Eternal Bond : (The Cursed Series, Book 3)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  “I hung out with Jax yesterday,” I said. “As friends.” I shot a dirty look at Abby over my shoulder. “But those three seem to think it was something more.”

  “Was it something more?” Whitney asked in her usual inquisitive tone free of judgment or accusation.

  “No,” I snapped. “God, why won’t any of you believe me? There is nothing going on with Jax, all right? I was talking to him about Trent. That’s it.” I crossed my arms and slumped down in the seat.

  Today was supposed to be fun, a girls’ day shopping for dresses. But it had been nothing but snotty remarks, dirty looks, and fighting. I should have stayed home; it wasn’t like I wanted to go to the stupid dance anyway.

  “Okay,” Whitney said with a nod. “Then we’re dropping it.” She glanced in the rearview mirror, glaring at Ellie, Abby, and Gina. “We’re going to have fun today.”

  She cranked up the radio, and soon, we were all singing along, the tension easing from the car and flying out the open windows. By the time we arrived in Lake George, we were all smiles.

  Abby hugged me when she got out of the car. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I just don’t want to see you mess up any chance you have of getting back together with Trent.”

  “Thanks.” I hugged her back.

  “Yeah, me either,” Ellie said, hugging me as soon as Abby released me. “And for what it’s worth, I believed you.” She giggled.

  I smiled. “Thanks, Ellie.”

  She looped her arm though mine, and we headed toward the Factory Outlets. We walked by several stores that didn’t sell dresses, until we finally came to one that did. In a matter of minutes, our arms were loaded with dresses of different lengths, colors, and materials.

  The entire process was reminiscent of my eighteenth birthday when Whitney had racks upon racks of dresses delivered to the cabin for us to try on. The dress I’d worn that night was gorgeous, and I’d never forget the look on Trent’s face when he had seen me.

  Sadness burrowed deeper into my heart, and I took a calming breath. Too many memories—and regrets—were wrapped up into that one night. If I could go back, I’d do everything differently.

  “Okay, we all have to come out at the same time,” Ellie said, her normal peppy enthusiasm returning. “When you’re ready, step out and wait for everyone else.”

  I laughed and walked into a fitting room. I’d chosen a red dress that was fitted on the top, with spaghetti straps, and puffed out at the bottom. Chances were it was a little too formal, but the dress was cute, and I was partial to the color.

  Slipping it on, I walked out of the fitting room to find Whitney already waiting—because of course she was; she could change faster than any of us. She wore a lacy, hunter green, knee-length dress.

  “Oh, that’s nice,” I said, nodding at her attire.

  “Thanks.” She took a moment to study me, and I twirled to give her the full effect. “No.” Whitney scrunched up her face and wagged her finger at me. “That looks too much like an Easter dress a mom would force her toddler to wear to church. It’s too… floofy.”

  I laughed. “Floofy?”

  “Yeah, I agree,” Abby said, stepping out of her fitting room wearing a floor length, deep purple dress. It was simple and elegant.

  “Too formal,” I said, and Whitney nodded in agreement. “But it looks great on you,” I added.

  We spent the next two hours repeating the same process—picking out dresses, trying them on, and weighing in on what everyone chose. We’d reached the last store that sold any sort of formal dresses, and I was dragging. Trying on clothes was exhausting.

  Blowing out a breath, I glared at the final three dresses I had chosen, debating picking one at random and buying it just so I wouldn’t have to change again. I removed the black one from the hanger and yanked it on over my head. The dress was simple—spaghetti straps, fitted, a tad shorter than knee-length, and it had a touch of sparkle to it.

  I smoothed my hands over my stomach and down my hips and twisted in front of the mirror. The dress fit perfectly, and I loved everything about it. No matter what my friends said, this was the dress I was wearing to the Fall Ball.

  Stepping out from the fitting room, I held my arms out to my sides. “Well?”

  “Whoa,” Abby whispered.

  Ellie whistled.

  “That is the dress,” Whitney said with finality. “Trent is going to hate himself for ever breaking up with you.”

  Yeah, if he even went to the dance. I had no idea where he was or when he was coming back. For all I knew, he’d never see me in this dress. I forced a smile.

