"Wait... Juggie? So... then you really are real? And my dreams are - in fact - real memories?" I asked him in a whisper, astonished by what he was saying. He was still so close to me that I couldn't think straight. I couldn't believe my parents had lied to me this whole time. Does it really surprise you that Alice lied to you for this long about something? I thought bitterly.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," he said with a soft smile, his eyes drifting down to my lips. I could feel his breath ghosting across them, making me tremble at his close proximity. He brought his other hand to my cheek, making me swallow thickly as he caressed both sides of my face with his fingers. "I admit, I thought about trying to find you a few times over the years but didn't know exactly what to say," Jughead said softly, seeming to stare straight into my soul with those piercing eyes of his.
My breath hitched as his hands full cupped both cheeks, his thumbs still gently stroking face. My head was swimming from his touch as I finally found the ability to speak, "I wish you would have. You have no idea how many times I wished I could meet the real person responsible for solving the murder and bringing Jason Blossom the justice he deserved. Although," I cleared my throat, leaning back away from him slightly to get some distance between us, "I hated that I couldn't do more to help your dad."
My heart continued to pound against my ribcage, threatening to burst through the skin just by being close to him. His hair fell into his eyes as he watched me, leaving my fingers with an itching desire to push them away so that I could keep looking in his deep blue eyes. I wanted to surrender my soul to his hypnotic gaze, just see where it would take us. Would he taste as good as he looks? Would his lips leave a trail of fire on my skin as he kissed me all over? Would he-...
I shook my head and looked away from him quickly to try to collect myself, my cheeks burning in embarrassment. "So..." I glanced back at him, biting my bottom lip before I continued, "What now?"
I heard him chuckling huskily as he stepped up to stand beside me, my core involuntary clenching at the rich sound. He leaned in from behind me, whispering in my ear, "Well... Now I hope we can get to know each other better, Princess. See if we can be friends again. I mean, if you want that," His voice dipped low at the end, causing my heart to beat erratically in my chest, the thunderous sound flooding my ears.
I nodded languorously and licked my lips senselessly, whispering back, "I want... I definitely want that, Juggie." Mayday! Mayday! Pull yourself together woman! You just met this man and already he has you mesmerized by that sexy smirk... his devastatingly good looks... his well formed-... No! Stop, breathe Betty. Breath... My breathing is staggered as I watched him lick his lips and give me a wicked grin.
"Good, I'm glad, Princess. You have no idea how glad I am..." he whispered against my ear one last time before standing up, holding out his hand, "...none at all." He gave me an expectant look and waited for me to take his hand.
I quirked an eyebrow at him in question. "Do you trust me, Princess?" He asked, still smiling with a gleam in his eye. I knew I had only just met him - again? - after over twenty years apart but I already knew, deep down, that I could trust him completely.
"Yes," I breathed heavily as I placed my palm into his hand.
"Well, come with me then, Betts. You're going to love this."
I felt the icy chill of the wind whipping around us as we race through the Southside of Riverdale and eternally grateful that he suggest I borrow some of his sister's warmer clothes instead of what I wore last night. Riding through the streets of Riverdale on the back of a motorcycle was thrilling but I didn't want to freeze to death doing so. I wrapped my arms tighter around his torso and felt his body quiver at my touch. It made my body sing with feverish yearning and made my pulse race faster than just being on his bike ever could. At first, I wasn't sure about getting on this thing but now I'm so glad I did.
"Hell no, Jones. You are out of your damned mind if you think I am getting on the back of that thing, especially while it's still practically winter!" I exclaimed. There, sitting directly in front of me, was a beautifully restored '74 brat-style Honda CB500. It was a classic and it looked to be very well taken care of.
Now under normal circumstances, I would definitely be able to appreciate this magnificent piece of machinery sitting in front of me. However, I am not trying to die on the back of it. Jughead laughed at me, straddling the seat and unlatching the helmets hooked to the handlebars.
