave and swear off all relationships until after college. All they did was bring her pain in the end anyway. She wiped the tears away, completely done with everything. She made an effort to walk away only to stumble directly into his arms, much to her dismay.

"Don't touch me, I don't need your fucking help!" Betty growled with finality, pushing away from him and rushing out of the apartment.

She only made it as far as the top of the stairs before she felt Jughead's arms wrap around her waist, picking her up without saying a word. He carried her -kicking and screaming- all the way back upstairs and into his apartment, setting her down and blocking the door.

"Dammit, Betty. Can you just calm down for one fucking second?! You've had a lot to drink tonight so I think– maybe we should wait until you're sober to–" he huffed as she struggled against him.

"Calm down?! Fuck that, you condescending asshole! I'll show you calm down!" she growled, striking his chest weakly in a fit of resentment. Tears were already tumbling from her eyes but he just held her to his chest tighter.

"I mean it, fuck every last one of you motherfuckers! Fuck Archie for being such a self-centered asshole and fuck you for caring more about how he feels than about how I do! We were supposed to look out for each other, Jughead! God- I fell in love with you and I stupidly thought you loved me back," she shouted, pausing briefly as exhaustion took her over.

"I've never been given emotional support like that before. It seemed so effortless for you. But if you really cared that much about my trauma, why would you pile on more? This whole situation was a clusterfuck to deal with and it turns out I wasn't even getting your love out of it. Just a fuck buddy with a racy edge and some amazing orgasms. I suppose by now I should know better than to expect more than that. I guess I should have listened... Turns out she was right about me after all," Betty choked as she fell limp in his arms, breaking down into sobs.

Jughead carefully scooped her up without hesitation, shushing her cries while he carried her to his bedroom. He wouldn't lie, his heart skipped when he heard those words slip from her lips– the same ones that he'd been longing to say to her for months.

"Come on, baby. Let's get you cleaned up. I promise it'll all be okay in the morning," he whispered into her hair.

Jughead truly loved her more than words could ever begin to express, and he never wanted her to believe she was just another fling, but he decided not to respond to her declaration. He wasn't going to let the first time that he told her how he felt to be while she was black out drunk and hysterical.

It can wait until morning...

Jughead felt a strong sense of deja vu hitting him hard as he headed towards his room. This scene was reminiscent of the night that he discovered her in the bathroom, shivering under the freezing cold water in the shower after her encounter with Archie and Veronica.

It destroyed him to know that this time he was the one to cause her to break, along with Archie. He wanted nothing more than to take the pain away and make it better. They just had to get through tonight. Then he would spend the rest of his life fixing what he broke.

"What's wrong with me? Why can't I ever be good enough, Juggie?" Betty mumbled incoherently against his neck, almost too quiet for him to hear.

"Shh, baby, don't talk like that. You're good enough, I swear you are. I'm so sorry I put you through all of this... I'm sorry... I–" he whispered, choking on his words at the devastated look on her face, his heart fracturing. From the glazed look in her eyes, he wasn't even sure she could understand him but he apologized anyway.

Once they reached his room, he helped her out of her costume and into one of his t-shirts before going into the ensuite to gather everything he needed to take care of her physical wounds.

Jughead wiped her face and hands with a warm washcloth, taking his time to be as gentle as possible. He stayed silent, not really knowing what to say without making things worse. He simply tried to show her how much he cared through his actions.

After she was cleaned up, Jughead carefully laid her down, pulling the covers over her before placing two ibuprofen on the nightstand beside her along with a glass of water. He grabbed some boxers and pajama pants, darting off to take a quick shower before slipping into bed behind her. They were both exhausted and desperately needed a good night's sleep.

"It's gonna be okay, Betts. I promise. I love you, baby..." he whispered into her hair, pulling her sleeping form tightly to his chest.

Tomorrow he would fix it...

The first thing Betty noticed when she woke up the next morning was the drumming feeling behind her eyelids when she attempted to open them. She squinted against the brightness of the light streaming through the blinds and groaned softly, burying her face into her pillow.

Ughhh, worst decision ever... Why the hell did I order cocktails with vodka in them again? she thought, freezing when she felt what could only be Jughead's strong arms wrapping securely around her waist.

She could feel his even breaths against her neck and, for a brief moment, peace washed over her and she sunk into the security of his embrace. The safe feelings didn't last long though and she panicked, the events of the disastrous party fully rushing back to her.

