Thursday Late Afternoon

After finally getting her mother to calm down, Betty is about to call Jughead to tell him what's going on when she gets a text from Veronica asking if she can come over. She's a little surprised after she texts back a Sure, come on over that her doorbell rings less than a minute later.

Opening the door for Veronica, she notices she looks nervous. Her eyes are red rimmed and she's radiating anxiety.

"What's wrong, V?" she asks her, concerned. "It's not Archie, is it?"

"No, he's fine. Well, I assume so unless Jughead has gotten hold of him in the last few hours," Veronica replies walking past her into the house, toward the living room.

Betty is baffled by that. "What?"

"I don't want you to be mad at me, though you have every right to be," she starts. "B, I've been keeping secrets."

"Uhm, okay. Bad ones? Because good ones don't usually make people look terrified."

Veronica has sad eyes as she looks at her. "Yeah. Bad ones."

Her own anxiety ramping up, she tries to breathe deeply to maintain a sense of calm. "So, what is it you need me to know?"

"You know I love you, right? I do. You're the best friend I think I've ever had and I would never purposely hurt you, you know that don't you?" Veronica insists with an air of desperation.

Betty's anxiety skyrockets with each new word she's saying. "I do. I love you too, Veronica."

She's shocked when Veronica starts crying at that before blurting out, "I've been keeping stuff from you, Betty. I wanted to find out more before I dragged you into it but with my dad coming home soon-"

"Your dad is getting out of jail?" Betty interrupts her, her heart dropping at the thought.

"Yes, but that's not the worst part. He's been trying to buy the Register from your family and threatening you to do it," she finishes, a heartbroken expression on her face.

Betty is shocked but unsurprised. Had she not found out less than a half hour before, her reaction might have been totally different. "I know."

"You know?" Veronica questions with wide eyes. "Did Jughead tell you?"

"Jughead knows?" Betty purses her lips at this.

Veronica nods. "I told him earlier today, he was not pleased with me."

"I'll bet."

Betty's confusion pushes back her anger for the moment. "So, you knew about this and didn't tell me? And then you told my boyfriend? Why him first?"

"Because-"

"Actually, you keep going to him first, why is that?" she interrupts, a thoughtful look on her face.

Veronica walks close to her, taking her hand, drawing her down to sit on the sofa next to her. "I know I give Jughead a hard time, mostly because it's fun," she says, smiling softly at her, "but truth be told, I don't think there's anyone who loves you more."

Betty manages a small smile in return at that. "I get that, I do. But I'm capable of handling the bad stuff, making me feel weak by keeping things from me isn't helping me in any way."

"I'm sorry, Betty."

"By the way, your dad already bought the Register," Betty starts. "My parents finalized the sale last week after the pictures showed up."

Veronica is visibly confused. "What?"

Grabbing the envelope off of the table, she hands them to her.

Veronica face goes from confused to horrified as she flips through the photos. "I didn't know about these, Betty, I swear, I only knew he was using you as a threat to make the sale go through."

"I believe you," she tells her. "My mom told me about the rest of it just a little while ago."

"Betty-"

Breathing in deeply and exhaling she turns to Veronica. "I know you weren't trying to hurt me, okay? I'm happy you're telling me now and not lying to my face anymore but I think I need some time."

Veronica's eyes start to water again. "I really am sorry, B."

"I know. We'll be fine, alright? I just need some space to think."

Friday Morning

"Did you guys hear?" Kevin almost shouts as he rushes into the Blue and Gold on Friday morning.

"No, what?" Betty asks, turning quickly to her friend.

"There was a raid at Thornhill last night, which you did not hear from me if my father asks, and they found the drugs he had been storing there but that's not even the news," Kevin hurries out. "It's that when the police went into the barn, they found Clifford Blossom dead. He hung himself from the rafters."

"Oh my god, what?" Betty exclaims as Jughead jumps up from the chair he was sitting in. "He hung himself? Has anyone seen Cheryl? Is she okay?"

"No one has seen Cheryl yet, not that I know of, but I would think she's at home today," Kevin informs them. "It came out of nowhere and everyone is still shocked."

That's one way to take out a drug ring, Jughead thinks to himself. He must be in an obvious state of musing when Betty cuts off his thoughts.

"You better not be about to come up with an insensitive joke, Jughead," Betty tells him firmly.

