I opened my eyes, the darkness slowly began to fade. I could feel the undried tears on my face starting to blow away, my uncovered arms growing goosebumps. The streetlights revealed themselves once I recuperated, still sleepy and disoriented from my breakdown a few hours ago.
In front of me stood the familiar structure I'd grown to appreciate and longed to walk in, but that desire jumbled with the confusion of how I got there.
How am I here? This is me and Jug's house...
Just as I had that thought, the door creaked open, revealing the wavy-haired man I despised all those months ago; the one I'd grown to know as my home.
His hands untucked from the pockets of his sweatpants that I used to wear when he stepped outside, trudging along the grass before he met me on the sidewalk.
It took a little more than a moment before he looked up from staring at his sneakers, his eyes brimmed with tears and a wavering smile on his face.
"Hey, B-Betts.", he whispered, his forcibly happy expression dropping. He began rocking on his feet, covering his face with his hands and dragging them down, wiping away his despair.
"Jug... Why am I out here? I had the most horrible nightmare... I was in the hospital. The nurses told me that you-".
"Died?", he interrupted, shock overwhelming every sense in my soul. "I- Um... Can you come inside, please. J-Just for a moment.".
"Why for a moment? I live here now. What's going on?".
He said nothing, spinning around and walking back inside, assuming that I would follow behind him. I did, shutting the door behind me while he plopped down onto our sofa.
"Betty, it's true. I'm dead. You're... You're dreaming right now, but before... God, I don't even know how to explain this to you.".
"W-What? But-But if you're dead, how am I seeing you? How am I here?".
"Betty, you almost died when you tried to commit suicide. You were sent here, to this... purgatory-like place. Think of it as the place you go before heaven, but only if you have a chance of survival.".
I sank down beside him, staring out into the empty space while I cradled my knees to my chest, struggling to comprehend.
"I was sent here to help you get better, so that you could go back to your real home and-".
"But you are my real home!".
"Betty, pl-please.", he begged tearfully, grabbing my hand and squeezing it reassuringly, both for himself and for me.
"I was sent here from... the beyond, or heaven, as you probably know it. I came here to help you get better; to help you f-feel again. You said that phrase to me when we were in the bath, which is what caused you to go back to the h-hospital.
There was that day when you ran off because I said something triggering... You ran into those two guards. Betty, they were there to stop you from crossing the border. If you had, you would've died permanently. That's why I was so scared when you woke up.
I'm also sure that you've noticed that I don't really sleep. I'm dead, Betty. I don't need sleep.
I wasn't supposed to fall in love with you, Betty, because I knew it would be this much more difficult to l-let you go. I know this is a lot to take in, and I'm so so-sorry, but you h-have to go back home. I know you know that.". By the end of his little speech, full of explanations I hadn't realize I needed, he was gripping the back of the couch while we both sobbed endlessly.
"I-I don't want to go back, Jughead! I belong here with you! I w-want to stay here with you! If I go back, I swear I will just try to kill myself again. I can't-".
"No, Betty!", he exclaimed. "You won't be doing any of the sort. I couldn't bear to see you do that to yourself again. I love you, Betty. You're happy again! You deserve to live your life. I already had my chance, and I blew it, but you were lucky enough to be given another one. Please, please take it. You have no idea what I'd give to go back.".
He was right: it was too much to take in at once. I wasn't ready to give up what I had with Jug, and I never would've truly been ready, but it was inevitable.
"Whether you want to or not, you will wake up back in that hospital in a few moments. Listen to me: please move on and live a happy life, okay? Everything is going to be okay. Get married, have kids, get yourself a successful job, and feel again, just like you said you already had learned to do. I would ask that you f-forget about me, as well, b-but I'm choosing to be s-selfish and ask that you remember me. I love you, Betty. I always will.".
"J-Jug, I love you too!", I cried, collapsing onto him, hugging myself close to his chest, choking on a breath when his arms hesitantly wrapped around me.
"I don't want to say g-goodbye, Jughead! P-Please don't make me say goodbye.".
"We don't have a choice.".
"One last kiss. P-Please?". He leaned into my hand, now placed onto his warm cheek as his salty tears fell onto it. He nodded, shutting his eyes quickly before softly placing his lips onto mine.
I don't think I've ever experienced anything so bittersweet.
He pulled away slowly, holding our foreheads together one last time before he stood up and walked to the door. He reached for the knob slowly, glancing back at me one last time, smiling painfully.
"Goodbye, Betty. Have a nice life, okay?".
