Jax snatched the paper from the desk. He was out of his seat and at the front of the room in an instant. I whipped around in my seat to find him leaning over Mr. Gordon’s desk. Jax wasn’t speaking loud enough for me to hear him, and I glanced at Whitney—she’d be able to hear him no matter how quietly he spoke. But if she was paying attention, she didn’t give me any clues as to what was going on. She didn’t even bother to look at me.
A moment later, Jax returned and set a different piece of paper on the desk. I glanced down at it.
You’re being audited by the IRS.
They find out you’ve been committing tax fraud.
They freeze all your assets.
I jerk my head up to stare at Jax. He’d convinced Mr. Gordon to give us a different scenario? I didn’t want to know how he’d managed that. “Jax, I—”
“I figured the other one hit a little too close to home for you,” he said.
My shoulders slumped, and I nodded. He was right. The second I’d read those words, I’d been right back in that hospital with Mom, and I couldn’t handle that. Not today. Not ever, really.
“Thank you.” I picked at my fingernails. “Why are you being so nice to me after I…?” I couldn’t bring myself to say the words. After I broke your heart and destroyed the only thing keeping us tied together.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked, sounding genuinely confused.
“Why would you be?”
He shook his head with frustration. “I think you’re under the very wrong impression that I hate you, but I don’t.” He folded his arms on the desk and leaned forward, lowering his voice. “I can’t even be mad at you, Chloe. I wish I could because maybe all of this would be easier.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” I mumbled.
I kept my gaze on the corner of the desk so I wouldn’t have to look at him and see the pain I knew would be in his eyes. I wished I could hate him, too, but I couldn’t, no matter how hard I tried. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d done anything to make me hate him.
“So, I guess we’ll just have to settle for being criminals,” he said, shoving the paper toward me.
I laughed. “Well, considering I can’t lie to save my life, I might as well just confess now. Looks like we’re both going to prison.”
Jax’s smile widened, and my breath caught. It was much too easy to fall back into our old ways—the teasing and laughing and just enjoying each other’s company. Could we really get that back now that we weren’t bonded?
I missed my friend, but I had no idea how we could go back to being just friends after everything that had happened between us.
“Oh, you’re definitely going to prison. I can lie just fine, though, so I’ll probably talk my way out of it,” he said, his eyes sparkling in that way they always did right before he said something meant to get under my skin. “Don’t worry, wife. New York allows conjugal visits.” He winked and leaned back in his chair.
Unbearable heat erupted on my neck and spread to my face, and my eyes widened. I opened my mouth to say something, and then snapped my jaw closed. What could I possibly say to that?
“I’m kidding,” he said.
“How’s it going over here?” Mr. Gordon asked, saving me from having to respond to Jax.
“We’ve decided that I’ll talk my way out of this and face no consequences, and Chloe will end up in prison. We’re now working out the more… delicate details of what will happen in the marriage,” Jax said with a devious grin.
I kicked his leg under the desk, and he jerked back, laughing. I fought to hide my smile. I had no idea how he did it, but Jax had a way of taking my mind off things, even when I didn’t want to forget or be distracted.
“When I said work out the situation, I meant the legal and financial repercussions. How will you keep the household running when something like this happens?” Mr. Gordon said. Then he moved on to check in with the next set of students.
“Seriously, Jax?” I crossed my arms and gave him the sternest look I could muster.
“Oh, c’mon. That was funny, and you know it. I saw you trying not to laugh.”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at him. There was nothing funny about telling our teacher we were talking about sex within a fake marriage. Except for the way Mr. Gordon’s eyes had widened, and he’d stared at Jax for a beat, as if trying to figure out how to respond.
“You can’t say things like that,” I said.
“Why not?” He raised a brow, challenging me.
“Because it makes me uncomfortable.”
He stared at me, knowing full well I was lying to him.
I sighed. “Fine. It makes me feel bad, okay? You say stuff like that, and even though you say you’re joking, I know there’s some truth in it. I know how you feel about me,” I whispered and glanced around. Thankfully, everyone was too absorbed in their own projects to worry about listening to us. “So, when you say those things, I know you’re not just teasing.”
I tentatively put my hand on his arm. Big mistake. Waves of memories of every time I’d touched him, of every time he’d touched me, crashed over me so hard and fast I nearly fell out of my chair. I yanked my hand back.
What was that? The bond was broken. I shouldn’t be having those thoughts and feelings anymore. My heart raced, and I took several deep breaths. Did Ivy do something wrong? Or had she tricked us into believing the bond with Jax was broken when it wasn’t?
“I never wanted to hurt you,” I muttered.
“I know you didn’t.” He once again leaned forward.
The scent of his cologne permeated the air around me, and I couldn’t stop from taking a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent that was all Jax.
“But you did,” he said. And there was his familiar bluntness. “It was inevitable, but I don’t hate you, and I don’t blame you for making the choice you did.”
“You don’t?”
He shook his head. “I see how you are with him. You’re happy.” His voice cracked slightly, and so did my heart. “That’s all I want for you, Chloe. To be happy, and it sucks I’m not the guy who makes you feel that way.”
