The song in this chapter is called Anchor by Mindy Gledhill if you'd like to listen along.
I edited this myself so there are going to errors.
Jughead pulled into the driveway crushing discarded red cups as he went. The sun was just coming up and casting enough light that he no longer needed to use the headlights.
When he parked, he sat in the car and went over everything that happened the night before. He wanted to destroy everything around him and he took some comfort in knowing he had done a spectacular job. He stared at his hands bloodied from the fight. He had split more knuckles punching a tree until it felt like he might pass out from the pain. Pain was better than the emotions he was feeling.
His eyes were heavy from exhaustion and crying in panicked frantic spurts. His throat was raw and his body ached from the altercation.
All the balls he had been juggling had tumbled and he was at rock bottom. He was left with nothing but the hope he could rebuild and salvage whatever he could. He hoped that he could be forgiven by his friends. He hoped that he could get his grades up by the end of the year. He hoped that he could fix whatever was wrong in his head, mend things with his mother and entertain the idea of being a part of a family. He hoped that Betty would take him back.
Jughead exited the car and stumbled towards his home. The house was a disaster. Cups and garbage were everywhere and he flinched when he saw the trails of blood from Betty's cut hand. He hadn't even stopped to ask her if she was okay.
He was a bastard.
He rubbed his eyes and wandered over to the kitchen when he smelled coffee and heard someone banging around.
Cheryl and Veronica were cooking breakfast. Veronica stood in front of the oven while Cheryl collected bottles and threw away trash. The red head passed behind Veronica and stopped looking over the brunettes shoulder. She said nothing, just smiled and placed the softest kisses on Veronica's neck before going back to cleaning.
Jughead felt overwhelming emotion watching the two of them. He envied their intimacy, an intimacy he had and threw away because he couldn't use his words like a big boy. He gasped as tears began rolling down his cheeks.
Veronica turned around so fast she was almost a blur. "Jug?" She dropped everything and rushed to his side as he sunk to the floor while his body shook with sobs. He had cried so much already he didn't understand how he had any tears left.
Veronica's arms wrapped around him and he clung to her like she was his only life line. "Are you okay Jug?" She asked expecting no response which was what she got.
Moments later a second pair of arms circled around his neck and he could smell Cheryl's perfume. She began humming a soft lullaby in his ear.
"Is Betty here?" He managed to stutter out.
"No, I sent her home with Rosa. I thought you two should be apart for a little while." Veronica informed.
"How's her hand?" He asked.
"It looked worse than it was. Three stitches but she'll be fine in a couple of weeks. No permanent damage." She comforted.
Jughead looked up at her and Veronica felt her heart break. She had never seen him so broken, so undone and she knew she would do whatever it took to fix him.
"I need help Ron." He admitted, grasping her arms as she placed her hands on the other side face. "I'm not okay."
She began to nod and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I'm here, Jug. I'm not going anywhere."
"Neither am I." Cheryl reassured.
Jughead nodded as a new wave of sadness hit him and he truly let go in their arms.
Betty didn't go to school the next week. Her mother came in and out periodically telling her to go to class but Betty never listen. Veronica sent her home with Rosa who was a godsend. Betty was pretty sure she would have starved to death that week without her.
Veronica, Cheryl and Kevin came to her house in waves to check in and keep her up to date on all her school work. None of them pushed her about what happened and even if they did Betty wouldn't know what to say. Jughead had made up his mind and there wasn't much she could do about that.
She laid in bed and watched romantic comedies as she went over the events of the Anti-Archie Andrews party in her head repeatedly.
The only thing she could have done was persuaded Veronica not to have the party. Even if she wasn't there she was sure Archie and Jughead would have still fought one another. Then Jughead would have pulled away and never given her a reason why. He would have ghosted her and she'd be in the exact same place.
Jughead did not contact her and she made no attempt to contact him. As upset as she was she was also mad at him. He had said some hurtful things to her and she had to work through that. She needed to work on it. She knew that she had to let go of it all; the anger towards her parents, her ex-boyfriend, all the things Jughead couldn't work through and start anew. She had seen what anger had done to both Archie and Jughead and she wouldn't let it happened to her. Not after everything, not after how much she grew, not after she started living her own life and stopped living for someone else.
