Until You Met Me
Ninety Seven
Gently pushing the papers off of her lap, Molly fell back against the mattress, squeezing her eyes closed in frustration. She hadn’t been able to shake it. From the moment that Sofia had brought Ava up, there had been a lump in Molly’s throat, and despite her best efforts to distract herself, it hadn’t disappeared, something which had left her more than a little frustrated. She had tried so hard not to think about it. After the last time that she had seen Ava, she had resolved not to talk about her again, determined not to dwell on what had happened, but she knew that it hadn’t worked. She was still hurting, and no matter how hard she tried to just ignore it, it didn’t stop the hurt from rearing its head every time Ava’s name came up in conversation. She still couldn’t quite believe what Ava had done, or how close she and Gerard had come to ending things, but mostly, she couldn’t quite get over the fact that, underneath all of her anger, she was devastated that her best friend was no longer in her life.
Covering her face with her hands, she exhaled a tired sigh before she heard the sound of paper rustling, something which caused her to cautiously lower her hands, her stare settling on Gerard who was stood at the foot of the bed, carefully gathering her papers in his hands. “You don’t have to do that” she said.
Gerard offered her a lopsided smile. “You were messing them up” he said.
Molly didn’t want to smile back at him, but the warm expression on his face drew it out of her reluctantly. “I didn’t hear you come home” she said.
“I was trying to sneak in” Gerard quipped as he padded towards the dresser, putting the pile of papers down “I didn’t know if Sofia was still going to be here, and I didn’t want to interrupt” he added.
Molly shuffled back towards the headboard, sitting up slightly. “She left a couple of hours ago” she mused.
“Did you two make any progress with the seating chart?” Gerard asked as he plopped down onto the bed next to her.
“A little” Molly answered “She wasn’t really here for long” she added, attempting a nonchalant shrug and smile that faltered almost immediately.
Gerard didn’t say anything immediately. He didn’t need to ask to know that something was bothering her. Instead, he gently coaxed her towards him, wrapping her in a soft hug before he ducked his head, gently kissing the top of hers.
Molly sighed and hugged him back. “Can I ask you something?” she asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them.
Gerard shuffled back slightly, putting a little space between them, before he nodded his head. “Of course” he said.
“Do you think I am being stupid about this thing with Ava?” Molly asked.
Gerard’s eyes widened, slightly caught off guard by the question, before his forehead creased. He was surprised by the question. In all the time that had passed since the incident between him and Ava had happened, Molly had been careful to avoid talking about her, determined to avoid dredging up something that had almost cost the two of them their relationship, and it meant that the question had come out of the blue. He knew that she missed Ava. Though she had never said it out loud, there were things that Molly said or did that hinted at her missing someone who’d once been really important to her, but he’d never anticipated that Molly would actually admit it.
“Where’d this come from?” Gerard asked carefully.
Molly shrugged as she moved away from him slightly, her fingers twisting anxiously in the material of the jumper that she wore. “She called Sofia whilst she was here” she said “Sofia didn’t take the call, and she apologised when she saw that I had seen who it was, but then she told me a couple of things about Ava and it made me wonder if...if I was being stupid” she added.
Gerard nodded his head slowly, giving him a moment to think about what he wanted to say, before he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “I don’t think you’re being stupid” he said “I know how important a person Ava is to you, and I know how much you care about her, but what she did...she almost cost us this, Molly. The kiss was bad enough, but it was more than just that. She undermined our relationship, she encouraged you to have doubts about me, about our engagement, and I don’t think that letting her back into your life is a good idea” he added tentatively.
Molly closed her eyes, smiling sadly. “I know that you’re right” she said “I just...Is it wrong that I miss her? I know what she did, and believe me, there’s a part of me that’s still pissed at her for it, but she was...she was the person who’d have spent hours talking about silly things like table cloths with me. Don’t get me wrong, I know how excited everyone is about the wedding, but I just...”
“Want someone who wants to talk about table cloths for hours” Gerard finished for her.
Molly offered him a slightly hesitant nod.
Gerard sighed gently before he took her hand in his, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it. “I can’t fix the Ava thing” he murmured “But if you want to debate the colours and materials that make the perfect table cloth, then I am your guy. I have some pretty strong thoughts on the subject” he added.
Molly smiled up at him softly. “You’ve said yes to every suggestion I have made” she mused “If I asked you to wear an orange suit, I think you’d agree to it” she added.
Gerard pressed a kiss to the side of her nose before he pressed one to her forehead. “I am just saying that if you want someone to talk to about this stuff, talk to me” he said “I’d drop the world for you, you know that. Besides, I remember once promising you that I would make an excellent maid of honour and that’s a promise I intend to keep, regardless of the fact that I am also the groom” he added.
Molly laughed gently.
“Seriously” Gerard quipped “Let’s go over some stuff now. Let’s talk about the flowers. How sold are you on the roses you chose?” he added as he moved to retrieve the papers he’d previously put aside.
