❛ GHOSTIN' ❜ - 𝖼𝗆𝖻 ✓

032; i feel seventeen again

third person.

"have you seen mollie today?" max asked as he came downstairs, looking over to astrid who shook her head, "we're supposed to be going to nana's place to clear it out."

"the office? outside?" astrid suggested, "...i think she's with iris outside actually."

"by herself?" he raised his eyebrows and walked over to the office, "she's gonna kill her."

"max," astrid looked at him as she placed the fruit she was cutting onto the board in front of her.

"it's like she doesn't even care about nana anymore." max shrugged, staring out of the back window to where mollie sat with iris in the backyard.

"well when her brother is on her back about what her and her boyfriend do, i'm sure it's not the only thing she's upset about," astrid explained, opening the fridge while max looked behind his shoulder.

"i'm not on her back about it."

"corbyn thinks you hate him." astrid said, grabbing the watermelon from the fridge and placing it on the counter, "that's why he didn't come to the door the other day."

"how do you know that?" he frowned.

"because she's talking to me, max." she shrugged, "take her out for lunch and speak to her, she's got a lot to say and i think she'd prefer if you listened."

"when did she tell you?"

"last night," she said.

"when?"

"after you fell asleep, she was crying in the bathroom." astrid sighed as max furrowed his eyebrows, "i went to see if she was okay and we talked about it."

"..she cried because of me?" max asked with his hand on his chest.

"she cried because she's got a lot on her plate." she glanced over to him, "...i'm worried about her."

"she's doing well, if she was harming herself or smoking weed then i'd be worried." max shook his head, watching astrid stop what she was doing before placing her hands on the counter and looking at him, "what?"

"you're so oblivious." she shook her head, max frowning before throwing his arms up in confusion.

"she shut me out." he argued, gesturing to the girl outside as astrid rolled her eyes.

"go outside, sit with her and actually talk to her." astrid directed him as she stared at the back door, "don't lecture her about anything she's done, just talk to each other."

"astrid she won't-"

"blah blah, go," she pointed towards the door, receiving a roll of his eyes before he shook his head and did as he was told anyway.

walking into the backyard and over to where mollie was sat with his daughter, the guy sat on the chair just beside them as she suddenly stopped talking to her niece, glancing to him quickly before looking away again.

"you're going to freeze in just t-shirt." she mumbled, sitting iris on her lap before grabbing her phone.

"i wanted to ask if you're ready to go clean out nana's place yet," max replied with a frown, "or if you'd rather wait a few more days."

"i'd rather wait." mollie told him.

"me too." he nodded, "how are you and corbyn?"

"like you care," she raised her eyebrows and huffed.

"i'm sorry i got so protective about it," max looked to his sister and shrugged, "i just... you hate kids so i-"

"i don't hate kids," mollie shook her head, "if you've been paying attention these past few weeks you'd know i don't hate them like i used to, why do you think i'm choosing to be with my niece?"

"so the unprotected sex was on purpose?"

"and that's exactly why i asked for a plan b, you're so smart." she replied sarcastically, turning to look at him as he frowned, "i don't want them, i just don't hate them."

"does corbyn hate me?" max asked.

"...no," she said, "but he thinks you hate him."

"i'm mad at him but-"

"it wasn't his idea, it was mine." mollie argued, "he was the smart one about."

"i'm still upset with him," max said, "but i don't hate him, i could never hate him."

"he's the only person i can hang out with right now and it not be draining," mollie admitted while she stared at her brother, "you don't get that."

"i do get that."

"you don't because you're married and you live with her, i don't come up to you and say i don't want her staying over because i can't trust her." mollie said as max looked at her and sighed, "you don't know how it feels to have the one person who isn't draining be told he's irresponsible and can't stay over."

"mollie." max frowned, "you-"

"he's the only person i tell my problems to because you're not there," she admitted as her brother soon went quiet, watching her eyes fill with water, "all you do is tell me what i do wrong and i feel like i can't tell you how i feel or if i've made a mistake because you'll belittle me about it."

"i can't sit and have a conversation because it just turns into a lecture," mollie continued, wiping her eyes as max shook his head.

"that's not true." max mumbled.

"i needed you and asked for help the other day and you turned it into a lecture on how irresponsible i am," mollie argued, "sometimes i need your help i don't need to be told i made a shitty decision."

"then talk to me about how you feel," max looked at her and shrugged, "tell me."

"okay well i feel lost i uh, i don't like anything about me, i feel like i don't have any family at all and i don't really know what i'm doing with my life," she admitted, breaking down into tears before shrugging it off, "i feel seventeen again."

"i don't want to talk about you at that age you were-"

"did you not fucking listen?"

"i'm just trying to make sure i raise you right and you don't make mistakes," max argued as mollie stared at him for a few seconds, "i want to raise you right, that's all.."

"okay," she nodded, handing him his daughter as she stood up, "well you raised a pretty fucked up person so how's that for raising someone right."

"mollie." he frowned.

"you should've just left me for dead, that would've been less trouble." she mumbled, wiping her eyes and storming inside the house as astrid looked to the door.

and as astrid immediately stopped what she was doing, she watched mollie walk past the kitchen in tears and sobbing, grabbing her car keys before she stormed through the front door and slammed it shut behind her.

looking over to the window that panned across their backyard, she watched max remain still on the chair with iris in his lap, staring out into the distance as she slowly frowned.

♡

a/n

i'm so sorry i did that

but if you have any thoughts about it i'd be happy to hear them