The Curse of Betrayal (A Curse Books)

by Taylor Lavati

  “I had to,” she says with regret. “I’m protecting you, so listen to me, you stubborn girl,” she says, acting like she’s my actual mother.

  “You don’t get to do anything to me. You don’t know me.” I cry out, wishing that she wanted to know me. I want to know her. Why can’t my feelings be reciprocated?

  “I know you more than you think, Eurydice. So listen to me and stop looking. I’ll find you when it’s time.” She manages to once again break my heart off, piece-by-piece.

  “Please,” I beg for one last time. My mom steps close to me—mere inches separating us. She grabs my hand and rubs her gentle thumb over the top of mine. She bends down, kisses my forehead, and then turns to go. “You can’t leave me,” I whimper.

  “I have to.” She opens and shuts the door one last time. Before I can stop myself, I fall back onto the bed and bury myself beneath the covers. I want to crawl into a little hole and die after that heart slaughter.

  God, I hate her. How can she treat me like this? I thought she loved me. But of course not. She’s just the cold-hearted bitch who gave birth to me. She’ll never actually be my mother, and I have to face that fact right now.

  Why the hell was she talking in riddles anyway? She should have just straight up told me she doesn’t want to know me. She didn’t have to pretend to protect me or whatever that bullshit was. I’m so stupid to think that she would be here for me. How could I have any hope that she would care for me? It’s my own fault for hyping myself up.

  As I cry seconds later, my pity party in full effect, a set of familiar arms wrap around my waist, pulling me towards a chiseled chest. “Ollie?” I pray that he’s come back for me. “Where were you?” I cry out, wondering why he wasn’t there to protect me and stand up to her.

  “I was in the bathroom.” He breathes into my neck.

  “She was here.”

  “I know, I saw,” he confesses.

  “She doesn’t love me. She left,” I sob into his shoulder, drenching it in my sorrow.

  “It’s okay, baby.” He rocks me in his arms. I need him more than ever so I wrap my own arms around him and cry into him for what feels like days. I let my overflowing frustrations spill out.

  “What the hell?” a shrill voice rings out into the silent room. I immediately awaken. I jump up in bed, not knowing what’s going on. My eyes are fuzzy and swollen, making me squint and my vision blur.

  “Kara?” I eye the small blonde figure across the room from me. She stands near the door, her small hands on her hips, looking furious.

  “What’s going on here?” she half scolds, half whispers out. I look down at Ollie’s sleeping form in my bed and smile before I realize what this looks like. I unfold my eyes and jump out of bed, rushing towards where Kara stands.

  “Not what it looks like. Nope. Not at all,” I start saying, reaching my hands out to her. She bats my hands away, and I stop right in front of her. “He just slept here. We didn’t like…do anything.”

  “What the hell are you thinking, Ryder?” she scolds me, finally grabbing me by the elbow and pulling me into the vacant bathroom. She shuts the door shut behind us, and then pushes me over to sit on the toilet. Reluctantly, I do what she tells me to. She places herself in front of me, and I can see the wheels turning as she gears up for a lecture. I’m on the verge of tears, but I hold them back, chastising myself for being so childish.

  “Listen, I’m the last person to judge you, but you need to get your shit together. Either pick one or none. Ari was crushed,” Kara goes on to say, waving her finger at me.

  “What do you mean he was crushed?” How would she know that anyway?

  “After the fight, you just left with Ollie. Ari was embarrassed and locked himself up in his house. I don’t know if I should tell you this, but everyone at dinner was saying Magdelina was there,” she says, regret in her voice.

  “She was in Ari’s house?” I clarify.

  “I think so.” Kara reaches down to me and places her hand on my shoulder.

  “What’s my problem? How can I be in love with two people? Something’s wrong with me!” I yell out, frustrated with my life. I can’t even blame someone else—it’s the curse. This has to end now.

  “You’re doing the best you can. Just try to think of their feelings.” Her eyes are soft and supportive, motherly—great, now I’ve got my mom on my mind.

