Just This Once

11

The next morning, my dad walked into my room, waking me up. Betty was still asleep in my arms, and I set her down on a pillow, and got up to talk to my dad.

"Nice job, kid! She's a hot one too!" He looked excited, but I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Dad, it's not like that. We're together. And we didn't sleep together." I scolded him, and moved him into his room to sleep off the alcohol. I went back into my room to see Betty stirring. I kissed her softly so she would wake up more, and teased her.

"Wow, Betty. You woke up right after I left. Can't sleep without me?"

"Something like that." She smiled at me and I couldn't help but just stare at her, absorbing the beauty that I was despised.

Life was simple like this for a few months, until the day that I thought it would never be the same again. Never.

"Hey, Betts."

"Juggie, I need to talk to you for a second."

"What do you need?" I turned around to look at her serious facial expression.

"Jughead, I've been thinking. About us." She stared at the coffee table intently. I sat down so that she had to look into my eyes.

"Really? Like what?" I smiled at her even though I was terrified of what she was going to say.

"About how we got together. About why we stopped hating each other. You only loved me because I was broken. Because I am broken." A tear fell down her cheek as she continued.

"Jughead, whenever I think about us, I think about that night. And whenever I look at you, I think about my mom. And I don't think I can take it. It hurts too much, Jug." My smile quickly faded, and tears filled my eyes. I wanted to shout at her, 'Betty, you are my whole world, my everything. I loved you before that day, I just didn't know until it felt so perfect with you in my arms. I love you so much. Too much.'

I couldn't get the words out, though. I was shocked. Only two words came out of my mouth.

"Betts, please..." She looked up at me, with more tears in her eyes than in mine.

"Jughead, this is going to hurt me so much, I want you to know that, but I think I can do it. I think I can get over you." I was shocked at how she thought it would be too easy to get over me. Like I never mattered.

"Where are you going to go?"

"I'll find a place, Juggie. You don't have to worry about me anymore." She smiled sadly, and wiped a tear that was falling down my cheek. She stood up and walked towards the door, but I quickly followed.

"Wait." I said. She turned around to face me, her eyes filling with what looked like a mixture of hope and fear. I pulled her closer to me when she was in her state of shock, and whispered against her lips, "I need to be selfish, just this once." Like I had before our first kiss. And I kissed her.

I could taste her tears falling, and I'm sure she could taste mine, but she didn't push me away at first like I thought she would.

"Jug..." I kissed her again passionately, just in case it was the last time.

"Betts...you...can't...leave me....You can't." I said in between kisses. I didn't want to let her go. I couldn't.

"Juggie, I have to go now."

"No you don't, Betts. No you don't." I let the tears keep falling when she took my hands off of her waist.

"Bye, Jug." She stood still, and for a second I thought she was going to stay. But instead she just tried to make me stop crying. But no matter how many tears she wiped away, more would take its place in just a matter of seconds.

"Don't leave me, Betts." I whispered, trying to fight the words through the little air that was still trapped in my lungs. She started sobbing, but walked out of the door. I could just barely see her pained expression through the teardrops that blurred my vision. It was going to be so hard to be away from her.

I loved her way too much.