Disclaimer: I do not own any recognized character or plot. Anything you recognize here is owned by Archie Comics for use on Riverdale.

*TRIGGER WARNING* this story contains themes of abuse and strong language.

RATED M FOR ADULT THEMES

Hard To Love - Prologue

Summer Vacation – June 29th

Betty POV

I don't know what I was thinking…one minute I was staring at the wall waiting for him to come back into the living room…the next I was grabbing my purse and sneaking out the front door. Then I was walking faster. Then I was running.

At this point I was full on sprinting in no particular direction. The end point didn't matter, I just needed my feet to carry me as far away as possible. Anywhere that wasn't here.

That wasn't with him.

I felt tears trailing quickly across my cheeks from the wind whipping past me as I ran, my purse jerking at my side, slung across my body. I ran past the pretty houses, glowing warmly in the night, reflections of TVs in the windows. I passed a loud house party a few streets over. I passed a park that laid in darkness, only the stark contrast of street lamps lining the winding pathway giving it life.

Eventually I had been running for so long that the houses became less pretty and more ragged. The sidewalks more broken down and the yards less manicured. I didn't realize I was on the Southside until I heard someone hollering at me from across the street.

"Hey baby girl, slow down!"

I didn't falter however, knowing by their punk goth look that they were worse news than the person I was running from.

And that was saying something.

I sprinted past them and down the dimly lit street, seeing more and more people ahead. Even though I knew some Southsiders weren't good company to keep, I had to take my chances.

I finally started to slow as I began approaching the crowd of people and motorcycles. I came to a stop about 40 feet from the end of the unruly hedges where the crowd of people stood in loud groups and looked around. I struggled to collect myself, tears still streaming down my cheeks. I gasped for air as I wiped my face and realized what I had done. I'd ran.

From him.

Eventually I'd have to go back…I couldn't run forever.

And when I did return home…he'd be angry.

I pushed myself into the side of the hedges wanting in that moment to disappear. I didn't know how I would get myself out of this mess now. I covered my face with my hands and stifled a sob as I fought to catch my breath and shook my head.

"Why?! Why did I run…" I whispered to myself. I took another couple deep breaths and wiped my face with my palms trying to calm myself down. When I went back I needed to be calm. Maybe I could go back and just tell him I had gone to the store? I could come home with snacks for us...then it doesn't look like I ran.

Yeah …that would work. And then maybe he wouldn't be as angry.

Maybe it would hurt less.

I had finally regulated my breathing when I heard them.

"What the fuck…someone's there. In the bushes." I stood upright and began walking back from where I came but it was useless, I'd been spotted.

"Hey, grab her!"

Before I could get more than 10 feet I felt someone grabbing my arm. I turned to see a taller, middle-aged man with long sandy coloured hair. I glanced to his dirty jeans and leather jacket and felt chills run through my body.

"Just what the fuck do you think you're doing hiding in the bushes outside our bar?!" he snarled and I felt my mouth opening and closing, not making any sound. I could hear people talking as a crowd began to form further down the street and felt my fear increase as he started pulling me towards them. I didn't bother fighting him, knowing I'd never manage to escape unscathed.

He pulled me past the hedges into the light of a parking lot where I saw it all clearly.

The Whyte Wyrm.

I'd, of course, stumbled onto the headquarters of the Southside Serpents.

Everyone in the lot stared at me with a scowl as the man began to drag me up towards the building before he was stopped by another man coming from the bar, though this man was younger with black hair and a crown beanie on his head. He looked a bit more presentable with clean black jeans, a white tank and his black leather Serpent jacket.

"Just what the fuck are you doing Tall Boy?" he asked angrily with a glare shifting between myself and the man that held a firm grip on my upper arm.

"I found her lurking in the bushes." He said with annoyance. I shook my head, tears forming again in my wide eyes.

"No…no I wasn't lurking. I just-"

"Shut up!" the taller man snapped at me and I felt a tear escape down my cheek. The beanie wearing man huffed and pulled me from his grasp and began walking me back to the sidewalk.

"Fuck off Tall Boy." He snarled. I allowed him to lead me down the street about 10 steps when he stopped and spun me around to face him.

"You have 5 seconds to tell me what you're doing here." He told me in a dangerously low voice. I felt the tears pricking my eyes and could only stare. He leaned forward and held eye contact.

"4. Seconds." He told me and I closed my eyes letting more tears fall.

"I p-promise I wasn't lurking . I…I j-just got lost and…and I don't know h-how I ended up here." I told him, my voice betraying my fear. At least this gang looked nothing like the others. Maybe he wouldn't hurt me. He maintained his steely glare in silence, trying to decide if he believed me or not.

