"To make sure he never gets the chance to hurt anyone like this again."

~•~

Willa sat on the steps in front of the Swedish House, her eyes fixed on the ground. It was a calm evening, but inside her, a storm raged. A day full of emotions—from Mondo's world record to their unexpected kiss—was now overshadowed by the weight of what had followed. She hadn't expected things to develop this way, though maybe she should have. Mondo had always been straightforward, and when he didn't understand something or felt uneasy, he had no problem expressing it.

She sat there alone while the world around her kept moving. The Olympic Village buzzed with energy: athletes celebrating victories, some preparing for their next events. But she felt she couldn't join in. Not now.

The door behind her creaked softly, and Mondo came out. His steps were fast and heavy, clearly signaling his frustration. When he caught up with her, he took a deep breath but remained silent. He stood there for a moment, his gaze wandering off into the distance, before finally sitting next to her.

A heavy silence hung between them. Neither of them knew how to begin. Willa wished she could turn back time, to say everything earlier and not have waited so long. Maybe things would be different now. But deep down, she knew that the fear she'd felt wasn't unfounded. It was hard to admit the truth—not just to others but to herself.

Mondo finally broke the silence, his voice harder than she'd expected. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he asked without looking at her. There was sadness in his voice, but also disappointment. "Why did you keep it all a secret? I knew something wasn't right between you two, but if I had known..."

Willa closed her eyes and stayed quiet for a moment. She knew this was coming. She had been waiting for it all day. "I didn't want to tell you," she admitted quietly, her voice shaking even though she tried to stay calm. "I didn't know how. It was too much for me..."

"Too much what?" Mondo interrupted, this time looking at her. His eyes were filled with pain and frustration. "Was it too hard for you to tell me? Really? After everything we've been through, you couldn't trust me?"

Willa turned away, feeling tears start to roll down her face. She wanted to turn toward him, to look him in the eyes and try to explain, but she couldn't. "It wasn't about you, Mondo," she said softly. "It wasn't that I didn't trust you. It wasn't that I didn't want you by my side. I just..." She hesitated, struggling to find the right words.

"So what was it?" Mondo asked, his voice still tense. "What was it, Willa? Why did you push me aside and leave me completely in the dark while you were suffering?"

Willa wiped her tears with the back of her hand and finally looked at him. "Because I was ashamed," she admitted after a moment. "I was ashamed that I let it happen. That I didn't notice what was going on with Miles sooner, and that I let it go so far. How could I tell anyone that?"

Mondo frowned, still trying to understand her reasoning, but it wasn't easy. He had always thought they had an honest relationship. But now, he saw that wasn't the case. "So you decided to carry it all by yourself? Just like that? And what about me? Was I not good enough for you to tell me?"

Willa bit her lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again. "You were the best to me," she whispered. "You've always been the one I trusted. But how could I tell you? How could I admit that I let Miles control me?"

"But I would have helped you," Mondo replied firmly. "I would have been there for you, supported you. If only you'd told me..." He trailed off, shaking his head, as if he didn't want to acknowledge how deeply this hurt him. "If only you'd trusted me."

Willa looked at him with a mixture of pain and regret. "I did trust you, Mondo. I always trusted you. But I... I was afraid. Not just of you, but of what would happen if you knew the truth. If I had told you right away, maybe you would've seen me differently. Maybe you'd think I was weak."

"Weak?" Mondo repeated, as if he couldn't believe it. "Willa, you're not weak. This isn't about weakness. I would never judge you like that. Especially not because of someone like Miles."

Willa turned back to the ground, clenching her fists. "I know. But... if you were in my place, you'd be scared too. You'd be afraid to tell someone what's happening because it's not just about what happened. It's about how you feel. You feel broken, ashamed. And even though you know your friends would help, something stops you from telling them."

Mondo watched her in silence for a while. He could see that what she was saying came from the depths of her pain. It wasn't about trust, but about her own internal struggle. And even though he was still angry, he was slowly starting to understand.

"Maybe you're right," he finally admitted, taking a deep breath. "I don't know how I would have handled it if I were in your shoes. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have talked about it."

