❛ PAPER CROWN ❜ - 𝖼𝗆𝖻 ✓

041; not your fault mollie

third person.

after already spending a week at home since that one night in new york, no one had seemed to get mollie to open up any further about how she was feeling.

to the four that were in the same household as her, it felt as if she only called that night so she wouldn't let people down, how that was the only time she admitted she wasn't feeling okay just to avoid the disappointed faces from people in her life if she had tried to take her own life and failed for yet another time.

and somehow max had thought that, from raising her almost all by himself and being there though all of her bad episodes when people continued to leave her, he knew exactly what she was doing, yet he didn't question it because he knew his sister would either try to deny it or simply would not respond back at all.

which for most of the week she didn't, there was major small talk and half the time mollie wouldn't respond to anything someone said to her, even if it was offering her support.

until it got to thursday evening, a few hours after nicole had left to go home for a few days and leaving mollie in the hands of the people who she knew wound be there her, and mollie had just gotten out of bed.

she grabbed one of her blankets and slowly made her way downstairs, eventually walking over to the living room where everyone seemed to be sat and taking a seat right beside julie, resting her head on her shoulder as julie's arm went around the girl.

"are you alright love?" julie asked her, receiving a small nod before mollie had closed her eyes again, which caused her grandma to be slightly confused about the sudden need for affection, "are you hungry? do you feel up for eating something?"

"soup," mollie mumbled as julie looked over at eugene, knowing she couldn't move mollie away from her shoulders as the man soon got up to go and make his granddaughter some soup.

"can i get some soup too?" max asked as eugene glared at him, "you're already making it."

"you had dinner half an hour ago," he argued.

"and now i want soup," max shrugged, watching his grandpa roll his eyes before nodding, "i want a blanket now."

"you're just jealous of the treatment mollie is getting," eugene told max as he paused but shook his head, "you're 24, don't you have a goal in life?"

"grandpa, first of all i do," max replied, "second of all, i'm still technically mollie's carer even though she's 18, so i can't achieve my goal in life yet."

"what's your goal?" mollie asked, keeping her eyes closed as max wrapped his blanket around him.

"i want to live in england," max replied as julie looked at him, "what's that look for?"

"you can't be that far away from your sister," julie replied, "we're getting too old to do everything, so if something happens to us you have to be here."

"not forever," max furrowed his eyebrows as eugene handed the two of them a bowl of soup each, "nana she can take care of herself, and if she needs someone nicole is down the street."

"don't be so inconsiderate," eugene pointed max as he frowned.

"so i can't do what i want to do because i have to be here for mollie?" max asked as the two nodded, "what kind of bullshit is that?"

"max-"

"no she's 18, i didn't say i was leaving now, i'm saying when she's fit enough to take care of herself then i'll be perfectly fine to leave, if she needs me she can call," max explained, "it's not like i'm going to forget about her."

mollie stayed quiet, her bowl of soap in her hand as she glanced between the three almost yelling at each other, subtly letting out a sigh while they continued to argue over the girl.

"you're forgetting i have feelings too," he looked between his grandparents as his hand was placed to his chest, "i've given up so many things so mollie could do it, why can't i have this?"

"sorry i-"

"it's not your fault mollie," max interrupted her before he turned back to julie, "i didn't even get a proper education because i had to quickly grow up and be the parent she didn't have, how is that any of my problem nana?"

"it's not your problem but we're saying-"

the three went quiet as soon as mollie had gotten up, placing her bowl on the table and heading towards the stairs with her blanket trailing behind her. and as she made her way up them, max shook his head and leant back in his seat.

"you didn't have to bring it up around her," max spoke up as he placed his bowl of soup on the table. .

"we had to tell you somehow," eugene replied to max as julie sighed, "is astrid going to want to move?"

"yeah, we had the plan together." max nodded, "but nevermind."

"we're sorry max," julie said with a frown on her face, "we just want what's best for mollie."

"yeah so fuck your grandson, right?" he rolled his eyes and stood up, removing his blanket from him before he headed up the stairs and towards mollie's room.

and after he lightly knocked two times, he let himself into her room before sitting himself down on the edge of the bed, right beside where she was sitting.

"sorry," she shrugged, "i didn't tell them that."

"i know," he shook his head, "that's why i said it isn't your fault, grandpa just has no filter and doesn't think."

"yeah," mollie raised her eyebrows, "i know."

"it's okay," max told her, "i'm not too set on england anyway."

"i think you should go," mollie replied, "even if it's for a year and then you come back, you should try it."

"are you upset?" max looked at her, "from what they said? i won't tell them."

"i just feel like it's my fault," she shrugged, fiddling with the ring on her finger, "like i did not ask for all of this to happen and i'm pretty sure no one would ask for it."

"yeah.." he slowly nodded, "it's fine, don't worry about it."

"but you always talk about england."

"i heard it isn't that good anyway," max smiled slightly as mollie nodded, "is there any update on you and corbyn..?"

"nope," she shook her head, "i contemplated on texting him earlier but i decided not to."

"he might appreciate a text from you," max shrugged, "what's putting you off?"

"i don't know," mollie replied, "i just can't tell if he's a good person or not, it's hard to tell."

"how?"

"because he's always got girls who are so interested in him and he gives them attention." mollie huffed, "it's always this one girl too, it really annoys me because he knows i hate it."

"so you're jealous?" max smiled as mollie shook her head.

"no, i don't get jealous," she rolled her eyes before going silent for a few seconds as looking away from him, "ok fine, i get a little jealous but he can never tell."

"does he get jealous?"

"that's an understatement."

"oh," max paused.

"i just don't know if i can trust him," mollie said, "and i really miss him and i think we could be at least friends again but i don't know."

"be friends then." max suggested, "maybe you're better off as friends than dating."

"yeah, maybe," she shrugged, scratching the back of her neck and sighing slightly.

♡

a/n

yo there's gonna be an argument next chapter btw but guess who between hehe
it's not mollie & corbyn ;)