Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  I paused to take a breath and get my emotions in check. “I was angry that she was taking so long. And my friends were texting me, asking me when I’d be there, uploading pics to Instagram, tagging me to show what I was missing.”

  “Oh, no,” Ellie whispered.

  My stomach knotted and sweat trickled down my back. “My mom was always neurotic about driving and texting, so I knew she wouldn’t answer, but that didn’t stop me. Finally, she did answer, and she was as mad as I was.”

  I suppressed a shiver at how livid her response had been. STOP BEING A BRAT OR YOU WON’T GO OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS! I’LL BE THERE AS SOON AS I CAN. And then she’d shut her phone off.

  “Next thing I know, I’m getting a call from the police. She’d been in an accident and was in the hospital,” I whispered.

  “I’m so sorry, Chloe.”

  I smiled sadly. “The accident was my fault. If I hadn’t been harassing her, she wouldn’t have been distracted. If she’d been paying attention to the road rather than me, she would’ve noticed the truck in her lane, and she would’ve slowed down or merged.”

  “You didn’t kill your mom. It was an accident. For all you know, it could have happened regardless.”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Logically, I knew that, but it was hard to believe it in my heart. “But it wasn’t the accident that killed her. She was in the hospital for a couple days, but she seemed fine. The doctors were convinced she’d be back to normal in a week or so. They were going to let her go home.” Tears burned my eyes, and I blinked against them.

  Clearing my throat, I forced myself to continue. “Her last night there, she started complaining of a headache, and she was having trouble breathing. They treated her, thinking it was all a result of the accident. The doctor warned us she might have aches and pains that could show up days or weeks later.”

  Ellie moved around the table to sit closer to me.

  “She fell asleep and never woke up.” I choked on those final words, and silent tears slipped down my cheeks. I wiped them away, hating myself for talking about this, for ruining what had been a fun night. “She was in a coma for weeks. The doctor couldn’t be certain if it was a head injury they’d missed or a lack of oxygen. They did so many tests, and they all said the same thing. She had no brain activity.”

  “Oh my God.” Ellie’s eyes were wet with unshed tears.

  I drew a shaky breath and wiped my clammy hands on my pajamas, as if that would somehow get rid of the emotions tearing through me. “Right after the accident, she’d insisted on making final arrangements, just in case. I thought she was overreacting.” I forced a laugh. “Considering my dad had been MIA for most of my life, Mom said if anything ever happened to her, I’d go live with Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean. Then Mom got worse, so Aunt Beth flew to Florida and stayed with me until…”

  “Until?” she asked gently.

  “Until the day I took my mother off life support.” I covered my face with my hands, shame and grief battling for dominance. “Even though it had been her wish not to live on machines, the doctors, nurses, and Aunt Beth gave me the time I needed to come to terms with what needed to be done. So, while it wasn’t ever my choice alone, it had been me who’d finally decided when my mother would take her final breath. I killed her.”

  “Chloe.” Ellie hugged me. “I’m so, so sorry. I can’t imagine how hard that was on you. But you did not kill your mother. You gave her peace. Please tell me you know that.”

  Returning her hug, I nodded. “I do,” I mumbled against her shoulder.

  We sat like that for several moments, until I finally released her. I wiped at my tear-streaked face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your sleepover.”

  She offered a sympathetic smile. “First, you didn’t ruin anything. I’m the one who asked you. And second, sleepovers are all about sharing secrets, so I think we’re both doing pretty good tonight.”

  Relieved, I laughed. “I’ve never told anyone what happened. I mean, Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean know, but that’s it.”

  “Abby doesn’t even know?” she asked.

  “No.” And I wasn’t sure I had the energy to tell her.

  “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

  “Thanks, Ellie.”

  It hadn’t been easy to share all of that with her, but I had to admit—I felt lighter, like the crushing weight I’d had on my chest was lifted, not completely, but enough that I could finally take a breath without feeling like I would collapse.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:

  Hannah

  WHEN I ARRIVED HOME THE NEXT morning, Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean were in the backyard, and Abby was inside.

