Eternal Curse: (The Cursed Series, Book 1)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  I nearly spit out my water. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I coughed. Then I glared at Abby—she had to have told him that.

  “I’m not surprised.” Rachel leaned back on her elbows and lifted her face toward the sun. “You two are so much alike.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I snapped.

  “Nothing.” She shrugged. “It’s just, you’re both…” She pursed her lips as if trying to decide on a word that wouldn’t offend me. “Shy.”

  Shy? I had a feeling she meant stuck up and unsociable. I took another sip of water so I wouldn’t be tempted to tell her off. It was important to Abby that Rachel and I get along, and I wasn’t going to put Abby in an awkward situation simply because her best friend was a jerk.

  “You’re just angry Trent wouldn’t give you the time of day.” Marc nudged Rachel’s leg.

  She glared at him. “More like I won’t give him the time of day.” She sliced an accusatory look in my direction. “Not that it matters anyway.”

  “Whatever,” Marc dismissed her. “So, you and Trent?” His attention was back on me.

  “Just friends,” I said.

  “Well, you and your friend should hang out with me and Abby some time. Right, babe?” He turned his head and placed a kiss to her cheek.

  Abby nodded. “That’s exactly what I told her.”

  Annoyance flared in my chest. “I’ll talk to him about it,” I said, mostly to shut them both up.

  There was no way I was going to ask Trent if he wanted to hang out with Abby and Marc, especially since Trent had suggested I stay away from Marc.

  “Hey, Chloe, maybe you can set me up with Trent’s brother. Then we can all go out together,” Rachel said.

  I half expected her to snicker. Instead, her eyes sparked with mischief—and not the fun kind.

  I had no idea if she was being serious, but based on the way Jax never spoke to me and constantly stared at me like he wished I was dead, I could safely assume I was the last person he wanted to set him up.

  When I didn’t respond, she said, “Unless you’re keeping both of them for yourself.”

  At that, Marc laughed—much too long and too loud. Then Abby joined in, laughing so hard, she snorted.

  I curled my hand into a fist and clenched my jaw. What was her problem? I stood and grabbed my messenger bag, flinging the strap over my shoulder.

  “I’m taking a walk. I’ll be back in a bit,” I said, not waiting for any of them to respond.

  Rachel’s smile was vindictive, and a little superior.

  Abby waved, but she was too busy making out with Marc to pay too much attention.

  I wasn’t exactly a social butterfly, but I wasn’t one of those girls who didn’t have any friends, either. I usually got along with people fairly well. Except for Rachel, apparently.

  I wandered around the falls, enjoying the sounds of nature. The birds chirped loudly, and a couple squirrels chased each other up and down a nearby tree. The rushing falls faded behind me, and for the first time since I’d arrived in this town, I relaxed.

  After exploring for almost an hour, I decided to head back. Hopefully, they’d be ready to leave by the time I got there. I’d had enough socializing for one day.

  As I retraced my steps, everything was suddenly much quieter. The sensation of being watched returned with a vengeance. I turned, my gaze darting around, looking for any sign that someone else was out here with me.

  Hesitating, I listened intently. Dead silence. Not so much as a bird chirping. Talk about creepy.

  I swallowed hard and continued, keeping my gaze straight ahead until a fleeting movement caught my eye. I jerked my head to the left to see what it was. In the distance, shrouded against the cover of trees was a distorted form that looked a lot like a person on their knees, body hunched over something on the ground. What is that?

  There was a faint sucking sound, too, like someone trying to slurp yogurt through a straw. Was that an animal? My eyes were playing tricks on me, making me think it was a human. I was standing in the middle of the woods nestled deep in the Adirondack Mountains. It was probably a bear or a wolf. And if I didn’t get the heck out of here, I was going to be dessert.

  I picked up my pace. Maybe this was another hallway incident, stress making me see and hear things that weren’t really there. All this fresh air was messing with my mind.

  A bird screeched loudly, and I jumped, letting out a squeal of my own. My heart thundered in my ears.