The thing that bothered her the most was she knew that even if she wanted to contact Jughead, he would ignore her. He was either getting worse and in that case still thought it was her fault or he was getting better. If that was the case, he was probably so embarrassed he wouldn't talk to her even if he could.
Archie was right. Jughead was a runner.
She decided funnel all her frustrations into music. She couldn't play yet but she could hear the melodies in her head. One to be exact and for the first time in her whole life words came with it. A lot of words; she started filling a notebook with them.
On Monday she went to school. Every step towards the front door felt like she as moving through sludge and she could feel the panic rising inside her. She didn't want to talk about what happened but she knew it would be all anyone she talked to would want to talk about.
She wasn't worried about seeing Jughead. He was barely in school before their breakup and Betty assumed he wouldn't be attending much after it.
She parked her car, gathered her things and headed towards the building with her head down and her eyes on the ground. Once inside, she beelined for her locker and got everything she needed for her day. She looked up when the bell rang and froze when she locked eyes with Jughead's. He was rounding the corner and heading in her direction with Veronica, Kevin and Cheryl by his side. She held her breath and waited to see what he was going to do. She was terrified he was going to say something to her or make a scene. A wave of relief washed over her when he looked away and passed her without incident.
"So that's over then, huh?" Archie asked her, approaching her from the other side.
Betty glared at him ready to chew him out but stopped when she took in his appearance. His skin was pale and sickly, the dark circles under his eyes were pronounced. His lips were chapped, his hair was a dull mess and that spark that had always been behind his eyes was gone.
She turned away from him and closed her locker. "Isn't that what you wanted? What you were working towards?" She headed down the hall to her first class.
He sighed. "Yeah, I guess I did."
"Is it everything you thought it would be? Do you feel amazing knowing he's suffering? Knowing that I'm suffering?" She snapped.
"No." He stated, stopping in front of her classroom. "I feel worse and I don't know what to do." He said quietly.
Betty turned around to face him and clenched her jaw. "Archie, what do you want me to say?" She asked him with a sigh.
He shook his head. "I just want to say I'm sorry, for everything, for all of it."
"I'm sure you are." Betty snarled and looked away from him. She didn't have the energy to fight him; to tell him that actions spoke louder than words. She shouldn't have had to do it. Archie wasn't her problem anymore. "I have to go to class now." She entered the room and left him alone in the hallway.
She couldn't focus as she went over the interaction between her and Archie. She thought about how horrible he looked, how sorry he was and how those apologies would fall on deaf ears. No one would ever listen to him after everything he had done and he knew it. It was in that moment she realized that she couldn't make Archie Andrews feel any worse that he was making himself feel. In six weeks she never had to see him again and there was no point in holding onto that anger anymore. She took a deep breath and let it go before focusing on her English Lit teacher.
After a long and lonely week at school the last thing Betty expect to see at home was her mother. Betty was startled when she found Alice sitting at the kitchen table eating a bowl of cereal. She had already set out a bowl for her daughter as well.
They sat in silence as they spooned bran and raisins into their mouths.
"When are you putting the house up for sale?" Betty asked doing her best to make small talk.
"Once you've gone off to school." She confirmed. "Do you know when you'll be going?"
"August 25th is the move in day." Betty informed. "I can find a place to put my stuff if you need me out sooner."
"No, that works fine." Alice said picking up her empty bowl and putting it in the dishwasher.
"Jughead and I broke up." Betty blurted out. "So you might get your wish. I can find a Wall Street guy and lead the life you've always wanted me to have." She let out a cynical laugh.
A lull settled over the two of them before Alice sighed. "I raised you the wrong way." She admitted.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Betty asked dropping her spoon into her bowl looking up at the woman who raised her.
