The Thousand Year Curse (The Curse Books)

by Taylor Lavati

  He looks so peaceful sitting there alone. I basically run the rest of the way not able to wait to get close to him. I drop the books on the table and give him a hug from behind. I lengthen the hug giving him one last big squeeze before pecking him on the cheek. I take up a seat next to him wanting to prove where my loyalty lies.

  "Ari." Ollie mutters and looks away towards me. He's mad but I can tell he's trying to control himself. I take his hand in mine and squeeze it, trying to show him how much I appreciate him.

  "Ollie." Ari responds staring daggers at him. He meets Ollie head on like a challenge. It scares me because I have no idea what is going to happen.

  "We're doing a project for our English class." I try to explain a little to cut the tension. Ollie doesn't respond to me or even glance my way. It almost looks like he's talking to Ari telepathically. I start to fume feeling like a third wheel.

  "Don't you want to know what it's on?" Ari asks him.

  "Sure what's it on, babe." He says facing me and smiling. I like that I have his attention but I know he's just using me to get under Ari's skin.

  "We had to choose one of the twelve Olympians or Gods or whatever. Ari decided we should do Apollo so now we have to research him and write a powerpoint or paper about it." I state proudly. "We're looking at books…"

  "Are you kidding me?" Ollie cuts me off yelling as loud as he can. He places both hands on the table and pushes up to stand. His chair kicks back against a nearby shelf rocking to the floor. My papers scatter and a book lands with a bang. He stares violently right in Ari's face.

  Ari stands up and starts backing away towards the wall of shelves behind him. He raises his hands in defeat but the smug look on his face shows he isn't serious.

  "What's the problem with that?" Ari asks acting all innocent. He doesn't take anything seriously! He's really acting like this whole thing is a joke. I stand up and move towards Ollie.

  "You need to leave, right now." Ollie demands. He uses his singing voice—the voice that I don't like at all.

  Over the past few weeks he hasn't used the voice at all or at least that I hear. It creeps into my skin and slithers around. I can feel the air escape me. I get an unsettling feeling in my stomach and back away from him the slightest bit feeling like he might attack me next.

  Ari stands up and starts packing his things. He doesn't have any expression on his face at all. In fact, he looks a little robotic. He finishes packing and turns to leave. He doesn't say good bye or see you later. He literally walks away without a word, never glancing back towards us, never stopping.

  "What the hell was that about Ollie?" I question once Ari is gone. Ari has done nothing to invoke that kind of threatening behavior. It just doesn't seem fair that Ollie would treat another person like that.

  "It was nothing." He responds. He won't make eye contact with me which is a tell tale sign that he's lying.

  "Nothing? You expect me to believe that shit?" I ask, scowling at him.

  "If you knew what was good for you, you would." He mumbles. He should wish I didn't hear that because I am livid. He isn't acting like the guy I fell in love with.

  "You know what Ollie, screw you." I grab all my stuff off the floor and storm away. It's not fair to keep me in the dark. If Ollie won't tell me what's going on then I'll go to Ari. I run the rest of the way out of school.

  "Ari!" I call out when I make it to the parking lot. I yell his name a couple more times before he finally turns to face me. He looks confused but then his face contorts.

  I am nervous to go up to him, but I do anyway. Even though he's clearly mad, I have a feeling he would never hurt me.

  Trust me, I know it sounds crazy because I don't know him at all but there's this feeling I get when I am near him that makes me feel safe.

  "Ari, what the hell is going on here?" I inquire placing my hands on his chest to get him to stop pacing. Butterflies fly in my stomach from our closeness and I blush.

  "It's nothing, Ryder, just go back to your little boyfriend." He states like I am a five year old which only makes me more mad. I push his chest where my hands are and he stops to stare into my eyes. His are a deep green—completely different from before.

  "I don't want to go back." I tell him. I keep my hands on his chest and I feel it start—that hum that vibrates through me. The energy rushes through my body causing my eyes to widen in response.

  "I can't tell you." He says.