"Come on, Betts. Trust me, you are going to love it," he winked, shooting me that devilish grin of his, my face burning from the flush that spread across it. I secretly hoped that he wouldn't notice or maybe he'd think it was just from the nippy April air. I knew I had to get back to The Pembrooke somehow and since my phone was dead, I couldn't call V or order an uber so I needed to do something.
Live a little, Betty. This is what you wanted - a new and exciting life. Take a chance, I thought to myself.
" Okay, but-," he pressed his fingers to my lips and placed one of the helmets onto my head.
"Trust me."
I was still so deep in my own thoughts and enjoying the feeling of absolute freedom that when we finally stopped, it took me a few seconds to notice we were at Pop's Diner. I looked up at him from over his shoulder and he just shrugged at me with a boyish smile. "A boy's gotta eat, Betts. Plus, it's nearly lunchtime, so let me buy you a meal."
"Alright, you can buy me some fries and a milkshake but I'm still too full from breakfast to even think about eating anything else," I said with a laugh as I shook my hair loose from the helmet, noticing him staring at me from the corner of my eye as I ran my fingers through it. My face reddened again at his playful expression and I handed him the helmet without looking him in the eye.
Jughead coughed under his breath before strapping the helmets onto the bike, grabbing my hand to help me off the back of his bike. "Let's eat, Betts. I'm starving and it's been at least 24 hours since I had a Pop's burger!"
We spent the next hour or so talking about everything and nothing all at once.
Jughead told me more about growing up in Toledo with his mom and baby sister; I told him more about growing up with a person like Alice Cooper for a mother. He laughed heartily when he learned that the whole reason my dad taught me how to fix cars was so that my mother would freak out when I would come inside covered in grease. I cracked up at the story of how his sister started calling him Poe when he hit his 'dark phase' and how the raven clutching the flowers on his chest was his way of getting her back since she hates her real name, and it is the same as the flowers.
Everything seemed to be going great until he asked me the one question I'd been dreading all day long...
"So, you still married to that Andrews' guy?" He asked sheepishly, fidgeting with his straw uncomfortably. I took a deep breath and sighed heavily. I hated that I would forever be the girl who was once married to Archie Andrews but there was not a thing I could do to change that now... God, I really need a cigarette right now... No. You promised V you'd quit...
"Oh... Well, technically I am... but we're in the middle of divorce proceedings, so I don't consider us to be married. Things were... complicated at the end - to say the least. Right now he is trying to contest my reasons for filing, even though I have proof," I sipped my milkshake, trying to think of anything else to say besides the truth. I steadied my nerves, held my head high, and looked him in the eye as I spoke, "I walked in on him fucking one of his music students in our bed. To make a long story short, he thought he got her pregnant and threw me out of our house since I didn't have a job and he did. Now he is trying to fight the divorce because there was never a baby, but my lawyer won't have that. As I said, it's complicated. You can say it wasn't exactly how I thought our marriage would end up."
I noticed his jaw tightening as he sat silently and listened to how my marriage imploded. I smiled reassuringly at him and took his hand, "Honestly Jug, I'm just grateful that it's over now. Yeah, it hurt but it woke me up to how my life really was and where it was headed. I'd been living a lie for far too long and it showed me that it was time to be what I want to be."
"And what does Elizabeth Cooper want to be?" He questioned seriously as he sipped his coffee. I sat and pondered what it was I really wanted out of my life and only one word really came to mind. I smiled at him, squeezing his hand again before answering.
"Free. I want to be free."
We sat in Pop's talked until the sun started descending from the sky, the sky painted in hues of lavender and orange as we joked and laughed as if we had never really been apart from each other. He was in the midst of telling me a hilarious story about a friend of his and a crazy stalkerish one-night stand when we heard Jughead's phone chime. He looked at it, a puzzled expression crossing his features before he glanced up at me with the same expression.