How did she even know? His eyes meet hers in bewilderment. "How-"

"I've known you almost my whole life, Juggie. You make bad puns and jokes when you don't know what else to say."

Kevin is staring back and forth between them. "That's true. Remember the time Archie's hamster escaped outside and you told him about how hopefully little Butterball poisoned whichever cat found and ate him?"

Betty is shaking her head at the memory of that. "Archie glared at every cat he saw for at least a month, Jug."

"Okay, yes, I may not handle things appropriately but hear me out-"

"No," Betty interrupts. "You're going to say something terrible and I'm going to laugh and then I'm going to think about it at the worst time and-"

"It's the ultimate cliffhanger!" Jughead bursts out, sighing in relief after he says it. "There, that's better."

Betty has her hand over her eyes, trying to maintain her sense of decency but Kevin starts giggling which sets her off. "That is horrendous, Jug. Just really bad."

"I know but I can't help it," he responds before asking Betty, "Does this mean Polly and Jason can leave Shadow Lake?"

Betty's eyes light up. "God, I hope so. I wonder if Cheryl's told Jason yet."

Kevin makes a hmm sound and looks to Jughead. "Wait, was Archie's hamster even named Butterball?"

Rubbing a hand on the back of his neck, he winces. "No, but it was the name of the cat that ate him."

Friday Lunchtime

Admitting that he and Betty are avoiding their best friends is something they know they're both dancing around. While Betty is hurt by Veronica, Jughead is flat out angry with her and Archie both.

While he understands where they're both coming from, he can only imagine the reaction if he or Betty had withheld information in the same way. And while they do keep their secrets, they've never tried to keep back anything that might have to do with someone's safety.

Betty hadn't even known she was being photographed. Neither had he and had he known, he would have been far more observant and careful than he usually is. And yes, he knows that logically, while Veronica didn't know she was being photographed either, she had known she was being used as leverage. So did Archie. If something had happened to Betty while she was out, alone, not thinking about her immediate safety, he doesn't know what he would do.

Nothing smart, sane, or legal probably.

The hurt puppy looks Archie sends his way every time they pass each other is making him more and more frustrated as the day goes on. He'd already had it out further with him the night before after making sure Betty got home safely from the treehouse.

Jughead walks into the house and he can tell Fred has already come and gone to bed. Hopefully Fred can relax for a little while after the SoDale project is done. He breezes past Archie who's sitting in the kitchen, eating what looks like leftovers.

Heading for the fridge for a drink he doesn't even look at him as he pulls out a soda.

"Come on, Jug," Archie implores. "You have to understand my position in this."

Jughead takes a drink while considering what to say. "Oh, I understand it. I just think it's bullshit."

"Veronica was trying to take care of it!"

"Yeah, and you know what? She didn't even have all of the information," Jughead tells him, his voice on the cusp of fury. "Betty talked to her mom and did you know Hiram Lodge must have hired someone who is taking pictures of her? To threaten her parents into selling the Register, which by the way, worked."

"Jug-"

"Put yourself in my place, Archie. Just try it," he says, setting his drink down and gripping the edges of the kitchen island tightly. "Imagine Veronica is in danger, for no other reason than some lame ass power grab of a small town. Can you do that?" Jughead leans forward and lowers his voice to an angry almost snarl. "Now imagine that you've loved Veronica for as long as you can remember and she's your best friend and you find out your other friends were keeping secrets that could get her hurt."

Archie takes a step back, he's probably never seen Jughead this intense before. "Jug, I'm sorry-"

"Of course you are. It's so easy to be sorry after the fact, isn't it? What kills me, Arch, is that Betty has been your best friend for over a decade. How can you ignore that because someone you've known less than six months asked you to?"

Archie leans forward again, elbows on the top of the island. "Look, I was giving Ronnie the benefit of the doubt, she's not trying to hurt Betty-"

"That's the point, Archie! She loves Betty, we know that, but it doesn't exactly matter how much she loves her if Betty gets hurt because she kept her mouth shut." Jughead exhales loudly. "I don't want to fight with you, man. I don't have the headspace to give it thought right now."

Grabbing his drink he starts to leave the kitchen when he hears Archie ask, "Is Betty as mad as you are?"

