𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅𝐈𝐒𝐇 | 𝐀. 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑 [𝟐]

➛⠀𝟮𝟭 | 𝗛𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗦

The car ride was quieter and less chaotic than it was earlier. You actually missed the noise, yelling, and screaming of stress between your friends that the silence inside was too deafening. All of you entered the mansion after Gert parked the car. Your hands were shaking, and your heart wouldn't stop beating too hard. Topher's face morphing into Pietro for a brief second before your eyes was still too much for you to bear, and you couldn't say anything until now.

Molly was angrily marching her way inside and Alex broke the silence. "Well, that was a really quiet car ride back home." He muttered as he scratched the back of his head.

Molly stopped dead in her tracks. "Home?" She questioned before turning around in fury. "This isn't our home."

You looked at Molly apologetically while Karolina spoke. "I'm so sorry, Molly." She said softly. "We all are."

Molly scoffed as tears welled up in her eyes once more. "Really?" She asked. "All of you?" She snarled fiercely and snapped her head angrily towards Nico, who was standing right near you.

Nico sighed. "Of course, I am." She answered. "This is what I wanted to protect you from, from seeing messed-up shit you never unsee. Again. From losing someone you care about. Again!"

Alex gave Nico a knowing look as she spoke, her words registering in his mind. As your sister's comments sank in, you looked down. Nico's eyes welled up in tears. "From getting your heart... broken." Her voice slightly cracked.

"Those are just words," Molly objected, her glare fixed on Nico. "You hated him the minute he showed up." She shifted her gaze to you. "Even you."

You sighed and tried to block off the pain in your heart that came from seeing and hearing your best friend being infuriated at you. "Molly..."

"You didn't save him!" Molly exclaimed to you. "You stood there and watched him get crushed!"

Your heart sank and shattered into a million pieces as her words echoed in your ears. The words that have been troubling you for so long were finally said in person, and it didn't help that they were said by your best friend.

"Why didn't you save me?"

"You just watched me die..."

"You couldn't save me..."

"We didn't trust him," Nico replied to Molly. "And we were right."

Molly gritted her teeth. "You were wrong!" She shouted at Nico. "I begged you not to use that Staff on him! He was scared and out of control. He needed help!"

"Molls, I think he was beyond help." Chase stepped in to attempt to calm Molly down.

"He sacrificed his life to save Gert," Molly remarked. "There's good in him."

"Of course, there is," Gert spoke up calmly.

"No one's saying that there isn't good in him," Alex explained.

Molly shook her head. "We're the ones hurting people now. He was suffering!"

"Topher may have been suffering, but he was also dangerous." Nico tried to explain to Molly. "And you are my family, not him!"

Molly looked at Nico, stunned, for a moment before speaking. "Do you know who you sound exactly like right now?" She asked as Nico stared at her. "Your mom."

After Molly spat her words in Nico's face, you and the rest of the group sighed heavily. Molly walked away, turning away from the team. You momentarily grabbed Nico's shoulder before you followed Molly. "Molly, wait!" You were about to follow your best friend, but Karolina held your wrist. "Let her have her space."