Rekindle The Flame || Stilinski || Book Four || WATTY's 2022

Four

AFTER OVERHEARING A SMALL PART OF THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN STILES AND HIS FATHER, Scott found himself leaving the hospital. It felt wrong to stay, to eavesdrop on a private talk. His friendship with Stiles already hung by a thread; Scott didn't want to accidentally cut it completely apart.

Stiles didn't want to talk to him. Neither did Sierra. Even though Scott understood their choice, because he completely disregarded his trust in them, it still hurt. He found himself checking his phone more than usual, in case they texted him. The lock screen, a photo of the trio from the previous summer, always stayed empty.

So, he climbed onto his motorbike and headed towards another friend, all the while praying she'd give him the time of day.

Malia.

Since she helped him track Noah Patrick down, he hadn't heard from her. He knew she was continuing to hide something from him and the rest of the pack. But, he needed Malia in order to reach the others and solve the issue with the success from the dread doctors.

When he pulled up to the country house, his brows instantly cinched together. A silver sedan, one Scott recognized to be Jemma's, was parked at the very top of the driveway--alongside a familiar motorcycle.

Scott glanced at the vehicles, unsure as to what reason could potentially bring Jemma and Braeden. In his gut, he knew it couldn't be for anything good. Yet, he shook it off and headed towards the front door.

He hadn't even reached the steps when Malia met him on the porch. Dressed in jean overall shorts, she stood tall and her face remained blank.

"You didn't have to come all the way out here," she said first, holding the screen door open with her left hip.

"You weren't answering your phone," Scott pointed out, moving until he stood by the door.

Her lips tugged downward into a frown. "I can't help you. Not right now."

"What if I told you that you're the only one I have left?" Scott asked, desperate to get her to listen.

"You're not going to want my help."

Scott cleared his throat as he started to shake his head. "Anything that happened between us--"

"I'm talking about something that's going to happen," Malia cut him off. Her voice remained cold and she lifted her brown eyes to meet his. "Something I'm going to do, and you and Sierra are not going to like me much after I do it."

"Malia, Sierra and I are always going to love you," Scott stressed, practically pleading. "Nothing you do would ever change that. Whatever you're going through, I promise, you can tell us."

"Really?" Malia dared to ask, her eyebrow raising in disbelief. "Do I need to bring up you and Stiles right now to prove my point further?"

Scott's face fell at the mention of the incident with Donovan. He stared at her for a moment.

Then, as his ears tuned into the inside of her house, his head motioned to his right. "Is that why I hear three heartbeats in there?" he asked, terrified of the answer. "And why yours is beating so fast."

Malia didn't respond. Though the way her body stiffened and her eyes watered the longer she looked at him, told Scott everything he needed to know. Her lips parted, allowing Scott's hope to rise, but then she swallowed hard.