Hopelessly Devoted ➳ a.a ♡ b.c.

twenty three

"betty?" archie shook her gently.

it was light out now, and that meant it was time to go home. their little escape from riverdale was pleasant, but they needed to go back, and when they did it would be utter chaos.

there was so much going on there, but it was too much to leave behind. betty needed to smooth things over with her mom who was most likely livid with her, she needed to end things with lucas, and she had to deal with the black hood.

"i'm up." betty groaned as she rolled onto her back.

"we've got to head back. everyone's probably worried sick, especially your mom." he helped her down, off of the car, and she slid into the passenger seat.

"you ready?" archie asked as he slipped his hand in hers.

"as ready as i'll ever be."
                                ***
archie let out a deep breath as they pulled into the cooper's driveway. he went to open the car door, but betty stopped him.

"archie?" her voice was quiet.

"yeah." he matched her tone.

"if this is going to be our last peaceful moment for awhile i have to ask, what are we? i mean i know you're with josie, and i've been seeing lucas, but-"

archie cut her off with a kiss. it wasn't longing, or desperate, it was comforting and sweet and just what she needed.

"i want to be with you, only you. i'm going to break things of with josie tomorrow, and if you want to do the same with lucas i'd be all for it. and, ya know, if we did that we'd both be single." archie hinted.

"we would." betty giggled.

"and i mean if you were single, i wouldn't mind putting an end to that." he smiled.

"archie andrews, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"only if you're saying yes."

"ask away then."

"elizabeth cooper, would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" he smiled widely through the question.

"of course i would." betty responded placing a short kiss on his lips.

"now, time to face the parents."
                                ***
"do you have any idea how much trouble you're in!?" alice yelled as betty and archie walked inside.

"we're back, safe and sound. can we just leave it at that?" betty said, causing fred to scoff.

"you do realize you could've been hurt, or worse?" fred asked sternly.

"we had to leave." betty said.

"oh really, and why did you have to leave?" alice crosses her arms.

"because riverdale is suffocating. it's like being trapped in a cage, and prodded constantly. i had to leave, because i wanted to breathe freely for one day!" betty yelled at her mother.

"betty, i understand, but you can't just run off whenever you want to." alice's tone softened.

"i know, it was just once."

"we'll never do it again, mrs. cooper." archie added.

"you're damn right you won't. archie go home, and betty go to your room."
                                ***
"how did we both get out of that without being grounded?" archie chuckled into the phone.

"i'm magic." betty smiled at him through the window.

"hold on another call is coming in." betty said.

she glanced at the caller id, and her smile dropped.

"who is it?" archie asked as betty put the phone back up to her ear.

"it's my mom, i got to take it." betty lied.

"okay, we'll talk later. i love you." archie smiled widely through the window.

"i love you too." she said softly.

betty smiled at him once more before ending the call. she turned around quickly to accept the other one.

"what?" the amusement in her voice had disappeared completely.

"is that anyway to greet your dear friend?"

"what do you want?" betty repeated with just as much attitude.

"i just called to let it know, if you ever leave riverdale unannounced like that again, i'll make sure you don't come back." the voice threatened.

"was that all?" betty said nonchalantly.

"for now. we'll be in contact soon."

betty groaned as she rubbed her hands up, and down her face. she'd dealt with her mom, and the black hood, now she just needed to meet up with lucas.
                                ***
"hey, lucas." betty said as she slid into the seat across from him, in the booth.

"hey." he said cheerily.

betty felt a wave of guilt. this was going to be much harder than she thought.

"um, we need to talk." she mumbled.

"all good things, i hope." she met his eyes, and it was blatantly obvious the things they needed to talk about were not good.

"i know that nothing really serious every happened between us, but i just felt like i should tell you, i'm seeing someone." lucas' face hardened.

"is it archie?"

"how did you know?" she looked up at him.

"it's impossible not to. don't feel bad though, we weren't together or anything. i'm happy if you're happy, and i hope we can still be friends."

betty breathed a sigh of relief.

"i would love to be friends."

"awesome."
                                ***
"did archie say anything about talking to josie, yet?" betty sat at reggie's desk.

"not since the last time you asked me, which was five minutes ago." reggie mumbled into his pillow.

"sorry, i'm just anxious."she tapped her fingernails on the desk.

"stop, before i cut your fingers off." reggie groaned, getting a laugh from betty.

"i want to bang my head against a wall. i can't take waiting like this." betty whined.

"betty, it'll be fine. archie loves you, and he said he would break things off with josie, so he will. he always keeps his word." reggie said.

"thanks, reg, but i don't think anything will reassure me right now."

"what if i told you archie just texted me saying he broke up with josie." betty jumped up from the chair.

"he did?" she smiled.

"no, but what if he did? would that reassure you." reggie laughed hysterically.

"not funny, reg." betty threw a book sitting on the desk his way.

their laughing was interrupted by reggie's stupid quacking ringtone.

"hello."

"yeah, i'll tell her." reggie looked to betty.

"tell me what?" she whispered.

"yeah, i will."

"what are you talking about? who is that?" betty questioned like an excited child.

"okay, see you in five." he said as he hung up the phone.

"was it archie? what did he say?" she asked eagerly.

"betts," her face fell at his tone, "i'm sorry..."

a/n - 🤭
also this is unedited so sorry for any mistakes. oh, and i know i had a lot of page breaks, and jumping from scene to scene. i just wanted to fit everything in without it being a 10,000 word essay.