"Oh God..." she mumbled, slowly turning in his arms. Her heart yearned to wake him and talk, her fingers ghosting over his jawline before pushing the wild curls from his forehead.

He always looked so young like this, completely relaxed and serene. She had spent many mornings doing this very same thing, merely watching the man she loved as he slept.

Betty was completely mortified that she'd just blurted that sentiment out to him last night but this was one of the reasons why she tried not to drink very much. She always got extremely emotional and she had absolutely no filter, so random things would just come out.

She never wanted Jughead to see that broken side of her again. The unmendable part that was always one loose thread away from ripping back open and unleashing her darkness.

...You know, he never did tell you he loved you, even after you said it, Elizabeth...

Betty shook that voice from her head. It was far too early to be dealing with the demons of her past. Jughead told her she was good enough. He apologized and he cleaned her wounds, he took care of her... Why would he say those things if he didn't care?

Betty... I just couldn't give you the love you wanted from me... Archie's words came back to her and she wondered if this was how Jughead felt about her too?

Sure he said he cared, but would that ever be enough?

Could she live with the knowledge that she loved yet another man who might not be able to give her the same level of affection she felt in return?

...That's why he didn't say it back, he doesn't feel the same way you do...

The thought consumed her and all she could hear was Alice's voice whispering venom into her ear.

...No matter how much he cares, he could never love someone as broken as you...

...You acted like a whore, so why does it surprise you that you were just another warm body to him...

...He doesn't love you, Elizabeth. No one will ever love someone like you...

Betty felt the tears burning her already watery eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. She gave a shaky sigh, sneaking out of his bed to grab some of the clothes that she'd left at his place to get dressed.

She threw her hair into a messy bun and stared at herself in the mirror, her mother's voice continuing to claw its way to the surface, no matter how hard she pushed it down. That's when she made her final decision, knowing what needed to be done.

She left her discarded costume on the floor, gathering some of her personal items and packing them into a tote bag. She slipped on her spare flats and glanced around the messy room to see if she was forgetting anything, her eyes landing on the man in the center of the bed. She couldn't help but smile at the way his arm was thrown over his face, snoring softly as he sprawled across the mattress.

"I love you, Juggie. I'll never stop loving you, I don't think I can..." she whispered, walking to his side of the bed and leaning down to kiss him softly.

Maybe Alice was right all along, I'm just too broken for anyone to love.

Instead of giving in to all the thoughts racing through her mind, she focused instead on writing a note for Jughead, hoping that she would be long gone before he actually read it.

She let the tears flow freely as she wrote, everything she'd been holding in coming out and pouring onto paper. Once she was done, she dried her eyes and laid the note next to him on her pillow before walking away for good.

If Betty had been hoping to leave the Wyrm with some of her dignity intact, luck it seemed, was not on her side. Just as she made it out the front door of the bar, she caught sight of Sweet Pea pulling into the parking lot, sneering at her as he unmounted his bike.

She remembered all the nasty things she had said to him the night before but she averted her eyes and tried to ignore him, waiting patiently for her rideshare to show up and take her back home.

It had been one hell of a night and she just didn't have it in her to deal with any of the Serpent's bullshit today. Frankly, she didn't know if her heart could take any more damage. She just wanted to get home and get things between them severed, permanently.

She'd already called ahead and asked her landlord to have the maintenance man come out to change the locks on her apartment within the next few hours. Between Archie never giving back his key, and now Jughead having one as well, she just figured it best to kill two birds with one stone. Then she would pack his things (minus a few things) and arrange to have someone come pick them up. Then this could all be behind her and she could move on...

"And why are you still here, Cooper? Don't tell me that Jug was so desperate for a free piece of ass that he actually fucked you?!" Sweet Pea barked out a laugh, looking at her in distaste.

She pumped her fists slowly, trying her best not to pierce the skin when he lit a cigarette and blew the smoke into her face. Her head snapped toward him and she raised her chin defiantly, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Fuck off, Sweet Pea. For your information, Jughead and I didn't have sex last night. I was drunk and he told me to sleep it off. That's it, nothing else."

Well, except that you made a complete idiot of yourself by telling him you loved him and he just looked at you like you were crazy... like you were broken...

Just like Alice always said...

