Only You

Chapter 73: A Mess

Nick's body tensed up; Molly could no longer read his expression.

Liz read the room though and tried lightening the tension. "Mols, you texted me an hour ago that you dropped off my laptop here. I didn't think you'd still be here, but no one could find you anywhere, and you're not answering your phone. And Charlie, you said you'd be back down in a minute, not five."

Liz's words didn't reach Nick's ears as she hoped they would.

"Nick," Molly said again but didn't get up.

He cleared his throat. "Shay's been trying to get a hold of you. She called me. You weren't at your place."

"Shay?" Molly immediately turned her phone back on.

Nick had already heard the good news and would have loved to be there when she got it, but he felt sick to his stomach. He was already by his car when she was crying in relief, searching the room for him.

"You okay?" Dan asked his brother.

Nick was spaced out at the kitchen table and didn't hear him.

"Nick."

"Hmm?"

"What's wrong?"

Nick furrowed his eyebrows. "Nothing."

"You look sick."

"I'm fine." He walked over to the sink and washed his finished mug of coffee.

"Bullshit."

"Language."

"Learned it from you. What's your deal?"

"Nothing kid, I'm fine." Nick started out of the kitchen. "Don't stay up too late."

He heard Dan follow him to the stairs and knew he was being watched. He held everything together though until he was in his bedroom.

He closed his door behind himself but couldn't move any further. His body slid against the door until he came to the floor. His shoulders caved in as silent sobs escaped him. Everything felt lost.

Molly woke up confused. She reached for the armrests of her chair as the events of the night rushed back to her. Seeing her brother awake for the first time in weeks didn't feel like a couple of hours ago. Nick's pained expression couldn't have been just last night. Everything seemed so long ago.

She was overwhelmed and went to find some coffee. It was then she bumped into her mother who was sending her home. She had already seen her brother and there was nothing to do in the hospital.

"Go get some sleep; you can come back tomorrow. And maybe next weekend everyone could come home. Have everyone together."

"Yeah. Alright, mom."

"Are you okay to drive back, sweetheart?"

"Yeah," Molly nodded her head. "I'm just overwhelmed."

"Yes. I am too." She hugged her daughter. "Now go. Text me when you get back."

"Okay. Bye, mom."

Molly drove back home, slowing down by Nick's house. She wanted so badly to stop there and talk to him. She felt like she needed to see him but knew he wouldn't want to see her. She continued home.

Molly didn't make it to her room though once she got inside her place. She was staring at the couch where the fight between her and Nick had started only hours ago.

She fell on the couch and curled up. Her sobs echoed in the small house.

Thinking she was alone, she was half-startled when Liz was suddenly by her side.

"Liz. I messed up."

"Don't worry, Mols. Everything's going to be okay."

"No. Did you see his face? I was so stupid. He saw me in Charlie's room with Charlie right after getting into a fight about Charlie."

"Molly."

"And he was right. Charlie tried kissing me just before you guys walked in," she choked.

"Shh."

"I didn't plan on staying in Charlie's room, I just did, taking a moment to think about everything. And I was by myself. Charlie had just come in before you guys did. But Nick saw us and disappeared. He left before I even finished speaking to Shay. My brother woke up, and he didn't want to be there. It was the best news I could have gotten, but he didn't want to be there with me."

"Babe, you need some sleep."

"I need him."

"No, you need sleep."

"This hurts so much. He hurt me so much by the way he was talking to me and looking at me last night. But now everything feels worse. I made everything worse."

Liz held her friend's head. "Molly, close your eyes."

"Does he hate me?"

"No."

"He does. He doesn't want to be with me anymore. He hates me. I hate me."

"You did nothing for him to hate you."

"It's what's going on in his mind that will make him hate me."

"Nick's not stupid. Maybe he misinterpreted something, but he'll understand once you guy talk."

"I can't talk to him."

"Of course you can. You just need to sleep some. You're not thinking straight."

"Yes, I am."

"If you were, you'd be thinking how your brother is alive and well. He's finally out of a coma."

"He is. You're right. How am I being ungrateful?" she cried some more.

"You're not; you're overtired. I bet you didn't get any sleep. Now shut your eyes."

"I love you, Liz."

"Right back at you. Now hush." She stroked her friend's hair.

Molly slowly began drifting off.