Until You Met Me

Exhaling a quiet sigh of relief, Molly sunk into the mattress, relishing the feeling of being alone for the first time since she had woken up. Normally, she hated it. On a normal day, when everything was as it ought to have been, she loved being around other people. She loved the first bleary moments of a morning, the sleepy smile that always lit up Gerard’s face when she nudged him awake, and the soft sleepy kisses that always followed. She loved having breakfast with her friends or family, and going to work where she got the chance to see more people she cared about, but that day, like the several that had preceded it, had been exhausting.

She was trying to be OK. As futile as it was when almost everyone around her knew what was happening, she kept trying to put on a brave face, and it exhausted her. She missed Gerard, she missed her home, but whenever she thought about going back, her thoughts were drawn back to the moment that Gerard had admitted to the kiss between himself and Ava and the pain that had shot through her then. It hadn’t faded, and each sympathetic look only reminded her of it again.

Letting her eyes flutter closed, she enjoyed the silence that filled Poppy’s spare bedroom until she heard a light knock on the door, something that caused her to groan internally before she rolled onto her side, watching as her sister nudged the door open. Poppy seemed to hesitate on the threshold before she slipped into the room, placing a small suitcase down beside the foot of the bed.

Molly stared at the suitcase for a second, trying to swallow past the lump in her throat, before she glanced up at Poppy. “Did...Did you get everything?” she spluttered. It wasn’t the question she wanted to ask, but when she had started to speak, any nerve to ask about Gerard had deserted her.

Poppy’s expression softened before she nodded. “I got everything you asked for” she mused.

“You knew which dress I wanted?” Molly pressed.

“No” Poppy answered “But Gerard did. He’s pretty knowledgeable about your wardrobe choices” she added.

Molly opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, something that caused Poppy to sigh gently before she moved towards the bed, perching on the edge of it. “He looks tired” she said.

“Pop...”

“You want to ask” Poppy interrupted “I know you do. So let me tell you, OK?” she added, glancing at Molly over her shoulder.

Molly fell quiet, nodding her head slightly.

“He looks rough” Poppy said “I mean, he’s still as handsome as ever, but definitely a little more exhausted. He’s trying to give you what you want from him, but he’s struggling. You should have seen his face when I came down the stairs and he realised I wasn’t you. I have never seen that look on his face before” she added.

Molly didn’t say anything. She didn’t know what to say.

Poppy turned around, looking down at her sister who was still curled up on her side. Leaning forwards, she gently pushed Molly’s hair back off of her face, tucking it behind her ear gently. “Can I say something without you jumping down my throat?” she asked.

Molly’s lips quirked into a tired smile. “I make no promises” she replied.

“Why are you here?” Poppy asked.

“Because I thought I was in the way at Albert’s” Molly replied almost robotically.

Poppy shook her head. “That’s not what I meant” she said “You know that. Why aren’t you at home, Molly?” she asked.

“Because my best friend kissed my boyfriend” Molly retorted.

“Exactly” Poppy quipped “Ava kissed him. You know that. She did the bad thing, not him, and yet, he’s the one you’re punishing. You’re not at home, you’re not wearing your engagement ring. You have barely spoken to him in the last week, and to what end? You’re here, and miserable, and he’s there, and miserable. I am not trying to downplay what happened, and I know he has his flaws, mostly not thinking before he does or says something, but he didn’t do this, Molly. I know that you know that” she added.

Molly wanted to shake her head. She wanted to insist that she needed the space, and to tell Poppy all the things she had told Sofia when she had first appeared at Albert’s apartment, but the words didn’t come. Instead, she curled in on herself a little more, looking up at her sister with tearful eyes. “I am scared” she admitted.

Poppy’s thumb gently brushed the tears off of her little sister’s cheek. “You don’t need to be” she murmured.

“Pop, I didn’t see it” Molly whispered “I didn’t see that Ava liked him. I didn’t even see that I liked him. Tiago had to...”

“You have always loved him, Molly” Poppy cut in gently “Why would you notice a difference? You’ve loved that boy since our mother ushered you into his parents’ living room. I know he made a mistake in going to see Ava, in sticking his nose in where it didn’t really belong, but is that really enough of a reason for you to let him go? You love him, Molly, and he makes you happy” she added, a soft smile on her face.

Molly sniffled. “Do you really believe that?” she asked.

Poppy nodded gently. “It’s the only thing that makes sense” she said “You had a guy who you had a lot in common with. On paper, Tiago was perfect, but it didn’t work. You and Gerard, for some reason, work. You’re allowed to be pissed at him for interfering, for not listening to you when you asked him to leave things alone, but if you keep pushing him away, eventually he’s going to stop trying to pull you close, and I know that’s the last thing you want. It was Ava’s fault, Molly, not Gerard’s” she added before she heard Felipe call for her.

Letting out a gently sigh, she gently smoothed Molly’s hair again before she stood up. “Just think about it” she quipped before she stepped out of the room.

Molly watched the bedroom door swing closed again before she picked up her phone, dialling a number and pressing it against her ear. Twisting her fingers in her sleeve, she listened to the dial tone until the voice on the other end snipped into her ears. “We need to talk” she said.