Mystique || Sweet Pea [3]

23

Chapter 23 || Truth Be Told

Weeks went by, and seeing Betty and Archie together only got harder. The cards and teddy bears piled on and around Jughead's locker grew everyday, and the amount of students asking if my brother was alive shrunk until I was only getting sorrowful looks in the hallways.

I stayed with Sweet Pea and Fangs during school hours, trying to get some distance from the life I shared with Jughead. Being around Veronica, Betty, or Archie hurt more than I expected it to. Fangs and Sweet Pea offered me comfort and distraction during school hours, and JB and Eddie provided the same after school.

Just as things started to feel semi-normal again, dad asked Sweet Pea to take me out of the house for a bit. I didn't think anything of it, figuring that I looked like I needed to be out for a while. I willingly let Sweet Pea take me out of town, wondering why but not bothering to ask.

"I packed us a bag. FP said to head out of town for the night." Sweet Pea explained as he turned into the parking lot of a nice hotel. "All expenses paid."

"What did he do?" I asked, following my boyfriend to the front desk.

"He didn't say." Sweet Pea shrugged.

"Did he look like he did something?"

"I was too busy looking at the wad of cash he handed me to see if he looked guilty." Sweet Pea smiled sheepishly.

"Check us in." I rolled my eyes.

"We have a reservation under Jones." Sweet Pea told the woman at the desk.

"You don't look like a Katarina." She quirked up an eyebrow.

"That would be me." I greeted. "I have ID."

I handed her my ID and waited for the room keys in silence. Sweet Pea went to grab our bag from the truck, and by the time he got back, I had two room keys in my hand.

"Here." I smiled, handing him one of the keys. "We're on the tenth floor, I guess."

"Let's go then." Sweet Pea muttered, looking upset and confused.

"Everything okay, babe?" I questioned.

"Yeah." Sweet Pea nodded unconvincingly. "Everything's fine."

"If you say so." I shrugged, pressing the elevator button.

"Let's just have a good night, alright?" Sweet Pea sighed heavily.

"Sounds good to me."

--------

"This bath tub could fit like eight people in it." I sighed as I relaxed into a warm bubble bath. Sweet Pea laughed as he handed me a soda from the minifridge.

"Maybe eight people your size." He snorted.

"That's still eight people." I teased. "Are you going to join me in here?"

"Probably not." He shook his head. "I'm going to order us some room service... anything in particular that you want?"

"Surprise me." I requested.

"Sure thing." Sweet Pea nodded, leaning down and kissing my forehead. "Love you."

"I love you too." I felt the first genuine smile since my brother's disappearance and then murder spread across my face. Sweet Pea gave me an unrecognizable look before he ducked out of the bathroom, leaving me alone to enjoy the massive bathtub.

I reached out of the tub to sip from my can of soda and to turn on the TV above the tub. A cartoon that I used to watch with JB and Jughead in our trailer was playing, and I didn't have the heart to change the channel. I laughed at the cartoon, feeling the bittersweet pang of nostalgia hit right in my chest.