✓ | Hushed Whispers ⋆ Will Herondale [2]

CHAPTER TWO: PERPLEXED

◤Oh, come on. She is Marie! Even a blind man can notice that you have feelings for her. You are trying to hide them from everyone, Marie included. But you will not be successful for long. True love always finds a way. You might be able to fool her, pretend that you are only friends with her. But I know you better, Will. Don't try to deny this.◢

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CHAPTER TWO: PERPLEXED

London Institute

PEOPLE often say that waiting for someone is painful. They also say that trying to forget someone and erase them from the bottom of your heart is even worse. If you asked Will Herondale which one was more unpleasant, he wouldn't settle on either of the choices. He would disapprovingly shake his head and say that the most gruesome pain was the one that occurs when one can't decide whether it is better to wait or to forget.

That was his case, after all.

Ever since Charlotte came to him with the news of Marie leaving the Institute without speaking to anyone, his mind hasn't once stopped racing. His brain tried to come up with all possible locations she could have gone to, but it ultimately resulted in Will's desperation. First, he fell silent and kept to himself, occupying his time with scribbling down his thoughts. Next came the pacing around every single room within the Institute and loud huffing, but unfortunately for the boy, it didn't end there. Will went as far as punching one of the stone walls of the training room and getting his knuckles bruised and bloody.

That was when Tessa and Jem finally found him. That was when he regretted being so loud upon hurting himself, for he knew that the two wouldn't leave him out of their sight any time soon.

"Honestly, Will?" Jem asked as he intertwined his hands behind his back. "Do you think unleashing your anger like that will help?"

"It might," Will laughed, examining the damage he had done to his right hand.

"Well, allow me to disappoint you," the silver-haired boy continued, offering Tessa a sign to join him in approaching Will. "It won't. In fact, those pointless acts of self-harm will do you no good. They'll just distract you from what you're supposed to be doing."

"Oh, and what might that be?"

"Don't play dumb, Will," Jem argued. "All of us know that you're feeling stressed because of Marie's absence."

Will let out a pitiful laugh, one that almost resembled a bark. "She left, so what?"

"Oh, come on. She is Marie! Even a blind man can notice that you have feelings for her. You are trying to hide them from everyone, Marie included. But you will not be successful for long. True love always finds a way," Jem said as he glanced at Tessa. But the warm feeling that spread through his body upon examining the girl disappeared upon noticing Will's smirk. The boy only shook his head. "You might be able to fool her, pretend that you are only friends with her. But I know you better, Will. Don't try to deny this."

"Jem, you're my parabatai and God knows how much I respect you and love you," Will began. "But you don't know a first thing about my feelings."