"Hey, Betty, not to be nosy but who's Ronnie?" He asked me, hesitation clear in his tone. I was afraid he might get the wrong impressions so I quickly let him know that it was not what he was thinking.
"Oh! She's my roommate, Veronica. Remember? I told you about us having an apartment together at The Pembrooke and that she is about to open a boutique downtown? Why, is everything alright?"
"Well, Cheryl just messaged me and asked if I had seen a smoking hot blonde named Betty at the Wyrm in the last 12 hours. Apparently, you haven't answered Ronnie's texts and she is frantic because she can't get ahold of you," Jughead held his phone out from me to read the messages and my eyes widened.
"Shit, she doesn't know my phone's dead! Fuck- Jug, I'm so-so sorry, I gotta go! Ronnie is going to call out the army - or kill me - if I'm gone any longer," I stood up and started to walk away from the booth but his grip on my wrist stopped me in my tracks. I looked at him curiously before glancing down to see him place a napkin into my palm. It read:
Jughead Jones
718-555-5252
"Use it, Princess," Jughead stated, kissing my knuckles gently and running his thumb across my pulse before releasing my wrist. I felt electricity running up my arm from the spot where his lips touched me, leaving my whole body flaming and my pulse erratic.
"I will. Bye, Jug," I answered, leaning down quickly to give him a delicate kiss on his cheek before racing out the door towards The Pembrooke. Ronnie is going to kill me...
"V? I'm back! Sorry, I'm so late, my-," Veronica rushed forward and tackled me to the floor, hugging me fiercely and practically squeezing the life out of me. I tried to escape her grasp but she remained firm in her grip and would not let go to save her life.
"Elizabeth Marie Cooper! ¿Dónde demonios has estado? ¡Pensé que estabas muerto! ¡Estaba a punto de llamar a la policía! ¿Por qué no respondiste mis llamadas o mensajes de texto?" Veronica continued to scream obvious expletives in my ear until I was finally able to pry her off of me enough to grasp her by the shoulders.
"Ronnie, listen- Veronica!" I yelled, shaking her a bit to stop her ranting. She froze and stared at me with worried eyes, moisture starting to form in them. I sighed and pulled her back into a hug as she broke down. "V, you were screaming in Spanish again."
"I'm s-sorry, B. I-It's just that you haven't answered me all day-y and when we left the b-bar last night I couldn't find you. I didn't k-know what to think and I was s-so scared that something bad-d might've happened-d to you!" Veronica wept openly, wrapping her arms tighter around my neck. "I c-couldn't live with myself if something happened to you when I-I should have been there, B."
I held her, comforting her as she clung to me and cried into my hair. After a few minutes, she quieted down so I leaned up and wiped her cheeks with my thumbs. "Ronnie, I am so sorry. My phone died and I didn't think to contact you. I took an uber to Fred's last night to sleep off the hangover and spent the afternoon at Pop's just relaxing and nursing a vanilla milkshake. I'm really sorry I scared you, V. It won't happen again, I promise."
"I forgive you, B. Just don't ever scare me like that again," Veronica brushed her fingers under her eyes then smoothed down her dress before smiling at me. "However Bettykins, as penance, you are on garbage duty for the next month," she teased, helping me off the floor. I laughed at the 'punishment' she chose since I was generally the one who took the trash out to begin with.
"Alright V, seems fair. Now, how about I make it up to you by having some much-needed bestie time before you and I have to go back to work?" I called out from the kitchen, pulling the wine glasses from the cabinet.
Veronica walked to the cooler, pulling out our favorite wine before she grinned at me, "You read my mind, B."
The next few weeks rushed by in such a blur that I hardly had time to breathe, much less have any time to relax or hang out with friends.
I worked my two jobs to the best of my ability, kept fighting with Archie and his attorney to get the ball rolling on our divorce, stayed home most days that I was off to get some needed sleep and actively avoided my family - with the exception of Cheryl, of course.
