Sell Your Soul For Love

Chapter 11

In the light, Nico finally found peace. The darkness disappeared and left his soul to feel light and happy. He wanted to stay in that light and bask in it forever, but nothing lasted forever.

Before he knew it, Nico opened his eyes to reality and to the bright light of his hospital room. As soon as he was aware that he was alive, all the pain came back to him. All the phantom pain, because most of the real pain had disappeared.

He couldn't feel anything below his waist.

Nico couldn't stop the tears that poured from his cheeks as he closed his eyes tightly. He would give anything to go back to that place full of light, to get away from reality and escape his sentence to Hell.

"Please take me back," he whispered, his soft voice choked with sadness. "I wanna go back."

"Nico?" Hazel's voice snapped his raw eyes open. Her face loomed above his, her curly hair falling onto his cheeks. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Haz," he stared into her eyes, slowly becoming more grounded. "You're here. That means you don't hate me."

"I could never hate you, Nico." she kissed his forehead, sending comfort spreading through his body. "But I do hate the actions you made."

Nico glanced away, guilt and dread starting to creep up on him. Everything he had done, Hazel had been forced to watch. She could do nothing but witness the destruction of his life and soul. Her only brother....

"I'm sorry, Hazel. I'm really sorry." Nico licked his chapped lips. "I wasn't thinking about you. I didn't even realize that all this affected you, too. I was just thinking about-"

"Will? Yeah, you're always thinking about him." Hazel cut in bitterly. "Everything in your tiny brain revolves around him."

"I'm sorry...?" Nico managed, his voice small. "I love him. Usually, you obsess about the boy you love."

"You're not allowed to anymore." Hazel sat back and crossed her arms. "If I'm going to help you with everything, you're not allowed to think about him anymore. He's not good for you and I regret introducing you two every day."

As he became speechless, Nico's small eyes became still, resting upon her face. Of all things, he never expected that reaction.

"Okay? You aren't allowed to think of him anymore," she instructed.

"You can't control my mind." Nico managed.

"Yes, I can." Hazel's eyes watered. "You're going to stop longing for him. You're going to stop thinking about his approval. Because he's not thinking about you."

Nico froze, looking around the room. The hospital room was generically white, with a cross on one wall and a tv on the other. A picture hung by the small window, of a saint or something religious. It made Nico sick with anxiety, knowing that his soul wasn't religious anymore. No, it was Satan's. But even with that, he still noticed the big thing.

Will wasn't there.

"Hazel," he turned again to his sister. "Where's Will? Wasn't he worried about me?"

She kissed his cheek, her lips trembling. "I wish it was different, Nico. I'm so sorry."

"Hazel, where is he?" he repeated, watching as she started to cry. "What are you apologizing for? Is...is he okay?"

"Oh, he's okay." she looked away, her voice lowering to a soft mumble. "When dad gets to him, he won't be."

"Explain." Nico grabbed her hand, his eyes pleading. "Please?"

She looked down for some time before closing her eyes. "Don't shoot the messenger."

He nodded in agreement. "Stop stalling."

"When you passed out from blood loss, they rushed you to the hospital. We were all in the living room; mom, dad, and Will. They were so confused.... I just had to tell them. I couldn't keep it in anymore. So I did." her voice broke as more tears fell. "I told them everything I knew."

Nico couldn't stop himself from glaring at her, even though he knew it wasn't right. "Why would you do that?

"I had to!" she clenched her small fists. "You needed help and I couldn't give you it! So someone else had to."

"Well,...they didn't believe you, right?" Nico asked. "Because no one would believe something like-"

"They believed me." she cut it bluntly. "It was too stupid of me to make up and they know I wouldn't joke about your condition."

Nico growled slightly. "So now what am I supposed to do? Avoid my family for the rest of my short, miserable life?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" she wiped at her eyes pathetically. "But Will isn't."

Nico felt fear build up, surpassing the guilt. "Hazel! Explain, please!"

"He left you!" she grabbed the collar of his hospital gown, moving her face by his. Hot tears splashed onto his cheeks and dripped onto the pillow, wetting the soft fabric. "He broke up with you! As soon as he heard the word Satan he left! When I texted him, he said he was moving on! Okay?! Get over him!"

Nico passed out before she even finished explaining.