Stopping to turn, he scoffs at him. "You know Betty, she's hurt but doesn't blame you. She's taking some space from Veronica and letting me be mad enough for the both of us."

"You know how much I care about Betty, Jughead. I would never want anything to happen to her."

Running his hand through his hair, he takes his beanie off then puts it back on, stretching his neck side to side as he considers Archie for a moment. "That's what makes this so much worse, Archie. Just so much worse."

"Earth to Jughead?" Betty's voice pulls him out of his thoughts.

"What's up?" he asks, turning to her on the bench of the lunch table they're sitting at.

Betty smiles genuinely at him, pulling a paper bag out of her school bag with a flourish. "Ta-da!" Handing him the bag, her smile gets bigger.

He knows she's trying to cheer him up. He's been so mad for the last day she's told him she's convinced his eyebrows are going to get stuck in the 'angry' position as she calls it. "And this is?"

She rolls her eyes at him. "Jug. Just open it you, grumpy hairball."

"Hairball? Really? Are you eight years old today?"

Pursing her lips, she just lifts a shoulder in a shrug. "I think I have Butterball on the brain. Poor Hans Hamsterton, he didn't deserve that."

"I can't believe Archie let you name his hamster," he tells her, reaching into the bag. "Oh, Betts. Sweet baby girl, you're magic. Have I told you that recently?" Leaning over and grasping the back of her neck gently with his free hand he pulls her into a kiss, deepening it for a moment before turning back to the table.

"Is that the reaction I'll get every time I bring you pie?" she asks him, laughing at his dreamy eyed look as he stares lovingly at the container.

"This isn't just pie, Betty. This is chocolate mousse pie. You're lucky we're in school or there'd be missing pants and legs in the air," he tells her seriously, taking a bite and letting out a happy sigh.

"Whose legs, mine or yours?"

Jughead is trying to resist talking with his mouth full because that means he has to swallow and not immediately eat more or keep eating and possibly disgust his girlfriend. "Whoever's legs you want, but if I'm being honest, I prefer it be yours."

Laughing at him, she hands him a napkin and shakes her head at him. "You're so ridiculous." Her face turns somber as she says, "How long are you going to hold it against them?"

He shrugs at her, still eating. "I'm mad, Betty. It is what it is right now. The real question is, why aren't you angrier?"

Betty sighs at him, leaning into his shoulder. "I know her heart was in the right place, Jug. She wasn't trying to hurt me."

"I know that but I'm mad and looking to stay that way," he tells her. "This, to me, is a hundred times worse than you and Veronica going off into Ghoulie territory looking like 'Mug Us Please' billboard ads."

"You're never going to let that go either, are you?"

He looks at her seriously for a moment. "No. No I don't think so. You aged me at least five years that day, you know."

Staring at him she raises an eyebrow. "Damn. I thought I had distracted you that day from why you were mad."

"Is that what that was? A distraction?"

Huffing a breath out she starts packing up her bag. "It was supposed to be."

"It was," he murmurs to her. "A fantastic one."

Friday Afternoon

"Betty? Could I talk to you?" Archie asks her as he sticks his head into the Blue and Gold after school.

She sees her boyfriend roll his eyes and shake his head before putting his headphones on and turning to face his laptop.

"Sure, Archie. What's up?"

Walking further into the room, he looks tired and sad as he looks over at Jughead. "You know I'm sorry, right?"

"Oh Archie. I do know, I know you were doing what you thought was right, I get it, really but it doesn't fix it," she tells him, giving him a half smile.

Hearing a scoff in the background, she rolls her eyes at him acting like he didn't just give himself away that he wasn't really listening to music.

"Him?" Betty points to Jughead in the chair. "He's still mad. And I don't know why he's not letting it go, but he seems pretty content to let it fester for awhile."

"Yeah, I figured that out last night," Archie says, adjusting the straps to his bag on his shoulders.

"He'll be fine, he just needs time to pout-"

"I do not pout, Betty," Jughead interrupts.

Betty exhales in slight frustration. "So, as you can see, he's in a mood."

Archie just nods at her in agreement. "Anyway, Ronnie wanted me to tell you she really wants to talk to you."

"Arch-"

"What part of Betty needs space does she not get, Archie?" he interrupts Betty again.

"Jug-" Betty starts as she turns to look at him. He's taken off his headphones and stood up, arms crossed and glaring at Archie.

