CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
Magic Cure
WHEN I WALKED INTO TRENT’S HOUSE, I was assaulted with the familiar, mouthwatering smell of cinnamon, vanilla, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. I inhaled deeply, and my stomach rumbled. The last thing I’d eaten was earlier that morning—I’d skipped lunch because I was too freaked out by the girl I’d seen lurking in the hallways.
“I called Jax and asked him to cook something for you. Figured you’d be hungry, and something hot might help your headache,” Trent said, his arm still firmly around my waist. He held me like he was afraid I’d suddenly collapse.
“It smells amazing. Then again, Jax’s cooking always does,” I said.
“C’mon.” Trent gently guided me into the kitchen and helped me sit in a chair. “I’ll go get you some aspirin.” He kissed the top of my head, then disappeared to wherever they kept their medicine.
Did they even have medicine in this house? As vampires, none of them exactly needed painkillers.
“Eat.” Jax set a plate of French toast in front of me, and my stomach grumbled again. “Chocolate milk?” he asked.
“Just water, please.” I shifted in the chair and winced against the pain, though I wasn’t sure if it was physical pain from my injuries or emotional pain from the familiarity of Jax serving me food like this.
I cut a large piece of the French toast and shoved it into my mouth. Closing my eyes, I chewed slowly, savoring the mix of flavors. A moment later, Jax set a glass of ice water on the table; then he sat across from me. Arms folded on top of the table, he studied me.
“These are really good,” I said in between bites. “Thank you for making them.”
Jax nodded, his blue eyes dark. “I really wish you could see that I’d do anything for you.”
My appetite vanished immediately. I set my fork down and took a sip of water. “Anything but stop trying to make me feel guilty for choosing Trent, you mean.”
My tone was harsh, but I was too tired and in too much pain to care. Dealing with Jax and whatever feelings he still had for me was the last thing I could handle right now. And honestly, I didn’t want to admit, let alone think about, any of the lingering feelings I still had for him. It was easier to pretend they didn’t exist.
“Yes, anything but that,” he said, his tone equally as harsh. He leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “But you like that, don’t you? Knowing you still have me wrapped around your finger, that all you have to do is ask and you can have anything you want from me.”
I gaped at him. He couldn’t seriously think that, could he?
“No, Jax. For your information, I don’t like that. And why are you still acting this way around me? The bond is broken, remember?” I narrowed my eyes, attempting to intimidate him, which was ridiculous. I wasn’t scary, and we both knew it.
“Oh, I remember,” he said through clenched teeth. “And the only reason we had that bond in the first place is because of my feelings, because of how I felt about you before I ever bit you. Breaking the bond didn’t magically make all of that go away. Not for me.” He shook his head. “And not for you, either. You’re just not willing to admit it.”
I was not going to sit here and listen to him a moment longer. I attempted to stand, but the pain was too intense, and I cried out.
Jax was by my side before I could take a breath. He took hold of my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist so I wouldn’t tip over. The feel of his hands on me was like a dam breaking, and all at once, I was flooded with the memory of every single touch and kiss we’d shared. My head spun, causing my temples to throb even harder.
“Easy,” he said, his tone and demeanor much calmer than it had been a moment ago.
“Get your hands off her,” Trent said. He slammed the bottle of aspirin onto the table and came around to my other side.
Jax immediately released me and held his hands up in surrender. “Was just trying to help. Didn’t think you’d be too happy if she collapsed on the floor and I did nothing but watch it happen.”
Trent snarled.
“Stop,” I said weakly. “I just want to lay down.”
Colt was standing in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed. His gaze was dark and accusatory. Great. How much had he heard?
Without another word, Trent helped me into his room, which took twice as long as it should have, but every step I took was more painful than the last. He eased me down onto the bed, then he busied himself with pulling back the blankets and stacking the pillows.
“Do you want to change?” he asked.