  “Hey.” I dropped my bag on the floor and went to sit on the couch next to Abby. “What did you tell your parents?”

  “Exactly what you told me to. That I’d gotten sick and came home early. I told them I came in and went to bed because I didn’t want to wake them.” She glanced up from her cell phone. “They totally bought it.”

  I sighed with relief. “So, how was your night?”

  “Good,” she said dramatically, bouncing with excitement. “Isach is so amazing. I like him so much more than I ever liked Marc.”

  My jaw dropped. It certainly hadn’t taken her long to get over her dead ex-boyfriend. I suppressed a shudder and crossed my arms over my chest. I wanted to tell Abby everything Trent had told me, but his warning was forefront in my mind. I might not be able to tell her the truth, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t tell her exactly what I thought of Isach.

  “Are you sure about him? I mean, you barely know him. Maybe you should take things slow.”

  “Life’s too short to go slow.” She stood and stretched. “That’s Isach’s motto. Pretty cool, huh?” She grinned. “He’s coming to pick me up this afternoon. You should hang out with us. Then you’ll see how great he is.”

  “I already have plans today. With Trent.”

  Abby frowned. “I have no idea what you see in that guy.”

  “And I have no idea what you see in Isach,” I snapped. “There’s something… off about him. He gives me a bad vibe.”

  “He’s been nothing but nice to me.” Abby stomped her foot. “If you gave him a chance, you’d see he’s really a very nice guy.” She shook her head. “He warned me that you’d try to turn me against him, but I told him he was wrong. Looks like he was right after all.” She gave me a dirty look, then turned on her heel and stomped upstairs.

  Well, that didn’t go as I’d hoped. I was sure, after the way things happened at the party last night, that Isach knew Trent would tell me the truth about everything. Isach would then fill Abby’s head with a bunch of lies, which was apparent by the way she acted.

  I was tempted to follow her upstairs and demand she listen to me. Instead, I quickly showered, changed my clothes, and headed out back to find Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean.

  “Chloe!” Aunt Beth beamed a smile at me. She straightened and wiped the dirt from her hands.

  Uncle Dean continued to kneel at the flower garden they were planting.

  “How was the sleepover?” she asked.

  “It was a lot of fun. I’m sorry Abby missed it.”

  She frowned. “Me too. You’ll have to do it again so she can go.”

  That probably wasn’t going to happen. “Um, I was wondering… Trent asked if I could hang out with him today.”

  Aunt Beth furrowed her brows as if trying to recall who Trent was. I prayed she didn’t remember.

  “Is that the young man who came here after Rachel’s funeral?” Uncle Dean asked.

  “Yes.” I chewed nervously on my bottom lip as I waited for them to answer.

  “He was very polite. I liked him.” Uncle Dean returned to planting flowers.

  “I suppose it would be okay.” But Aunt Beth’s tone was reluctant. “What will you be doing?”

  I shrugged. “I think we’re going to be at his house for a while. He wants to introduce me to his dad. Then maybe we’ll get
something to eat. Probably work on our history project. I won’t be out late.” I held my breath for a moment, then blew it out loudly.

  “Be home in time for dinner, okay?” Aunt Beth said.

  They were letting me go? I almost jumped for joy. “Yeah, of course. Thank you.”

  “And keep your phone with you,” Uncle Dean added.

  “I will.”

  “Be home by seven-thirty,” Aunt Beth shouted after me.

  “Okay,” I called as I rushed to the porch to wait for Trent.

  I sat on the top step, my mind wandering back to my encounter with Abby. What was with her sudden attitude? How could she be so blind to Isach and what he really was? Other than last night, I only saw him talk to Abby one time. Why was he suddenly interested in her?

  My mind raced with questions and worst-case scenarios as I stood and paced the length of the porch. I needed more answers. Was Abby’s mood change a result of the Zoya? Were they messing with her mind? Why would they do that?