"I was more of drill sergeant than a mother." She lamented. "I wanted you to be great Betty, I wanted you to be everything I wasn't and I think I had a toxic idea of what great was." Alice took a step towards her. "I think I thought the best meant the most educated, the most talented, the most money, the best mate. I thought your father would give me that all those years ago." She smiled and laughed which was rare. "But now that I'm with FP, I'm not so sure." She moved with light intentional movement and took a seat across from her daughter. "You're the valedictorian and such a good piano player you got into one of the most prestigious schools for music in the country. You're well spoken, polite, intelligent and beautiful. It a shame I was too blinded to see that I succeed with you."
Betty felt a swelling in her chest that she hadn't felt towards her mother since she was a girl. She was cautious towards this feeling since this was not the woman she had come to know and fear. This was a human admitting her faults, taking pride in her successes and sharing a moment with her estranged daughter. "Thanks Mom."
"You're welcome." She said with a practiced sweet smile.
They were quiet for some time before Alice began to speak again. "Do you still love him?"
Betty looked at her with wide eyes. She never expected to have this conversation with her mother, ever. "Of course I do, I'm just…" She sighed and smoothed the fly aways of her ponytail. "I do but I don't know if he wants to be with me and even if he did… if he's not getting better then what can I do?"
"You can fight for him, for your happiness." Alice suggested. "I stopped fighting for mine a long time ago. It's probably why I was so invested in yours. I went about being with FP in the wrong way, I was angry when you caught us. I was ashamed but it was the best thing I ever did and I can't remember a time I was this happy." She smiled warmly at Betty.
Betty tired to remember the last time she had looked at her like that. She had to have been very young, back when Betty was still allowed some freedoms. When she was still allowed to be a kid from time to time. When warnings about her future weren't the only thing that fell from her mothers lips.
"So if you want him, go get him and make it work."
Betty sat up a little taller and let out a shocked laugh. "Thanks for the advice."
The doorbell rang.
"You're welcome. Can you please get the door for me?" She asked taking her bowl away and cleaning it.
Betty made her way to the front door to find Veronica standing behind with a garment bag draped across her arms. "Guess what's two weeks away?" The brunette sang stepping into the house.
"Who is it?" Alice yelled from the kitchen.
"Veronica!" Betty shouted back.
"Oh, hello Veronica" Alice said with a smile entering the foyer.
Veronica looked cautiously at Betty and then back to Alice. "Hi Mrs. Cooper."
"Is that Betty's prom dress?" She asked.
"It sure is."
"Well, you girls go upstairs and try it on." Alice encouraged.
They both nodded and headed to Betty's room without another word. She shut the door behind them and Veronica stared at her with wide eyes. "Anybody that says sex doesn't change your mood should study Alice Cooper."
Betty guffawed. "Shut up, that's my mom. That's gross."
"So prom." Veronica changed the subject with a laugh.
"Ugh." Betty bemoaned. "I do not want to be a fifth wheel."
"I made you a dress so you're going." Veronica informed finally taking a look around. "Now that I've seen your bedroom, you and Jughead make so much sense. This looks like a physical manifestation of his brain. It's a pigsty in here." Veronica hooked the garment bag to the back of the door.
"Sorry, the maid is on vacation." Betty snarked with an eye roll, falling onto her bed.
"Okay, I guessed your measurements. We'll need to make alterations cause I don't actually know where your breasts fall and where your natural waist is. Also, how long your legs are. Are you against wearing high heels?" The brunette asked looking down at the blonde.
"I'm not going so it doesn't matter." Betty said again sitting up.
"You are going to be crowned prom queen, I made you a bomb ass dress, you're going." She said unzipping the garment bag and pulling out a satin ice blue gown. The deep V neck line was held up by thin straps and met a band to accentuate her waist. The skirt was pleated with a large slit that would show off her legs. It was sexy, something Betty would have never picked for herself but she felt drawn to it.
"Oh my god, Veronica, this is gorgeous." Betty got up and walked towards it, letting her fingers drift over the material.
"I know." Veronica grinned putting her hands on her hips in satisfaction. "You need to try it on."
"Okay." Betty shed her clothes needing no further encouragement as Veronica took the dress off the hanger.
The dress fit her almost perfectly as she ran her hands over the material and marvelled at herself in the mirror. She looked like an adult, not some high schooler in a polyester dress from the mall. She felt sexy in the light blue material even without the make-up, hair and jewellery. "I love this, Ronnie." Betty cooed.