  “I do think of them. What do you think I am? Some selfish bitch?” I frown, not liking what she’s implying. I wiggle out of her grip and put some space between us, leaning back against the porcelain throne.

  “That’s not what I meant!” she yells back.

  “Whatever. Nobody gives a shit about how I’m feeling. My brain is mixed up, and I’m completely torn, but yeah, let’s just consider the guys. Screw this.” I storm back into the bedroom. I slam the door shut behind me, hopefully in Kara’s face.

  How dare she say that to me? She barely even knows the situation. Nobody can understand how I feel. It sucks being in love with two people and having all these conflicting emotions coursing through me. I wish I was never in this curse, and everyone would just leave me the hell alone.

  “Get up,” I yell to Ollie, throwing a sweatshirt from the floor onto his face. He groans but eventually lifts his head, his eyes squinting. I meet his gaze and grimace. I purse my lips so he knows I mean business. “Let’s go. Curse meeting.”

  “Right now?” He sits up in the bed and runs his hand through his thick, blonde hair. I look over at him, and my stomach flips at his disheveled state. He looks so hot—his hair sticking up, his bright blue eyes glossy.

  I’m so screwed.

  “Please. Just come on.” I rummage through my closet, throwing on yoga pants, my UGG moccasins, a long sleeve waffle shirt, and a sweater. I grab my backpack and throw my hair in a loose pony tail since I haven’t showered or even brushed it yet. I feel disgusting but more so with my emotions than my pajama-inspired outfit.

  Ollie rolls his large body out of bed and throws his shirt and shoes on. He still looks a thousand times better than me in his disheveled state. I lead him out of the dorm and then down the stairs to the courtyard out front. “Do we have time for breakfast?” Ollie’s voice is still raspy, filled with sleep.

  “Nope. We’re in a rush, I have class in like an hour,” I explain. I pull out my phone and dial Ari, hoping to meet up with him for the meeting I’ve just called. I wait as the dial tone rings, but eventually, it goes to voicemail. I hit end animatedly and shove the stupid phone back in my pocket.

  He’s either at home or in the cafeteria, and I’m guessing he’s avoiding me, which means he’s home, so I head towards his house. I all but sprint with Ollie closely chasing my wake. I can tell by the look on his face that he’s completely bewildered by my erratic behavior. Although after the stuff that went down in the diner, I’m not sure why. He doesn't say anything to me, though, which I appreciate. When I get to the house, I knock on the door continuously until it’s answered.

  “What?” Ari barks out, swinging it open. He turns his angry peer downwards to me like he’s a mile above in the sky.

  “We need to talk,” I command, pushing past him in the doorway, slamming my shoulder into him. I walk directly to the living room and wait. It takes a second, but Ollie and then Ari enter the room and sit on either side of me. That in itself infuriates me, so I stand up and stop in front of them.

  “I can’t stand hurting you both anymore. My feelings unhinged, and I’m getting frustrated, because nobody seems to care about how I feel. And I’m not being selfish, but I can’t do this anymore!” My hands ball up in fists at my sides, and I pause for a breath. “I just don’t know how to make this work,” I admit to them, defeated.

  “It’s not supposed to work,” Ari tells me, his eyes soft like cut grass. “This situation is screwed up, and it’s not normal, so we just have to try our best.”

  “How? How can I love you both so much?” I ask myself more so than the boys.

&nbs
p; “One of us is your soul mate, and when you figure it out, you’ll know. We’ll be here, waiting. We have been waiting, forever,” Ollie says, looking between Ari and me.

  “I don’t want to make you both wait, though. I feel guilty,” I tell them, not liking the arrangement more and more as each second passes by.

  “I don’t speak for Ollie, but I know I could never love anyone the way I love you. I would wait thousands of more years if I even thought there was a slim chance you’d choose me. I’m waiting,” Ari tells me, his voice strict and never wavering.

  “I agree. I’m not losing you again, Ryder.” Ollie nods up at me.

  “How will I know?” I ask them, dropping my head in my hands. There’s no way I’ll be able to choose between the two of them. My feelings are too deep. There’s not a chance in hell I can pick between the two best men in the entire universe. The fact that they each love me so much makes it even worse, because in the end, someone is going to be heartbroken.