  I let out a frustrated groan as Trent pulled in. The sight of his dirty white pickup truck brought a smile to my face. He leaned across the seat and opened the passenger’s side door for me. That was different. Normally, he got out and opened my door.

  From the corner of my eye, I saw Aunt Beth at the front window—she wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that she was watching us.

  I hopped in, and the uniquely enticing scent of his cologne hit me full force. “Hey.”

  “Hey yourself.” He backed out of the driveway.

  He was dressed in his normal jeans, long-sleeved T-shirt, boots, and those sunglasses. But something was different about him today. He seemed… happier than usual, like he had a new zest for life.

  “So, where are we going?” I asked.

  Trent laughed. A lighthearted, easy going, genuine sound that made my insides flutter. He sliced a sideways glance in my direction and smirked. “It’s a surprise.”

  “I hate surprises.” I crossed my arms over my chest, slumped in the seat, and pretended to pout.

  He laughed harder. I tried to glare at him, but all I managed was a goofy smile.

  Even though he had sunglasses on, I imagined his eyes twinkling in that rare way they did when he was amused. He reached over, took my hand, and kissed my palm. My heart stumbled in my chest, and my breath caught. All the questions and concerns I had about Abby vanished, and I was very happy I agreed to spend these two days with him.

  “You’re really not going to tell me?” I asked after a few moments of silence.

  We were heading straight out of town, toward Roaring Brook Falls. There was no way he was taking me back there, not after everything that happened.

  “How was the sleepover? Did you have fun?” he asked.

  I scrunched up my face at the abrupt change of topic. Although, I wasn’t sure why I was surprised. A question for a question was sort of our thing.

  “Yeah, it was a lot of fun. We braided each other’s hair, had a pillow fight, talked about boys.”

  He turned to me with an incredulous look and then laughed. “Oh yeah? Who won the pillow fight?”

  “Me, of course. Duh.” I lifted my arms and made muscles in a mock strong man pose. “You really think anyone could beat these guns?”

  Trent laughed even harder. It was such a rare sound I actually didn’t mind making myself look like a fool so I could hear him laugh. Not to mention, it felt good to let loose and have fun. When I was with him and we were being silly, I was free. Free from the never-ending grief of losing Mom. Free from the guilt of selling every possession she’d owned. Free from the stress of school.

  I wanted to take this feeling, this moment, and preserve it forever. I wasn’t sure what else Trent had left to tell me, but I feared that whatever it was, it would change things between us, and I didn’t know how many more precious, carefree moments we’d get together.

  “You’re adorable,” he said once he stopped laughing.

  Those two words, such a small compliment, yet they filled me with so much warmth. I slid across the seat so I was right next to him, and then I placed a kiss to his cheek. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  I rested my head on his shoulder as he drove. I still had no idea where he was taking me. He passed Roaring Brook Falls and continued down Route 73. Finally, Trent turned right. The road, mostly desolate, was twisty and wound up a mountain. He made another turn, this time onto a road that looked as though it hadn’t been used in years. I sat up straight and looked around. He stopped in front of a towering wrought-iron gate.

  “Uh, where are we?”

  “You’ll find out.” He put the truck in park and took the keys out of the ignition. Then he turned to face me. “We need to walk from here, but I have to tell you something first.”

  I didn’t want to hear about anything scary or supernatural. “Uh-uh. These two days are supposed to be normal, a chance for me to get to know you, remember?”

  His lips twitched as if he were trying not to smile. Trent removed his sunglasses and blinked rapidly as if trying to adjust to a blinding light. His normally dark eyes were lighter, happier. “In case I forget to say it later, I want to thank you, Chloe.”

  Well, I hadn’t expected that. “Thank me for what?”

  “Agreeing to spend these two days with me. I know it probably seems weird to you that I would even ask considering everything I’d told you last night, but…” He paused. “I wanted you to know how much this means to me, so, thanks.”

  I took his face into my hands and stared into his eyes, searching for some sort of clue as to what other secrets he had, what other parts of him he wasn’t willing to let me see yet. Our mouths inched closer, and I licked my lips in anticipation of a kiss. My heart pounded, filled with so many emotions, the strongest of which was love. It was so pure, so all-consuming, it stole my breath.