"No, Betts, he came to apologize, right?" Jughead asks her. "So why did he apologize then immediately ask for a favor for Veronica? How is that a sincere apology?"

Making eye contact with Archie he looks away immediately. "You didn't come just because Veronica asked you to, did you?"

"Betty, I am sorry and I was going to give you the space Jug said you wanted but Ronnie-"

"See?!" her pissed off boyfriend exclaims, cutting Archie off.

Her head is starting to hurt. She can see the two sides of their stories and she's not entirely sure she wouldn't be holding a grudge if they had done the same thing to Jug but she just wants everyone to be friends again.

"Can you guys not do this right now?" Betty implores, rubbing her temples to ease the stress building.

"Great, now you've upset her, Archie," Jughead mutters angrily before walking over to her, wrapping her in his arms, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

She lets her head fall to his shoulder and puts her own arms around his back, gripping the fabric of his shirt. She can see Archie backing up until he's leaning on the doorframe.

"Just tell Veronica that I'll find her, okay? I just really don't want to think about anything right now."

Archie nods his agreement as he leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Juggie, we need to talk about why you're so angry, okay?" Betty pulls back so he can look up at him. "You were mad about the Ghoulies, which was fairly justified, but you are really coming down on them over this."

"And you should be but you're not," he tells her, putting his hands on her shoulders to hold her steady as he stares at her. "You need to let yourself feel what you want to feel when someone hurts you, Betty."

"Jug-"

"Listen to me, okay?" He's insistent, walking her backward toward a desk so he can lift her up and sit her on top of it. "No one told either one of us a thing until we either asked or they had no choice. Do you know how angry I am that if you hadn't confronted your mom or Veronica's dad wasn't coming here that we still wouldn't know? Being followed and having your privacy invaded because of someone else's fight? It's infuriating."

Her hands reach up to play with the collar of the flannel shirt he's wearing. "I just don't want to think about it." She pulls her hands back after a few seconds and shows them to him, palms out. "This is what happens when I think about it."

Taking her hands in his, rubbing his thumbs over the indentations he leans into her. "Hiram Lodge is dictating your life and I hate it. Your mother does it and the people at this school take advantage of you, you do not need more to deal with."

Sitting up straighter she angles her head so she can catch his lips with hers. "We should do something fun tonight after the game."

"Football season is still going?" he asks as his shoulders slump a bit. "Why? You don't think they'll call it off because of Clifford Blossom do you?"

Shrugging at him, she pushes him so she can hop off the desk. "I have no idea. I don't even know if the River Vixens are going to cheer with Cheryl not there."

Friday Night

Less than an hour after the game that still went on as normal they're sitting in a booth at Pop's, Jughead eating most of Betty's fries as she keeps slapping his hand away from her milkshake when Archie and Veronica walk in.

Jughead stiffens immediately. He hears Betty sigh as his body language changes but he can't help himself. He's still so angry and doesn't know how to let go of it, not when it comes to Betty.

"Can we sit?" Veronica asks, gesturing to the empty side of the booth they're sitting in.

Frowning at them, he knows they're going to keep coming back until they get what they're after. "If you want."

They both slip into the booth, neither of them making eye contact with him but he sees Veronica give Betty a small smile.

"I know you're unhappy with us, Jughead, but-"

"That's an understatement," he interjects.

Veronica takes a deep breath and tries again. "I know you're unhappy but we need to work this out before it becomes something bigger than it is."

Looking at her straight on for the first time since they entered Pop's his eyebrows shoot up in astonishment. "Something bigger? What's bigger than threats and stalking? Kidnapping?"

"Juggie, please let them talk," Betty whispers to him, putting a hand on his thigh, willing him to calm down.

He closes his eyes and lets his head fall back on the vinyl of the booth while trying to even out his breathing. "Fine."

"Anyway, as I was saying," Veronica continues, "we need to work this out. And I think we have a way to make it up to you both."

"Go on, V," Betty encourages when she stops and looks at Archie.

He can hear Veronica take a deep breath before talking. "Daddy will be home next week. I was thinking you should come meet him, the both of you-"

"Oh for the love of fuck, Veronica," Jughead almost shouts, his head coming back up so fast he feels his neck crack. "That's a hard no."