"Well, that's a relief. I got scared that maybe he'd dropped his standards WAY low for the night. But not even anyone around here would ever be desperate enough to touch a girl like you," he taunted, pulling her from her thoughts by blowing more smoke into her face.

Betty couldn't take it anymore and clenched her fists tightly, breaking the skin. Whatever it would take to keep from falling apart in front of one of his asshole friends (her sobriety was out the window anyway). She couldn't allow herself to stumble in front of anyone else ever again, especially not when she could hear her mother's voice mocking her.

...Straighten up, Elizabeth. Ladies don't slouch...

...Dry those tears before anyone sees. Cooper's don't show weakness, young lady...

...I've told you a hundred times what will happen if you didn't lay off the fried foods and milkshakes. Boys don't want to date fat girls, Elizabeth...

...Really, Elizabeth? This again? What would the neighbors think if they saw this little disgusting habit of yours? Hmm? I'll tell you what they'll think, they'll think you are either crazy or broken! Or both!...

...Face facts Elizabeth, no one will ever want you the way you are now...

The words swirled around in her mind, boring deep inside and sticking there, just as fresh as when her mother first said them to her.

She finally gathered herself enough to turn and glower at Sweet Pea, hoping that he couldn't see how much his words were hurting her.

He's not worth it, Betty.

"Is there a reason you're still pestering me? Don't you have a dark hole to crawl into somewhere?" Betty spat hatefully, her patience already gone.

"I'm just making sure the trash gets taken out," he nodded towards the road with a smirk.

Betty watched her ride pull up but before she could step towards it, Sweet Pea grabbed her arm tightly. His smiling face was now hard, his eyes staring daggers at her, "Stay the hell away from Jughead, you got that? He might've been nice to you because Andrews used to fuck you but no one wants you here, not even Jughead. So, do us all a favor and don't come back again. Got that, Cooper?"

Betty nodded curtly, ripping her arm from his grasp and slid into the waiting SUV. Her resolve only lasted until the driver had barely crossed the invisible line separating the two sides of town before she finally dropped her hard exterior and let herself feel everything.

She just needed to hold on a little longer, get to her apartment, and then she could let it all out.

Jughead stretched and groaned, the sounds of the bar coming to life beneath him alerting him to just how late he'd slept. He rolled over expecting to find Betty passed out beside him but all he found were the cold sheets of an empty bed.

He sat up quickly, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of her. He tossed the blankets back, throwing on the closest pair of jeans he found, silently praying that she was just in the other room.

"Betty? Baby, are you here?" he called out, swallowing thickly when he only received bitter silence in return.

He searched everywhere upstairs, even stepping out onto the balcony, but he couldn't find any sign of her. Nothing besides the costume she'd left on his floor, which only made him grow more frantic with each passing minute.

When he made his way back to his bedroom, he noticed a sheet of paper sticking out from under Betty's pillow. He reached out with a trembling hand to grab it, seeing that it was a letter addressed to him. He opened it slowly and began reading:

Jughead,

First, I wanted to apologize for making a fool of myself in the Wyrm last night in front of your friends and, well, your entire gang. I should've never shown up here the way I did, especially in the state of mind I was in. That was poor judgment on my part and I'm completely mortified that you'll have to deal with the fallout.

I don't have to imagine what your friends will say when they see you after the stunt I pulled. I already know how they feel about me but frankly, I never cared about their opinion until we started this. But I don't want you to have to deal with the comments they'll undoubtedly make if they find out you were sleeping with me, so please don't feel obligated to tell them about me if it'll help you save face with them.

I'll understand.

I need you to know that I finally figured out why you didn't want anyone to know about us. And it's okay, I forgive you. I was so blinded by my own feelings that I just didn't see the signs slapping me in the face.

Though, I do wish that you'd been more upfront with me about what our relationship really was from the jump. Maybe if I had known sooner that you just wanted a no strings attached thing, I could've saved us both the headache (and the heartache) of last night's fiasco.

I want to be totally honest with you Jug: I don't feel like I can trust you at the moment. The way it all went down was awful and made me feel diminished where I was previously secure in our relationship- despite the secrecy. That really hurt me, Juggie.

And I know I shouldn't have conceded to hiding for so long but you were everything I never knew I needed. You still are. I just think maybe our downfall was that we're both a bit too passive in the ways that really matter. I know for myself, that's something I hope to work on in the future...