  He pulled back before our lips touched. Disappointment settled over me. “This land is owned by my family.” He nodded out the windshield. “This is where Sean buried Annmarie and the baby.”

  “Is this a cemetery? Rather odd choice for a date, don’t you think?”

  Trent shook his head, a noticeable smile on his face. “No, it’s a private mausoleum.”

  Like that was any better.

  He got out of the truck, and I followed. “I promise it’s exactly as creepy as it sounds.” He stopped at the back of the truck where he got a blanket, draped it over his arm, and grabbed a wicker picnic basket. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I can be when I have no idea what’s going on.” I stuck my tongue out at him. Was he really planning to have a picnic in a mausoleum? Who did that?

  He gave me that gorgeous half smile, and my knees weakened. I prayed he wasn’t planning to make me walk too far because there was no way I’d ever make it with trembling legs.

  He took hold of my hand with his free one, lacing our fingers. He swung open the massive gate, the hinges screeching with the effort. He led me toward the immaculately kept brick structure. The landscaping was breathtaking, and I spun in a full circle to take it all in. Fresh cut, green grass. Beds of daffodils and tulips surrounding a gorgeous, blooming rose bush.

  “This is private property, ma’am.” An elderly gentleman stepped out from behind a weeping willow tree. “Oh, Mr. Halstead. Didn’t see you there.” He tipped his ragged baseball cap at Trent. “Sorry.”

  Trent set the picnic basket on the ground near the tree. “It’s quite all right, Jeffrey.” He took my hand again.

  “Who was that?” I asked once Jeffrey was out of earshot.

  “He’s an old man who needs a job to pay for his wife’s chemo treatments. We pay him very well to tend to the grounds and keep his mouth shut. And he doesn’t ask questions, either.”

  “Does he know about you?”

  “No.”

  Trent led me inside the structure, and there, in the center was a towering statue of a woman. She had cascading curls and a round face with full cheeks. Big doe-like eye
s. And she held a wrapped bundle in her arms. The baby.

  “Wow,” I said breathlessly. “That’s Annmarie?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s beautiful.”

  Trent nodded. “Sean loved her with his entire being. Her betrayal destroyed him, and now guilt consumes him. He hasn’t loved anyone since. He can’t.”

  I couldn’t imagine what that must be like, to love someone so completely and then have them betray you in the worst possible way. It had to be utterly devastating. Still, that didn’t give him the right to kill her.

  He squeezed my hand. “Come on.”

  We walked back outside, and he spread the blanket beneath the tree. He motioned for me to sit beside him.

  “Are you going to explain why we’re here? Was there a reason you wanted me to see Annmarie’s grave?” I asked.

  “Wow, you are so impatient,” he said with a chuckle. “Can’t you just sit here and enjoy the quiet?”

  He nudged me with his shoulder and then leaned over to kiss me. His lips were hesitant at first, but when I welcomed him, he kissed me harder. He yanked off his sunglasses and tossed them away. A swell of unadulterated love—so pure and genuine—filled my mind to capacity, and then ruptured, leaving my insides full of a warmth that was unlike anything I’d ever felt before. The emotion was raw and so strong it brought me to the brink of tears.

  In the next moment, his hands were on my face, cradling my cheeks, and then lower, gently holding either side of my neck. His hands were warmer than usual, and I moved closer, wanting to feel more of him. Before I could, he pulled away.

  “What was that for?” I asked breathlessly.

  “No reason.” He ran his finger along my bottom lip. “I’ve never brought anyone here before. Jax doesn’t even know I come here.”

  “He doesn’t?”

  His confession shocked me. Trent was closer to his brother than anyone else. I shifted and leaned back on my hands, trying to get a little more comfortable, and crossed my ankles.

  Trent settled on his side, head propped in his hand. “No. He knows of this place but not that I visit. This has always been Sean’s place, but I like it here. It’s quiet and secluded.”