Willa nodded, her voice quiet and full of regret. "I know. And I'm sorry, Mondo. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Mondo sat next to her, still processing everything he had just learned. The pain and frustration of knowing his best friend had suffered without him knowing mixed with anger toward Miles. Willa, who had always meant so much to him, had gone through something he couldn't even imagine. And what made it worse was that she had borne it alone.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but his mind kept returning to Miles. Every detail Willa had shared made him even more furious. He was angry not only for how Miles had hurt her physically but also for how he had made her feel broken and powerless.

As they sat on the steps in front of the Swedish House, Mondo leaned closer to her and said, more calmly now, "Willa, listen to me. When we get back to the U.S., I'm going to do everything I can to make sure Miles never plays sports again. To make sure he never gets the chance to hurt anyone like this again."

Willa lifted her head and looked at him in surprise. "Mondo, you don't have to do that," she said quietly. "I'm not sure if it's right to keep dealing with him now. I... I just want it to be over. I want him out of my life."

"But that's the point," Mondo replied, his eyes full of determination. "He no longer belongs in your life. And I'm going to make sure he never gets near you again. I'll do whatever it takes."

Willa sighed and lowered her eyes for a moment. She wanted to free herself from her past with Miles, but she knew it wasn't that simple. Mondo was now filled with emotions and anger, but she still feared what Miles might do if he was cornered.

"Mondo, I don't know," she whispered, trying to find the right words to explain how she felt. "Miles isn't just anyone. You know what he's capable of. And... I don't want you to get involved. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Willa," Mondo interrupted firmly, "don't try to protect me. This isn't about me. This is about you. I can't just stand by and watch someone hurt you without doing something." There was unwavering resolve in his voice. "You're right, it's not simple, but Miles can't escape what he's done. He can't just keep going on like nothing happened. And if there's anything I can do to make sure this never happens to you or anyone else again, I will."

Willa looked at him, her eyes filled with emotion. "But what if he does something to you? What if he tries to get revenge?"

Mondo smiled, but there was a hardness in his smile that Willa didn't often see in him. "I'm not afraid of him, Willa. And you shouldn't be either. I know it hurts right now, and you're scared of what he might do. But I'm here, and I'll protect you."

Tears filled Willa's eyes once again. She knew Mondo was serious, and his words comforted her, but they also frightened her. She didn't want Mondo to get involved, but his determination convinced her that he wasn't going to let this go. He wanted to protect her, and that was what always made her feel safe.

"But what if we can't handle it?" she whispered softly. "What if it only makes things worse?"

Mondo looked at her again, his eyes full of certainty. "We won't make it worse. Miles doesn't have any power over you anymore. And if he tries anything, he'll have to deal with me. And I won't let that happen."

Willa wiped away her tears and tried to smile. "Mondo, I really don't know what I'd do without you."

"You don't have to know," Mondo replied gently. "Because I'll always be here for you. And now that you've told me how you feel and what happened, we can work together to make sure it never happens again."

Willa took a deep breath and closed her eyes again. Mondo was right—Miles no longer had any power over her. She had people around her who loved and supported her, and Mondo was at the top of that list. But there was still tension within her. The pain and fear that Miles had caused wouldn't disappear overnight.

"But what if it's not enough?" she asked again, this time a little more strongly. She wanted to hear that what Mondo was planning would have a real impact. She wanted to know that Miles would never come back.

Mondo took her hand and gently squeezed it. "It will be enough," he replied with certainty. "And when we get back to the U.S., we'll take steps to make sure he can never hurt anyone else. We have options to handle this, and I'll take care of it."

For a moment, Willa's eyes filled with tears again, but this time they weren't tears of fear. They were tears of relief. She finally felt like she had someone on her side who could protect her and stand up for her.

"Okay," she nodded after a while. "But promise me you won't rush into it without thinking. We'll do this together."

Mondo smiled and nodded. "I promise, Willa. We'll do it together."

The two of them stayed sitting on the steps in front of the Swedish House, holding hands, quietly sharing a moment in which they both felt stronger. Willa knew the fight with Miles wasn't over, but now she had something that gave her the strength to keep going—Mondo by her side.

~•~