heartbeats ; bughead

18

archie;

When I woke up in the morning, the morning after the Fourth of July party, the morning after the night when I held her close to me, I felt a dizzy feeling in my brain.

As if all of yesterday didn't actually happen.

But there was one thing that kept me grounded, made me feel real.  My love for Veronica Lodge.

I did want it to work with Betty. But we don't have the chemistry, the passion that Veronica and I had for each other. Some people just remain better as friends. 

Bur I was worried. If I decided to tell Betty about everything, I would lose my one friend who's been with me as long as my memory reached.

Since we were lying on the banks of Sweetwater River, promising each other we would be partners for life. 

I was conflicted. Best friend, or Vee?

I--

bzz.

۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞

 Veronica <3 | 6:19 A.M.

hey arch, meet me on the corner of murrey and cotton. please. it's serious. 

                                                                                                                                 Archiekins | 6:19 A.M

                                                                                                                       of course, v. are you good? 

Veronica <3 | 6:20 A.M.

no. i'm not. the only person who could fix that is you. 

please. just for a little.  

Archiekins | 6:20 A.M.

you know that i would do anything for you. i'll be there. 

۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞۞

I grabbed a few things and headed out. What was it that was troubling her? 

Was it us? I dreaded for the worst when I saw her standing on the corner of Murrey and Cotton, her white dress making her look like a ghost against the dim morning light. 

But her eyes are what really got me.

Her big, puppy-dog eyes, pools of ebony. Red from crying. Shivering against the morning chill.

"Here Roni, take my jacket." As I handed it to her, she didn't utter anything, but continued to stare at the ground in sadness.

Then after a few moments of utter silence except for the occasional bird calling, she touched my cheek, uttering the words with quivers in her voice. 

"Archie, you know-you know I love you, right?" I nodded. "Of course, Roni. And I do too. But--"

"And-and you'll love me even if I tell you what I'm about to say?"

"Unconditionally."

"Well, um, I-I'm moving. Back to New York. And-and I think it's time we tell. About us."

When these words poured over me like a river, I felt as if I was being dragged away into its current.

For a couple of seconds, all I could do was look down, my hand firm around her waist, but hesitant. I didn't know if I even had the guts to tell her I loved her anymore. 

But I had to be mature about it. You would be losing her forever. 

"I-I think we should keep our relationship going, though, Archie. I do. I-I love you with all my heart, more than you would ever imagine. I hate to say it, but I don't think I care what Betty thinks. But Archie, with all this said--" she let a single tear roll down her cheek. "I'm scared."

I so badly wanted to kiss her, so gently, wanted to feel it again. But I couldn't. 

I couldn't get too attached. Or...

"Ver-Roni. I-I love you too. And I do want to tell Betty. She's my best friend. But I think after we tell Betty, we-we should..." I gulped down my fear. "We should end things." 

She looked up with surprise, sadness, confusion, all at once. "But Archie, I thought--"

"No. I-I don't think long distance relationships like ours would work out. I'm in love, I am. But-but I can't handle the pain of not seeing you. Maybe on a screen. Not you. So I think our chapter together-should come to a close." 

"After all--"

"You know what? I don't even think we should talk either, you know? Just-just too much pain for me to handle. Thanks, Roni, it's been awesome, and hope you can live your life without me by your--"

"Shut up."

"Okay, look, I'm sorry Roni, I love you, but--"

"Shut UP! Don't 'I love you' me. After everything? After our kisses, our late nights texting, our tears, our experiences? After all that, you're just going to END things? You know what, Archie Andrews, you're just one of those Riverdale jocks, like Reggie or-or Moose, that just play with a girl, and throw her away. But you know what? I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOU OR YOUR-YOUR CHARM OR YOUR BEAUTIFUL EYES, OR-OR YOUR WAY WITH WORDS, OKAY? So YES! Maybe we should--" She stopped, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. "You-you witch. You're the one who makes me cry. It's you who brought bullshit into my life. But the sad thing is...I still love you. And I would come back to you every time even if it meant eternal sin." She threw my jacket on the floor, and turned around, shoulders shaking.

I reached out to her, to hold her next to me, but she stepped away, and turned around one last time. "Don't ever touch me again. Goodbye." 

And that was the last I saw of Veronica Lodge for the next year. 

We thought we would never meet, never fall in love again. 

But Fate was stubborn, and Fate had something else planned for us...

hoo hoo hoo some heavy stuff right there! it was, sadly, fun to write. but thanks for all the reads, it's been really awesome writing this story and watching the views climb. i'm almost at twenty chapters yeeeyyyy! but lmao while i was writing these chapters, i kinda imagine the actors from riverdale talking, and that's kinda how i write. just a little tip. but anyways, ly all, and as always, stay the heck hydrated watters <3

~mo