Battle Wounds: Solangelo Soulmate AU

TWENTY-FOUR

WILL POV:
"Nico," my mom said as he and I sit down at the table across from her. "We need to talk about last night."

He doesn't look up from where he's staring at the table.

"Nico," I say gently nudging him with my arm so he'll look up. Finally, he does and meets eyes with my mom.

"I figured," he groans.

"Well, first things first I'm not going to tell your parole officer or report you or anything," she says and I can see some of the tension in his shoulders released at her words. "But I need you to tell me what happened that triggered you to act out like that."

"No," he says flatly. I open my mouth to speak and he shoots a murderous glare at me to shut me up. "I said no Will."

"If you're gonna live with us, I need you to try and communicate more," Mom says gently.

"Kay," Nico says with a sniff. I can tell he's shut off his emotions and locked both of us out by the bored stare he's giving us both.

"So," Mom says patiently, "I'd like for you to try."

Nico stares back at her, his gaze unmoving until my mom realizes that's his response and sighs. "Nico, you ran out at 10 at night and came back at 3 in the morning high with cuts on your wrists. I need you to tell me at least where you got the weed from so quickly."

"Friends," he replies dryly.

"From your old school?" I ask, surprised he still talks to anyone from there. The way he talks he doesn't seem to have ever really had real friends, as sad as that is.

He nods but doesn't offer any more information.

"So you just texted them and in the middle of the night they brought you weed?" Mom prompts, looking at him suspiciously.

"Sure," Nico says with a shrug. "Can I go now?"

"No," Mom says. "I'd like for you to delete their numbers from your phone."

He quirks an eyebrow at her, but takes out his phone with a shrug. "Sounds good," he says pulling up his contacts.

He pulls up a contact and shows my mom his screen while he deletes it. Then pulls up another and deletes it as well.

"That was too easy," Mom says, saying exactly what I was thinking.

"What do you want me to do? Throw something," he throws me a pointed look when he says the next thing. "Throw a temper tantrum."

I groan, "I said I'm sorry okay?"

"I know," he says blandly turning back to my mom. "Well?"

"Where did you smoke it?" Mom says leaning on her hands.

"Outside," Nico responds dryly.

I groan in frustration not sure how my mom hasn't even bat an eye at him yet.

"Clearly, but where outside? The park or something?"

"Sure."

"Nico," I start but Mom throws me a pointed look to shut me up.

"Nico, honey-" He flinches away when she calls him honey startling us both. "Sorry, does it bother you when I can you honey?"

"No," he says, quickly going back to his emotionless face.

Mom furrows her eyebrows but says nothing about it.

"Nico, I need you to just tell me the truth. You're not in trouble, I just want to know what happened so I can keep you safe."