  “You will,” Ollie says.

  “I have faith in you,” Ari adds, making sure to stare right up at me.

  “But what about in the meantime?” How can we go on like this? Hating and fighting and loving and making up? It’s like emotional whiplash.

  “We survive,” Ari answers. I look at both boys, each beautiful in their own ways and try to decipher what I feel. I try to differentiate between love and lust. But I can’t—at least, not right now. So we all part ways into our own, separate lives.

  My first class goes well, except for the sultry glances Ari keeps sliding my way. Sitting with Lisa is getting easier and easier as more time goes by. I think she’s warming up to me. Megan is just as nice as ever, and I like having her around—especially in my first class, because she’s a perfect buffer to Lisa’s cold attitude.

  I open the door into my second class, Composition, which has Kara in it. I feel like it’s going to be extremely awkward because of our fight, but I just need to push through the day. I take my now regular seat and open my bag, wanting to get all of my stuff on the table. I try to keep myself busy so I don’t think of the fights and my tortuous life.

  I start going insane as I think about how pissed Kara will be, but I try not to let it bother me. She was the one who insinuated that I was a slut and didn’t care about Ari or Ollie.

  I’m broken out of my thoughts when Kara storms in huffing and puffing. I try not to look back at her, but my eyes keep floating that way to see how she is. I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure she wants me look at her as she makes sure to breathe loudly right next to my ear. I focus on my notebook, doodling my name in cursive in as many ways as possible.

  “Hey, can we talk before class starts?” Kara leans forward in her seat and taps on my shoulder.

  “Sure,” I say back, a little cold, but I think I have every right to be.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, “for what I said before. I didn’t mean it. I was just so taken off guard, and I guess I just went a little nutsy. I know it’s difficult for you, and I’m sorry I didn’t think about your feelings.”

  “I’m sorry, too. I was a bitch to you about it and lashed out. I just get so irritated hearing everyone else complain when I’m just as frustrated,” I tell her. I look over as her eyes fill with heavy tears. I reach over and hug her around the neck.

  “Still best friends?” She raises her eyebrows like it’s even a real question.

  “Of course,” I tell her, smiling at my little blonde roommate.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  prank war

  I’m on my way to lunch when Mikey finds me leaving class. I walk out of the door when he nearly appears out of nowhere in front of me, making me stop and fall back. I stare, waiting for him to talk since he’s out of breath and acting really weird.

  “What’s up?” I ask him as I stand there, glaring in confusion. He walks next to me, not saying a word. I head towards the student center while he trails on my heels like he’s scared of being alone. “Whatever. Stay silent, weirdo,” I mutter as I continue to walk to lunch.

  We have to go outside to get to the lunch room, so I exit the building and enter into the freezing cold Arctic air. I’m really over the winter season. Bring on the shorts and tees, because this whole negative degree weather is taking a toll on me. Mikey grabs my hand, taking me off guard, and I pull it back not wanting to lead him on.

  “What was that for?” I stop and ask him, my brows wrinkling, not knowing what’s going on in this guy’s head.

  “Oh, I just needed to distract you,” he says and then runs away from me. I watch him run back to where we came from. I look forward and am stunned when I spot Kara, Megan, and Lisa running towards me. I hear them yelling something, but I can’t make out their words with the competing wind. Kara wields her hands up in the air towards me, but I don’t know what she’s trying to say.

  I start walking towards them but stop in my tracks, when I see a group of guys flanking them, bags on their backs filled with white balls falling out. I realize they’re snow balls and stress, not wanting to get hit. Damn it. This is all because of the prank war; I just know it.

  “Run!” Kara yells when they’re a few feet in front of me. I turn and sprint towards the building I came from, but when I get to the doors a second later, I see Mikey on the inside, holding the doors shut so there’s no escape. I reach for the handle anyway and start jiggling it, getting flustered, but it’s no use. We’re cornered.

  “It’s locked,” I tell Kara when she gets close enough to me.