"Are you going to wear flats or heels?" Veronica asked around the pins her mouth as she tugged at the dress.
"I can wear heels." Betty said moving away from Veronica to fetch a pair from her closet.
Veronica finished pinning all her alterations and took a step back. "I am going to be a world renowned designer. You look so good. Jughead is going to die."
Betty's eyes widened. "Is he coming? Prom doesn't seem like his thing."
"I'm working on it but he'll be there." Veronica promised. They were quiet as they both looked at the dress. "He's seeing a therapist." Veronica told her.
Betty smiled and sighed in relief. "Good, he needed to talk to someone."
"He misses you even though he won't admit it." The brunette said. "But he'll come around."
Betty felt hope spring inside her chest for the second time that day and wanted to believe her friend. Two weeks had past since the party and she wasn't sure how long it would take to get him to 'come around'. Jughead had a lot of work to do, not just to finish up school and get ready for college but also on himself. That type of healing could take months to accomplish and Betty wasn't sure if there would be room for her in his healing process.
Maybe a year apart would be the best thing. She could focus on her music and he could focus on his mental health and school. If they were meant to be they would come back together.
"I have someone coming over to the house on the Saturday of prom to do our hair and makeup. Then we'll take a limo from there, sound good?" Veronica asked.
Betty blinked as she came out of her train of thought and nodded. "That sounds great." She grinned as Veronica motioned for her to turn so she could get out of the gown.
Betty could let Jughead go and wait for him to come to her or she could listen to her mother and fight for him.
She had spent so much of her life letting others tell her what was important to her, this time she was going to decide for herself. This time she was going to fight for the things that made her life worth living.
Betty stopped off at the local coffeehouse before a shift at the library when a flyer on the counter caught her eye.
"You're having an open mic night?" She asked looking over the red piece of paper.
"Yeah, this Friday." The girl behind the counter said. She went to Riverdale High but Betty didn't know the sophomore's name.
"Is it just guitars and singing or can you bring in different instruments?" Betty asked putting a lid on her coffee.
"As long as you can set it up quickly, you can bring in whatever you want." The girl said with no enthusiasm.
Betty nodded. "Do you have a sign up sheet?" She asked and the girl motioned to a bulletin board.
Betty thanked the girl and strolled over to the back of the shop. There were seven spaces left, she chose 8pm. This was how she would begin to fight for Jughead. She would let him know how she felt about him and herself through the thing that brought them together. Music.
After Betty instructed the new hire on what to do, she smoothed out the flyer and took a photo to send to Veronica.
Can you find some way to get Jughead to this? 8pm. - 05/23/17 - 3:56pm
Her phone started ringing immediately and Veronica smiling face appeared.
"What are you planning on doing? Are you going to sing him a song? Which song?" She gasped. "OMG! Is it an original? Is it really sappy? How sappy is it? Do you say you love him in it? This is so romantic! How did you learn to be so romantic?" Veronica rambled without taking a breath.
"Wow, that was impressive." Betty chuckled. "And yes, I wrote him a song. I've been very lyrical lately but I need you to get him to the coffeehouse."
"I didn't know you wrote music." Veronica admitted not addressing Betty's request.
"I just started. I guess I finally figured out a way to channel all the things I was feeling into something productive." Betty explained.
"Just so you know, if I ever get married, you are writing my first dance song." Veronica told her.
"Yeah, okay Ronnie, sure." She quipped sarcastically.
"Promise me, Bets." Veronica borderline threatened.
"What?"
"Promise me!" She nearly shouted.
"Fine, okay. Yeah, I'll write you're first dance song. Jeez." Betty said turning red at her friends outburst.
"It's a deal and remember a verbal contract is legally binding in the state of Massachusetts." The brunette informed.
"Is it?" Betty questioned.
"Wait, why are you singing him a song? Shouldn't he be trying to woo you? He was kind of a dick." Veronica pointed out.
"He was hurting and spiralling and I think he doesn't know how to approach me after everything that happened. I love him and I know he loves me. We just have to get past this. This song is me extending the olive branch." Betty smiled thinking about all this being over.
