Chapter 23

                                    

                                          
"Slow down Jug. What are you talking about?" Sadie asked, pulling the question straight from your mouth.
                          
"Is that.. Jason's jacket?" You found yourself asking. You knew it couldn't be Archie's. It was a bit too small. 
                          
Jughead placed the jacket on top of the counter and sighed heavily. 
                          
"Yes. It is." He said quietly. 
                          
"How would that help your dad? If they swab for fingerprints they'll find yours on it. Besides, I don't think that's what Jason was wearing the night he.. you know." You told him. 
                          
"I don't think so either." Jughead said softly. His eyes were downcast. 
                          
"So why do you think this jacket will help Jug?" You asked. You were hoping that he wasn't going through some kind of breakdown that was causing him to think this. 
                          
"I saw Joaquin." He stated bluntly. You felt your heart sink as your mind thought back to the traumatic events that led to your kidnapping. You looked down at hands that still had scars from the restraints. 
                          
"And..?" You asked him gently. 
                          
"I asked him if he thought my dad really killed Jason. He seemed a lot more  mellow now that he was skipping town. He gave me the jacket and said 'this might help your dad, or confirm what everyone thinks. I don't know. All I did was help him clean up the body.' And that was it. It confirmed what I was already thinking. He killed Jason. That's why I had to apologize to Cheryl. For not believing it the first time I heard it. And for what my dad- for what he did." Jughead said. 
                          
"I'm gonna go out on the porch, give you two a minute alone. Do you still want me to call the others?" Sadie asked. Jughead looked at you and sighed. 
                          
"Just tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me I'm not crazy for believing there's hope." He mumbled. 
                          
"It's not crazy." You told him. But you didn't know what else to say. The thought of Fp caused hatred and repulsion inside you to stir. If he didn't kill Jason and he was let out, you were almost certain that he'd go back to tormenting his son. You couldn't figure out why Jughead was so desperate to save him, but you knew you couldn't question it. You knew this was so much more than hoping that his father was worthy of redemption. 
                          
"Call them please. But not Cheryl. Who knows what we'll find." Jughead said. Sadie nodded and left through the front door. 
                          
"Have you looked through the jacket?" You asked him softly. 
                          
"I can't." He mumbled. "I can barely look at it."
                          
You looked over at the jacket and closed your eyes. The only time you had spoken to Jason, he had been wearing that jacket. 
                          
You remembered that he had been out sick the day before, and had asked you to help him catch up. Of course you refused, feeling as though he were only asking you because you were the teachers pet. You shuddered at the memory and quickly pushed it away. If you had known what you knew now, maybe you would've talked to him more. 
                          
"Hey. Let's not think about it until they get here. Then, if it turns out that he didn't kill Jason, we'll turn the evidence into the police if it's what you want. If it turns out that he did.. at least you gave him the benefit of the doubt and tried to clear his name." 
                          
"Alright." He said, leaning back slightly in the chair and running his hands through his hair. You felt helpless as you watched him wring his hands around in distress. 
                          
"We brought you pops." You said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood. "You should eat something." 
                          
"I don't want food." He mumbled. He stopped messing with his hands and slowly looked up. "I only want you."