  “He won’t be able to stop staring at you,” Gina said.

  “You think?” I glanced down at myself.

  I did look hot in this dress, but was a silly piece of fabric enough to make Trent realize what he’d done? Sure, there were a lot of other things to consider, but maybe if he saw me dressed like this, and with Isach, Trent would come to his senses. Still, I needed something more, something drastic he couldn’t ignore.

  “Definitely.” Abby nodded.

  “I want to dye my hair,” I said, the idea suddenly popping into my head. “And cut it. Not super short, but a few inches maybe.”

  “Seriously?” Ellie asked, eyes wide. “Your hair is gorgeous, though.”

  “What color?” Whitney asked.

  I shrugged. “A darker brown, maybe.”

  “Okay, we’re making a trip to the salon,” Whitney said with a firm nod. “We can get our nails done while we’re there.”

  Abby and Ellie squealed with delight, and I laughed. My heart filled with joy at the sight of these girls. My friends. Even when I’d lived in Florida, I never had friends like this, people I could count on without question, even if we didn’t always agree.

  “Thanks,” I said. “For everything. I’m not sure I’d make it through this without you guys.”

  “Aww.” Abby flung her arms around me and waved for everyone else to do the same, and I was quickly smothered in a group hug.

  I WALKED INTO SCHOOL Monday morning, eager to show off my new hair to Trent, but he wasn’t at his locker—I was convinced he forgot he had one. I had no idea if he was back from wherever he’d gone, but I hoped he was. Taking off like that wasn’t Trent’s thing; it was more Jax’s style.

  “Chloe! Your hair,” Tonya said when she saw me.

  Gina and Luke stood behind her, grinning.

  I smiled. “Like it?”

  “It’s a little… drastic,” she said, “but yeah. The color is great.”

  “Thanks.” I wasn’t sure I agreed with her that it was drastic; all I’d done was go from a dirty blonde ombre to a solid, darker brown, but if she was that shocked, Trent probably would be, too. And I had to admit, I was thrilled at the idea of being the one to catch him off guard this time.

  The bell rang. We said goodbye and scattered in various directions to our classes. I walked into Mr. Gordon’s classroom. Whitney was already in her seat. She gave me a thumbs up, and her encouragement gave me a small boost. Pulling my shoulders back, I lifted my head with a surge of self-confidence and headed for my seat.

  When Jax noticed me, his eyes widened, and he sat up straighter. I slid into my chair, pretending I hadn’t noticed his reaction. But, of course, he couldn’t not say something. It was Jax, after all.

  “You changed your hair,” he said.

  “Yup.” I twisted around to face him.

  “Why?” he asked, head tilted.

  “I wanted to.” I shrugged. “Besides, it was time for a change.”

  There was no way he’d understand why I’d dyed and cut my hair, and I wasn’t going to try to explain it.

  “I like it,” he said.

  “Thanks.” I smiled, hating how much his opinion meant to me. What he thought shouldn’t matter, but it did. “Is Trent back?” I asked.

  Jax shook his head.

  My heart sank. “Do you know where he is?” A hint of panic entered my voice, and I was powerless
to stop it.

  “No.”

  “Well, have you tried calling him?” I asked.

  How could Jax not care that his brother had taken off without telling anyone where he was going or when he’d be back? For all anyone knew, Trent could be injured or in trouble.

  “Trent and I aren’t exactly besties at the moment,” Jax snapped.

  I sighed. Because of me, they were barely speaking, and their fighting had gotten so bad Jax moved out. Of course Jax hadn’t called Trent. Maybe Sean had, though. Surely, he would know where his son was. After class, I was going to ask Whitney if she knew where Trent was, and if she didn’t, I’d ask Sean.

  “I’m sure he’s fine, though,” Jax said.

  Nodding, I swiveled back around in my seat and waited for Mr. Gordon to start class, but it was impossible to concentrate when all I could think about was Trent.

  Where could he have gone? Was he ever coming back? Maybe he’d taken off so he could get away from me, so he wouldn’t have to see me every single day. I was officially the ex-girlfriend now, and I knew firsthand how painful it was to see your ex on a daily basis.