"Jones let her go…she doesn't look like she belongs over here. I think her story checks out." I heard a girls voice from behind him. He turned to look at a pink haired girl who was watching me curiously. He sighed and shook his head.

"Stupid fucking Northsiders…" He grit. He turned back to me and leaned down to my eye level.

"If I ever catch you around my bar again, you'll regret it. Do you understand?" He asked in an aggressive tone. I only stared back as he grew impatient.

"Do you?!" he snapped louder and I took a staggered breath at his outburst, nodding.

"Y-yes. I do." I told him and he sighed, shaking his head again. The girl walked up beside him and gave me a concerned look.

"Hey…are you…are you ok?" she asked and he glanced between us as I nodded, wiping my face.

"Y-yeah…um-yes. I am." I told her and she gave the man a look. He shrugged at her and she took another step towards me.

"Are you sure? You don't seem like you-"

"Fuck. There you are. Betty get your ass in the car. Now." he snapped and I closed my eyes, a few tears falling.

It was him.

He found me.

On the Southside.

With two Serpents.

I was fucked.

"Hey…are you sure you're ok?" I heard her ask me again and I opened my eyes to see more concern in hers as she glanced to him and back to me. I slowly nodded and looked down to my hands which were starting to tremble.

"Betty. Get. In. The. Car." He said again, growing impatient as he waited beside the open passenger door. I looked back up to the man and he started pulling the hesitant pink haired girl back to the bar.

"Come on, Toni. The Princess is accounted for." He told her and I felt myself not wanting them to go. I almost wanted to beg them not to leave me alone with him. Not to let me get into the car.

But I knew I couldn't.

I took a deep breath and with one last glance to the two Serpents, I began walking slowly toward him. Once I was seated in the passenger seat he slammed my door, causing me to jump and hopped back behind the wheel, not wasting any time in pulling a u-turn and speeding back towards the Northside. I glanced in the side view mirror to see the man disappearing back into the lot and the pink haired girl watching us drive away.

The concern and warmth in her eyes had made me want to stay…like I knew I was safer in the clutches of the biker gang that was feared throughout Riverdale.

I glanced to him, his face stern and cold. I looked to my hands knowing I needed to come up with a good excuse. But what? What could I possibly be doing all the way on the Southside at 11pm when we had been at my house for the evening? How could I explain leaving without a word when he went to the bathroom.

I couldn't.

We had been fighting…which is all we seemed to do lately. Tonight was very similar to many of the fights we have had in the past. I had been late getting home from the Register where I work for my mom during the summer and he demanded a reason. I told him I lost track of time finishing an article and normally he would try to insist I didn't think he was important enough if I was running behind. Lately though, he's been accusing me of being with someone else behind his back.

We had spent our night arguing and he just kept getting more and more angry with me and when he stormed off to the bathroom…I ran.

Normally, I would have just let the fight ride itself out but…in the last month he's started getting aggressive with me. At first he would grab my arms or push me away from him. Then he started raising his hand at me or squeezing my legs to push me to do what he wanted. But last time…

Last time was different.

Last time he…he actually hit me. I'd tried to call him out on why he's been giving me such a hard time lately and he was instantly angry with me. He grabbed me by my ponytail and pulled me towards his face, grabbing my chin. He started screaming at me that I was the problem and I was ungrateful for trying to turn my behaviour around on him…that no one else would put up with my shit.

Then he hit me in the face.

It took about a week and good makeup coverage but the black eye was finally gone.

But now…I was terrified to think of what he would do this time.

"Who was he?" He asked in a low, even voice. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice from giving out as I spoke.

"Who?" I asked and he continued to look straight ahead at the road as we passed back onto the Northside.

"That Serpent." I thought back to the younger man I had been standing with and shrugged.

"I honestly have no idea…I ran into him on my way back home." I told him, mostly truthfully. I noticed he gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Don't. Lie." He said through clenched teeth. I took another deep breath as my fists tightened.

"I'm not…I promise. I ran into him and the girl and he told me to stay away from the bar." I replied, my voice shaking a bit at his body language. He took a breath of his own and pulled into the lot of the park a few streets from my house. He stopped the car and shut the ignition off and we sat there in the dark and silence for a few moments. I finally chanced a look to him when it happened.

He took his seatbelt off, reaching over and began hitting me. I started to cry and yell instinctively but it was no use, no one would hear me.

"Stop! Please stop..." I cried but he grabbed my face and yanked it toward his own.

"You stupid fucking slut. You think you can make a fool out of me?!" he pushed my head with force, causing it to slam against the side window. He then grabbed my arm and hit me in the stomach and anywhere else he could connect.

That was the first true beating Archie ever gave me.

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