Riverdale: What no one saw coming...

Chapter Sixteen

Everything stopped.

The room gathered silence.

The heavy breaths of the only four habitants of the penthouse loomed in the air. No one knew what to say.

Being the first to make a move, Betty stepped into the small, box room the Lodges used as a makeshift spare guest bed room. Every thing was gone. From Polly's special, cotton bedsheets(of which she could sleep no where without) to the small plush collection of teddy bears herself and Polly had as children, they were to passed along to her child. Something so important to the pair of girls, the bond they shared was indescribable - which is why losing her hurt all that more for Betty.

Looking around the empty, barren room, her eyes welled up. Small trickles gently dropped down her cheeks. Suddenly she felt a cordial touch around the upper half of her arm, just below the shoulder. Without a second thought, she turned swiftly and buried her face into his chest, the ruff fabric of his jacket catching her forehead. His warm embrace, provided her the stability she needed right now.

She didn't sob, she didn't wail or cry. She just stood there . With him, holding her close.

He didn't near to witness it to know she was in pain. Within the past few months she had lost so much:

. the "perfect" family her family had tried so hard to achieve

. her best friend Kevin, who may now be a killer

...and now her sister.

"...Food is missing from the fridge.." Veronica called out, her voice trembling.

"...Her phone goes straight to voice mail.." Archie shouted, he was trying to help- but no one could help Betty, not anymore.

Hearing no response ,both Archie and Veronica looked up at one another. With no words spoken between them, they both made a mutual decision.  Steadily, the duo made their way down the hall turning left to Polly's old accommodation. Silently, they peered into the bright cream room that now felt dull. Jughead had his arms wrapped tightly around Betty , her head pressed suffocatingly into his chest. Swaying from side to side.

The sight of this, made Veronicas heart snap in two. After minutes of swaying and comforting, Betty finally unburied her face. Her face felt wet and her throat felt dry.

Despite the fact her eyes looked tired, her face was red and her hair was loose and slack. Her lips were dry and suffering was written across her, Jughead still thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

After a brief moment of silence, Betty quietly uttered "What now?"

"We could go to the police..." Archie answered, trying to contribute something helpful to the situation as he always does.

"The police still think she's missing.." Jughead answered , his arms still wrapped around her slender body.

"We can't tell the police we hid her, my Mom is already on the wrong side of the law enforcement." Veronica exclaimed, she was aware of perplexity and danger of the situation but she couldn't throw her Mom under the bus. Not after all she's been through.

"We could at we hid her and that your Mom had no idea anything was going on." Archie said, Veronica still looked unconvinced.

"We cant go to the police..." Betty uttered, the first she had spoke throughout the discussion.

"What ! Why?" Both Veronica and Archie asked.

" Well..." Betty started . But Jughead finished, recognising what she meant. " One if we go to the police and something...has happened..." He said choosing his words sensitively for Bettys sake. He continued " we are all accomplices to murder" Every one looked down. "And two, if Kevin is to be held responsible for Jason's murder, what is the sheriff going to do except put the blame onto us. What I suggest is we wait it out. Continue with the search groups happening at the moment , look in our own spare time and zero in on Kevin." After realising what he had said, Jughead added " Unless you want to go to the police Betty, then we will come and support you through and throughout."

"I think we should go to the police , I will give her until the morning to come home and if not we need to get help. That gives us chance to come up with a story that doesn't involve your Mom Ronnie."

"Okay, we will wait." Veronica added exhaling a deep breath.

"I think we should go look, maybe in the woods and around town." Jughead added .

"Yeah lets go..." Betty replied, her heart not in it, she seemed distant- like her mind was troubled.

Slowly, they all wandered out the tall, purple door , their heads hung low.

The drive was silent, Jughead sat in the back with Betty and Veronica in the front with Archie. They needed space. He sat with his arm around her despite her body being stiff.

For hours they searched the haunting woodlands, leaving no leaf unturned. The sky turned from grey and misty to a light lilac to pitch black within an hour. Despite Bettys persistence to continue their search will only the flash light from their phones, they all agreed that at ten pm . It was time to give the search a rest until the morning.

Without words, Archie dropped Veronica off outside her apartment building, not before  she could engulf Betty into a tight hug. Profusely apologising for everything, her face wet.

Soon they pulled up to the street Betty and Archie lived on.

"I'm going to make sure Betty gets to bed okay. Il see you later on" Jughead told Archie through the car window after he had jumped out the car following Betty.

"Say no more, make sure she's okay." Archie replied.

Without caring that her parents could be waiting on the other side of the door, Betty pushed the front door open.

"They are staying late at work again, figures" Betty stated reading a note left on the table. Dropping the note, she headed up the stairs. Closing the door behind him, Jughead followed her upstairs. He walked into her bedroom to find her sat solemnly on the bed.

Realising what she needed , he sat close , their thighs touching he pulled her in resting her head on his shoulder. Together , they stayed like that from an incomparable amount of time until Betty began to yawn, her eyes drooping , bags underneath them forming.

He lifted her head .

"You should get to sleep..." He stood and kissed the top of the head. He turned and headed towards the door...

"Wait ... will  you stay tonight. I don't want to be alone." She asked nervously scared he will reject her.

He turned and smiled.

"Where are your spare sheets?"