  But Jax had said Trent left to “take care of something.” What did that mean? What did he have to take care of? And why was it taking him so long?

  BY THE END OF school on Thursday, Trent still wasn’t back. Whitney and Wyatt both swore they didn’t know anything. Whitney had tried calling Trent several times, but her calls went straight to voicemail.

  Sean insisted he didn’t know where Trent was, either, but that Trent had checked-in a couple days ago to let Sean know he was fine. That offered a little comfort but not much.

  Later that night, I sat in my room, phone in hand. I kept opening my messages with Trent, then closing them. I didn’t have the strength to read our old conversations, though I desperately wanted to, and I couldn’t bring myself to send him a new message.

  Other than Sean, Trent hadn’t spoken to anyone. Would he answer me? I was afraid to find out the answer to that. But not knowing where he was or when he was coming home was worse. I took a deep breath, opened our messages, and typed a text.

  Me: I’M REALLY WORRIED ABOUT YOU. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOU’RE OKAY AND I PROMISE TO LEAVE YOU ALONE.

  My hands shook as I hit send, and as soon as I did, my stomach knotted with dread. What if he didn’t answer me? Or worse, what if he did and demanded I keep my promise to leave him alone? Not that I’d been harassing him or anything, but leaving him alone for good wasn’t a promise I could keep.

  Seconds later, my phone buzzed, and my heart lodged in my throat.

  Trent: I’M FINE. YOU?

  All the breath rushed from my body in sigh of relief.

  Me: I’M BETTER NOW THAT I KNOW YOU’RE OKAY.

  I chewed on my lip, contemplating what else to say, if anything. I wanted to know where he was and when he’d be home, but it wasn’t any of my business. So, I didn’t bother sending anything else.

  Trent: I MISS YOU.

  My eyes widened, and my heart took off like a racehorse. Last time I’d said that to him, he hadn’t said it back. I re-read his message a dozen times, my smile growing wider each time.

  Me: I MISS YOU TOO.

  Me: WILL I SEE YOU SOON?

  Trent: YES.

  Yes. That was it? I frowned. At least that was better than nothing. Still, I had hoped he would’ve said when or that he wanted to talk when he got back. Or anything, really, to let me know he cared or wanted to possibly get back together.

  But he was coming home—soon—and that caused excitement and hope to swell in my chest.

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO:

  A Whole New Attitude

  “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” I GRUMBLED as my Life Skills notebook fell out of my locker. Again. I snatched it off the floor and shoved it into my locker, not caring that I bent the cover and tore some of the pages. It was a stupid class anyway.

  “Excuse me.”

  I froze at the sound of his voice, my heart thunderous. Then, I slowly turned around and came face to face with Trent. Goose bumps spread up my arms. Before I could stop myself, I flung my arms around his neck and hugged him.

  “You’re back,” I said.

  “Chloe?” There was a moment’s hesitation and disbelief in his voice before he wrapped his arms around me and buried his face against my neck.

  My body melted in his arms, and I squeezed my eyes shut so I wouldn’t cry. He was back. Safe. And he was hugging me just like he used to. God, I missed him so much.

  Reluctantly, I released him. “Sorry.” I frowned. We weren’t a couple, and I really had no right to hug him like that anymore.

  “Your hair.” He trailed his fingers down the side of my hair and across my jaw as he studied me, his eyes a sharp blue.

  I stood perfectly still and let his gaze roam over me, reveling in the way he caressed me with nothing more than a look. “Yeah, I colored it,” I said.

  He dragged the back of his hand across my cheek, sending a shiver down my spine, and then cupped the side of my face—exactly like he’d done so many times right before he’d kiss me. I held my breath, waiting, hoping to feel his lips on mine.

  “I like it,” he said. “It suits you.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled.

  With a small nod, he dropped his hand from my face and stepped back.

  I exhaled with disappointment, my shoulders drooping. “Where have you been?” I asked.

  His eyes darkened. “There was something I had to do. You’ll find out soon enough.” He moved around me to get to his locker. “Hopefully.”

