Eternal Choice: (The Cursed Series, Book 2)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  He laughed and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “I was.”

  “I never got the chance to thank you.” I willed my heart to slow and my breathing to ease to a staccato that wasn’t so sharp.

  He lifted a brow. “For what?”

  “Saving me from that guy in the mosh pit. If you hadn’t pulled me out of the way, he would’ve crushed me,” I said.

  “Right.” The corner of his mouth quirked into a smirk, and whatever control I’d managed to regain over my heart rate was lost. “Well, it was my pleasure.” His voice was low and suggestive, the sound enveloping me like a favorite blanket. “Shall we return to the party?” He extended his arm toward the banquet hall.

  “Yeah, my father is probably wondering where I am.”

  There wasn’t a single bone in my body that didn’t trust this guy—which was probably the stupidest thing ever—but I wasn’t going to let him know that. We fell into step, the silence thick between us.

  “So, what’re you doing here anyway?” I winced. “I mean, I’m surprised to see you. It’s almost like you’re stalking me.” I laughed nervously.

  “My brother is a sucker for a good cause. He dragged me along.” He glanced at me and winked.

  My neck and face flushed, and I looked away, not wanting him to see how he affected me. He had a brother? Was it possible he was Jaxon’s brother? I wanted to ask him, but how did I broach the topic?

  This whole thing was too bizarre—the constant “accidental” run ins, the intense desire to be closer to him, the lack of fear, the inexplicable familiarity. Despite whatever weird déjà vu memories I had, I knew I’d never met this guy before, nor had I ever embraced him.

  We exited the hallway and walked into the main room. The music was louder and more upbeat, and people moved gracefully around the dance floor, including Dad and Larissa. So much for leaving soon. Although, sticking around a bit longer wasn’t such a bad thing anymore.

  “Would you like to dance?” he asked.

  “Yes.” I smiled. Anything for another moment with him, in his arms.

  He took my hand and led me onto the dance floor. His hand was warm and large, but it fit perfectly around mine, and his touch chased away my nerves. We found a spot among the crowd, and he tugged me toward him.

  With one hand on my lower back, he clasped my other, lacing our fingers. His palm was like a branding iron, searing me with his touch. Then, he began to sway to the music, his movements elegant and self-assured.

  I lost myself to the rhythm, enjoying the moment, savoring the feel of his strong, warm body against mine, and the enticing scent of his woodsy cologne. But no matter how perfect this was, sadness seeped into my mind. I should have been in Keene Valley, shopping for prom dresses with Abby and Ellie weeks ago. But that was just one more thing I’d miss out on.

  “Have you ever been to prom?” I asked.

  “That’s a strange question.” He tilted his head. “Are you asking me to go to prom with you?”

  Something familiar nagged at the back of my mind, but I shoved it away, not wanting to dwell on all these strange feelings. “No…” I drew out the word. “I don’t even know your name. Why would I ask you to go to prom?”

  He grinned. “So, why did you ask me about prom then?”

  Why didn’t he take this opportunity to tell me his name? Annoyance flared in my chest. I tempered it and shrugged.

  “I’ve never been to prom. My old school in New York… I was supposed to go to that one, but I ended up moving here before I could. And the school I go to now already had their prom. I just imagine this is what it must be like.”

  “High school prom isn’t this fancy.” He chuckled. “I’m sorry you haven’t been to one, though. Everyone should get that opportunity.”

  I sighed. “There’s always next year.”

  The song ended and another one started. He made no effort to release me, and I didn’t complain as he ushered me around the dance floor again.

  “Yes, I’m sure your boyfriend will be more than happy to take you.” His voice had dropped lower, almost menacing.

  “Oh, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  “Hmm.” The sound came out more like a growl than a hum, and I leaned back slightly, muscles tense. What was that all about?

  It was in that moment that I realized just how little I knew about him. What if he wasn’t as nice as I thought he was? What if, on the outside, he was a charmer, but on the inside, he was a psychopath? I nearly snorted at the thought. If he was dangerous, I’d know it. My instincts had never led me astray before, and I trusted them not to now, either.

