Heartbreak (Bughead) ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐧: 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬

Betty slowly woke up, an hour later, her heart still aching. Why did she have to fall for him? There are so many nice boys who would be willing to date her, but him, his dark mysterious soul was calling her over to him.

She couldn't help it.

Why him? She knew he didn't date, he never had. He was a player, plain and simple. He had never even looked at a girl with an interest before. Well, other than her, but she didn't know that though.

She quickly got up and made her way towards her bathroom to fix herself up, to look presentable. Perfect.

She hated that word; perfect.

It was her very own curse.

She opened a drawer and pulled out a makeup wipe, wiping away any of the smudged mascara that she easily ruined an hour ago. 

After fixing herself to become her "perfect" self, she brushed her hair and changed into a more suitable outfit. One that her mother would approve of, before walking downstairs and acting as if nothing had happened. That was what she was best at. What she was forced to be good at.

"Elizabeth!" Her mother spoke, getting her attention as she walked into the kitchen.

"Yes," She responded, grabbing a glass to fill with water to quench her thirst.

"What happened?" Alice asked, concerned.

"What are you talking about?" 

"You came home crying!" Alice stated, standing across from her, on the other side of the island.

"So..." Betty replied, taking a sip.

"That isn't nothing," Alice responded, unknowingly reminding Betty of the night under the bleachers.

• • •

"It was just an anxiety attack..." She started.

"an anxiety attack isn't nothing," He spoke.

"Look, you don't have to pretend to care, I'm fine now," She said, standing up and brushing down her cheer uniform from any dirt that might've ended up on it.

"I'm not pretending, I'm genuinely worried about you, Betts," He stated, getting up as well.

"Well, you don't have to, nobody else cares," She replied, turning around to face him.

"That's not true," He started, taking a step closer.

• • •

"I was just a little upset," Betty lied, just slightly withholding the truth.

"A little upset," Her mother repeated, obviously not believing her.

"Can you please just leave it alone, I don't want to talk about it," Betty spoke, before quickly walking away, back to her room, trying to disappear from the world.

As soon as she shut her door, she broke down in sobs. It hurt so much. The heartbreak tore her apart, demanding to be felt. 

That's the thing with pain, it never went unaccounted for.

It didn't help when he was the only thing she could possibly think of, her mind always wandering back to him.

Why did he have to do this to her?

Why couldn't he just leave her alone?

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The next few days were just as bad as the first. If not worse.

After a while of trying, Jughead had finally stopped texting and calling her phone, leaving her with 27 messages and 11 missed phone calls. It hurt her, even more, when she couldn't answer them, but she had to be strong.

Or that's what she told herself.

A regular Thursday morning, while she was eating her lunch, the doorbell rung, announcing that someone had arrived. It confused her since her mother was at work and she hadn't invited anyone over.

All of her friends were at school while her mother had forced her to take the rest of the week off for mental health reasons, even if Betty hadn't told her what had happened yet.

Betty slowly opened the door to find a bouquet of dark red roses, along with a plain white envelope with her name written on it, shoved into the bouquet. She immediately picked it up and walked back to the kitchen, setting it down on the island before opening the envelope.

She nervously opened the piece of paper that was inside and her necklace fell out. The one she had left behind.

Why would Jughead have done this? It goes everything past his ever so valuable reputation.

She held her necklace in one hand as she read the note, her heart fluttering with hope.

『••✎••』

I'm sorry, I really am.

Can we please talk, I owe you an explanation.

And I miss you.

I've never actually realized until now, how miserable life really is without you.

-𝓙

『••✎••』

She didn't know what to do. Should she be happy, or still upset? How, even on a piece of paper, could he mess with her emotions so much?

She missed him too. She really did, but he had hurt her so many times. She had already given him a second chance and he blew it.

She slowly set the letter down, back on the island before pulling out one of the roses from the bouquet and bringing it up to her face. She gently inhaled the sweet scent of the delicate rose, smiling at the thought of his sincerity.

Maybe he did care, or at least a little.

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