Close As Strangers

Four.

"You should be thanking me for protecting you once again." He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, please, you could do way better."

He smirked. "You should know. You've always been the sloppy seconds."

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," I hissed, glaring at him. "And address the real issue, which is how badly you hurt Nova. She's your baby sister, Wes. How could you do that?"

"It's not like I wanted to."

"Then why did you?"

He sighed, leaning against the wall. "She walked into my room while I was with Talia because she wanted my iPod. I was in the middle of... something, so I took her to the door and threw her out."

The way he was so nonchalant about what he had done was enough to make me slap his face. As his head swung to the side, his jaw ticked before he glared at me, and if looks could kill, I would've been six feet under.

"It doesn't matter what she wanted, you shouldn't have touched her!" I growled, shoving his chest. "She's just a kid, Wes. Not some toy you can throw around! I bet you don't even feel sorry!"

He towered over me, his hot breath fanning against my face, and the anger lying in his eyes sent a chill down my spine. The Wes that was standing in front of me wasn't the Wes I recognized, and he definitely wasn't one I wanted to know.

"Yes, Molly. I feel bad about it. You don't think I felt anything after I saw her condition when you brought her back out here?" He growled back, his hands clenched into fists.

"If we're being honest, no, I don't." I stepped closer, our bodies nearly touching. "You were too occupied with someone who shouldn't even been here."

"Your jealousy is uncanny."

"Yeah? Well so is your new personality that nobody wants here."

His eyes grew cold, and he shoved me away. "Why can't you leave me alone? All you've ever done is cause problems in my life,"

"Oh, sure." I bitterly laughed. "I'm the one who has always been a burden in your life. Excuse me for forgetting."

For a second, I swore he was going to walk away, but then, something flickered in his eyes, and I swore he was going to hit me as he moved closer.

Well, until his lips met mine.

At that moment, I almost let myself get taken under, I almost gave in, but then I realized his true motives, and I couldn't let him win again. I couldn't let him prove his point like he had for the past six years.

With all the strength I had, I shoved him away, glaring. "Stop. Don't try to make me vulnerable."

His eyes closed as he looked away from me. "When will you realize, Molly?"

"Realize what? That you're not the same person I left at the airport? Because I've known that since you--"

"When will you realize that all we're doing is wasting each other's time?"

Silence stretched throughout the room, and all I could do was stare at him, as if he was nothing but a fragment of my memory. How, after all that time, could he slip out of my grasp like sand? Why hadn't I been enough to fight for?

As these thoughts flooded my mind, I slowly nodded, even though my mind and heart was begging me to fight. I couldn't bring myself to fight for our lost cause.

"Fine." I mumbled, my voice barely audible as I turned away. "If that's how you feel, then you got your wish."

And then I walked away from the boy I could no longer recognize.

***

"Surely it can't be that bad, Molls." Lana plopped down on the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table as she prepared our weekly Saturday binge. Every weekend, she would come over, and we would watch another episode of the show we were watching, and that week, it just so happened to be Teen Wolf.

I sighed, sitting beside her. "You have no idea. Every time we're in the same room, it's like I'm entering Satan's lair. Not to mention, the awkwardness between us is unfathomable. You'll see."

"Okay, whatever you say." She raised an eyebrow. "But if you two start making out or going at it, I am out."

We both laughed, and I shook my head. "Trust me, you don't have to worry about that."

As the show started, Lana complained about what had happened in the episode before, and I listened, smiling as she kept ranting. Ever since Nikki had passed away, I felt alone-- aside from the time when Wes was actually in my life-- until Lana popped into my life, and it was as if Nikki had never left. Of course, nobody could ever replace Nikki, but I was convinced she had sent Lana to me.

I whistled. "Jackson Whittemore is one fine guy."

"Definitely." Lana nodded in agreement. "But don't you think he kind of resembles Wes?"

I busted out laughing, nearly crying, and once I calmed down, I wiped my eyes and she rolled hers. "Definitely not. Jackson is way hotter."

As the show continued, Lana and I gave little comments here and there about the episode, until Wes walked downstairs and sat in the chair beside my end of the couch. As a commercial appeared on TV, the temperature in the room seemed to drop as silence settled.

Wes stared at me, and wasn't allowing myself to look at him, so I focused on the yogurt cup in my hand as if it was the most interesting thing I had ever encountered in my life.

"Wow," Lana faked a cough. " You can literally feel the awkward."

No kidding.