  “Where do you go to school?” I asked.

  “Up until recently, I was homeschooled.”

  My eyes widened. “Really? That’s kinda cool.” And that answered my lingering question about him being Jaxon’s brother.

  “Not really. I’m starting at The James da Vicente Preparatory school on Monday.”

  I froze, and he stopped moving, too. “Seriously?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s where I go.” My voice was oddly detached as I tried to wrap my mind around such a strange coincidence.

  He beamed a smile that made my breath catch and my heart race. “And now I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.

  “Don’t get too excited. That school is awful, and no one is friendly,” I said, my tone harsher than necessary.

  “I guess it’s a good thing I already know someone then, huh?” He gently nudged my shoulder, and we exited the dance floor as if we both knew what the other wanted without having to ask.

  We found two empty seats at the bar. He pulled the chair out for me, and I sat. He occupied the spot beside me, his arm resting on the back of mine as if he wanted to put his arm around me but was too shy to do so. Should I tell him it was okay?

  “Lucky you,” I teased. “I’m sure you’ll have no trouble fitting in.”

  In fact, I’d bet Olivia would call dibs the second she laid eyes on him, and I was sure she wouldn’t hesitate to dump her boyfriend in favor of the hot, new guy at school. That tingling memory of familiarity returned like an itch I couldn’t scratch.

  “Why do you say that?” He rested his other arm on the bar and turned so he was facing me.

  “Have you seen yourself?” I waved my hand up and down his body. “Girls will be falling over themselves to get your attention, and all the guys will be your friend because they think if they’re nice to you, you’ll somehow help them get laid.”

  He let out a surprised laugh. “Well, I certainly won’t be facilitating any hook ups. But I have to know… Will you be one of the girls trying to get my attention?”

  I smiled as innocently as possible. “Don’t I already have your attention?”

  “You most certainly do.” His eyes narrowed, and his gaze heated as it roamed down the length of my body. “My complete, undivided attention.”

  I squirmed under his scrutiny, fighting to hide the thrill that shot through me. “Won’t your girlfriend be upset you’re giving me so much attention?” Not the smoothest way to ask if he had a girlfriend, but I was nosy.

  His lips quirked with a knowing smirk. “What makes you think I have a girlfriend?”

  “Don’t you?”

  He laughed like we just shared some private joke, though I had no idea what that might be. “Would you be upset if I did?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Why would I be? I hardly know you.”

  He leaned closer, and I sucked in a sharp breath. He smelled like the outdoors, like the trees and mountains and fresh air. Like home.

  “Maybe we should do something about that.” His voice was velvety, and I couldn’t suppress the shiver that shot down my back.

  “Is that your way of saying you want to get to know me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “You sure ask a lot of questions.” His eyes sparkled like freshly shined sapphires.

  Another almost memory slammed into me, but it vanished
before I could grasp anything about it. I shook my head but smiled, remembering how Abby loved to bombard me with questions every time something happened. She’d freak if I told her about this guy.

  “It runs in the family,” I said.

  His gaze darted over my head, then landed back on me. What was he looking at? I didn’t care enough to turn around and find out, because I had a feeling if I did, he’d disappear again, like he had at the concert.

  “I should be going,” he said.

  I fought to keep the disappointment from showing on my face. “Well, thanks for letting me run into you.”

  “Any time.” He winked, and once again, my heart beat out a hard, longing staccato. The guy stood and took my hand into his, caressing my knuckles with his thumb. “Thanks for the dance, Chloe.”

  God, the way he said my name… smooth as silk and full of promise. I wanted to dig out my cell phone and record him saying it so I could listen to it over and over.

  He lifted my hand to his lips and gave my knuckles a kiss. A flurry of emotions bombarded my senses—longing, desperation, desire, love. He pulled away, and the feelings retreated with him. My head swam.

  “I’ll see you Monday.” He held my gaze a moment longer than necessary, and my body temperature spiked several degrees.

