Broken Promises / / A Falice Story

Chapter 49

Alice gave in when Betty asked her to go to the house with her. They entered without knocking and Alice felt weird about it even though technically she was the owner of the house.

When they entered Aimee and FP were in the living room. Alice looked towards them and saw her taking care of him the way she used to and she couldn't help but feel as if she was hit in the stomach with a baseball bat. "What are you doing here?" FP sounded harsher than he had intended and Aimee squeezed his shoulder to make him aware of that.

"Sorry, he's just-"

"It's fine." Alice swallowed hard, the last thing she wanted was to talk to the love of her life's girlfriend and soon to be fiancée.

"I'm sorry if this upsets you FP. But I need Mom tonight." Betty looked directly at him knowing he wouldn't refuse her, he could never.

"It's fine. Jug will get the couch. I'll tell him." FP said simply and turned to Aimee with a smile on his face, it was forced, but no one noticed.

Alice walked upstairs with her daughter and Betty explained to her how Jughead had been distant and they had been fighting for some time. Alice tried to get to the bottom of it, but her mind was blurry after the events of that night and supposing wasn't something they should do in that situation. "I'll ask him about it if he won't-"

"No Mom!" Betty insisted and Alice let her think she was not going to talk to Jughead but she was set on doing that, somebody had to.

Early in the morning Alice decided to go. She slipped out of bed without Betty noticing and she left a note for her on the pillow. When she went downstairs she found Jughead on the couch. She wanted to talk to him, but didn't want to wake him up so she was grateful when he woke up out of his own free will. "Good morning."

"Morning Alice." Jughead said as he rose up and sat on the couch to look at her. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Actually I've been meaning to talk to you about you and Betty. I know she'll be upset about it, but she says you've been distant and-"

"Let me say something first." Jughead cut her off. "Ever since you left I've barely had a minute to breathe. Betty was always glued to me and it got tiring. I can't do anything without her breathing down my neck. I'm sorry, she's your daughter and my girlfriend, but I think that for now we're better off as friends."

"Do me a favour." Alice sighed. There was no point in trying to change his mind, it wouldn't have been right. "Just wait a few days before you tell her. It's morally wrong I know. But I need to have the house done until I can take her there and it would break her to have to stay under the same roof as you without being with you. I would take her to Fred's, but it's already crowded there."

"Sure." Jughead agreed without enthusiasm and Alice turned around to leave, but that was when she bumped into a tired FP.

"I'm sorry." Alice mumbled as she took a step back and looked at him. "I was just leaving." She thought about it for a second and then she spoke again. "Actually, can I talk to you? For a moment."

"Ok." FP said simply and led her into the garden. It was incredibly early so it wasn't warm outside, but they had privacy. "What do you want to talk about?"

"It's none of my business, but do you, uhm, do you plan on proposing to Aimee?" Alice couldn't believe that she was asking him that question. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help it.

"You're right, it is none of your business." FP said suddenly getting angry. He didn't necessarily plan on proposing, but he did plan on pretending he had that intention thinking it would draw Alice back to him. However, he was too angry at her to want her then. "But yes. I love her so I plan on proposing."

"And us?" Alice realised how she was contradicting herself. She didn't know what was happening with her anymore so she decided to put a stop to her trying to do the right thing.

"What us? There is no us." FP shrugged his shoulders. They went from doing the best they could to protect each other from pain to hurting each other because of their ego and their wish to do the right thing. Little did they understand then that the right thing was not even close to what they were doing. "You left and I moved on. So have you."

Alice opened her mouth, but she had no idea what to say so she ended up closing it. "You decided this for the both of us, remember?" FP asked her and Alice stood still, not moving a muscle as if it stopped time and she didn't have to answer. "Alice say something or leave. By the way we're moving out. I can't-"

"No." Alice shook her head. It wasn't her home, it didn't feel like her home and after knowing that FP and Aimee slept together upstairs in the same bed made her sick to her stomach. "This house is yours now. You've helped me with Hal and Tall Boy. It's the least I can do." She paused for a moment. If she had stayed there any longer she knew she would've broken down in front of him. "I hope you and Aimee will continue to be happy."

"Thanks."