Sliding into the booth next to Archie, Betty found herself flashing back to what had started this whole mess in the first place.

It had gone perfectly at first, Betty had left the bar in tears. She had escaped in her childhood best friends truck, seemingly done with Jughead forever.

Jughead had heard word that some of the Serpents didn't like Betty hanging around, said she was stirring up too much dust. They were afraid she was going to cause trouble for their drug ring they had.

Jughead had tried to reason, she was on their side. She knew the serpents were mostly innocent and she wasn't here to cause any problems.

The older Serpents didn't care all that much about intention and had advised Jughead to stop seeing the girl.

When Jughead had refused to stop seeing her, they had a plan to get rid of her. Jughead wasn't sure if they meant just sending her back to her side of town, or something.. more permanent.

He couldn't take the risk.

"Betty you have to listen to me."

"I am listening Juggie," Betty said bristling around his dad's trailer. "You're being paranoid."

Jughead sighed in frustration, wanting to shake sense into his tiny little girlfriend.

Betty stopped what she was doing and placed a calming hand on Jugheads chest.

"They're not going to hurt me Jug."

"You don't know that Betts," he said placing his hand over hers.

"We're not breaking up on a maybe Juggie."

"It won't be real."

"But everyone will think it is. Especially that Toni Topaz," Betty spat out her name with so much disgust it made Jughead chuckle.

"I could never be into her Betts."

Betty cocked her head to the side, "Well why not? She's pretty enough."

"She's not you Betty Cooper."

Betty couldn't stop the smile on her face, as she leaned in to kiss her boyfriend.

"I love you Jughead."

"I love you."

Betty sighed, "It's fake?"

"It's fake Betty."

Betty gave in with a crinkle on her face, causing Jughead to laugh and kiss her again.

"I could never leave you Betty."

"Good. Cause I'd kill you if you did."

The plan was for Jughead to talk about breaking up with Betty in front of Toni, showing doubt about how and when to do it.

He would make a show of pulling away from Betty, causing Betty to confide in Toni.

Toni would give Betty tips, ones they both knew would never work.

One night Betty would be invited to the bar with Toni, and when that would happen Jughead would get word and show up.

A fight would ensue.

It all went exactly as they had planned.

Jughead showed up at her house later that evening, climbing in her window.

"Juggie!"

Jughead smiled as his girlfriend ran into his arms.

"Hey Betts."

"Let's never fight again," she said burying her face into his chest.

"I wish I could promise you that Betts but we're human, we're bound to fight at some point."

"Well then can we at least agree to work through it? No matter what it is?"

"Of course," Jughead placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Good. I don't ever wanna lose you," Betty placed her hand on her chest, wincing when she applied to much pressure.

Jughead reached up to grab her hands, the frown evident on his face. "Betty.."

"I know. I'm sorry Juggie. But the smug look on Toni's face was really pissing me off."

Jughead shook his head and gently kissed Betty's palms.

"You can't let her get to you Betts."

"Yeah well that's gonna be hard. She gets to see you all the time."

"Yeah but I love you and not her."

"Why are we still talking about her?" Betty asked, pressing her lips into Jugheads.

"I honestly have no idea," he responded, throwing her on the bed.

Betty squealed in surprise, laughing as Jughead came to lay beside her.

"I love you," he said placing a kiss on her forehead.

Betty snuggled into Jughead's side, "I love you too."

After a moment of silence Jugheads voice broke through, "Next time I see you in that leather, be prepared for me to rip it off of you."

Betty swatted at her boyfriend, mumbling something about never wearing leather again. Jughead just laughed and pulled Betty as close to him as possible.

And they just laid there like that the rest of the night, enjoying each other's company.

It continued on like that for a couple of weeks. Jughead would sneak into her room, late at night after all his Serpent business was done.

They would laugh and talk about their days. Just enjoying the company they had missed throughout the day.

Jugheads story's always seemed to involve Toni somehow, while Archie was the star of Betty's.

So, as it always does, jealousy ruined their perfect plan.

Their short time spent together went from being a safe haven from their everyday lives, to just another thing to add to the list of "things in my life that suck."