  “Hey!” I hurried after him. He stopped and turned back toward me. “I still don’t know your name.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, then shoved his hands into his pockets. “Trent.”

  CHAPTER NINE:

  Photographs

  YAWNING, I RELUCTANTLY DRAGGED MYSELF DOWNSTAIRS. The delicious scent of cinnamon and icing filtered toward me the closer I got to the kitchen. Mmm. A dish of warm, homemade cinnamon rolls sat on the counter. My stomach grumbled at the sight of them.

  “Can I have one?” I asked.

  Larissa nodded. “Of course.” She dried her hands on a towel, turned toward me, and smiled. “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” I piled a gooey, iced cinnamon roll onto a plate and then poured myself a glass of milk. I took a large bite, closing my eyes and savoring the pastry. “These are so good.”

  “I’m glad you approve.” There was no scorn or sarcasm in her tone, just appreciation for my sincere compliment. She leaned against the counter and folded her arms. “Your father is playing golf today with a few potential business partners, and I have a lunch date with my sister, so you’ll have the house to yourself.”

  Nodding, I took another bite, chasing it down with a drink of milk.

  “I don’t know what rules you’ve had previously, but in this house, when we’re gone, we don’t allow anyone else to be here.” She gave me a pointed look, and her cheeks reddened as if she were preparing for an argument. “No girlfriends, definitely no boys—not even Simon.”

  I rolled my eyes. When she found out I wasn’t interested in Simon like that, it was going to break her heart. Would she like Trent, though? Not that I had any intention of introducing them, but I had a sinking feeling Larissa would eventually ask.

  “And please don’t leave the house, either. If you have to go somewhere, call me first, and I’ll have Declan drive you.”

  Anger slowly built in my chest. She was treating me like I was a child and not weeks away from adulthood. Maybe she was worried I’d take off and never come back. She was right to worry about that, but it wasn’t feasible today.

  Deciding to keep the peace, I smiled. “Okay, got it.”

  “Good.” Her smile widened. “I thought I’d show you the boxes of pictures in the attic that we need to have scanned… if you wanted to get started on that.”

  “Yeah, sure.” I licked frosting from my fingers and finished my glass of milk. “It’s not like I have anything else to do.” I carried my plate and glass to the sink, rinsed them, then washed my hands. “Let me go change real quick.”

  I rushed up to my room, stripped off my pajamas, and dressed in a pair of cotton shorts and a T-shirt. I pulled my hair into a messy bun and slipped on my flip-flops—that was the only thing I didn’t miss about Keene Valley: the cold weather. I shivered just thinking about it. Snatching my phone from the nightstand, I headed back downstairs.

  “Okay, I’m ready,” I said.

  Larissa finished loading the dishwasher and started it. The whir of the appliance filling with water faded behind me as I followed her upstairs. She stopped at the end of the hallway, retrieved a small step stool from the linen closet, and positioned it in the middle of the hall. Climbing up, she grabbed a rope and pulled while simultaneously backing down the ladder.

  “I keep telling your father we need to fix this hatch.” She shook her head with exasperation. After putting the step stool back, she climbed the ladder into the attic.

  I followed, the steps wobbly and creaking beneath my weight.

  For such an expensive, meticulously kept house, the attic looked like it belonged to someone else. Unbearable heat nearly knocked me backward.

  “We haven’t had a chance to remodel up here, but we’ve tried to keep things organized.” Larissa moved farther into the room.

  At least it didn’t smell, but it was crowded, and I felt like I was standing in a furnace. I looked around—no windows. Great.

  She stopped in front of a black, metal shelf that was stacked with boxes, two and three deep. Each box was labeled with a range of years, and my eyes widened. She failed to mention there were a bazillion boxes and that this job would probably take an entire year to finish.

  My shoulders slumped. “All of these boxes need to be scanned?” I asked, overwhelmed.

  “Goodness no.” She laughed. “Only these two shelves.” She motioned to the top two shelves.

  I sighed with relief. Approximately twelve or fifteen boxes… that was a lot more manageable. “What’s all the other stuff then?” I asked.

