𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐣𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. [2] HIATUS

06

CHAPTER SIX
DEATH PROOF
∘∘∘

OH GOD.

Her eyes fly open. Sloane stumbles out of his lap as she gasps in horror. "I-I can't believe I just did that!" She hisses. She curses herself under her breath. "Ohfuckohfuckohfuck—"

"What—"

"No!" Sloane turns and points an accusing finger at him. A strand of red hair falls into her eyes. "You—we can't! You are in love with my cousin, you fucking incubus!" He raises an eyebrow at the insult. "You seduced me!"

Jughead stands and scoffs in disbelief. "I seduced you? Are you kidding me?"

"I most certainly am not! Oh god . . . " She cries, storming to grab her shoes from by the door. "I just kissed Betty's boyfriend . . . " She slips them on and snatches up her coat. Tears are welling in her eyes. This doesn't escape Jughead's notice.

He grabs her arm, making her halt in her frantic movements. He looks at her with concern brewing in those blue eyes. "Hey, calm down." She looks away from him and blinks, tears dripping down her cheeks. "W-Why are you crying?"

She takes in a raspy breath. "This wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"What—"

"I like you, you idiot!" Sloane snaps, facing him with flushed cheeks and puffy eyes. His eyes widen but she isn't finished. "But I am not a whore, okay? I don't fuck with people who are taken and I definitely am nobody's rebound!" Her voice cracks. "You're only kissing me because Betty sent Archie to break your heart. I don't know why she did that but she is crazy about you. And you . . . you're in love with her. I can see it when you look at her, Jug."

Jughead opens his mouth to speak but no words come out. Sloane lets out a sob and backs away from him. "W-Wait—"

"I have to go." She gently pulls her arm from his grasp. Her heart cracks as she turns around, opening the front door and stops. "I'm sorry, Jughead." She whispers.

Sloane walks out of the trailer, closing the door quietly behind her. She manages to hold it together until she reaches her car. Sliding inside, she grabs the steering wheel. Her knuckles turn white. She lets out a frustrated shriek and slams her hands down on the wheel, beating it until her hands are numb.

∘

Sloane sleeps through text messages from Veronica and Cheryl about Nick St. Clair, texts from Betty about the party that she skipped and the kids who got busted with Jingle Jangle. She sleeps through a good chunk of the day. When she finally wakes, the house is empty. She sits up in bed. She groans when she realizes that she missed school.

Sloane slides out of bed. She goes to the kitchen and into her mother's liquor cabinet. The ginger grabs a bottle of whiskey, walks back into her bathroom, and runs a bath in the free-standing claw foot tub. Standing in front of the long mirror, she strips from yesterday's clothes that she slept in. Her mascara is still dried in streaks on her cheeks. She's reminded of the touch that she can't have again. It was such a fucked up thing to do.

Looking into her own eyes, Sloane can barely recognize herself.

She steps into the tub and lowers herself into the steaming water. Sloane releases a breath she didn't realize she was holding. Bringing her knees to her chest, she bites her lip as she tries not to cry again. She's surprised there's any tears left in her body.

I'm such an idiot.

Why did she have to kiss him back? He obviously only kissed her because he was lonely and pissed off. Sloane leans over the side of the tub and grabs the bottle of liquor. She unscrews it and flicks the cap across the room before taking a large swig of the liquid poison.