I was dressed in the same clothes I’d put on this morning. “Yeah. I don’t have anything with me, though. It’s all in Abby’s car.”
That morning before we’d left for school, we’d both packed enough clothes and stuff to spend the weekend with Whitney.
“Speaking of Abby, where is she? And where’s Isach?” I asked.
“She went with Isach so he could whip up whatever magic cure he was talking about. They should be here soon.” Trent rummaged around in his dresser and produced one of his button up shirts. “You can wear this for now.”
“Thanks.”
I always liked wearing Trent’s clothes, and right now, buttons meant I wouldn’t have to try to put anything on over my head, though I had no idea how I was going to remove my sweater. I glanced down at myself and frowned.
“Need some help?” There was a hint of humor in his tone, and a faint smile curled his lips.
“You don’t have to enjoy this so much, you know.”
He laughed. “I get to undress you. Why wouldn’t I enjoy that?”
I tried to glare at him, but I was sure I looked goofy. “You’re taking my shirt off. That’s it. I can do the rest. And it’s not even for a fun reason.”
“Hopefully, whatever Isach is making for you will work quickly.” Trent stood in front of me and gripped the sleeve of my sweater. “Okay, slowly pull your arm out.”
I did as he instructed, then we repeated it with my other arm. He eased the sweater off over my head, and in doing so, he took a step closer. Desire sizzled in my veins, and I stared up into his gorgeous eyes as he lowered his mouth to mine. His kiss was insistent but restrained.
Clearly, he was being careful not to hurt me, but every time he kissed me, he stole my breath, and when I was already having trouble taking deep breaths… I gasped, each inhale razor sharp, but I forced myself not to let him see my pain.
“I am so sorry, Chloe.” He trailed his finger down the side of my face, tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, then traced my jaw. “I should’ve been more careful.”
“I don’t blame you for what happened, so stop blaming yourself, okay?” I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him, but I couldn’t.
He nodded, but it was clear by his expression that he was going to keep blaming himself no matter what I said. Sure, he was the reason I had a few broken ribs, but he was also the reason I wasn’t splattered on the road amidst the shards of his windshield.
“I left the aspirin on the kitchen table. You get changed, and I’ll be right back.” He kissed my forehead, then left, closing the door behind him.
Unhooking my bra proved to be difficult, and after a handful of attempts, I gave up. The stupid thing could stay on. I eased onto the mattress and stared at my sneakers. I couldn’t bend over to untie them, nor could I lift my leg to do it. I toed them off, still tied, and kicked them across the room. Getting my pants off was just as difficult, and by the time I finally got my clothes off and Trent’s shirt on, I was sweating and winded.
I found a position that was comfortable and settled back against the pillows Trent had organized for me. He returned with my water and the bottle of aspirin. I popped three of them, then closed my eyes, letting the day’s events slip from my mind. I could deal with everything tomorrow.
“Do you need anything else?” he asked.
“You.” I opened my eyes, which were filling with tears, though I had no idea why. “I just want you
to be next to me.”
Without hesitation, Trent climbed into bed next to me, and after a few moments of careful maneuvering, I managed to get myself into a mildly comfortable position that allowed him to wrap his arm around me. I rested my hand on his chest, right over his heart, and yawned.
“I love you so much,” he whispered, his lips featherlight against my forehead as he spoke. “I wouldn’t survive if anything ever happened to you.”
“Nothing’s going to happen.” I yawned again. “Just… don’t leave me, okay?”
“Never,” was the last thing I heard before I fell asleep.
“CHLOE, HONEY.” TRENT’S SOFT voice seeped into my mind like a pleasant dream. “Isach’s here, and he has something that’s going to make you feel better.”
Groaning, I snuggled closer to Trent, and debilitating pain stabbed at my ribs. I let out a high-pitched cry. Okay, I was awake now.
Abby sat on the foot of the bed, staring at me with concern. Isach stood near my side of the bed. With Trent’s help, I eased up into a semi-sitting position. There was no way I’d make it six full weeks with this type of constant pain.