She thought about her and Jughead walking around Time Square, hand in hand, in awe of the hustle and bustle of the big city. She thought about him suggesting different words to make her music perfect while sitting in front of the piano together. The two of them drinking coffee from their favorite place down the street, hers black and his sickly sweet. She thought about the excitement of buying a magazine with his first published article in it. Getting dressed up, taking him to dinner, drinking champagne and making him embarrassed with her praise.
It felt so close to an actual reality it hurt. She wanted that life with him and she knew Jughead wanted it too. She would fight for that future for the both of them because he wasn't in the place to do it.
"Plus," she added. "It'll be nice to get some practice performing which I desperately need." She laughed.
"I'll get him there, don't you worry." Veronica made a sound that was a mix of a sigh and a whimper.
"You okay Ron?" Betty asked.
"It's going to be such a beautiful story when I tell it to your children. I'll be Aunt Ron!"
Betty rolled her eyes. "Goodbye Ronnie."
"Bye gorgeous!" Veronica sang as they hung up.
Betty practiced relentlessly for the next few days. The song itself wasn't hard to play but she needed to make sure that everything was perfect. She still wasn't confident in her ability to play and sing at the same time.
Betty was thankful her hand was starting to feel somewhat normal. Her stitches were out and the notes were simple enough that she could play through any remaining pain.
She slept very little in the days leading up to her performance. She kept questioning what she planned to do. She was sure this would be the event that would bring them together but there was the seed of doubt in the back of her mind that he would hate it. She was afraid that he would be embarrassed by her public romantic gesture and she would make everything worse.
When she arrived at coffeehouse on Friday her hands were trembling and she could hear her heart thundering in her ears. She was grateful they let her set up her piano on the small stage before hand so she wouldn't have to fumble with it before her performance.
Betty ordered a coffee which she didn't drink as she watched the acts that went before her. She tore up napkin after napkin and nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone buzzed.
We are heading over now. Hide yourself if you don't want to be seen. - 05/26/17 - 7:22pm
Betty grabbed her coffee and slipped into the back. She had explained to the manager what she was trying to do and he had no problem hiding one of his best customers.
She peered out from behind the curtain that separated the back from the shop and watched as Veronica and Jughead walked in. Veronica was dressed down in dark blue jeans and an oversized Katy Perry concert t-shirt tied off to the side. Jughead was wearing the light blue jeans he loved, a Metallica t-shirt and his beanie.
Betty's heart skipped at beat at the sight of him. He looked better than the last time she saw him at school. He had done a good job avoiding her over the past couple of weeks. Betty only knew he was going to school because Veronica told her he was. He looked less tired, there was more color in his cheeks and his expression looked neutral as opposed to gloomy.
She sighed in relief knowing therapy and his support system at home was doing him some good.
Her nerves continued to eat away at her until the girl who worked behind the counter, Sabrina, got up behind the mic. "For our second last performance of the night please welcome to the stage Betty Cooper."
Betty emerged from the back, passing Sabrina as she stared at the ground and willed her cheeks not to go bright red. She adjusted the microphone and pulled the stool up to her piano and let her shaky hands skim the keys.
"Hi everyone," she started with a smile. "I'm really nervous." She confessed with uneasy laugh. "This is my first time performing in front of real people." She licked her lips and looked up at Jughead.
His eyes were wide and his breathing looked erratic. He was gripping the arm of the couch he was sitting on as his gaze locked on her.
"I wrote this song for someone who's really special to me. It's about me and him and us." She shook her head. "I hope he likes it." She shot a weak smile his way before looking down at the keys, finding her place and starting to play.
When all the world is spinning 'round /Like a red balloon way up in the clouds/And my feet will not stay on the ground/You anchor me back down
I am nearly world renowned/As a restless soul who always skips town/But I look for you to come around/And anchor me back down
She watched her fingers as opposed to the audience. She new that if she looked at anyone her nerves would get the best of her. That was something she could work on later.