"Hear me out," she says to him, hands held up in surrender. "Daddy doesn't know I know anything yet. Maybe we can do a little misdirection and sleuthing while he's distracted."

"This is your father, Veronica. You're going to betray him? Really?"

Archie takes her hand in support before she keeps going. "Look, I know who he is now. He is not a good man and I love my father but I don't like him. What he's doing is wrong."

Betty leans forward on her elbows on the table. "When?"

While Jughead should have seen this coming he's still surprised she agreed to it so quickly. Putting his head in his hands, slumping further into the booth he starts muttering lowly to himself. "Why am I even shocked? It's like she thinks she's a cat with nine lives. Or, at the very least, Harry Potter, he had like, what? At least two lives. I am going to have a stroke before college, I can just feel it."

Betty nudges him with her elbow. "Are you done complaining?"

He looks at her and shakes his head. "Not even remotely close. I do not want you doing this, Betty."

Taking his hands in hers, she moves until she's facing him on the bench seat. "I want to control the narrative, Jug. We need to take the power back."

Exhaling as loud as he can in protest he looks at Veronica. "When?"

Late Friday Night

"Jughead? What are you doing?" Betty whispers to him as he climbs through her window as quietly as he can.

"Shhh," he whispers back to finding his feet on the floor finally.

Her hair is down and she's wearing those small cotton shorts and a thin t-shirt that he curses every time he sees them from Archie's room. Before he can say anything else she goes to lock her door as quietly as she can.

"What are you doing?" she asks again after she makes her way back to him.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was training for the ladder climbing Olympics?"

"Not even if you paid me."

He huffs a soft laugh out at her. Reaching out and pulling her into him he tightens his arms around her and buries his head into her hair. "I haven't been able to really touch you since we went to Veronica's cabin."

With a smirk and lift of her brow she tugs on his suspenders, jerking him forward. "Is that right?"

"It's a crime," he says into Betty's ear, making her shiver.

She's already taking the flannel shirt he's wearing over his t-shirt off when she asks, "What about Mr. Andrews?"

"Archie is covering for me, I told him he owes me at least that much no matter how uncomfortable it is for him to think about."

His girlfriend can't stop her giggling but is trying to keep it quiet as the shirt falls to the ground. Once his arms are free, he puts a hand over her mouth. "Shh, you need to be quiet, do you understand me?"

He can feel her breathing increase at his words and he smirks at her. "Did you like that?"

She nods at him with wide eyes as his other hand moves up and into her hair, grabbing a handful before lightly pulling it, her head going back with the movement. With a hitched breath, she lets out a quiet little whimper and her knees hitting into him as she stumbles slightly.

"You weak in the knees for me, Betty?" he questions smugly.

Green eyes flare at him. He can tell that part of her wants to challenge him but the part that doesn't is winning out.

Taking his hand off from over her mouth, he slides it down her side, tracing his fingers against the side of her breast and down to the hem, pushing it up until it's up past her ribs, giving him access to the soft skin he's been missing. The goosebumps he's leaving make him smile at her again as she continues to stare at him.

Letting go of her hair, her head comes back up and she immediately starts pulling on his t-shirt to get it over his head. Stepping back from her to keep it on, he reaches for her shirt to take off first. Once it's over her head, she's standing in front of him bare from the waist up in the moonlight of her room.

"You're beautiful, you know."

Tilting her chin down, she's averting her eyes at his compliment but he takes her chin in hand and turns her head to look at him once more. "You're beautiful, do you understand me?"

Her eyelashes flutter as she fights closing her eyes.

Pointedly staring at her until she looks back at him she finally nods her assent. Accepting it, he runs his hands down her sides and back up over the undersides of her breasts, causing her to jerk at the sensation.

"Quiet," he demands, tugging on a chunk of her hair. She's biting her lips and nodding at him when she reaches for his shirt again.

"I didn't hear you say please."

Eyes wide and breathing increasing she takes a moment before whispering, "Please."

"What was that? I don't think I heard you."

"Please, Jug," she whispers just a little louder.

Finally agreeing, he lets her pull his t-shirt off and drop it on the ground with the rest of the clothes they've taken off.

Stepping forward he runs his fingers along the waistband of the shorts she's wearing, pulling lightly on them to signal he wants them off.

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes, please," she tells him as he moves them down, letting them fall to the ground.

