Close As Strangers

Twenty-Nine.

Now Playing... When You Walk Away 

"My dearest Molly." Evan wrapped his arms around me in a bone crushing hug, and I giggled as I returned the hug. He let go, and the two of us walked into the coffee, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling our noses. "How's my favorite real life version of Beauty and The Beast?"

I rolled my eyes. "We're not talking right now."

The knots twisted in my stomach as I thought of the possibility of our relationship always being like that. I had a little slither of hope that the rough patch would pass, and it was the only thing I could hang onto. After all, Wes was the one who knew me inside and out. The first boy to ever see my horrifying bathtub baby pictures because he stumbled across the album and made fun of me for weeks at how "adorable" I looked.

There were just some moments in life you could never live down.

"How are you and Lana?" I asked, and Evan cheeks tinged pink as he smiled.

"We're really good, Molls. I love her."

"I know, Ev." I smiled softly, ignoring the hollowness in my own heart. "I know."

The rest of the day, Evan and I zipped around the restaurant, cleaning everything before we opened. Once the time came, things weren't as slow as I had expected them to be. Our usual regulars arrived for early morning breakfast, along with some new people, but it wasn't anything we couldn't handle. I worked around the restaurant, and eventually, my shift came to an end. I said goodbye to my coworkers and headed home to find Wes still sleeping in my bed.

After changing out of my work clothes into a pair of sweatpants and a t shirt, I climbed into the bed and moved closer to Wes. He groaned, running a hand through his disheveled brown hair, before his tired eyes slowly blinked. "Where were you?"

"I had to work."

"Is Nova still asleep?" He asked, burying his head in the pillow as he threw his arm over my waist, and I rolled my eyes, turning away from him. A few seconds passed, and then he raised his head, his gaze burning into the side of my head. "Hello?"

I snuggled into my pillow, closing my eyes tightly. He sighed, and I could tell his irritation was growing. "Dammit Molly, answer me!"

I rolled over, glaring at intensely. "Give me one good reason I should listen to you when all you do is lie to me."

"What are you talking about?" His eyebrows knitted in confusion. "I never lied to you."

"I know you and Mikayla are more than friends. It's so obvious." I let out a frustrated sigh. "You lie right to my face, and you know how much I hate it when you lie to me!"

Wes' eyes narrowed into slits, and a chill ran down my spine. "Even if that were true, my relationship with her isn't any of your business. You know what I think the real problem is? You're jealous that all the attention isn't on you. Selfishness isn't a good look on you."

"You have a lot of nerve calling me selfish when you're the asshole using me for your own selfish needs because you're lonely!" I growled, shoving his chest. "I bet you didn't tell Mikayla about that, am I right?"

The way his eyes blazed red made my heart drop in my chest. It killed me to see that look, but I knew it was only because he was mad. Wes always lashed out when he was mad, even when we were kids, and I suppose that was what made it so easy to forgive him constantly, because I knew he didn't mean it. But for once, it was different.

"You agreed to the deal too!" He yelled back, his hands clenched in fists and his shoulders tense. "Just move on, Molly. You and I both know I would never like you like you want me to!"

Several sharp pangs shot my heart, and tears burned in my eyes as every sliver of hope I had for him-- for us-- dissolved in thin air. But I kept my strong front, no matter how badly I wanted to break down in that very instant.

"Screw you. I'm the only friend you have that's there for you."

He bitterly chuckled. "Friends? No, that's where you're wrong. You are nothing to me."

Wes stormed past me, slamming the door hard enough for the house to shake from the impact. I stood, frozen, as I clutched my chest, my heart slowly being ripped to shreds, and not even me trying to keep it intact could stop the shattered pieces from falling apart. I was nothing to the one person who meant everything to me, and that was the biggest ache of all.