Eternal Choice: (The Cursed Series, Book 2)

by Kara Leigh Miller

  Me: BETTER. STILL A LITTLE SORE BUT I’LL BE FINE.

  Simon: GOOD. He added the emoji with the heart over its lips.

  Jaxon leaned over and peeked at my phone. He raised a brow but didn’t say a word. The look in his eyes said everything he didn’t, though. I glared at him. He leaned back, hands up in a show of surrender.

  “What?” I snapped.

  “You’re going to break his heart, you know?”

  I didn’t bother responding to that.

  “What about the other guy? What’s going to happen with him?” Jaxon asked.

  “Nothing.” Admitting that had a knot forming in my stomach. “Because I’m leaving in a month.”

  At that, Jaxon’s eyebrows shot up with surprise. “You are? Where are you going?”

  “Back home, to Keene Valley. As soon as I’m eighteen, I’m out of here.” I slid my phone into my bag.

  Jaxon was unusually silent, and I glanced over at him. His face was stoic, but the vein in his temple throbbed. “You’re just going to walk away from your life here?” he asked.

  I nodded. “I hate it here.” My tone was vehement. “I mean, Simon’s nice, and I actually like talking to you, even though you annoy me.” I stuck my tongue out at him, and he laughed. “But I don’t belong here.” My voice dropped with sadness, and I hung my head.

  “What’s so great about Keene Valley?” he asked, his tone sympathetic.

  “Everything. It’s beautiful there, and peaceful. My family is there, and all of my friends. I miss them like crazy.”

  “And a boyfriend? Do you have one of those waiting for you back home?”

  I hesitated, my mind flashing back to that strange memory I’d had about going to the falls with a guy. I didn’t remember dating anyone during the short time I lived in Keene Valley, and that didn’t seem like something I’d forget.

  “No,” I said finally. “No boyfriend waiting for me. Just family and friends.”

  “Hmm,” he hummed.

  The sound swirled around me, making me dizzy. He sounded exactly like Trent just now. I began to question again whether he was lying to me about having a brother. It was stupid for him to lie about that, or for me to get hung up on it, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

  “Has Simon asked you to stay?” he asked, breaking through my thoughts.

  “Not outright, but he’s hinted at it.”

  “What if this new guy asked you to stay? Would you?”

  “Yeah, like that’s going to happen.” A girl could wish, though. “So… you really don’t have a brother?” I asked, eyes narrowing slightly. “The night of the charity event, the guy told me he had a brother. They were there together.”

  He averted his gaze, and my stomach twisted. He was lying to me. I knew it! The silence stretched, and I shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

  “Jaxon?” I asked, my tone sharp.

  He sighed and dragged his hand through his hair. “He’s my twin brother,” he said.

  My jaw dropped. “Trent is your twin brother?” My voice was laced with disbelief and anger. “Why did you lie to me about that?”

  Finally, he jerked his gaze back to mine. “I didn’t lie to you, Chloe. It simply never came up before.”

  “I literally asked you just a few minutes ago if you had a brother, and you said no.” Restlessness spread through my limbs, and I shifted again. “Why would you do that?” Then, another thought slammed into my brain. “Wait… if Trent’s now going to my school, does that mean…?”

  “No.” Jaxon shook his head. “I’m not going to your school,” he said.

  “Do you actually go to Malibu high, or was that a lie, too?” I asked, crossing my arms.

  He remained silent.

  Anger burned in my chest. How was any of this possible? It couldn’t be a coincidence, could it? How did Trent’s brother just happen to find my ad and hire me to tutor him days before I met Trent? Nothing about this made any sense, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was some sort of pawn in whatever game they were playing. But why me?

  “Look, I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’m done.” I stood, snatched my bag from the floor, and flung the strap over my shoulder. “You and your brother can find someone else to mess with.”

  “Chloe, wait.” Jaxon was on his feet in a flash. He clutched my elbow, stopping me from making my escape.

  I glanced to where his hand held my arm, then up at him. “The only way I’m staying is if you explain what’s going on. And don’t you dare lie to me again.” I jerked out of his hold and crossed my arms.

  “I can’t tell you anything. Not yet,” he said, his expression conflicted. “I’m sorry.”

  “Whatever.” I huffed and shook my head. “You better start looking for a new tutor, because I quit.” And then I walked out of the bookstore.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

  Tension or Chemistry?

  I STOOD STARING INTO MY LOCKER, my mind shifting from total blankness to overwhelming confusion. I hadn’t slept much last night; I was still reeling over the fact that Jaxon was Trent’s twin brother. Though, it made sense looking at both of them—there was no denying the family connection.

  And what was it that Jaxon couldn’t tell me? Clearly, he knew something or else he wouldn’t have said that. I shook the thoughts from my head and tried to focus on grabbing the stuff I needed for my first class.

  “There you are.” Simon approached and slipped his arm around my waist. “How’s your face?”

  “Better.” I smiled and took a small step away from him, from his embrace.

  My cheek still stung a bit, but it wasn’t swollen or bruised. There was a small mark, though, like a scratch, which I had no idea how I’d gotten. My eye, however, was a tad puffy.

  We headed down the hall and stopped outside of my class. “I want to take you out on a date,” Simon said.

  “Simon… We’re friends,” I said as delicately as possible.

  In my mind, I could see Jaxon giving me an arrogant smirk, an I-told-you-so in his expression. I hated that he’d been right about this situation with Simon. And I really hated that I was even thinking about him right now when I was still livid with him for lying to me.

  “Friends can date,” Simon said.

  “No, they can’t.” I laughed. “That’s literally the exact opposite of what friends do.”