There are those who think that I'm strange/They would box me up and tell me to change/But you hold me close and softly say/That you wouldn't have me any other way
When people pin me as a clown/You behave as though I'm wearing a crown/When I'm lost, I feel so very found/When you anchor me back down
The adrenaline flowing through her kept her focused. It kept her from forgetting the words, kept her fixated on the notes and kept her in key.
There are those who think that I'm strange/They would box me up and tell me to change/But you hold me close and softly say/That you wouldn't have me any other way
When all the world is spinning 'round/Like a red balloon way up in the clouds/And my feet will not stay on the ground/You anchor me back down
Betty played the final notes and closed her eyes for a moment. She took a deep breath in relief and smiled, letting out a small giggle. She had done it and she had done it well. There was a small round of applause.
"Thank you." Betty said into the microphone looking over to where Jughead and Veronica were sitting. She panicked when she realized that they were no longer there. Betty looked towards the door to see Veronica walking back in looking upset.
Betty moved her piano out of the way so the final act could perform and she rushed off the stage to speak to exasperated brunette. "What happened? Where did he go?"
She shook her head. "He shot up like he was on fire the moment the song was over and he bolted. I'm assuming he's heading home."
"Was he mad? What did he say?" The blonde asked griping Veronica's elbow.
She sighed. "He was furious with me for tricking him. He told me to leave him alone. I have no idea why he stormed out."
Betty's eyes filled with tears as she clumsily sat in the chair behind her. "I don't understand."
Veronica took the chair next to Betty and placed her hand over the blondes. "I have no idea what made him react like that. He's been doing so well."
"Maybe he meant what he said. Maybe I am the worst thing that ever happened to him." Betty wiped beneath her eyes.
Veronica shook her head. "No, no that's not it, I think he's not ready to get back together just yet. I must have been too optimistic but I know he'll come around. Just leave him be for a little while. I'll stop pestering him to go to prom, it'll be us five and I promise no couple stuff."
Betty nodded her head and tried to smile. She didn't want to think about the fact that her and Jughead might actually be over and preparing for prom and finals would help keep her distracted.
"Do you want to go somewhere and talk?" Veronica asked.
Betty shook her head. "No, I'm gonna go pack up and go home. Thank you for everything you did tonight." She leaned forward and hugged her friend.
"Please let me know if you need anything." Veronica offered before grabbing her purse and leaving.
Betty did as she said, she gathered her things, placed them in her car and drove home.
She cried herself to sleep that night.
Betty had begun watching TV downstairs now that there was no one home. She didn't have to worry about not being a stepford daughter and making a mess. It had been five days since she had embarrassed herself at the coffeehouse and the heavy hurt in her heart was not lifting.
She was eating chips and watching a movie when the doorbell rang.
She paused the movie and went to answer the door. She was not expecting to see Jughead standing behind it. His was wearing black ripped jeans, his black boots and his grey 'S' t-shirt. He didn't have his beanie on and his hair moved slightly in the late night breeze.
"Jug?" She sputtered wrapping her arms around herself suddenly feeling very naked in her thin tank top and black shorts.
"Hey Bets." He said with a smile, the smile that he only had for her. A half grin with just a bit of teeth. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. "Do you mind if I come in or is this a bad time?" He asked.
Betty shook her head. "No, I'm just watching a movie?" She opened the door all the way and let him in.
"Which movie?" He asked with enthusiasm as his smile grew. His eyes were bright and clear.
"Toy Story 2." She said with a laugh realizing how juvenile her movie choice was.
"Nice." He said. "How's your hand?" He asked motioning it towards it without taking his hands out of his pockets.
"Its good, pretty much back to normal." Betty said with a fake laugh, the kind she used to be polite around people she couldn't be herself with. She flinched when she realized she was using it with him.
"I'm really sorry that had to happen." He rubbed the crown of his head awkwardly. "I was out of my mind and it all came to a head that night." He looked up at her. "I'm seeing a therapist."
Betty nodded. "Yeah, Veronica told me. Is it helping?" She asked. "You look better than you did that night."
"I still have a long way to go but yeah it's helping me. You were right about seeing one, you're always right." He let out an uncomfortable laugh.
"Why are you here, Jug?" Betty asked crossing her arms over her chest.