Molly took the papers out of his hands, but before she moved to study them, she gently cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly. Drawing back, she flashed him another small smile before she focussed on the papers, something which made Gerard smile gently. He knew that he couldn’t fix the Ava problem. She was a big loss from Molly’s life, and it wasn’t something he could repair immediately, but he would settle for being able to make it a little easier whenever he could.
Covering her face with her hands, she exhaled a tired sigh before she heard the sound of paper rustling, something which caused her to cautiously lower her hands, her stare settling on Gerard who was stood at the foot of the bed, carefully gathering her papers in his hands. “You don’t have to do that” she said.
Gerard offered her a lopsided smile. “You were messing them up” he said.
Molly didn’t want to smile back at him, but the warm expression on his face drew it out of her reluctantly. “I didn’t hear you come home” she said.
“I was trying to sneak in” Gerard quipped as he padded towards the dresser, putting the pile of papers down “I didn’t know if Sofia was still going to be here, and I didn’t want to interrupt” he added.
Molly shuffled back towards the headboard, sitting up slightly. “She left a couple of hours ago” she mused.
“Did you two make any progress with the seating chart?” Gerard asked as he plopped down onto the bed next to her.
“A little” Molly answered “She wasn’t really here for long” she added, attempting a nonchalant shrug and smile that faltered almost immediately.
Gerard didn’t say anything immediately. He didn’t need to ask to know that something was bothering her. Instead, he gently coaxed her towards him, wrapping her in a soft hug before he ducked his head, gently kissing the top of hers.
Molly sighed and hugged him back. “Can I ask you something?” she asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled over them.
Gerard shuffled back slightly, putting a little space between them, before he nodded his head. “Of course” he said.
“Do you think I am being stupid about this thing with Ava?” Molly asked.
Gerard’s eyes widened, slightly caught off guard by the question, before his forehead creased. He was surprised by the question. In all the time that had passed since the incident between him and Ava had happened, Molly had been careful to avoid talking about her, determined to avoid dredging up something that had almost cost the two of them their relationship, and it meant that the question had come out of the blue. He knew that she missed Ava. Though she had never said it out loud, there were things that Molly said or did that hinted at her missing someone who’d once been really important to her, but he’d never anticipated that Molly would actually admit it.
“Where’d this come from?” Gerard asked carefully.
Molly shrugged as she moved away from him slightly, her fingers twisting anxiously in the material of the jumper that she wore. “She called Sofia whilst she was here” she said “Sofia didn’t take the call, and she apologised when she saw that I had seen who it was, but then she told me a couple of things about Ava and it made me wonder if...if I was being stupid” she added.
Gerard nodded his head slowly, giving him a moment to think about what he wanted to say, before he rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “I don’t think you’re being stupid” he said “I know how important a person Ava is to you, and I know how much you care about her, but what she did...she almost cost us this, Molly. The kiss was bad enough, but it was more than just that. She undermined our relationship, she encouraged you to have doubts about me, about our engagement, and I don’t think that letting her back into your life is a good idea” he added tentatively.
Molly closed her eyes, smiling sadly. “I know that you’re right” she said “I just...Is it wrong that I miss her? I know what she did, and believe me, there’s a part of me that’s still pissed at her for it, but she was...she was the person who’d have spent hours talking about silly things like table cloths with me. Don’t get me wrong, I know how excited everyone is about the wedding, but I just...”
“Want someone who wants to talk about table cloths for hours” Gerard finished for her.
Molly offered him a slightly hesitant nod.
Gerard sighed gently before he took her hand in his, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it. “I can’t fix the Ava thing” he murmured “But if you want to debate the colours and materials that make the perfect table cloth, then I am your guy. I have some pretty strong thoughts on the subject” he added.
Molly smiled up at him softly. “You’ve said yes to every suggestion I have made” she mused “If I asked you to wear an orange suit, I think you’d agree to it” she added.
Gerard pressed a kiss to the side of her nose before he pressed one to her forehead. “I am just saying that if you want someone to talk to about this stuff, talk to me” he said “I’d drop the world for you, you know that. Besides, I remember once promising you that I would make an excellent maid of honour and that’s a promise I intend to keep, regardless of the fact that I am also the groom” he added.
Molly laughed gently.
“Seriously” Gerard quipped “Let’s go over some stuff now. Let’s talk about the flowers. How sold are you on the roses you chose?” he added as he moved to retrieve the papers he’d previously put aside.
Molly took the papers out of his hands, but before she moved to study them, she gently cupped his face in her hands and kissed him softly. Drawing back, she flashed him another small smile before she focussed on the papers, something which made Gerard smile gently. He knew that he couldn’t fix the Ava problem. She was a big loss from Molly’s life, and it wasn’t something he could repair immediately, but he would settle for being able to make it a little easier whenever he could.