The ride was silent, too silent.

I could barely hear her breathing.

I didn't even try to make conversation, because I knew that I was going to regret it, and if things were bad now, they were just going to get worse.

I wish she would let me comfort her as she did with me, but I guess everything was going too well.

Those questions triggered something in her, and I knew that I would have to try my best to allow her to steam it off.

We got back to the hotel, I saw her take the stairs and so I did the same thing.

When we reached our rooms, I sneaked into hers before she could close the door.

Oh, was I going to regret this.

"Wanda, are you okay?" I sighed while she threw her jewelry on the bed.

I got no response.

"Wand-"

"Do I seem okay? Tell me, Y/N, do I seem okay?" She shouted at me, and her anger echoed within the walls.

Back to square one.

Her voice was emotionless, flat.

"I just want to know how I can help, you helped me when I needed it and I want to do the same." I tried to keep up with her tone, but she just scoffed at me.

"Well, guess what? You can't! People think I'm a murderer for fuck's sake! How can anyone help me from this?"

"Why are you letting those dumbasses get to you, Wanda? You told me yourself, they just want to be up your ass, they're annoying, that's how they're built! You know what you did and you know what you didn't do, who cares about them?"

"The whole country does, Y/N! People already hate me, can you even imagine what they're going to say when they learn that I stormed out of that room?"

"People don't hate you, they're just clouded by what they read, it's not your fault Wanda!" I tried getting closer to her, but she took a step back.

"No."

"No what?"

"Don't come close." Her words left me speechless. Why couldn't I?

"Why?" My voice broke, and so did my heart when I saw her dry off the tear that stained her cheek for a couple of seconds, and after that, I didn't see others.

"We're work partners, I'm your boss. This isn't professional, you told me yourself at the fundraiser.

And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.

Nothing between us ever even started, why was she putting an end to it before it could even have a chance to begin?

"We are work partners." I stated.

"We are, but there is something else, and you know it. It has to stop. I'm sorry about everything."

"Are you?" She could hear the hurt in my voice and it was making her weak, I could see it. "You act all tough and then suddenly you bring me flowers, it sounds like you were the one who started it. You probably thought that it was fun, right?" I was letting my emotions get the best of me, but I couldn't stop.

I never thought I would talk to someone this way, but it was happening. I was using her actions against her.

I talked about her to my family and my friends, I was vulnerable in front of her. I showed her my true self, and I messed up. I never should have.

"Pack your things, we're leaving. I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes." She completely ignored my statement and gestured for me to get out, and so I did.

I walked out of her room and went into mine.

I started throwing all my thing in the suitcase, not even bothering that they weren't going to fit if I didn't fold them right.

I checked that I had everything multiple times, each time forgetting something. My thoughts were clouded by the words I heard earlier.

I wonder if this was her intention from the beginning. If she just wanted to pretend all this time. If she had fun playing tough one day and soft the next.

She wasn't what people wanted her to be, but she also wasn't what I believed she was.

Was it okay? For me to feel like this even though we never even kissed, it was just all words.

Stewart was right, words and actions do tell, but sometimes they don't match your story.

It's like you're narrating it and then something happens and the whole plot changes.

I went down the stairs to reach the lobby, where I saw Mrs. Maximoff at the reception giving back the keys to her room, and so I did the same.

We barely touched, my side on hers, but we didn't share a single glance.

She droves us to the airport, it was probably the most uncomfortable situation I had been in for a while. She kept her focus on the road, she didn't even put music on, let alone even look at me in the slightest, meanwhile, I did. I couldn't help myself. Plus, if she wasn't looking, she couldn't see me doing it. Or at least I thought so.

Jackson was awaiting for us like last time, we gave him our suitcases and took a seat far from each other.

I started out of the window for the whole flight, turns out that the view is very pretty and it helps me not concentrate on the fact that I'm slightly scared of flying.

When we arrived back in San Francisco I called Stewart to come to pick me up, and just like I was expecting, Wanda didn't say anything about it.

I saw her get in her car and drive off, and I could finally release the big breath I was holding. I wanted to cry, but nothing came out.

I didn't know if I was happy about that or not.

"Good evening, Y/N. Happy to have you back." Stewart's voice rescued me from my trance, and I greeted him with a hug.

He was taken aback by my gesture but didn't say anything about it, he just hugged me back, he knew I needed it.

"Where to?"

"Do you happen to know where Morgan is? The last time I heard from them they weren't at our apartment." I really needed my best friend, this time I couldn't keep everything from them. I needed them.

"Morgan asked me to take them to their parents' mansion just an hour ago, I assume they are still there."

"Can you drop me off there?"

"Of course, Y/N."

He turned on the radio and that immediately brought me some comfort: it reminded me of all the times Morgan and I had sing-offs in this car, while Stewart wished he had never agreed on taking us everywhere.

He parked just outside of the mansion, opened the door for me and gave me my suitcase, then he hugged me.

"I don't know what's wrong, but know that you are stronger than it." He told me before he got back in the car and drove off.

I wish there were more people like Stewart in this world, we don't deserve him.

I walked to the front door and knocked, my eyes met my best friend and their mother's almost immediately.

"Y/N?"

"Y/N!" Pepper exclaimed but looked at me weirdly when she noticed that I wasn't going to match her tone anytime soon.

"What's wrong? Weren't you supposed to come back tomorrow?"

"Can we just go to your room?" I started, seeing them nod. "I'm sorry for coming here so suddenly, Pepper."

"Nonsense, Y/N. You know both Tony and I think of you as our own, you can come here anytime."

At least I had them.