“I—”
Jax held up his hand to silence me, and I snapped my mouth closed. “Trent does make you happy, though, and I’m willing to admit he’s probably the better guy for you.”
I swallowed hard, my throat raw with emotion. Was it possible for Jax and I to be just friends? Because Whitney was right—I couldn’t avoid Jax forever. Eventually, he’d be my brother-in-law, and I knew how important he was to Trent. I refused to come between them any longer. If the bond truly was broken, I didn’t have anything to worry about. But if it wasn’t…
“Did you mean what you said the other day? About not wanting to cause trouble for me and Trent?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I stared at him. Was he lying? Was he just telling me what I wanted to hear, manipulating me so I’d let him back into my life?
“Trent and I let Ivy break the bond,” I said.
“I know,” he whispered. “I felt it when it happened. It was like someone had sucker punched me while sucking all the air from my lungs.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be. I knew you’d eventually break the bond.” He hung his head for a moment, and when he looked up, his eyes were dark and full of torment. “Look, I never intended to betray Trent. But after everything that happened at Ivy’s, after the way you’d responded to me, I thought maybe I had a chance, and I jumped at it. I shouldn’t have.”
“So, you regret it?” My voice wavered, and I wanted to smack myself.
I should be thrilled he was admitting all of this to me. This was what I wanted—for him to completely back off so I could be with Trent. Because even though the bond was broken, Jax still had feelings for me, feelings that were present long before he ever bit me.
“No.” He smiled. “I do regret the way I acted, though. I never should have pushed you the way I did, and I shouldn’t antagonize Trent
like I do.”
“Thank you,” I said with sincerity. “And I’m sorry about everything.”
“I know you are. So am I.” He smiled sadly. “I wish things could have been different, but they’re not, so we deal with it and move on.”
The bell rang, and my heart jumped in my chest. We hadn’t gotten any work done on our assignment, which meant we were going to have to spend even more time together to finish it. I hated this class. I grabbed my bag from the floor and stood.
“So, friends?” Jax asked.
“I’ll think about it, okay?” I rushed out of the room before I could change my mind and before he could say anything else.
The bond had been transferred to Trent, and I could feel the pull toward him. I didn’t feel that pull toward Jax any longer, but I still felt something, and that terrified me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:
Relationship Drama
AS SOON AS I WAS OUT of the room, Trent had me in his arms. I sighed and leaned into him for a kiss. All the tension eased from my body, and all the confusion and worries I had about Jax disappeared.
“How was class?” Trent asked, which was really his way of asking how things were with Jax.
“Good, actually.” I slipped my fingers between his, and we headed toward our next class. “Jax was very well-behaved.”
“And how was it for you? Being around him now that the bond is gone?” Trent asked.
“It was weird. I mean, everything felt completely normal again, like it did when we were at the cabin.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “Everything’s fine. I promise.”
I wasn’t about to tell him I still had some semblance of feelings for Jax, because that would only hurt Trent, and honestly, the feelings weren’t that strong. They were the same exact feelings I’d had for Jax before he bit me, and those emotions, while concerning, weren’t anything I needed to worry about. Not when I was now bonded to Trent; I was his soulmate. Nothing else mattered.
“Good.” Trent smiled.
“In fact, Jax admitted that you’re the better guy for me. Then he apologized for always antagonizing you.”
“He’s up to something,” Trent said, a slight edge to his tone.
“I don’t think so,” I said with a certainty that surprised me. “He was sincere. I think he misses you.”
Trent had been spending a majority of his time with me, and when we weren’t together, he wasn’t exactly spending quality time with his brother.
“You should hang out with him today. Talk to him,” I said.
Trent scowled.
“Please? For me?” I stopped in front of my next class. “He’s your brother, Trent. You two are family. That should mean something to you. Besides, he told me he was afraid once I broke the bond, I’d completely abandon him, and you really haven’t been spending much time with him…” I shrugged. “He’s probably lonely.”
After a moment, he sighed. “All right.” He placed a firm kiss on my lips, then walked into his class, which was directly across the hall from mine.
Either Trent and Jax would work things out, or they’d try to kill each other. Though, now that the bond was broken, there was no reason those two shouldn’t get along. Trent knew he had nothing to worry about anymore. I was his—completely and totally. I only hoped Jax meant what he’d said. I walked into class and took my seat.
“What did you say to Abby?” Isach demanded as he slid into the desk next to me.
“Nothing. Why?”
“She’s acting weird, like she doesn’t want to be around me anymore. Things were fine this weekend, so someone must have said something to her.” His words were tight, and his tone was bordering on livid.
“Well, I didn’t say anything to her. I have enough of my own relationship drama. I don’t need to get involved in yours, too.” I laughed nervously, hoping he’d chill out a bit. The look of anger and hopelessness on his face was making me uncomfortable.
“You have to talk to her. Find out what’s going on,” he insisted.
“Seriously?” Did he not hear what I just said about having enough of my own problems to deal with?
“Yes. Seriously. I think you owe me.” He narrowed his eyes.