  "Can't or won't?" I question him back. My voice comes off sad and defeated.

  "Can't. Trust me, I would tell you anything you want to know." He says, his eyes locking onto mine.

  "Just tell me. Please, Ari." I give him my puppy dog eyes, poking out my bottom lip. This technique always works with dad.

  "Come with me first?" He asks. I don't really answer but he doesn't give me a chance to as he turns around to walk towards his car.

  I know that Ari and Ollie know each other. Ollie has been acting crazy all day long. Not to mention my crazy dreams and how they're both in them. I glance back towards the school and spot Ollie's face in the window of the library.

  He looks hurt, like he knows I am leaving. It's like I betrayed him, which I haven't at all. I give him an apologetic smile and turn towards where Ari is. I don't glance back to Ollie because I know if I see his face again, I'll cave in.

  Instead of stopping at a car, he stops at a motorcycle. It's not a Harley like I would have guessed—it's a crotch rocket. This thing looks intense with black and green colors. Luckily there is just enough room on the back for me.

  I start to day dream, imagining Ari racing on this thing when a boost of adrenaline runs through me. Luckily I opted for jeans today, otherwise this would have been an interesting ride. Ari sits on his bike and hands me a white helmet. I let my hair down so it fits on tight.

  "Hold on tight, little girl." He says and openly laughs. I'm not sure what he is even laughing at but I giggle attempting to straddle the bike. I'm not tall enough to get on so I have to jump. I don't want to violate his space so I put my hands on the back of the bike holding onto the plastic part. It definitely doesn't make me feel safe, though.

  He revs up the engine and starts out going slow—we are in a school zone after all. Once we get on the main road we gain speed. I start to freak out a little, questioning what the hell I am doing. I start panicking.

  What if I fall off this thing? There's no seat belts on here. Nobody knows where I am. I could be dead and nobody will find me.

  We stop at a light and Ari turns around on the bike facing me. "Relax, Ryder. Grab my waist." He instructs, not sounding creepy like I would have expected. I appreciate that he can hold back his hormones for a couple of seconds to make me feel safer.

  I lift one hand off the back and place it around his stomach. Once I am secure, I lift the other hand and interlock my fingers around him. I don't want my hands to land on his lap because hello, that would be quite awkward so I leave them over his upper stomach.

  This spot only makes me blush more because I can feel every bone and muscle in his stomach. It gives me the shivers but I like it. He is so hard and hot—temperature wise, of course. His ribs are strong and outlined perfectly. I brush my hand up one side not realizing what I'm doing. Before I lock them back in front, I feel up his six hard lumps of pure muscle.

  I lean my head forward against his back and tilt my face to the side, watching the passing landscape. It looks like a whole new world we are driving through when everything is a blur, all the colors skirting by. I breathe in his amazing guy smell and it sends me over the edge. I don't know what is in the water today but I am crushing on Ari, hard.

  This stranger who was a complete jerk to me all day long is suddenly appealing to me. I can't stop picturing myself kissing him and him kissing me—my tongue in his mouth, his on my neck. I shake my head a little to try to make the images go away but I can't. They're ingrained in my brain.

  I've never acted like this person I'm becoming and I am starting to like her.
I feel confident. I feel like I am powerful which strangely I'm not at all. If anything I have no control over this situation. I am completely, one hundred percent trusting Ari. I shouldn't since he is a stranger but I do—I really do.

  Ollie is lying to me and refusing to talk to me. He acts like he owns me. He treated Ari like crap for no apparent reason. I just don't get it and I don't know this new Ollie at all.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  sunset beach

  Ari starts to slow down the bike when we hit a strip of beach. I think we are in Westport but to be honest, I lost track of time. The sun is just starting to set across the water making the sky a nice shade of orange. Ari parks the bike on the side of the road and puts the key deep in his pocket. He swings one leg over and steps off the bike, very swift in his movements. It's almost like a dance he's perfected over time.

  He takes off his glasses and puts them on the handlebars. Then he takes off his helmet and puts that over the glasses being very methodical with his bike gear. I can tell he takes great pride in his bike and all its accouterments.

