serpent ♔ juliet

" I HAD TO !" the words spilled from her lips so quickly, with no hesitation, that betty wondered why she had antagonized so over it. Archie had never admitted the whole truth about what he said. He had informed the blonde it was terrible. Rash words are caused by the sudden appearance of the serpents. Of course, betty had been frustrated, maybe a little angered, by the news. She had explicitly told him not to be cruel. Archie couldn't even do that one thing for her. And now, well, she could only imagine what Jughead thought about her. None of it right, she was sure. But she wanted to change that. He needed to know none of it came from her mind or mouth. It was finally time to tell him the truth.

She could hear his emotions in his voice, no matter how he might have tried to hide them. She knew him too well for that, as he knew her. She didn't need to see such things in his face. In his eyes. She didn't want to see those emotions change as she admitted the truth. After all, it wasn't pretty, and she certainly wouldn't blame him for thinking ill of her. It was pathetic, really, letting an anonymous voice on the other end of the phone control her life. But she had no choice. If she hadn't taken him seriously if she had denied his request and something had happened to Polly and the babies.. betty would never forgive herself.

Hands linked her lap, thumbs rubbing over one another as she searched for the perfect words to say. The silence became suffocating. It stretched on for too long and threatened to ruin everything. He might think she was backing out. She couldn't have that. " the black hood.. he's been calling me. " suddenly she felt lighter. Like the weight she had been carrying around on her back was finally lifted. More so than when she had spoken to Archie or veronica. The person she wanted most to know in the entire town was finally being told the complete and total truth. " he knew where Polly was, jug. He threatened her… the babies. if I didn't do what he said, he was going to hurt them. "

Desperation seeped into her once soft tones. She needed him to understand. Betty loved her sister more than anything in this life. There was nothing the younger cooper wouldn't do to ensure her sibling's safety. " the exposé on my mom, what I said to veronica, the breakup. It was all because of him. I didn't want to do any of it, but -" her voice broke, betraying the raw emotion running through her veins. Her vision blurred, tears pooling in their corners. A dainty hand lifted to hastily wipe them away before they dared to fall. " I couldn't risk it. if anything happened to them.. to Polly and the babies, it would be my fault. "

Finally, she looked at him. Really looked. Trying to convey everything she felt. The hurt, the loneliness, the desperation of the situation she had found herself in. She had been playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with a serial killer, and she had, for the most part, lost. It didn't make any of it right. it didn't excuse what she had done, but she hoped he could forgive her one day. " I'm so sorry, Jughead."

" Jughead." his name felt strange on her lips, almost foreign. Her mouth had dried up. Possibly in fear of what was about to leave her lips. They were back together, finally. She had fought so hard to get them back to this place... she couldn't keep looking at him and wonder if there was more he didn't tell her. " if we're going to make this work - and I want to make this work more then anything.. there can't be any more secrets." her body gravitated towards his once again, one hand reaching up to brush a rogue strand of blonde hair out of her eyes. Blue irises. It wasn't even the tattoo itself, nor his new connection to the serpents, but the fact she hadn't known about it. After everything. Their chat in the car, the days they had spent together since. She had found out by chance. " I support you, juggie. I know the serpents are important to you… and you're important to me. I love you. But I can't carry on only knowing half of the story. I can't be here for you if you don't let me in. I can handle it."