Close As Lovers

Bonus #2

Song: Heartache That Don't Stop Hurting- Jason Aldean

Wes

I might not have been man enough to do a good many things, but I was man enough to admit that I was an absolute idiot.

I probably could have made things much easier on both Molly and I. But did I? No. I had a one track mind, and that was to protect her at all costs, even if it meant I couldn't protect her from myself. Not only that, but I never, ever, wanted to be around Katie again, let alone "date" her.

But alas, history had shown that humans did stupid things for the people they love.

And so has about every fanfiction known to man.

Using Katie to find out the plan she and Andy had might have been slightly intelligent, but it cost me a lot. Not only did I lose Molly, but I had to be around someone daily who disgusted me. Molly might have gotten over it and let it go, but there was still some anger in me from learning the things they did to her. After I started "dating" Katie, as Molly and Katie thought, I put myself in a massive rutt. But I would have done just about anything if it meant I could protect Molly and ensure her safety for good.

If there was one thing I wished I could have changed about the situation, it was that I wouldn't have lied to Molly when I ended things with her. If I had it my way, she would've never gotten the story of "I don't love you anymore", when I knew that was the farest thing from the truth, and I wanted to think that deep down, she knew that too. Nothing in the world could have ever stopped me from being in love with her. But what killed me was knowing I wasn't there for her when she had needed me most. No matter how strong she was, she should have never had to deal with it all on her own. I should have been the one holding her, telling her it was okay, but I let her down.

Trust me, there was never a single thing you regretted more than letting down the person you loved.

Even though I knew I still loved her, seeing the way her eyes broke as soon as I uttered the words shattered something deep inside of me. And then when she passed out in my arms after all that alcohol she had consumed, I thought my world was coming to an end. I had never prayed so much in my life, but it was the only way I could love her without her knowing for the time being.

Every time something happened, it topped the thing that happened before that I had thought was the worst that could happen-- which led us to when she left. Nobody knew where she was, and nobody had heard from her. She hadn't gone to Lana and Evan's like I assumed, and when I didn't find her at her hiding spot in the park, my mind automatically believed the worst.

Another day had passed, and still, nobody had heard anything. Being without her and not knowing if she was safe was too much for me, so I packed some clothes and caught the next flight to Montana. I had figured if she went anywhere, she would go to the place that felt most like home. When we were younger, Molly always went to her old bedroom when she was upset, even when she was at my house. It was the only place that brought her calamity.

As soon as I ran through the front door, I prayed she was in her room, but she wasn't. I had hoped she would have gone to her old house and saw everything I had done to fix it, and she would have went home with me, but she hadn't; everything was exactly like I left it.

I locked the door again and sat on the front porch steps. I hadn't realized how badly I wanted to see her sitting on her old bed, her eyes meeting mine and that gorgeous smile lighting up her face, until the room was barren. I was stupid to let her go after that pointless fight. I was stupid to make her believe that I didn't love her. All I wanted was my girl back.

I was about to leave when the footsteps of another person stopped me. I had an ounce of hope left in me, but when I looked up and saw her biological father, my heart dropped. He shot me a small grin, limping his way to sit beside me.

"Wesley Grayson. It's been a while since I saw you up here working on this old house," He chuckled as he patted my shoulder, and I sighed. His smile slowly faded when he saw my demeanor. "I'm guessing by the look on your face that you weren't here renovating again."

I rested my chin on my head, staring at the quiet street in front of us. "Molly's been gone for two days and it's my fault. Nobody's seen or heard from her. I just thought maybe... maybe she'd come here. But she's not. I can't find her anywhere."

"Molly always shuts down when she's hurting. You and I both know that. She probably just needed to get away and clear her mind. You know, she probably knew you'd come looking for her, which is why she isn't in places you know she'd go to. Molly always thinks ahead. She's always tried to avoid things she thinks will hurt her the most."

I looked down, the guilt flooding me. "I wish I wasn't one of those things."

Daniel sighed. "Wes, we're human. We make mistakes and we hurt people. Trust me, I know all about it. But that doesn't mean we should constantly dwell on the things we do and let them control us. You hurt Molly, and it wasn't right, but my daughter has loved you since she met you, and I know that will never change. You gave her the world when I gave her the worst, and you were the one who brought light back into her life. She's in love with you, Wes-- always has been. Let go of your mistakes and that guilt you're holding onto so tightly and let yourself love her the way you want to."

"I love her so much, Daniel," I glanced at him, my eyes growing blurry. "But what if she doesn't take me back?"

"Then you love her from a distance and fight for her until you can love her as yours again. But I don't think you'll have to worry about that. She doesn't know that her mom and I know, but we always heard her praying for you. Her mother told me that after they moved to California and she was having trouble with school, she prayed that you would come back. You have always been her comfort. But no matter what happens, I need you to keep loving her and caring for her." I raised my eyebrows in question, and he sighed as sadness washed over his face. "I have cancer, Wes. Molly doesn't know yet, and I'd like to keep it that way for a while. I've already wasted so many years of my life away from her, and I need to make it right before I die, but I know it'll destroy her, even if she still hates me. I need you to love her, Wes. You're the only one who can bring the light out of her. Help her find happiness again. I need you to do that for not only me, but her."

The news about her father shocked me. I knew that no matter how angry Molly was with her father, she still cared about him, and it would break her heart to know he was sick. As I took in his words, I realized that I needed to win her back. I needed to love her better than I ever had, and make sure that she knew she was my everything.

"Thank you, Daniel. I promise I'll always love her," I stood and glanced at the sky, silently wishing that I would see her soon. "I always have."

Daniel stood, patting my shoulder before he began walking down the stone path that let to the road. "Take care of my girl, Wes."

After I left, I hopped on the first flight home and immediately vowed to tell her how much I loved her. I wanted to hold her in my arms and never let her go again.

It was the least I could do for the girl who gave me everything when it seemed like I had nothing. 

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