  “Hopefully? What’s that supposed to mean?” I closed my locker and leaned against it.

  Trent had always been vague, giving non-answers or answering my questions with one of his own, but this level of secrecy was new even for him. What was he hiding? The bell rang, cutting off whatever answer he might have given.

  “We’ll talk later, okay?” he said before rushing toward his class.

  I dragged myself into Mr. Gordon’s room and slouched in my seat. All the excitement I felt at seeing Trent dissipated. But he had hugged me back, and I’d seen the look in his eyes—he had wanted to kiss me.

  And that meant he still had some feelings for me. My mood brightened at the possibility of getting back together with Trent, because now I had tangible hope.

  The morning progressed quickly, and by the time lunch rolled around, I had a whole new attitude about everything. I was going to get my life back on track, and there wasn’t anything or anyone who could stop me.

  I walked into the cafeteria, and Ellie waved at me. I smiled and waved back, but my attention was elsewhere. Trent, Jax, Wyatt, Whitney, and Isach sat at a table in the corner. Normally, Wyatt and Whitney sat with me and my friends. Why were they huddled with Trent, Jax, and Isach today? I had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, but I pushed it away and headed toward their table.

  Trent stood when he saw me. “We need to talk.” He gently took my arm and guided me into the hallway. “You’re going to the dance with Isach?” He spat Isach’s name as if it were poison on his tongue.

  Straightening my shoulders, I met his gaze. “Yes, I am.”

  “Why?”

  “Why do you care? It’s not like you asked me.” I crossed my arms, forcing myself to remain calm.

  “But why Isach? He tried to kill you once, remember?” His voice was low, dangerous.

  I shrugged. “Would you rather I said yes to your brother when he asked?”

  Trent visibly flinched, and his eyes darkened.

  Throwing Jax in his face like that was mean and nasty, and I shouldn’t have done it, but what right did Trent have to demand answers from me like this? He’d made so many promises to me, dumped me without warning, and then disappeared for a week. What made him think he had any right to know what I was doing?

  “Jax asked you?” His words were clipped.

  “Yes. And I told him no.” I dropped my arms to my sides.

>   Fighting with Trent was the last thing I wanted to do, no matter how mad I was or how annoying he was being right now. Trent’s expression softened a little, and even though he wouldn’t say it, I knew he was happy I hadn’t agreed to go with Jax.

  “I don’t trust him, Chloe,” he said.

  “You don’t have to.” I smoothed my hands over my hair and blew out a breath. “I owed him, okay? That’s the only reason I’m going with him.”

  “You owed him?” He raised a brow. “For what?”

  “I asked him to remove the eternal bond. I figured with as much magic as he had…” I hung my head.

  Trent placed his finger under my chin and gently lifted my head. “And his payment for that was to take you to the dance?”

  “No.” I stared into Trent’s blue eyes, allowing myself to get momentarily lost in them. “His payment was getting closer to Abby. He likes her. A lot. So, going with me puts him near her.”

  Hearing that out loud for the first time was like a punch to the gut. I’d sold out my own cousin for my selfish reasons. I was a terrible person.

  Trent moved his finger from my chin and across the bottom of my jaw, moving my hair away from my neck, exposing the bite mark. “Did it work?” he asked.

  I shook my head, unable to look at him any longer. “He said magic didn’t create it, so magic can’t destroy it.”

  He brushed his fingers over the mark, and my eyes fluttered closed. I braced myself for the onslaught of images and urges that always hit me whenever anyone touched the mark.

  My breaths increased to ragged gasps, and I was suddenly standing on the cliffs with Jax, his gaze heated as he stared down at me. He’d wanted to kiss me, but he hadn’t, and I’d resisted the urge to throw myself at him.

  “They’ve faded a little,” Trent said, his voice snapping me back to the present moment.

  My eyes widened. “They have?”

  He nodded.

  I shoved his hand away and slapped my palm over the mark. Warmth spread through me, but it was bearable. There was a simmering desire to go find Jax, but it wasn’t as overwhelming as it had been in the past. I frantically searched my memory for the last time I’d dreamed about Jax… and I couldn’t remember.