Since I don't think either of us wants to deal with the awkward meet up to exchange our belongings, I'll make sure to have your stuff packed up and sent to you at the Wyrm before the weekend is over.

I really hope you and Archie can salvage what's left of your relationship. I never wanted to be the reason you lost your family again...

I also want you to know that even though it's not how I wanted to tell you, I meant it when I said I loved you last night. I think I have for longer than I even realized.

All I ever wanted was to be able to tell the world that I loved you and that you were mine. Now I can see just how silly that idea was because I finally understand that you never really felt the same way about me.

You should be with someone who can give you all the happiness that I couldn't. Someone who you'll be able to tell the world that you love and can be proud to bring them around your friends.

Not someone you are ashamed to be seen with.

Whoever she is, I hope you find her, Juggie. I really do...

~Goodbye~

With each line he read his heart crushed further, tears spilling onto the ink and making the words smudge. By the time he got to the last line, he was left torn open, his soul bleeding out from the gaping wound.

"No... No, it can't end like this... I have to tell her– she has to know before it's too late–" he whispered, choking back his tears. He grabbed his phone from the nightstand, typing out a message as he tried to steady his breathing.

Jughead: Betts, please call me...

Read.

He frantically dialed her number, crossing his fingers that she would answer.

RING... RING... 'Hey, you've reached Betty. Leave me a message...' BEEP...

"Fuck!" he typed out another message.

Jughead: Betty, I'm sorry... Please answer...

Read.

"Dammit!" he shouted. He yanked his beanie off the nightstand and threw it across the room. He called again, willing her to pick up the phone.

RING... RING...

"Come on, Cooper... Pick up, please..." '

Hey, you've reached Betty. Leave me a message...' BEEP...

FUCK!

RING... RING... 'Hey, you've reached Betty. Leave me a message...' BEEP...

"Betty! Please, Betts. Call me back as soon as you get this, I need- God, baby, please let me explain... Please..." he begged into the phone.

Jughead sat on his bed, hanging his head in despair as his texts and calls went unanswered.

Jughead: Baby, please don't leave me...

Delivered.

What am I gonna do? What do I do...

He wiped his tears, determined to get her to speak to him– one way or another. He would break her door down if he had to, but he couldn't let things end this way. He needed her, she was the only thing in his life that truly held meaning and he couldn't lose her.

Not now...

He threw on his combat boots and his leather jacket before running down the back staircase to his motorcycle. Sweet Pea tried to get his attention as he was leaving the bar but Jughead paid him no mind. All he could think about was getting to Betty and telling her he loved her.

She needed to know that all those things she believed weren't true. She was his entire world and he wanted to be with her forever.

He made the twenty-minute drive to her place in a record nine minutes, skidding to a stop beside her car and rushing up the stairs. Jughead started pounding on her door desperately but she didn't answer. He could hear the sounds of her favorite Guns N' Roses song playing through the door...

Don't you cry tonight, I still love you, baby

Don't you cry tonight, Don't you cry tonight

There's a heaven above you baby,

And don't you cry tonight

"Betts! Please open the door! We can talk about this, baby... Please!"

When he didn't hear anything, Jughead started to worry more, remembering how he found her after Archie had broken her heart. He grabbed his keys, trying the lock but his key wouldn't budge. That's when he noticed the doorknob looked newer...

Fuck... She changed the locks...

"Betty, please..." Jughead whimpered, not caring if anyone saw how destroyed he was at the moment. He could hear the song playing on repeat as he slid down the door, banging his head against it while his tears flowed.

"I'm sorry, Betts..." he whispered, breaking down and weeping into his hands.

Betty sat curled up on the other side of the door listening to his sobs, her face swollen from her own tears while holding a picture of the two of them she had taken in Greendale when he'd surprised her with a weekend trip out of town for her birthday. He had taken her to a beautiful Greek restaurant before going to Sweetwater Summit to look at the stars.

It was one of her favorite photos because it was the first time she realized that she loved him.

Her heart shattered even more listening to his pleas for her to open the door but she just couldn't do it. No matter how much she loved him, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't trust herself with him right now.

Maybe not ever again...

She kissed the picture one last time, dropping it into the box of his things beside her.

"I'm sorry too, Juggie..."