It's been about a month and a half since V and I had our girls night and I had managed to exhaust myself beyond belief. I was extremely thankful that I had a three day weekend coming up for Memorial Day weekend, and I was super excited to spend time relaxing and hanging out with friends. I needed this break so damn much, I could honestly feel myself starting to come apart at the seams.
The one thing that had kept me going through all of this craziness was Jughead Jones. I wasn't sure what it meant - or what we were to each other - but ever since that very first day, our relationship seemed to have taken on a life of its own.
After charging my phone up and getting his contact added, I messaged him a very friendly but somewhat playful text, just to see how he'd reply. He texted me back immediately and we hadn't stopped texting each other since. Whether it was to share memes we liked or funny stuff we saw online, or suggesting our favorite true crime podcasts, it didn't matter - we shared it all.
Other times, we just talked: about our different pasts, our hopes and dreams, what we each wanted out of life. Twenty years was a long time to have to catch up on but we were determined to do it. And we might have been apart for all those years but it seemed our bond was stronger than ever.
Jughead had also started spending most evenings I worked the night shift with me at Pop's. He'd give me pointers on the articles I was writing, he kept me from going completely bonkers from boredom in the middle of my shifts, and sometimes he'd just type away on his computer quietly and watch me work or serve the few customers that happen to float in and out of the diner. We were simply content to be in each other's presence. I hadn't told him this but just knowing he was there with me made me feel safer. We got along so well like it was the most natural thing in the world for us to be spending so much time together.
Then there were the text messages... the massive amounts of flirty and suggestive text messages. Neither of us was being very subtle about it either, both feeling brazen when hidden behind the screen. It was a power play and neither one of us was willing to back down when the other made suggestive comments.
It didn't take long for me to develop a major crush on him and I wanted to explore this deeper. Especially after our talk last night...
Juggie: Hey beautiful, whatcha into? ?
Betts: Hey yourself handsome ? ﾟﾏﾼ Honestly? Nothing much... Just thinking about the relaxing bath I'm going to take after my shift and then sleeping as long as my body allows. How's business tonight, busy any heads yet? ?
Juggie: Sadly, no. It's been slow tonight. Kinda wish I could just come and see you instead of hanging out here all night ? Especially if you were up for some company in that bath... ?
Betts: Is that so, Juggie? ? You miss me enough to wash my aching back for me? ?
Juggie: Damn straight, Princess ? I always miss you when you're not around, more so if I can rub your back when you are naked and covered in bubbles. ? ﾟﾘﾜ
Betts: Juggie... ? ﾟﾙﾈ?
Juggie: You know it's true, Betts ?
Betts: ? ﾟﾒﾋ?
Juggie: So, Betts... I did have a question for you...
Betts: I'm listening... ?
Juggie: What are you doing Friday night? ?
Betts: You tell me, Juggie ?
So that conversation was how my friends and I ended up here in a large booth at the Whyte Wyrm again on an insanely busy Friday night. I was even more nervous than the last time because I was invited by the owner - and the Serpents interim leader - whom I had effectively spent the last six weeks playing cat and mouse with. Anything was liable to happen tonight and I was ready for it. I hadn't felt this type of attraction towards anyone ever before, not even Archie.
I wanted Jughead on a whole new level: physically, emotionally, spiritually - I wanted all of him.
Wanting to continue on with our little teasing game tonight, I decided to wear something daring- something that would make his jaw drop and make him want to see more. Veronica offered me an outfit from her new line that was just what I was looking for: a black mini-dress with a scalloped hemline and an embellished halterneck. It fit me so beautifully that you'd have sworn that Veronica designed it with my measurements in mind. She completed the outfit with a velvety pair of open-toed black heels with an ankle strap that added a few more inches of height to my frame.
We did my makeup bold yet subtle, a shimmering smokey eye for a new look and paired with my favorites raspberry lipgloss to add just a hint of color and shine. Deciding to leave my hair with its natural curl, we just settled for pulling it up in a loose french twist. It must have really been something because even Reggie's eyes bugged out of his head when he saw me walking out of my room to head downstairs.