  “That’s it. I’m getting out of here,” I muttered as I took off on a run back toward the falls. But no matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was still being watched.

  “We’re heading home,” Abby said when I made it to the clearing.

  I nodded, relieved, as I fought to catch my breath.

  “Here.” Abby tossed me her keys. “You can drive. I’m going to ride with Rachel.”

  I’d forgotten Rachel was sleeping over. Thank God I had my own room and wouldn’t have to spend any more time with her.

  “Okay.” I drew in several deep breaths. How was I going to survive the hike back to the car? I groaned.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Disdain dripped from Rachel’s words.

  Yeah, like I was going to tell her about what I’d seen in the woods. She wouldn’t hesitate to start the rumor that I was insane. Or that I was afraid of the outdoors.

  “Nothing,” I said.

  “Well, whatever you do, don’t pass out. I’m not carrying you to the car.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and fell into step with Abby.

  Marc laughed and flung his arm around Abby as she and Rachel talked incessantly, finishing each other’s sentences and laughing like it was the most hysterical thing ever.

  As annoying as it was, I was hit with a tidal wave of sadness and longing. I’d never had a friend like that, except Mom. And I’d never had a frenemy before, either. Until now.

  CHAPTER NINE:

  Skip Day

  I AWOKE MONDAY MORNING FEELING EVEN crummier than I had when I’d gone to bed the night before. The framed photograph of me and Mom that normally sat on the bedside table was cradled to my chest in a death-like grip. How many times was I going to fall asleep clutching this picture? Will I ever get past what I did to her?

  After getting dressed, I grabbed my bag from where I’d left it on the floor and headed downstairs.

  “Good morning.” Aunt Beth’s chipper voice greeted me as soon as I stepped foot in the kitchen. “Hungry? I made waffles.”

  “Uh, no, not really. I think I’m going to have some toast.”

  “Are you feeling ill?” she asked.

  She put her hand to my forehead to check if I was running a fever—something Mom hadn’t done since I was a preteen. The loving, concerned gesture only had my stomach tilting even more.

  “No, I didn’t sleep very well last night. That’s all.” I smiled tightly. “I’ll be fine.”

  She nodded and returned to making waffles. “You should come straight home after school and get some rest.”

  It wasn’t a suggestion. She wasn’t giving me a choice. I tried not to let my disappointment show on my face, but I didn’t do a very good job. I hadn’t made it to the library over the weekend, and I really wanted to go today.

  “Yeah, okay.” I fixed myself a slice of toast with butter and poured a glass of orange juice. Then I went to the table and sat with Abby. “Where’s Uncle Dean?”

  “He left for work.” Abby put a forkful of waffles into her mouth and licked her lips as she scrolled through various social media apps on her phone.

  I ate in silence, keeping my gaze on my food. I hadn’t told anyone that Trent was picking me up this morning, mostly because I didn’t want to get another interrogation from Abby and because I didn’t want Aunt Beth to tell me no.

  Uncle Dean and Aunt Beth usually left for work before Abby and I left for school, so I didn’t think it was a big deal not telling them. What they didn’t kn
ow wouldn’t hurt, right? And honestly, I worried he might not show up at all. I still couldn’t figure out why he wanted to drive me to school.

  “All right, you girls have a good day at school.” Aunt Beth kissed Abby on top of the head. “And come straight home after.” Her pointed gaze landed on me. I nodded in response. “I’m already late for my meeting with the lawyer, so I need to go.”

  The knot in my stomach tightened. Aunt Beth and Uncle Dean were attempting to file for legal custody of me. She’d explained the whole thing on the drive here, but I hadn’t really been listening. And I’d be eighteen in less than a year, so it didn’t really matter. I’d be out of here and on my own soon enough. Then I wouldn’t be a burden on them any longer.

  “Clean up after yourselves and behave,” she called as she rushed out of the dining room.

  “I told her not to worry about making waffles this morning.” Abby shook her head.

  “Trent’s picking me up for school,” I blurted out before I lost my nerve.

