Never Quit Loving You

T W E L V E

Okay, it's past midnight, I need to go take a shower, brush my teeth, do my face-care routine, and go the hell to sleep, only to wake up like five hours later to go to school...

I never have time to write anymore and it really bothers me, but I'll keep trying to give you as much content as possible as long as you comment and tell me what you think cause your reactions are literally the only things that still motivate me, and what I do it for.

☆☆☆

The following days Jughead spent with Betty and Wesley. He would come over just before lunch to eat with them, spend time with Betty, either helping her clean or study and when their son woke up from his nap, play and entertain him in every way possible. Almost every day he left when Fred got home, to give the family some privacy and time to be alone—the man would ask him to stay for dinner every night, but Jughead would politely decline before bidding his goodbye to the three of them and going back to the hotel.

The routine became so usual during the next week and a half, that when Jughead rang the doorbell on a Sunday and it was not opened by Betty as it typically was, he thought for a moment that he had mistaken with the house. That was until he realized who the redhead now facing him exactly was.

"Jughead," the woman beamed.

Frozen on the spot, the thing that Jughead first noticed was the fact that Cheryl's hair, as bright and red as always, was even longer now as if she hadn't cut it once during the three and a half years they hadn't seen each other, and the second, which pleasantly surprised him, was the way her face seemed to be covered in less makeup than he remembered, giving her a more natural and kinder look.

A small smile grew onto his face when she embraced him, and the guy warmly moved his arms around her as well. "Cheryl," he greeted the same way while pulling away. "Great to see you."

"And you," she said with a soft voice and pushed the door open wider, stepping out of the way.

"Is this a bad time?" asked Jughead, his brows a bit knitted together, even as the smile was still lingering on his lips.

"Nope, I'm just here too, today."

Betty must have been keeping her updated, Jughead thought as he nodded and stepped inside, closing the door behind himself. "How have you been? Betty's told me you took over the family business."

Cheryl scoffed. "Took over? What a boring way to put it."

Chuckling, the guy raised his eyebrows. "Oh yeah? How come?"

"I took it from my parents and am running it way differently. They're living in Canada, now, by the way."

Jughead nodded as Cheryl led him toward the kitchen. "How come you're doing it differently, then?"

"Well, for one, I don't do any work myself and still get more money than they ever did."

Jughead smirked. "Fair enough." He saluted Fred who gave him a huge smile back. "What're you making?" he asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"Pizza." The man watched amusedly as Jughead stole a few pieces of chicken from the pan and gave him a thumbs-up before reaching for another one. Fred slapped his hand away and with a small chuckle at his disappointed face, nodded his head toward the back door.

Jughead rolled his eyes and washed his hands, drying them in his jeans which made Cheryl throw him a somewhat filthy look. "Don't help me," she said immediately when he reached for a glass Cheryl couldn't seem to fit in her hand.

The guy sniggered and they stepped through the back door, into the yard. Cheryl walked to the small table on the back porch and set some drinks on it, but Jughead stayed behind, leaning against the doorway. He watched with a smile how Wesley played on the small playground set Fred had built for him when he wasn't even born yet, and Betty sat in a comfortable garden chair, typing away on her laptop.