  “We have to fight back.” Lisa reaches down on the ground and grabs a handful of snow. The guys are close, so we jog behind the building and start making snow balls. It’s not even worth it, though, because the boys get to us before we can even make one.

  “You try to prank us, you get destroyed!” Carter yells, tackling Lisa onto the floor and pummeling her with snowballs to the face. I spot Mikey coming towards to me, and I turn and run, screaming as I go. I laugh at how juvenile we’re being but it’s scary when you’ve got a big dude running after you with snow balls.

  He nails me on the back with enough force that it pushes me forward. I can’t catch my fall, so I dive head-first onto the snow. I flip so I’m on my back to protect myself. Mikey looms over me, a mischievous look in his face. I decide to plead for my life.

  “Please, please, please don’t attack me,” I grovel, sticking out my lower lip. I push my hands up in front of me defensively, so I can at least protect my face.

  “What will you do for me?” He steps back a pace to give me room.

  “What do you want?”

  “A kiss.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

  “I don’t know…” I say as I weigh my options. I think I’d rather take a snowball in the face than kiss Mikey when I already have enough going on in the love department. I can’t love anyone more than Ari or Ollie, so it’s pointless to get Mikey involved.

  “I’m not asking you to marry me. Come on. A kiss on the cheek for your best friend Mikey,” he eggs me on.

  “Fine,” I relent. “But nothing more. I’m serious.”

  He reaches out a hand to me, and I take it, getting up onto my feet. He pauses, pointing to his cheek, and I lean in and kiss it. I thought he might turn and trick me into a real kiss, but he’s a perfect gentleman. He lifts me up in his arms, spins me around, and then places me back on the ground, smiling like he won the lottery.

  “Let’s see where the others are.” Mikey grabs my mittened hand and leads us towards the others. I let him lead me, but in the back of my mind, the warning bells shoot off. When we get back to the group, Kara is drenched and Lisa looks livid.

  Megan is giggling off to the side with Shane. I watch as Shane leans down and kisses Megan on the lips. She smiles at him as he holds her, whispering something private in her ear. Her eyes flutter shut as he peppers kisses up her neck. They’re perfect together—so happy.

  I walk to Kara’s side, and she swings her arm around my shoulders, using me to ho
ld herself up. Lisa and Megan both come over to us while the boys walk in their own pack in front of us. We all head to lunch hour together, looking like we just walked through a bomb zone of water. I don’t really care though. It was fun, and I like having friends. Plus, I needed a shower.

  I meet up with Kara on the way to strength training, which has become my favorite class despite all the physical activity. “We have a plan to mess with the little bastards,” Kara bends down and whispers in my ear. I pull back astonished that they already came up with a plan.

  “What is it?” I ask her as we enter the locker room. I drop my bag on the floor and then crack my locker open.

  “Shh. Megan’s getting the supplies,” Lisa says as she follows behind us.

  “What are we doing?” I ask her.

  “You’ll see. All you need to know is we have heels.” Lisa gives me an evil smile. I return it, but I really have no idea what the heck she’s talking about. Does she plan on stabbing them?

  We all get dressed fast, and right before the late bell rings, Megan rushes into the room and drops two bags on the floor. Lisa picks one up and shoves it into her locker, secretively.

  We walk into the gym together and sit in our usual spots on the bleachers. Magdelina calls for class to start and takes Kara and Megan away, leaving only Lisa and myself for the girls. Mikey comes over sits next to me, which has Lisa rolling her eyes at him. She looks like she wants to talk but doesn’t—probably because of Mikey’s presence.

  “So, we’re going to practice using special powers. I know some of you don’t have yours yet, and that’s fine. You will still find this lesson useful,” Ari speaks to the group of us.

  “This is awesome,” Mikey whispers, his face alight with excitement.

  “Let’s work with our partners. First, explain your powers and then I’ll come around and help,” Ari announces. We all break off in our pairs and start the lesson.

  “Do you have a power yet?” Mikey asks me. His leg is jiggling like he’s nervous but in a good way since he’s smiling.