“What time is it?” I asked, rubbing sleep from my eyes.
“Almost midnight,” Isach answered. “Sorry it took me so long. I needed some last minute things.” He held out a canning jar full of a dark liquid. “This will heal you, but it’s going to sting.”
“Sting?” I asked, dread filling my stomach. “I thought it was supposed to heal me.”
“It will, but it’s basically un-breaking your ribs, and that’s going to hurt for a minute or two.” He grimaced.
I glanced between him and Abby, then at Trent. They were all looking at me expectantly, as if they were expecting me to decline Isach’s offer. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of drinking whatever that was and having it “sting,” but it had to be better than six weeks of pain.
“Once you drink this, I’ll do a spell that will help with some of the pain, but I can’t make all of it disappear.” Isach shook the jar and raised a brow.
I took it, twisted off the lid, and gave it a hesitant sniff. It smelled of lavender and mint and a bunch of other stuff I probably didn’t want to know about.
“I have to drink all of this?” I asked.
Isach nodded. “You two might want to wait outside,” he said to Trent and Abby.
Abby was the first to stand. She gave me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, but I can’t do stuff like this. I’ll be right outside the door though.”
Trent, however, didn’t budge. “I’m not leaving her.”
“Trent.” I sighed. “This is probably going to hurt you, too,” I said, wishing I was wrong.
“I’m sure I can handle it,” he said.
“Fine, but you have to trust me. Don’t get in my way,” Isach warned.
Part of me wanted to insist Trent wait in the hall with Abby, but a bigger part of me wanted him close, so I didn’t ask him to leave again.
“So, I drink this, you do a spell, and then I’ll be better?” I asked.
“Yes, though you’re probably going to sleep for a little while after.” Isach crossed his arms and tilted his head. “If you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.”
“No, I do.” I brought the jar to my lips and took a sip.
The liquid was bitter on my tongue, and I scrunched up my face. How was I supposed to drink all of this when it tasted so horrible?
Here goes nothing.
I took a large gulp, then another and another, squeezing my eyes shut and forcing myself not to gag on the gross concoction. When I finished, I stuck out my tongue and shook my head. I’d never tasted anything so disgusting in my life.
“You okay?” Trent asked. He remained seated right next to me on the bed. Concern blanketed his expression.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It just tastes gross, but I’m okay.”
Isach took the jar from me and set in on the nightstand. “You might be more comfortable if you lay down.”
Side-eyeing him, I inched down so I was flat on my back. Heat spread through me like a wildfire, igniting my nerve endings and scorching the blood in my veins, but it wasn’t unbearable. It felt more like the sting of a burn from touching a too-hot pan.
Isach held his hands above my chest, closed his eyes, and began to chant a bunch of words in a language I didn’t understand.
My chest constricted violently, sucking the air from my lungs. I gasped and clawed at the comforter, fighting for breath.
“Chloe?” Even though Trent was right beside me, he sounded like he was miles away.
Was he in pain, too? I couldn’t tell by the sound of his voice. He took hold of my hand.
Slowly, like inflating a balloon, my lungs filled with air, but my relief was fleeting. My ribs cracked, and my back arched involuntarily. My body writhed uncontrollably. I could feel my bones realigning and fusing together.
I whimpered and cried, sobbing an incomprehensible, “Ow, it hurts” repeatedly. Bile coated my tongue and throat, and the room spun. Suffering through six weeks of pain had to be better than this. Was it too late to stop now?
Isach’s voice faded away, and darkness greeted me. My muscles went limp, and I sank into the mattress.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
A New Person
“MMM.” I STRETCHED MY ARMS ABOVE my head and twisted my body. That was the best sleep I’d had in months.
My eyes snapped open, and I bolted upright. No pain. I gingerly pushed against my ribs. Nothing. I took a deep breath. Then another. No sensation of swallowing razor blades. Despite the terrible agony I’d experienced, Isach’s magical cure had worked.