  Ari finally notices me staring at him and smirks. He comes over and takes off my helmet for me. I'm sure my hair looks horrible between the wind and the helmet. Seriously, what girl can actually pull off helmet head?

  He looks at me admiringly making me slightly uncomfortable. I can honestly say I have never been openly ogled before. He touches my hair, smoothing it out by stroking the loose strands. His hand lingers longer than it probably should. His touch feels magnified against my skin.

  "Sorry." He murmurs under his breath, drawing his hand back.

  "It's okay." I blush. He offers me his hand and helps me hop off of the bike. It's a big jump so without him I probably would have fallen flat on my face. We strip our shoes off in silence then walk towards the dark water. There's empty space between us but it's probably for the better since I have Ollie.

  The sand is surprisingly cold. It's getting to be fall and you can feel it everywhere. The wind from the water is frigid, chilling me from the inside out.

  Like the gentleman I didn't know Ari was, he takes off his jacket, draping it over my shoulders. It's thick enough so it shields me from the chill.

  He pulls me close to him wrapping his arm around me. The heat from his jacket and body definitely make me sizzle. I catch him smile down at me before he turns to look forward, the mask coming back up.

  I don't mind being close to him. I'm getting the feeling that he puts up a front for everyone not letting us see his true self. I feel a sudden urge to break down his walls and figure him out.

  I feel like tonight instead of asking questions about Ollie, I should ask more about him. I don't know him at all but I feel a burning connection. It's similar to the way I felt about Ollie when I first met him but different at the same time. Ollie's connection was safe, my connection with Ari is more electric but scary at the same time—risky and dangerous.

  We stop to stick our toes in the water once we are close but it's way too cold to linger there. Ari steps back and sits a couple feet away in the sand. I hurry to sit next to him. Neither of us break the silence but it is comfortable.

  We watch the sun set in quiet. It only takes the sun about six or seven minutes to disappear but it's eye opening. The sunset gives off so many different colors. Yellows turn to oranges which turn to pinks and purples. I want to spend every sunset right here in our special spot. The sun will always remind me of Ari.

  Once the darkness takes over it's dead silent. Birds cease to chirp, fish stop jumping. The ocean waves are barely audible anymore. It's eerily quiet. I strain my ears wanting to hear something, anything but I don't. No grasshoppers, nothing.

  "Who are you and where did you come from?" I ask him, half jokingly and half serious wanting to break the haunting silence. I want to know Ari, the real him, not this dream version I have concocted in my mind.

  "I'm just me." He states laughing under his breath. He plays with the sand underneath his feet sifting it between his toes like an hourglass running out of time.

  "Why did your family choose Ridgefield? It's in the middle of nowhere." I start playing with the sand in between us, digging a hole. My eyes stay on Ari though. As it gets darker, I have a harder time making out his sharp features.

  "I came to find you." He admits after a pause. His eyes refuse to meet mine when all I want is to look into them. I don't want him to be uneasy so I scoot closer to him. I lean over to lay my head on his chest while I wrap my arms around him. Shutting my eyes to hear his heart pounding in his chest, I listen to the rhythmic beats.

  "Why are you so hot and cold with me?" I ask him quietly. He tenses underneath me and I can tell I hit a hot spot. I'm putting my relationship in jeopardy over a near stranger. I've clearly lost my mind. I know something is here between us and I want to understand it.

  "It's nothing. I can handle it, okay." He grits the words out. He breaks our contact and shifts away from me defensively.

  "How do you know Ollie?" I want him to explain so badly but my expectations are low. He doesn't owe me anything. Ari starts to part his lips and I wait for words to come out, the anticipation killing me.

  "Ollie and I go way back. I've known him basically my whole life. We've tried to be friends but it never works. There's always something we both want but only one of us can have. He wins every single time. He has a power over me that I can't compete with. He plays dirty and I just have to sit on the sidelines and watch this hell over and over."