I owed him? As far as I was concerned, we were even—for the time being. Once I changed, and he proved he wouldn’t stop me, then I’d owe him. But until then, I didn’t owe him anything. I didn’t say that, though, because he was already upset, and I didn’t need to poke the powerful witch.
“What’re you doing with her, Isach?” I asked with frustration. “The other day, she told me and Whitney that you do magic, that you’ve shown her card tricks and stuff. She couldn’t figure out how you did it, and I think it really bothered her.” Anger sparked in my chest at the memory of how rattled Abby had been. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you promised not to mess with her.”
He slouched in his seat. “I’m trying to ease her into the truth about who I am.”
My eyes widened. “Wait, you’re planning to tell her the truth?”
“Of course, I am.” He gave me an incredulous look.
Fear squeezed the breath from my lungs, and panic began a slow crawl up the back of my throat. “About you, right? You’re not telling her everything, are you?”
“It’s not my place to tell her the truth about anyone but me,” he said and leaned over so only I could hear him. “We don’t out other supernatural beings. It’s an unwritten law we all follow.”
“You outed Trent to me,” I said before I could stop myself. I cringed, hoping I hadn’t angered him even more than he already was.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I was a jerk back then,” he said with a faintly apologetic smile. “I shouldn’t have done that. Then again, there’s a lot I shouldn’t be doing where you’re concerned.”
The final bell rang and class began, effectively ending our conversation. I didn’t know how I felt about him telling Abby the truth. How would she react? Would she break up with him? I hated lying to her about everything, but I also didn’t want her involved in all this supernatural stuff.
I needed to talk to her, figure out what was going on and why she was acting differently toward Isach. Not because he wanted me to talk to her, but because I cared about her, and I wanted to know she was okay.
Class dragged, and when it was finally over, my muscles were stiff. I stood and stretched. Isach stood near his desk, waiting for me. I slung my backpack over my shoulder.
“Are you going to tell her that I know?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Should I?”
“Well, she’s either going to completely freak out, or she’s going to be cool with everything. Either way, she’s going to need someone to talk to about it. Trust me, I know what it’s like to learn something like this and have absolutely no one to talk to.”
“Yeah.” He sighed.
“Look.” I grabbed his arm, stopping him. “If you’re going to tell her the truth, she needs to know the whole truth so she can decide what she wants. It’s not fair for us to make choices like this for her.”
“And how am I supposed to do that without telling her about Trent? Or you?” he asked.
I groaned. “I don’t know.”
We walked out of the room, and Trent was leaning against the wall. When he saw me, he straightened and took my hand. Then he sliced a dirty look in Isach’s direction.
“Everything all right?” Trent asked.
I nodded.
“I’ll tell her what I can,” Isach said. “But could you maybe be on my side when she talks to you about it?”
“I’m not going to force her to accept it, but I’ll help her understand,” I said, hoping he realized I couldn’t side with him completely, not when Abby was my family.
“Thanks.” Isach veered off in the opposite direction.
“What was that all about?” Trent asked.
“He’s having relationship drama with Abby and wants me to help,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“I’
m surprised he doesn’t just cast some ridiculous love spell.” Trent laughed.
“I’d kill him if he did that,” I said, my tone dead serious. “Besides, he’s going to tell her the truth about who he is.”
Trent stopped in the middle of the hallway and glanced down at me. Students shoved by, giving us dirty looks and muttering snide remarks.
I tugged on his hand, and we stepped out of the way. “Don’t worry. He’s not telling her about you. I made sure of that, but he’s going to tell her that I know about him. Abby’s going to need someone to talk to and—”
“And you’re both sure she can keep her mouth shut?” he asked, venom in his tone.
“Yes. She won’t say anything.” I tilted my head.
Why was he so upset that Isach wanted to tell Abby the truth? It was Isach’s secret to tell, not ours. We had no say in it whatsoever. Personally, I was glad he was telling her. It showed that he cared, that he wanted to be honest so they could have a serious relationship.
“What if I decide I want to tell Abby about me after I change?” I kept my tone low to ensure no one overheard.
Trent’s eyes went from blue to black in a split second, and I took a small step back. He blinked, and his eyes were back to their natural color. “Is that what you want to do?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Maybe. I mean, she’s like a sister to me. It’s hard to imagine her someday being gone.” I shifted on my feet. “You and Jax changed together. So did Wyatt and Whitney. Why’s it so different for me and Abby?”
“Now you want to change her, too?” He hissed the words with so much fury I was momentarily stunned, unable to speak.
“No.” I shook my head. “Unless she wants to…”
“We’ll talk about this later.” He was gone before I could get my mouth open to say another word.
Well, that hadn’t gone like I’d expected. Then again, I hadn’t really expected to have that conversation with him just yet. Shoulders slumped, I walked into class and took my seat next to Ellie.
“Hi.” She smiled brightly.
“Hey.” My backpack slid off my shoulder and onto the floor.
“Uh-oh. What’s wrong?” she asked.
Eternal Love: (The Cursed Series, Book 4) Page 22