Goodbye, good life | Bughead

27: In case of emergency

It was almost February, the last whole week of January started on this particular day. The weather was so cold, the wind was making the eyes glassy and cheeks red. Snow was nowhere to be seen. Grey and cold.

Betty and Jughead didn't mention the kiss they shared on New Year, both thinking it was the typical New Year's kiss. Both also thinking was it just that and knowing it wasn't. Maybe?

After that they went two dates, which were so fun and they faced all the same questions in their minds than at Christmas. It was messy. And it didn't help Betty at all that Jughead didn't change his moves, it was still the kiss on her forehead, or temple or her hair, hands softly on her waist.

Jb's case had came to a dead end. They got nothing and they hadn't heard nothing. It was frusterating, but luckily it still offered them a good excuse to hangout. So they did. With a notebook, laptops and food, ending often some movie and maybe Jug crashing at Betty's, on the couch.

Busy but quiet, steady January took a turn on this Monday's lunch break, when Carla, Joel, Jughead and Betty sat in a tiny restaurant talking about the little things. Then a weird number appeared on the screen of buzzing phone of Betty's.

"Hello? Yes, this is she," she looked at the others as she stood up and showed them that she was taking this in private and walked outside from the restaurant. Soon she came back and they all could see she wasn't calm, she played her hands, hem of her sweater, her eyes full of concern and questions. She looked scary and lost, but somehow still determinded.

"I need to go. I don't know when I'm coming back. Joel, two questions. Can I have your car? And can you take Tempo?" she asked fast while she was getting her things with her and putting the coat on.

"Yes for both. Is everything okay?" Joel asked catching Betty's arm to calm her and trying to find her eyes to looked at her properly.

"Will be. I'll explained then," Betty replied and hurried away.

"Betts!" Jughead shouted but she was long gone, running. It was too fast. And his reactions, they were too slow.

What the hell she just did? Where is she driving? Everyone she had, lived here, Riverdale or Polly in Canada. She wouldn't drive there. Was something wrong in Riverdale and if it was, why she didn't take him with her?

Jughead annoyed his colleagues with all the questions and he was acting like a maniac the rest of the day. He was stunned for the behavior Betty did. How could she? They were friends and he admitted that he felt even more. And yet, she didn't say a word to him when she left.

And. He could have watched Tempo too.

Betty drove the route in 13 hours. She shouldn't have driven that fast, but she needed to get there. She ate snacks and drank only one bottle of water during that time. Only one break was needed. She had no idea why she even drove it. She could have taken a plane.

At two am she walked in to Atlanta General Hospital, asked where to find her, took an elevator to the fifth floor and opened the door.

There she was, sleeping, face and body covered with bruises and cuts, her left arm had fractures so it was casted and there was also a support covering her right knee. Betty could only guess what was underneath her gown.

She sneaked quietly to the chair next to Jb, took her hand in hers while tears had made her vision blurry. Betty rested her head to her other hand and in some point, she fell asleep there.

"You are here, you are here," Jb gasped without even taking a look of Betty, was she even awake. She wasn't, but her eyes blew wide open when she heard Jb's voice. Tears filled their eyes, both of them and while Betty kept her both hands on hers, they sat there ten minutes in silence, taking all the comfort what was there to offer from each others. "I was you person, in case of emergency? Oh my little star.. I'm here and not gonna leave you ever again. You tell me everything when you are ready," Betty whispered as she kept stroking Jb's hand on her thumbs.

"No one else knows you are here?" Jb whispered and Betty shooked her head. "Can we keep it like that for a while?" Jb asked still whispering as Betty nodded with a slight smile. It was not gonna be easy, but she was gonna do it.

On Wednesday Betty knew the basic version of Jb's story and Jb was free to leave the hospital. There wasn't a question where. She sat on Joel's car and they drove to New York City.

They didn't share too many words, but every day little more and the story got completed more and more. Betty didn't go back to work for the rest of the week, she stayed at her apartment with Jb, baking, cooking, hugging, watching Netflix.

That week was torture for Jughead. At first he gave Betty a space. If something was really wrong, she needed to be there with her family. If it was about her family. On Tuesday after work he texted Betty, asking casually was she alright and if she needed anything. No answer. On Wednesday he couldn't take it anymore, he tried to call her few times, he called to Veronica and Kevin, nothing.

Last option was his dad. They had a good talk and based on Fp's voice, Jughead knew immediately nothing was wrong with Alice or Polly. He checked that too of course, Fp had no idea what it could be.

Betty: Jug. I'm okay, please wait. U don't need to worry..

She finally answered on Thursday night. Really, at night, 3 pm to be exact. And because he hadn't been sleeping well since Betty left, he saw the text right when it came. Then why was she up in these hours if she was okay? Betty loved sleeping, she was a good sleeper.

Jughead: I'm not gonna stop worrying. Why are you up in the mid of the night?

He didn't get any texts after that, but he wasn't surprised. Her text was like an order to stay away, it was Betty saying it nicely. But Jughead wasn't a nice guy, not when he was worried, not when he knew someone was lying or hiding something from him.

He fell asleep thinking about the next day. He was going to take a walk in her neigbourhood when it's dark.

So on Friday evening when there wasn't a daylight much, Jughead was walking streets near her building. He felt like stalker and he felt himself stupid. He didn't know what it was waiting for him. Or was she even at home. He had tried to ask Joel about the cat and the car, but Joel kept the secret, he didn't give any info. So this had to been done.

And when he walked to the right side of her building he saw it. Light. She was at home. And because of that night text and the problem it revealed, her not sleeping, he wasn't going to go anywhere. He was going to go upstairs.

Jughead: I know you are at home. And I'm right here. And I'm worried. Please Betts.

Betty hated the fact she was again lying to Jughead. He didn't deserve it and this was the one thing he would definitely want to know. Her mother and his father would want to know.

"Jb. He is down there. He is worried and he is waiting. Maybe it's time? I hate that he doesn't know and you know, he loves you very very much," Betty asked rubbing Jb's shoulders who was sitting on the kitchen chair drinking tea.

One big sobb later Jb raised her face to Betty. "You keep him calm. He cannot make me do anything," Jb made Betty to promise. And she did of course. It wouldn't be the first time she needed to keep Jughead calm and steady.

Betty: Okay. Wait there, I'll come.

As soon as she was at the door of her building, he opened his mouth, quite loudly, looking a bit annoid but more worried checking first Betty's appearance which looked normal for his comfort. "What the hell Betty?".

"Okay, first calm down. You will understand everything soon. But Jug. You need to promise me something. You really need to stay calm, you will be supportive, you will understand and you will not get angry or talk out loud anything about revenge or tell anything about what should do," Betty gave instructions how to act and it tensed Jughead as they got in the elevator to Betty's floor.

"You scare me Betts. But. I'll promise," he looked down, fingers playing on his beanie. Betty took his other hand down, took a good grip and led the hands be like that when the elevator door opened. Hand in hand they walked to her door, Jughead breathing faster, heart speeding up more and more.

"You ready?" Betty asked before unlocking the door.

"Open the fucking door," Jughead huffed and was finally quite sure who was there waiting. It made him sick, thought of her, knowing she wasn't fine at all. The thought of seeing her again, for real.