He sighed and deflated, dropping the false niceties. "I'm sorry Bets, for everything. I literally couldn't have handled the situation worse."
"You could have killed someone." Betty pointed out.
Jughead tried to suppress the grin that threatened to spread across his lips as he looked at her. "Okay, I guess it could have gone worse, but I said a lot of shitty things to you and you didn't deserve any of that."
Betty nodded in agreement. "You're right, I didn't."
Jughead face crinkled in displeasure. "And then you went and sang that song. Like I couldn't feel worse." He bemoaned.
"Well, it was clear that you hated it." Betty looked away from him, sudden anger coursing through her.
His eyes went wide at her statement. He closed the space between them and cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him again. "Betty, it was beautiful. I can't believe you wrote me, us, something like that. It was a talent I knew you always had in you but to see it actually happen," he paused and breathed in deep. "I fell in love with you all over again."
"Then why did you run out?" Betty asked, her tone soft as she placed her hands over his.
He laughed. "Because I hurt you, you shouldn't have wanted to look at me or talk to me. You should hate me and then you went and did that. Something I didn't deserve. Why would you do that?"
Betty shrugged. "You didn't do those things because you were a bad person, you did them because you didn't know to handle what was happening to you. And I was angry for a while and then I decided I wouldn't let it consume me." A half smile pulled at her lips. "And I missed you. That couldn't be the end of our story, I wouldn't let it." She turned her head and pressed a kiss to the palm of his hand. "What made you decide to come here?" She asked.
"I talk to my therapist about you a lot." Jughead admitted. "How much I regret everything that happened. She told me that I need people who love me in my life and that I need to keep the people I love close. You are that person Bets. I've never been in a relationship before so I'm terrified and I'm gonna fuck up again. I can't help it and I'm gonna try really hard not to but if you'll help me and have me-"
Betty cut him off with a kiss. Jughead dropped his hands to her waist and pulled her closer, breathing her in. Her fingers weaving in his hair as she inhaled his familiar scent of evergreen soap and books. She relaxed against him feeling all the stress she had been carrying around melt away.
They parted and she looked up at him. A small sweetest smile appeared on Jughead's lips as he looked down at her. "You smell different." He remarked.
"New body wash." She informed.
"Orange?" He asked.
"Grapefruit."
"I like it." He cooed brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You aren't the worst thing that ever happened to me. I wasn't truly living until you came into my life and I will never be able to express how sorry I am. I will do everything I can to make it up to you." His soft smile broke into the toothiest smile she had ever seen. "I love you Betty. I love you if you are living in our loft or slumming it in Juilliard's dorms. I love you if you are playing coffee shops or arenas, I love you from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to sleep and even when I dream."
Betty felt her cheeks flush. "Look at you all good with the words." She pushed herself up on her tippy toes to kiss him. "I love you too." She whispered. "And the dorms at Juilliard are quite nice."
He laughed. "Veronica, Cheryl, Kevin and I were going to New York tomorrow to see the place they bought for us. You might feel differently when you see it."
"You were gonna go without me?" Betty said taking a step away from him.
"Veronica was going to take you at a different time unless I got up the nerve to actually make up with you. Which I did, so crisis averted." He shrugged.
"Do you want to finish the movie with me?" She asked, swinging his hand in hers, looking up at him through her lashes.
"Toy Story 2 is actually my favorite." He confessed leading her into the living room.
"So you lied when you said the first one was your favorite?" Betty laughed as Jughead pulled her down onto the couch.
"I thought it was gonna be Archie's favorite so I fibbed a bit." He smiled as he laid them down on the sofa and wrapped his arms around her.
She nestled against him feeling like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "I'm so happy you're here."
"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here." He placed a kiss on the spot between her neck and shoulder.
Betty smiled and focused on the movie. There would be tons of time to talk further. Tonight was about enjoying each others company, feeling each others warmth and celebrating the fact that they were back together and in love.
They fell asleep in front of the TV.
If you would like to listen to Anchor or see Betty's prom dress I have made a post on my tumblr bughead-fic-request.
I hope this was worth the wait and all the heart ache.
Reviews are appreciated.