Smile (Solangelo)

Part 17

(A/N) Everyone will love next chapter. Trust me.

"Nico, please!" Will begged. "Just tell me." He ran to keep up with me as I sped through the forest.

Will had been egging me on all morning, urging me to tell him who did this. "No. It'll only turn out worst for someone else."

"I don't give a h*ck about anyone else!" Will exclaimed. "I just want you safe! I want the corn nugget who did this dead!"

I looked at Will with wide eyes, coming to a full stop. "Please don't worry."

"Just give me a hint." Will wasn't dropping this. Gods, why did he have to be so determined?

I cupped his face in my hands, gingerly pressing my lips against his. "No."

"I love you," he whispered against my lips. "I don't want anything like this to ever happen to you."

That took me by surprise, but I managed to keep my composure together. "Will, stop trying! I'll be fine! I swear."

Will removed my hands from him, and instead cupped my face. "You're not okay. I haven't seen you smile in five days. You're not happy, even if you do get to skip school." He did have a point. I hadn't even thought of smiling since the day I woke up in the infirmary after being beaten to the ground by Jase.

I brushed his hands off. He placed them at his side. "I'm fine."

"Nico, think of it this way," Will said. "If you had found me on the ground, beaten, bruised, nearly dead from being cut at a few vital veins, how would you react."

"I'd kill a person," I mumbled. "Then I'd bring up there skeleton so I could kill them again, then repeat the process so each time they come back to earth, they'd be facing a new torture."

"How do you think I feel, then?" Will had a point. But I couldn't make my problems his. I'd just have to deal with Jase on my own. "Please tell me who. I need to solve your problems. Every last one of them."

I considered this for a moment. Will could solve nearly all the world's problems by just smiling his dorky smile. I'd like his help, especially if he's offering it and I'm not kinda, sorta forcing them on him.

"Jase," I whispered. "But don't do anything radical. He's not worth your harm."

Will's face was red with fury. "I'm about to murder a bitch." He started running, maneuvering his way through the trees, roots, and underbrush.

"Will!" I called, but it was too late. His mind was set on vengeance.