  Abby froze with the fork halfway to her open mouth. “Trent Halstead?”

  “Is there another Trent in our school?”

  “No.” She grinned so big I was afraid her face was going to split in half. “I knew you were more than friends.”

  I rolled my eyes but didn’t dignify her comment with a reply.

  We finished our breakfast in relative silence. I expected a million questions from her, but she didn’t ask a single one, and I wasn’t complaining about that. I wasn’t in the mood to talk all that much, and even if she wanted to, I had no idea what to say to her.

  “I can’t believe you’re ditching me for a guy.” Abby laughed and playfully punched my arm.

  I bit my tongue to stop from saying what I wanted to say, which was that she’d done the same, for the same reason, on my first day of school no less.

  “I can’t believe my mom said yes.” Abby grabbed her backpack from the floor and flung it over her shoulder. “She’s usually super neurotic about letting me hang out with boys she doesn’t know. That’s why I sneak out to meet Marc.”

  “Well, I’m not her daughter, so…” I shrugged, knowing no one would care about my well-being as a “daughter” ever again. Even if Aunt Beth thought of me that way, I wasn’t her daughter and never would be. “Also, I didn’t ask her,” I said.

  “What?” Abby shrieked. “Chloe!” She laughed like I’d done something super cool, and she was proud of me for it. “Well, I suppose I owe you one. I won’t tell.”

  I knew covering for her the other night would come in handy. “Thanks, Abby.”

  I opened the front door, intent on waiting on the front porch for Trent so he wouldn’t have to come inside for me. It was bad enough Abby would probably give him the third degree. He was simply giving me a ride to school; it’s not like he was taking me out on a date or anything.

  She sighed. “Mom thinks of you as a daughter, Chloe. She told me.”

  No matter what I did, I couldn’t escape the guilt that clung to me. Guilt over killing Mom. Guilt over crashing Abby’s happy home. Guilt over not letting Aunt Beth close to me. I did love her, but she would never replace Mom, and I didn’t want her trying, which was why I’d been intentionally keeping my distance and not sharing anything more than necessary with her.

  “Okay, I’m leaving.” Abby pulled her keys out of her purse. “I told Marc I’d meet him before class this morning.”

  “Have fun.” I waved. If she wasn’t here, she couldn’t harass Trent, and that made me ridiculously happy.

  “You too,” she called over her shoulder.

  As soon as her car was out of view, Trent pulled into the driveway. It was like he’d intentionally timed it that way.

  I bounded down the steps and hopped into his truck. “Hey,” I said.

  “You’re a morning person, aren’t you?” He glanced at me, smiling faintly. And he had those sunglasses on again.

  I sighed and hooked my seatbelt. “No, actually I’m not,” I said. “Guess I had something to look forward to this morning.” I turned my face away so he couldn’t see the blush erupting on my cheeks.

  “Just this morning?”

  My brows furrowed with confusion.

  “I’ve been waiting all weekend for this,” he said.

  Something that could only be described as giddiness shot through me, and I fought the urge to fidget with excitement.

  He backed out of the driveway. “So, did you do anything fun this weekend?”

  “Hung out with Abby and Rachel and Marc on Saturday. We went swimming at Bushnell Falls. Oh, and Marc invited you and me to double date with him and Abby sometime.” I waved my hand dismissively, but my racing heart betrayed my calm demeanor.

  He made a grunting sound. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Yeah, I figured.”

  “When I take you out, it will be just the two of us.”

  When he takes me out. Not if. My jaw dropped.

  “Did anything… strange happen when you were with Marc?” His tone was cautious, almost like he was afraid of upsetting me with his question.

  “No.” But I drew the word out a bit too long, and Trent gave me a knowing look.

  Should I tell him about what I saw and heard in the woods? It wasn’t like something had happened to me directly, and I couldn’t be positive Marc had anything to do with it.

  “No,” I said again, firmer.

  “Hmm.” He nodded. “Good.”

  “How was your weekend?” I asked.