Veronica kept asking me why I decided that I wanted to go back to the Whyte Wyrm the Friday before Memorial Day but when I told her it was Ladies Night, she seemed satisfied with that explanation.
Don't get me wrong, Veronica's my best friend and I love her very much but I just wanted to figure out if there was something between Jughead and I before I told her anything about him. She means well - really - but I knew how she'd be once she found out about us so I just wanted to keep it between Jughead and me for the time being.
We'd been in the bar for about an hour and I had been looking around the crowded bar to see if I could spot the man I'd been waiting for - with no luck - so I continued sipping on the fruity drink Toni brought me from the bar while I waited.
Currently, she and Cheryl and Veronica and Reggie were all grinding to the music on the darkened dance floor while I sat alone, waiting to catch a glimpse of those piercings azure eyes.
Suddenly, I felt a chill running up my spine and turned towards the door directly behind the pool tables in time to see the very man I was searching for standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest and that twice damned smirk plastered on his lips. I felt the heat pooling between my thighs, forcing me to shimmy in my seat in order to seek some sort of relief. I bit my bottom lip as my carnal eyes roamed their way up the length of his body, drinking in his appearance.
He was wearing a pair of black ripped slim-fit jeans with his combat boots, his signature flannel with suspenders hanging from his waist. Instead of his normal tee shirt, he was simply wearing a black form-fitting ribbed tank and his Serpent jacket along with some black fingerless leather biker gloves. He looked rugged and dangerous and I was left in a complete puddle of unadulterated desire.
His smile grew larger when I finally got back to his face, mine dusted a shade of light pink at having been caught blatantly checking him out. Jughead's eyes never leave mine as I purposely licked my lips slowly before taking another sip of my drink. His darkened as he bit his lip, not even looking away from me when he had to adjust his growing bulge.
Just as he stepped away from the door to walk in my direction, everyone came running back to the table and collapsed in a fit of giggles. By the time they settled and I looked up, Jug was no longer at the door. I huffed quietly in frustration as Toni waved over a waitress and ordered a new round of drinks for us. I searched the crowd again, hoping to find where he'd run off too but no luck. I sat back again, pouting slightly as I finished off my first drink. I finally saw him walking over to the other side of the pool tables, cigarette hanging from his lips while he watched a bunch of Serpents play a game. I decided to ratchet the game we had been playing with each other for weeks up to the next level.
I excused myself to use the restroom but instead slowly made my way towards the obscured hall near the back, winking at him as I passed by the table he'd perched beside and walked further into the dark. Within seconds, I heard someone walking up behind me and I stopped short, feeling them as they pressed themselves against my backside.
"Princess, you look good enough to eat," Jughead growled lowly against my ear before running his nose along the slope of my neck, inhaling my scent deeply. I felt him place his hands on my hips, grinding me backward slightly to feel his growing erection.
I shivered and continued to rub my rear against him while his lips traced my throat, not quite touching but just enough to tease. I hummed as he made his way up the nape of my neck, "Mmm, you think so? You want a taste, Juggie?"
He growled into my hair, louder this time, and dug his fingers into my flesh as he answered, "I think we both know the answer to that question, babygirl."
"Do we?" I stepped out of his grasp and winked, tracing my hand across his chest as I walked by him.
"You are playing with fire, Princess," he replied loudly as I rounded the corner headed back to my booth. As I make it back, I noticed that Kevin and his new friend have disappeared and Veronica is practically trying to... Swallow Reggie whole, from the looks of it.
"Cher, you and Toni wanna come dance with me?" I asked eagerly, hoping that Jughead would be watching.
"Sounds absolutely devilish, Cousin. Come TT, let's make all these straight men jealous," Cheryl laughed fiendishly as she helped Toni from the booth.