He almost groans loudly when he realizes she's not wearing panties. "Are you trying to kill me, baby?"

Shaking her head Betty reaches for the buttons on his jeans, undoing them and moving his pants past his hips. He stops her to step back and out of his boots before letting them fall. Making sure he's got his socks off, he stalks forward, grasping onto her hips as he reaches her. Arms go up and around his neck, naked chests pressed together and he's trying to control the urge to push himself into the softness of her abdomen.

Turning them around, he walks backward to where he knows her bed is. As they're moving slowly she's pushing his boxers down before she looks up and notices he's still wearing his hat. A breathy laugh escapes her as she tugs it off of his hair and tosses it to the nightstand.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he brings her into his lap, letting his hands trail up and down her spine as she straddles him. The heat of her on him as she moves makes his breath hitch and he holds her still.

"Don't move," he tells her in a firm whisper. She immediately stops, resting her weight on his legs as she stares at him.

He puts one hand on the back of her neck, bringing her in to press his lips to hers, slipping his tongue into her mouth to slide against hers, his other hand moving to her jaw to keep her in place as he moves down her neck, softly biting with open mouthed kiss as he trails down to bury his face into her chest, lightly kissing over and under them until gently sucking her nipple into his mouth making her squirm and struggle to be quiet.

"What did I say?" he says in a low tone, pulling back from her chest.

"To be quiet and don't move."

"Do you need me to make you be quiet?"

Betty's body jolts at the insinuation and he turns them on the bed so her back is flat against the mattress and he can comfortably put a gentle hand over her mouth. Sitting on his knees, he slips his other hand between her legs, a little surprised at how wet he finds her.

"You really like this, don't you?"

She nods behind his palm, trying to keep herself from squeezing her legs together.

Sliding one, then two fingers into her, he puts his thumb against her clit, using the slight pressure he knows she likes as he moves it in circles. Jughead can feel her breathing increase, the little pants against his palm as she lets her eyes fall closed.

Letting go of her mouth, he drifts down her body until he's situated himself between her legs, putting more pressure on her and using his free hand to run his fingers along her inner thigh. It doesn't take long before she's biting into her own fist, shaking with the buildup before she almost kicks him off of her as she comes.

"You're so violent, Betty. What if you kick me somewhere important one day?"

"Shut up, Jug, I can't think yet."

Quietly laughing at her while laying his weight on top of her, kissing her deeply as he grinds himself into her. "This is dangerous."

"Mmhmm," she agrees, reaching for the drawer of her nightstand, pulling out a band-aid box.

"Band-aids? I don't think this is their intended purpose."

Huffing at him she opens it and pulls out a condom to hand to him. "My mother doesn't snoop in this box for some reason."

Sitting up and opening the package, he slides the condom on before laying back over her. "Put your legs around me."

"Like this?"

"Higher. Tighter. There."

He slides into her with very little resistance and his world goes white. Wondering if it will always be like this, he puts his head into her neck and breathes heavily as he thrusts in and out of her.

"Oh god, Jug," Betty breathes into his ear as quietly as possible as she reaches to grab a handful of his hair. Tugging on it, his body shivers even more.

"Fuck, oh-," he manages to groan into her hair. "Baby, oh my god."

He moves to kiss her to keep them both quiet and they end up panting into each other's mouths, not able to get enough air to think clearly.

Jughead feels the buildup and the heat and the spine tingling perfection coming down on him as he moves faster, Betty's legs locked around his back, her nails biting into his shoulder blades. One last deep thrust and a strangled moan as quiet as he could into her neck as he comes, he finally has the presence of mind to take a deep breath.

A few moments after coming down he rolls off of her but bringing her into his side, their skin still damp with sweat and hearts beating fast.

"Betty?"

"Yeah?"

"I didn't make you uncomfortable did I?" He wouldn't be able to handle it if there were ever a time she didn't enjoy herself.

"No, of course not. Why?"

"I don't want you to go along with something if you don't like it. You can say no whenever you want, no matter what."

Betty tightens the arm she's got laying across his middle. "You were more forward than usual but I liked it."

"I think it's easier to be yourself in the dark, you know?"

Jughead feels her press a kiss to his shoulder before she says, "True. Lies and honesty both come easier in the night, don't you think?"

"Mmhmm. You believe me when I tell you I love you?"

"Always."