Jughead's POV

Wishing you could go back and change something and attempting to actually change it are two completely different things. I wished Betty I never broke up with Betty, but attempt to win her back was a different story. I broke her heart and for as strong as she is, I know that damaged her more than any tragedy The Cooper Family had suffered before. For all I know at this point, she'll never be able to look at me the same again. That thought had finally dawned on me as I stopped my motorcycle at an intersection. What if Betty Cooper...my Betty..What if I had lost her for good. She survived the black hood and most recently Hiram's henchman. The only person that could truly break her was me. Sadly that was exactly what I did...I broke Betty Cooper. That is something I will never ever forgive myself for.

"I broke Betty Cooper..." I repeated the horrible sentence out loud this time. I guess the thought stunned me so much that I stepped on the gas, ran a red light and flew right into oncoming traffic. Then again maybe I did it on purpose. A life without Betty Cooper wasn't a life worth living at all, was it? As I braced myself for the impact I saw another bike come to a screeching halt in front of me.

"Jughead? Oh my god! Are you okay?!" Betty screamed as she jumped off her bike and directed traffic around my paralyzed state.

"I...I don't know." I stuttered.

"Alright well let's go somewhere and talk?" Betty suggested as she directed me to follow her towards Sweet Water River, which was just a mile up the road.

"Maybe we shouldn't. I don't want Noah to get mad." I sighed as she started her bike. She took off before I could stop her. So naturally, I followed her thinking she didn't hear me. When we arrived at the overlook Betty sat on her bike for a minute contemplating what to say to me next. She turned her head slowly...bite her lip and let out a deep sigh.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Plus you're the King of the Serpents. And even though we aren't together...I would like to take back my place as queen. If you'll have me?" She got off her bike at the same time I did. We met in the middle, staring each other down in silence at first. Until I realized my nerves had gotten the best of me and I hadn't said anything back to her.

"Betts, I'd give anything in the world to have you back as Queen of the Serpents. You know they love you. You know I...."

"Jug...please don't..." Betty pleaded with me as she walked ahead of me towards the river.

"I still love you, Betty. " I yelled as I chased after her. She stopped in her tracks as she turned to face me, mascara pouring down her cheeks. "Oh my god, Betty. I'm sorry I shouldn't have..." I stopped mid-sentence.

"No Jug...you shouldn't have. You should've said it when I was still in the place to say it back. Like that day at the courthouse. I couldn't wait to see you. It had been almost a month, I tried to keep myself busy with the Serpents when my crazy sister got my mother to join the farm. But it tiring trying to keep a brave face with no one to turn to...especially my boyfriend. You know Jug...the night you were supposed to come home and you didn't. I went to see Archie. I was begging for attention...if he tried to kiss me at that point I would've let him. We're all damaged Jug I get that. But why do I feel like I'm always the one there for you? But you're only there for me half the time. Laying on your chest, those nights we spent in your trailer. We'll never get those back Jug. Those memories burned up along with the trailer. I met Noah at my lowest point and I used him as a distraction and for all I know he still is. But I need stability and I can feel you teetering on the edge Jug. I spent the last two weeks in the hospital doing the same thing. I'm teetering on the edge Jug." Betty's voice shook as walked towards the river. She was standing in front of it now. "I'm standing on the edge right in front of you. Half the time you're too preoccupied to notice. Like right now. You're just waiting for me to say I love you back. Well, Jug...I can't say it. Not after what you did." Betty wiped her tears away as she started to take off her clothes.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she ran for the river.

"Anything I can to stop myself from kissing you." She screamed as she jumped into the river. The water was too rough for her to tread.

"Betty! Are you out of your mind!" I screamed as I took off my jacket, shirt, pants, and shoes. I dove head first into the water. I saw her what looked like almost a mile down. I swam as fast as I could till I got to her. I pulled her up in my arms from the spot she was sinking.

"Let me go! Let me go!" She cried as she punched my back. "Let me go!" Betty sobbed as I held her tighter. "Why did you let me go Jug...why did you let me go?" Betty begged for an answer as her arms wrapped around my neck.

"I had to let you go to realize what I had. Something totally one of kind, true love. Fate brought us together Betty Cooper and I won't let myself be the reason we fall apart. I would rather die than not have you in my life. You are everything to me and don't think for a second I ever stopped feeling that way. In fact, that's half the reason I broke up with you, to begin with. You are my weakness. I was worried since both Penny and Hiram knew that...they would hurt you. It turns out that it didn't matter because you still ended up hurt regardless. I love you Elizabeth Ann Cooper and that will never change. You are the love of my life and I never thought I would ever fall in love. Before you, life was a never-ending 24-hour cycle of dread. Thank you for giving me a purpose. If I can't have you now at least I had you then. It'a better to have loved and lost you than to never had had you at all." I cried as she held onto me. I swam up to the side and put her down on the grass as I climbed out behind her.

"Jug..." Betty broke her silence after a few minutes.

"Betts. " I said back.

"Can we stay here tonight. I just...can't go back to Cheryl's and see Noah after this. I'm a mess." She cried. Betty's hands shook as she spoke. I sat next to her and suddenly she curled herself into a ball right next to me."Jug...I..." Betty stopped herself.

" Of course we can. We can do whatever you want." I said as I looked at her terrified expression. "What Betty? What's up...something's wrong I can sense it." I said as I cupped her face in my hands.

"I'm getting bad again Jug...really really bad." Betty said as I tried to catch a glimpse of her wrists.

"Betty no..." I looked at her with tears in my eyes. "I made you do it this time. I fucking hate myself." I cried on her shoulder. She pulled my face up and held it.

"No Jug...this was my decision...it's my anxiety it's taken on a life of its own but Noah gave me something to try this afternoon and would you look at that...it's finally kicking in." Betty laughed as she looked down at her hands. Her giddiness didn't last long. The sickness soon followed.

"Betty oh my god...what did Noah give you? How many did you..." She stopped me as she tried to stand up. She collapsed on the grass.

"He...he said it would take the edge off. I feel weird Jug...I don't like it. I think four was too many...don't you." Betty said as she pulled a ziplock bag from her purse.

"Oh my god, Betty you took them all?!" Now I was freaking furious with Noah. Betty was a good girl she didn't do drugs, she was president of the honor society, north side princess and a south side queen rolled into one. She loved a whiskey and coke and had smoked a cigarette or two with Veronica. Just to rebel..But she didn't mess around with jingle-jangle or pills and this baggy she showed me looked like everything bad compacted into one little tablet.

"I just...he said I could. I just need to...sleep it off yeah that's what I'll do." Betty slurred as her eyes started to close.

"No no...we have to keep you up. Stay with me baby." I panicked not realizing what I had just called her.

"Baby? Ha I remember when you used to call me that. Veronica's cheating on Archie and were broken up Jug. Who would've thought the core four would spiral so fast." Betty said as her head fell against my chest. She passed out on my lap. I did everything I could to wake her up. But whatever she took wasn't settling well. So I call reinforcements.

"Oh and when you find Rider Sweet Pea tell him he's fucking dead when I get my hands on him." I said to him about to hang up the phone.
"Well this means Rider's done for. All hail the king?" Sweet Pea asked waiting to see if this meant I was going to win Betty back."

"He's definitely not the guy for my queen. I'm taking back what's mine." I said as I slammed my phone in the dirt. Betty was starting to get cold but she still hadn't come to. I wanted to wait it out taking her to the hospital would create unnecessary town wide buzz about Betty. Which after Alice joined the farm was the last thing she needed. Rider wasn't going to get a chance to explain himself...not this time. He wasn't leading my queen down the right path. So it's time for the king to step back into his rightful place.