  “Fine. Jax and I went for a hike.” He turned off Adirondack Street onto Route 73. “Want to do something fun today?”

  I jerked my head toward him. “Yeah? What did you have in mind? After school, right?”

  I sounded too eager and needy. That was the quickest way to push him away. I needed to calm down and not act like a total spaz.

  “Actually, I thought we could do it now.”

  “What about school? We can’t skip.”

  Trent laughed. “Why not?” He glanced at me. “You can’t tell me you’ve never skipped a class before.”

  Honestly, I hadn’t, but I didn’t want to tell him that. Mom would’ve been livid if she found out I was even thinking about skipping school. I frowned.

  “So, where are we going then?” I asked.

  “Roaring Brook Falls.” He sped up and passed the entrance to the school. “We can hike that trail I mentioned the other night, get a closer look at the waterfall.”

  I was surprised he’d remembered I wanted to do that, and I was even more surprised that he’d been serious about doing it with me. And then reality slapped me in the face. Was I really going to run off with a guy I hardly knew?

  “Is that okay? Would you rather do something else?”

  “No, it’s a great idea.” I grinned, excitement welling up inside of me. “Although, I should let someone know where I’m going. You might be some sort of crazed serial killer who’s dragging me far away from town so no one will hear me scream. I mean, serial killers are the ultimate planners, you know.”

  “I’m not going to kill you, Chloe,” he said sternly, a venomous edge to his tone that I hadn’t heard before.

  “It was a joke,” I mumbled.

  “There’s nothing funny about death,” he retorted.

  “Don’t I know it.” I waited a moment, but he didn’t respond.

  Either he didn’t hear me, or he was ignoring me. That was nice. How had such a good morning gone downhill so fast? Maybe there was something in the air or water that caused everyone around here to act so bizarre.

  After a solid five minutes of silence, it was time to take control of the situation because I was not going to spend the day with him if he was going to be grumpy.

  “Do you know where Bushnell Falls is?” I asked.

  “Yes,” he said cautiously. “Why?”

  “Seems to be a popular spot. Abby’s been meeting Marc there, and she says other kids hang out there, too. Have you had the cha
nce to go yet?”

  “Are you asking me to take you there?” His words were calculated, his tone guarded. There’s no way I could’ve upset him by asking about some stupid waterfall, could I have?

  “And there it is.” I shook my head with amusement.

  “There what is?”

  “A question for an answer. That’s our thing, right? Answering questions with more questions.”

  “I guess it is.” He smirked. “So, do you want me to take you there?”

  I shrugged, knowing his question was probably a trap.

  Back home, the kids used to go to the Bluff and make out. Clearly, Bushnell Falls was that place around here, and Trent wasn’t going to trick me into somehow admitting that I wanted to kiss him. Agreeing to a date was one thing. Confessing I wanted to kiss him senseless was something else entirely.

  “No. I was just curious. It’s pretty cool. You should check it out sometime,” I said, hoping we could drop the subject. I was sorry I’d brought it up. “So, I did some research for our history paper.” My heart jackhammered in my chest, the erratic thumping pounding in my ears. “There’s not much information about Benjamin Payne.”

  “I’m not surprised. Back then, they didn’t exactly keep very accurate records of things. We’ll have to use the library archives for most of our research.”

  Nervous butterflies took up residence in my stomach. “I did stumble upon something interesting, though.”

  I studied his profile to see if his expression would change or give anything away, but his face was stone-still. He didn’t say anything, either.

  “There was a photograph of a man named Sean Halstead. Are you related to him?” I asked.

  He shrugged, then eased the truck to a slow speed and pulled off the road. I didn’t miss the way he completely blew off my question.

  “We’ll have to walk this trail a bit to get to the path that leads to the waterfall.” He shut off the engine. “Ready?”

  I’d never been more ready for anything.

  CHAPTER TEN:

  Roaring Brook Falls

  “LET’S GO.” I YANKED OPEN THE door and got out of the truck.

  Trent met me near the front end. “C’mon.” He took the lead, then stopped until I fell into step beside him.