He watched Archie stand over her, patting her on her shoulder before walking away with Veronica and wondered if it felt the same for her to watch that as it did for him to see her walking away from him with Archie.
Showing up for Pop just to hear it was a lie. Another one in the Archie column. He didn’t know why he’d answered the phone when he called. Maybe he needed the escape. Maybe he knew she’d be there and he’d get to see her. Maybe he hoped she’d come back for the same reason.
He could feel her eyes on him. With a sigh, he stood, shouldering his bag, and walked past her with determination.
His tone is on the edge of curt. “Not now.”
There was a missing girl, he reminded himself. He was helping Tabitha. He was helping himself and he didn’t need Betty anymore. He lived without her for seven years, he could live without her for seven more. There was another book in him, he knew it. Putting himself in Betty Cooper’s orbit would bring him nothing but pain.
And just like that, at the devastation in her voice, he remembered the way a pretty blonde girl with big green eyes told him her sister was missing ten years before.
Big thanks to @lovedinapastlife and @indiebughead for helping, editing, and talking me through this one. 💜
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