"And so Archie pushed Kevin out of the way and caught the ball!" Betty finished her story with a smile on her face.

"Of course he did," muttered Jughead.

"What was that?"

"Oh nothing," Jughead shrugged. He looked down at his watch. "I've got to get going."

"You're not going to stay?" Betty cocked her head to the side, her eyebrows wrinkling in confusion.

"Nah. Toni wants to meet me at the bar."

"Right. So leave your girlfriend, who you never get to see by the way, for some other girl you just saw like two hours ago."

"Oh come on Betty.. don't be like this. It's for a school project."

"It's always a school project Jug."

"Yeah well at least I have an excuse for why I'm always with her."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

At this point the couple were on opposite sides of the room, glaring daggers at each other.

"Why are you always with Archie?"

"He's my best friend?" Betty was confused, Jughead had never been jealous of Archie before.

"Right."

"Archie isn't even into me that way! I can't say the same for Toni though."

"Ugh this again." Jughead rolled his eyes.

"Yes? This again Jughead. Why do you insist on hanging out with someone who took joy in you breaking my heart?"

"She's cool."

"Oh please. You couldn't stand her two weeks ago!"

"Yeah well we were also together two weeks ago, things change."

"You know, maybe you were right all those months ago Jug. Maybe we are just on borrowed time."

Betty collapsed on her bed, all her energy leaving her body.

Jughead eyes softened just a little, "Maybe we are."

"You should go."

Jughead would call her the next day and apologize, admitting he spent the night parked outside of her house.

Things would be fine. At least for a couple of days.

Then they would be right back to fighting. It was getting exhausting, for the both of them.

It was a cycle they kept repeating, one they couldn't seem to break out of.

They tried to fix it, they tried to hold on. But in life, there are some things you just can't fix.

"Hey there Juliet." Jughead's voice was soft as he entered his girlfriend's room.

"Where have you been?" Betty was sitting on her bed, fingers playing with the hem of her shirt.

"Out."

"With Toni, right?"

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck, "er, yeah actually."

"I see."

"Betty.." Jughead stepped closer to his girlfriend. "It's not what you're thinking I promise.

"I never said I thought it was something."

"I know you Betty."

"Yeah, and I know you Jughead."

Jughead came to sit beside her.

"Archie told me something today Juggie."

Jughead tensed, almost afraid to ask.

"What?"

"He said that he loves me, that turning me away was a mistake."

"Oh."

"But he said he knows he doesn't stand a chance against you. I agreed."

"Really?" Jughead asked, insecurity lacing his voice.

"And there it is."

"What?"

"When are you going to believe I'm over Archie Jughead? Are we just going to go through this whole relationship with you not trusting me?"

"Betty.." he reached for her hand.

"No Jughead, I can't do this if that's the case."

"I.."

"I love you so much Jughead Jones," Betty's voice was watery, her vision laced with tears.

"I love you Betty Cooper."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Okay so what if I told you I was having dinner with Archie tomorrow?"

Jughead let out a growl, "like hell."

"No. See Jughead.. you can't do that."

"But Betty.."

"No. You can go off and spend all day with Toni and I can't say anything about it."

"That's.." Jughead trailed off.

"It's what Juggie? Different? Not really."

Jughead didn't respond, she was right.

"Maybe.. maybe we need to take some space from each other Jughead."

"Our problem is space Betty! We have too much of it."

"Or maybe not enough."

"No, Betty please. Things will be better. I will be better."

They both had tears flowing from their eyes.

"I'm sorry Juggie. I am so tired of spending my days worrying about you. Of being so jealous I just want to.." Betty trailed off, shaking her head.

"Betty.."

"Maybe another time Jughead. But not right now."

Jughead stood up, he didn't know what to do.

"Betty please."

"I-" her phone rang, cutting her off. "It's Archie."

Something inside Jughead snapped and he made his way to the window.

"I hope you two are happy together."

He was out the window before she could respond.

In the end, after all they had been through, it was kind of ironic the way they ended. Not in a bang, but quietly. Anticlimactic.

In the end, Betty thought, maybe Veronica was right. She had just let him walk away.