We found the perfect spot in the middle of the dancefloor, one that allowed us to be seen from anywhere in the bar. As Cher and I started dancing together, I caught sight of Jughead. He was leaned casually against the bar, sipping whiskey on the rocks and watching me with lustful eyes. After a few songs Cheryl went off to dance with Toni beside me and I bit my lip, running my hands up into my hair and swinging my hips sensually to the beat of the song, just getting lost in the rhythm. I didn't even realize how long I had been dancing with my eyes closed until I felt someone settle themselves behind me.
"Blondie, a pretty girl like you should never dance alone," I flinched when I heard the gravelly voice in my ear, a voice that was most definitely not Jughead's. I whipped around to see a tall man standing over me and gripping my waist with a lecherous grin on his face, his jet black hair slicked back and a serpent tattoo on his neck. I tried stepping out of his grip as quickly as possible but he hauled me back to him even quicker. I searched the dance floor but saw no signs of Cheryl or Toni and noticed that Jughead was no longer standing at the bar.
"Think your friends may have left you, baby, let me buy you another drink?" He asked, his eyes trailing down my body in a way that made me very uncomfortable. It wasn't until I saw a familiar flash of crimson hair and porcelain skin sliding up beside me that I allowed myself to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Mongrel, release my cousin right this minute!" Cheryl shouted, pulling me behind her and glaring at him furiously.
"Yeah and what if I don't, Blossom? You gonna rat on me to Toni?" Cheryl laughed venomously, patting the man on his chest. She innocently tilted her head and grinned as she spoke, "Oh, Sweets... Toni should be the least of your worries at this moment. But, since you won't heed my warning, have you officially met my cousin, Betty Cooper?"
A choking noise escaped his throat when he heard my name and he flinched away from me like he'd been burned before shaking his head, holding his hands up in surrender. "Oh fuck! I-I'm really sorry, Blondie. I didn't realize who you were. If I had known..." He trailed off as he looked over my shoulder, all the color draining from his face before he mumbled more apologies and took off.
"What the?" I asked Cheryl, confused until I turned to see Jughead standing at the top of the staircase leading to his apartment. I had never seen that look on his face before but I had to admit, it turned me on to see him seething that way.
"You didn't think you could keep it a secret from all of us, did you? Remember B, I'm apart of the Serpent's inner crew and every Serpent knows who you are... and to whom you belong. Now, go on... I will take care of V," Cheryl winked before smacking my ass and laughing as she walked away.
I glanced up at Jughead as he lifted his finger and curled it back and forth to beckon me up the stairs. I walked slowly through the crowded bar, my eyes never leaving his until I finally reached the bottom of the staircase. As I walked higher up each step, he moved back towards his apartment, leading me through the open door and into the living room before closing the door again, sliding the lock into place.
I swallowed hard at the look in his eyes, his pupils blown wide with lust as he raised an eyebrow at me. His eyes never left mine as he slowly removed his leather jacket, tossing it carelessly to the sofa. My pulse raced as I walked backward, pressing myself up against the island in his kitchen before he caged me in between his arms. He had the look of a predator stalking his prey and I was ready and willing to be consumed by him completely.
"Did he hurt you?" Jughead asked softly while running his fingers down my bare arms, making me shiver. My breath became erratic as I shook my head slowly, my tongue growing thick in my mouth and keeping me from speaking. He lifted my hand to his lips, "Good, I wouldn't want to have to hurt Sweet Pea too much."
"I-I'm alright, Juggie. It was a mistake, he didn't know who I was," I whispered as he dropped my hand and lowered his lips closer to mine, stopping just a breath away from them.
"He still needs to learn not to touch what isn't his, Princess."
I looked at him questioningly and gazed at him, snaking my hand up the front of his chest and into his dark locks. "And whose am I?" I asked.
"Mine, babygirl. All mine," he growled before he crashed his lips into mine, igniting a fire in my soul and burning me alive in the most delicious ways possible.