  Ari storms off visibly upset, jogging towards the water. It's much darker now so I can barely make out an outline of him. I feel bad that I've set him off but I had to ask.

  What is it they would both want? I immediately think it's me but I shoot that idea down fast. I met Ari today, there's no way it's possible. And if they've known each other forever then it doesn't make sense.

  I decide to dwell on that later. I have to find Ari. Walking towards the last place I saw him I look in every direction but he's not here. I call out for him but I only hear the sound of the ocean waves back. I yell again and am rewarded with pure silence.

  I feel a presence behind me and spin to see what it is. Thankfully it's Ari. His large silhouette scares me briefly but instead of screaming or being scared, I reach for him. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I hold on to him like my life depends on it. When we touch, the familiar hum sparks to life comforting me.

  "I won't ask anymore." I assure him, instantly feeling his body relax beneath me.

  "Let's go." I agree because I'm sure my dad is curious where I am and wants me home for dinner. Guilt washes over me when I realize we have to go back to real life. For some reason with Ari, it's all like a dream, an alternate reality.

  When we get back to the motorcycle, I grab my cell out of my backpack. I flip it open and see a bunch of missed calls and text messages. I only care about one person though. I tell my dad I'm on my way home. There are two missed calls from Ollie and four from Junior. I ignore them and put my phone back in my bag. I'll deal with those two jerks tomorrow.

  Ari turns the motorcycle on causing it to roar to life. I start walking over to the front of the bike where the headlights shine but stop when Ari shoves his hand in front of me. Two large bodies are outlined with light their faces shielded.

  "Aristeus?" A booming voice questions. At first Ari's body goes rigid. He doesn't lower his arm but I now recognize the figures as they approach us.

  "Oh God. Not you two goons." Ari breaks the silence, his voice light. I follow closely behind him not wanting him to be too far away. He walks up to each and they do that weird guy hug handshake thing. They smack each others backs but then their focus goes to me.

  "Ryder?" Dimitri asks. The other one stands there eyeing me.

  "Yeah. Nice to see you again." I answer, plastering a fake smile on my face.

  "You guys have met?" Ari questions them looking between the guys and me.

  "At Ollie's" The shy man states. He looks so intense it actua
lly makes me want to hide my face as his gaze sears into me.

  "Want to meet up later? I have to take my pretty girl home." As stupid as it sounds, I feel pretty when he says it—I believe him. One freaking compliment and I'm swooning at his feet.

  "Meet at Blarneys?" Dimitri asks before they say their goodbyes. I had a feeling Ari was older than me but he has to be at least twenty one to hang out at a bar. How is he in still high school?

  Ari leads me back towards the bike his hand finding mine and hanging on. A blazing heat slides up my arm where we touch. I love his hands on me. I know that I shouldn't but I really, really do.

  After putting my shoes and helmet on, Ari helps me onto the bike before getting on himself. I place my arms around his waist after he gets comfortable in front of me and I'm successfully on the back. I settle into his body, laying across his back enjoying the ride home. What a way to travel. It's dark now so I can't see much but the vibrations almost lull me to sleep.

  As we round into town I tell Ari my address and he heads straight for my house. We pull up and only the kitchen light is on in my house. I hear my stomach grumble and realize I'm starved.

  Ari helps me jump off the bike and takes my helmet off again. He takes my hair in between his fingers, twirling it around his pointer before tucking it behind my ear. I've come to love the way he touches me sending shivers up my spine every single time.

  I'm unsure what to say and feel a little awkward as he puts my helmet on the back of the bike. How do you say goodbye to a stranger that you've run away with for the day?

  "Do you want to come in for dinner?" I ask him instantly regretting it. Where did that even come from? My mind is raging right now thinking about Ari and Ollie. I think my subconscious knew I didn't want Ari to go when I blurted out the invite.

  "Sure." He says. "If that's actually okay with you." He adds in at the end.

  I come to the conclusion that I'm going to do whatever the hell I want. Ari has done nothing wrong. It's not like I'm cheating on Ollie. It's just a friendly dinner. I can't feel guilty about this.