  “Mostly legal and financial papers your father doesn’t want to get rid of, and I believe there’s stuff he inherited from his father—family trees, correspondence, paper clippings—things like that.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You don’t need to worry about any of that, though. Just concentrate on the boxes with pictures.”

  “Okay.” How many pictures were in each box?

  “The scanner is set up to work on the desktop in the main office. If you need any help operating it, the manual is in the top drawer of the filing cabinet.”

  “Shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out,” I said.

  “All right, well, I think that’s everything.” Larissa blew out a breath and looked around. “I’d start with one box today, and then I’ll have your dad carry the rest down to the office for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  Smiling, she patted my shoulder. “Thank you for doing this.”

  My phone buzzed against my hip where I’d tucked it into the waistband of my shorts. It was too early for Abby to be up, so it must be Ellie or Simon.

  “Okay, I’m heading out. Call me if you need anything.” Larissa waved as she headed down the stairs.

  I pulled my phone out and swiped my thumb across the screen.

  Simon: GOING TO THE BEACH TODAY. WANT TO GO?

  I frowned. He couldn’t have asked me this before I volunteered to spend my day in a stuffy, dusty attic?

  Me: SORRY. CAN’T. HAVE TO CLEAN MY ATTIC.

  Simon: IS THAT A EUPHEMISM FOR SOMETHING DIRTY?

  I snorted out loud reading his response.

  Me: IF BY “DIRTY” YOU MEAN LIKE A THOUSAND YEARS’ WORTH OF DUST.

  I opened my camera and snapped a quick selfie, making sure to capture as much of the clutter behind me as possible.

  Simon: YOU’RE LITERALLY CLEANING AN ACTUAL ATTIC.

  Me: THAT’S WHAT I SAID.

  Simon: SO… YOU’LL PROBABLY FEEL LIKE A NICE REFRESHING SWIM AFTER?

  My gaze lingered on the shelf, and a heaviness settled on my chest. Even though I’d agreed to do this, I really didn’t want to. I’d much rather be swimming at the beach, but if I wanted to ge
t home, I needed the money.

  With a heavy sigh, I typed and sent a response.

  Me: IT WILL PROBABLY TAKE ALL DAY. MAYBE NEXT TIME.

  Tucking my phone away, I lifted a box and carried it downstairs, careful not to slip on the steps. I spent the next hour lugging boxes from the attic down to the office, stacking them neatly in the corner.

  Larissa had said Dad would do it, but I wasn’t going to ask for his help, and I didn’t want to wait for him to do it. This way, I could work on scanning the pictures whenever I wanted—like in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep, or I was bombarded with thoughts of Trent.

  He was going to be at school tomorrow. What kind of luck was that? My heart started to race, and not because I was physically exerting myself. I set the last box on the floor and, using the step stool, I closed the attic door.

  After depositing the box in the office, I wandered into the kitchen. The clock on the stove read 12:39—lunch time. I fixed myself a roast beef sandwich and grabbed a bottle of soda, which I then carried upstairs.

  I checked my messages, expecting to have a response from Simon, but there weren’t any. Disappointment sagged my shoulders. Other than the concert, I’d told him no every single time he’d asked me to hang out. Maybe he decided to stop asking.

  Me: SORRY ABOUT TODAY. MAYBE WE CAN DO SOMETHING AFTER SCHOOL TOMORROW?

  Larissa was sure to say yes, and Dad wouldn’t disagree with her. I hadn’t seen them argue once since I’d been here, and Dad gave her whatever she wanted.

  When I finished eating, I flipped open the box that was closest to me and groaned. There had to be at least a thousand pictures in here. I grabbed a handful. They were all faded, black and white photos. Thank God for current technology and cell phone cameras.

  I glanced through the pictures—I didn’t know any people in them, not that I expected to, but it would make organizing them on the computer harder. I turned over several pictures, hoping there were names written on the back. No such luck. Guess I’d just save them on the computer by the dates written on the boxes.