[ in love with veronica? that makes jughead blink a bit in surprise. no, not surprise. more like... oh, it's finally happened. he knew they were dating, or rather had something going on between them, but a lot has apparently changed since homecoming. it's not that he doubts archie's words either. but he knows how easily archie gives away his heart and how easily it can be broken ( grundy comes to mind, but he quickly shoves that thought away ). he hopes with all his heart that archie won't get hurt this time, that he can trust veronica to hold his best friend's heart as gingerly as she holds her pearls. he wants to believe that it'll work out, too, because archie deserves to be happy with someone like he is with betty.

but jughead is cynical. there will always be that dark part of him that questions everything, that doesn't trust what he hears or sometimes even what he sees with his own eyes. and he ca see the way archie is looking at him, like... like archie isn't sure but is also very, very certain.

so he shrugs. his shoulders lift and fall unevenly as he rolls his eyes. ]

And I'm in love with Betty. That hasn't changed either.

[ heaving a sigh, he slumps back into the couch again. ]

Forget I said anything. I mean, I'm clearly messing with your head, and I don't wanna do that. All I mean is that... Christ, Arch, we gotta stick together now more than ever.