I glanced around—I was in Trent’s room, which was completely dark. Not even a hint of sunlight filtered in around the drapes that were haphazardly pulled across the window. What time was it? Carefully, I leaned over Trent’s sleeping form to peek at the clock on his nightstand.
“It’s almost midnight,” Trent mumbled.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I whispered. “Wait. Wasn’t it midnight when Isach showed up to heal me?”
“Yes. That was Friday. It’s now Saturday.” Trent shifted so he was on his back. “You’ve been sleeping for almost twenty-four hours.”
“Seriously?” No wonder I feel so good right now. “Aunt Beth!” I gasped. “I was supposed to check in with her. She’s going to be so mad.”
“Abby and Whitney have been calling her. It’s fine.” His voice was sleep-laden and sexy. “How are you feeling?”
“Like a new person. I don’t have any more pain at all.” I twisted around again just to be sure I wasn’t dreaming of a miraculous recovery. “But now I’m wide awake.”
And Trent was still half asleep. I didn’t want to keep him awake, but I didn’t want to go wandering around his house, either, solely because I didn’t trust Jax not to try something. Slipping out from beneath the blankets, I stood.
“Trying to sneak out?” Trent asked, a trace of humor in his tone.
“No. I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.”
Quietly, I left his room and went straight to the bathroom. The rest of the house was silent, and I prayed everyone—namely, Jax—was sleeping.
I did my business, washed my hands, then turned the faucet all the way to cold. After letting it run for a few minutes, I tilted my head and drank some water. The aftertaste of the potion Isach gave me was almost as bad as the liquid itself. I turned off the water, wiped my mouth, then hurried back to Trent’s room.
Tiptoeing across the floor, I slid back into bed. Even though I wasn’t tired, I’d be content to just lay next to Trent while he slept. And, now that my mind was clearer, I could try to make sense of what Isach had told me about Felicity.
She needed to be dealt with so that the rest of our plans could stay on track. I’d come too far and had fought too hard to get where I was, and I wasn’t going to let anyone jeopardize my future with Trent.
We were going t
o be married in a few months, and hopefully, shortly after that, we’d be expecting a baby. A baby that Trent was already planning for. I still couldn’t believe he’d asked Doctor Mattias to care for me while I was pregnant. But was it really smart to have a baby now? Between Felicity and the Zoya… This part of our plan now seemed irresponsible.
I rolled onto my side and let out a surprised yelp when I came face to face with Trent.
“I thought you were sleeping.” I inched closer, and he draped his arm across my side, yanking me even closer.
“Not really. I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.” His breath was warm against my lips, and I leaned into him. He flattened his hand on my back, his touch searing. “I was worried. Isach said you’d sleep, but—”
“I don’t want to talk about Isach.” I brushed my lips across his. “I want to forget everything for a little while and pretend it’s just you and me. Like it used to be before all this… stuff started happening.” I pressed my mouth to his, and he welcomed my kiss.
THE SUN BEGAN TO rise, its rays sneaking in around the edges of the drapes, shattering our perfect night. Sighing, I aimlessly dragged my fingers across his chest, down his stomach, and back up. He groaned with satisfaction and tightened his hold on me.
“I don’t ever want to get up,” I said. Because once we did, we’d have to face the world and all the problems that were piling up around us.
“Me either.” He kissed the top of my head. “But if we don’t, we’ll never finish planning our wedding. And no wedding means no baby.”
I shifted so I was propped on my elbow. “You asked Doctor Mattias to be my doctor,” I said, still in awe that he’d done that.
He nodded. “Figured she was the best choice, and you seem to like her.”
“I do,” I said. “But… What’re we doing, Trent? Are we going to have a baby or not? Because last I knew, we hadn’t decided, but then you’re actively making plans like we are.”
Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5) Page 12