A/n I've been on a roll tonight for some reason and have finished two more chapters. It's really late (4:30AM) so they probably need some editing but I can come back later. Hope you all enjoy chapter 40.
P.S. This is in Jughead's perspective and the next chapter will be Betty's perspective of the same events.
Jughead POV
As soon as she shut the window I darted back around the house to my car.
I had another chance. That's what this was, right?
I started my car and began to drive a pace that was most likely over the speed limit.
As I pulled into the driveway, much sooner than I should have, I remembered the mess I had made.
I opened the door slower than usual hoping that it would somehow make it go away, it didn't.
"Ok." I said to myself.
I walked over to the closet that held our cleaning supplies and took out the broom. I started to pick up the larger pieces of glass to throw away then swept up the smaller stuff.
The more I cleaned up the broken glass the more I felt my self esteem drop.
Was I really so fucked up that I threw a bottle at our living room wall? What was that supposed to accomplish?
As I was sweeping up the last few bits of glass I started to hear a car pull into the driveway. I threw the rest away and shoved the broom back into the closet.
As I heard her keys in the door I began jumping back and forth like a deer in headlights.
By the time she had the door open, I was leaning on a wall attempting to look calm and collected.
"Hi." she said radiating sarcasm.
I stood up straight and responded, "Hey Betts."
We both started glancing around the room waiting for the other to initiate the conversation.
"Do you want to move this over to the living room?" I said breaking the silence.
"Sure." she responded while delivering a half smile.
As we sat on opposite ends of the couch I watched her twiddling her thumbs.
"So..." I began. "Thank you for coming over." crickets.
As I was about to start up again she interrupted by asking, "Why am I here Jughead? I mean seriously. What is it that you want from me because this game of cat and mouse has grown tiring."
"I just want to talk."
"Ok then... Talk." she responded with an irritated glare.
"Ok Betts... I love you, so fucking much. The amount of love I have for you is overflowing and I need you in my life."
She scoffed.
"You're delusional Jughead. You don't 'need me', you need to have me as an option because you're a selfish narcissist. So if you really want to talk, you need to give me nothing but the truth or I will walk out that door so help me God."
Truth was an ironic word for this situation. Telling me to speak the 'truth' when it was her keeping one of the biggest secrets I could think of.
I started to rack my brain for something she would qualify as 'the truth'. "Do you remember when we were kids?" She returned her gaze back in my direction. "We were going through so much but we always had each other to lean on. Without you I doubt I would have made it this far." By now her entire body was directed towards me. "Can you remember all of the nights we spent together? Whether we were investigating, talking, or even just sitting in silence? Whenever I was with you I never felt alone. Do you remember our first kiss? How I climbed up your ladder into your room after we had finally found Polly. That was one of the best moments of my whole life." I noticed her inching closer and I returned the action. "Betty, every moment I spent with you felt like I was in a fairytale. If that isn't love... I don't know what is."
By now we were only a few inches away from one another. I cupped her cheek and started to lean in.
Just as our lips were about to touch she said, "This isn't right Jughead. I can't be doing this."
"Doing what?"
"This!" she threw her hands up in frustration. "We can't be one of those on again off again couples. It's not fair to Juliet."
"It doesn't have to be like that! We can go back to what we had before, you me and Juliet together..."
"What we had before was a relationship filled with lies!" she said cutting me off.
"I'm sorry Betts, you know I am. Please just give me another chance. If not for me, for Juliet."
"That's not fair Jughead! You can't just guilt trip me into a relationship. What kind of example is that setting for Juliet? Show her that it's ok to run back into the arms of a man that lies, cheats and God only knows what else?"
I noticed her chest slowly rising and falling as she tried to recover from her long winded statement.
"We don't have to tell her what happened. She's young, she'll never have to know about it."
"JESUS JUGHEAD HOW MUCH TO I HAVE TO REPEAT IT UNTIL I GET IT THROUGH THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS?!" She slowed down, "This isn't a fucking game, this is our lives and if you want what's best for us you have to stop."
"You know I'm not the only lier here." I let out.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
I was debating if I should tell her I know about everything. At this point what did I have to lose.
"How about the fact that you're pregnant and you didn't feel the need to tell me?"
She leaned back while looking at me shocked.
"Who told you that?"
"Nobody told me, I figured out on my own. I know you Betty, better than anyone else. Did you really think you could keep this from me?"
"Jug I was going to... I just needed time."
"TIME? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? THIS ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN JUST NOT TELL ME."
"IT WASN'T LIKE THAT AND YOU KNOW IT." she shot back.
"HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT YOU DIDN'T CHEAT ON ME? IF YOU WERE ABLE TO KEEP SOMETHING LIKE THIS FROM ME HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW IF IT'S MINE OR YOU WERE BEING A LITTLE SLUT BEHIND MY BACK?"
She stared at me filled with disgust.
"How could you say something like that to me? What the fuck is wrong with you? You know I would never and have never done anything like that and you think it's ok to call me a slut and say that our children don't share the same DNA as you? Fuck you. If you feel this way why are you even trying to get back together with me?"
When she said it out loud I could tell that I had put my foot in my mouth again.
"Betty I'm s-"
"DON'T YOU DARE SAY YOU'RE SORRY." She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down. "There is no way in hell you come back from something like this Jughead. You don't get to pull that shit on me and get away with it. Juliet idolizes you and knows you as her father and I will not take something like that away from her but hear me and understand when I say you will never be a part of this baby's life." she said pointing at her stomach.
"Betts please don't do that. They're my children and I should be allowed to spend time with them and get to know them the same amount as you." I said trying to reason.
She went from a straight face to a slow chuckle, "You are too much Jughead. Two seconds ago you were saying you didn't believe you were their biological father and now you want to 'spend time with them'? You've had the last five years to spend with your daughter and all you've provided her with is neglect. I'm fucking done." she said, throwing her hands up in surrender. "I can't stay with you. This is over."
She stood and turned towards the door but I caught her arm before she reached the handle.
"Betts-"
"Don't fucking touch me." she said before she jerked away from me and slammed the door shut.
That whole experience just felt like I had relived the first fight that started this mess.
I don't know what to do next. I feel as though I've tried everything at this point.
I feel like it's impossible to please her. What more does she want from me? I know I messed up but I've told her that I'm sorry for it more times than I can count.
A/n I'll post the next chapter later.