  He leaned against the wall, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other wrapped around the strap of his backpack. “So, what can friends do then?”

  I shrugged. “Hang out, I guess.”

  “Semantics.” He straightened. “But okay, fine. Will you hang out with me this weekend?”

  I smiled despite myself. Simon was fun—unlike Trent, who was always so intense. And if I was being honest, a little scary, too. And Simon wasn’t a liar like Jaxon, so that was an added bonus.

  “I suppose so,” I said.

  Simon laughed. “Love your enthusiasm.”

  “It’s hard to be excited when I have no idea what you’re planning.”

  “That’s called a surprise, and they’re fun.” He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my uninjured cheek.

  Instinctively, I leaned away from him. Hurt flashed across his face, and I frowned. “Friends, remember?” I said as softly as possible. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt his feelings.

  “Right.” He nodded.

  “We can still hang out, though,” I said quickly. Pushing away my only friend wasn’t the smartest thing I’d ever done, but I needed him to know that’s all he was to me—a friend.

  “Saturday night. Six o’clock.” And then he walked away.

  I watched, a sad smile on my face.

  Until I realized he was around. Trent. I didn’t have to see him to know. I could feel him, and that was unnerving. My smile faded as I turned, searching for him.

  He stood at the other end of the hallway, his gaze zeroed in on me. How long had he been watching me and Simon? Did he
see Simon kiss me? If so, then he must’ve seen me pull away. Still, inexplicable, intense panic clawed at my chest.

  Then, Trent stalked toward me, his gaze never wavering from me. He moved around the students in the hallway with grace and precision, almost like he could sense them without having to actually look at them. It was the most fascinating thing to watch.

  He stopped in front of me and smiled, and now my heart was the thing trying to claw its way out of my chest. I shrank against the wall, not because I was afraid of him, but because I was legitimately worried my legs would give out.

  Propping his hand on the wall above my head, he leaned down. “You said something at Simon’s yesterday that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about.”

  “Uh, okay…” I said slowly.

  “You said, and I quote, ‘We can’t do this.’”

  “Yeah.” I narrowed my eyes. “So?”

  “So, you said can’t, not that you didn’t want to.” His eyes sparked with desire, and then darkened infinitesimally.

  Okay, that was just a little bit hot. I turned toward him, craving his nearness, even if this was the strangest conversation I’d ever had.

  “What’s your point?” I asked.

  “Did you want me to kiss you?”

  Yes! But I clamped my lips shut. If I told him I wanted him to, he might actually try to kiss me right here in the middle of the hallway where everyone could see us. Not that I really cared if anyone saw us, but I knew it would hurt Simon’s feelings.

  “Does it matter?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. Does it?” He raised a brow.

  “No, it doesn’t.” I crossed my arms.

  That was a lie, though. It mattered to me quite a bit. I’d give anything to feel Trent’s lips on mine right now, to know if they were as soft as they looked.

  “Then why are you looking at me like that?” He leaned a little closer, and I fought the urge to swoon.

  “Like what?” Apparently, my conversational skills had packed up and left.

  He bent down so his mouth was near my ear, and I couldn’t suppress the small groan that escaped when his warm breath tickled my skin.

  “Like you’re imagining what it would feel like to kiss me,” he said, his voice raspy.

  I sucked in a sharp breath. Every nerve in my body was on high alert, wound so tight I was afraid to move for fear of exploding. Tension sizzled between us, or maybe it was undeniable chemistry—I wasn’t sure considering I’d never felt anything so intense before.

  “All you have to do is ask,” he whispered.

  And with those words, I snapped out of whatever daze I’d been in. I’d heard those words before—from him. I was positive of that, though I had no idea how. Or why. I placed my hands on his chest and gave him a firm shove. He barely moved, but it was enough for me to wiggle away from him.

  “You’re insane,” I said.

  He laughed.

  Spinning on my heel, I walked into class, but I couldn’t shake what had happened. In fact, I thought about it all morning. If Trent really wanted to kiss me, why didn’t he just do it? I’m sure he must know that I wouldn’t stop him again.

  Ugh. And I’d been so rattled by him I’d totally forgotten to ask him about Jaxon. I shook my head, frustrated and disappointed with myself.

  When lunch rolled around, Trent and Simon were waiting for me in my usual spot. Yeah, this wasn’t going to be the least bit uncomfortable. I considered turning and running back into the closest building and hiding out in the bathroom until lunch was over. But then Trent looked up and met my stare. So much for hiding.

  I plastered a smile on my face and sat down between the two of them. “So… what’s going on?”

  “I’m trying to convince Trent we should hang out today,” Simon said. “All of us.”

  Right, because that had worked out so well yesterday.

  “Oh, I have to help my stepmom today,” I said quickly, relieved I’d been able to come up with a believable lie.

  “See? Chloe can’t even do anything,” Trent said. He leaned back on his hands, his arm brushing mine as he did.

  A wave of heat cascaded up my arm and erupted on my neck. Why did I react this way to Trent but not Jaxon? And why did I feel like I knew Trent but not his brother? Because if I did know Trent, then I would know Jaxon, too, right? I desperately wanted to ask him, but I couldn’t necessarily do so with Simon sitting next to me.

  “We can still hang out,” Simon said.

  “Yeah, Trent,” I said, taking pleasure in the fact that I now had something I could use to unsettle him as much as he had me this morning. “You should hang out with Simon. You two are friends after all.”

  “Exactly,” Simon said. “Just like me and Chloe. We’re friends, and we’re hanging out this weekend.”

  I cringed, wishing Simon hadn’t said that. Though I wasn’t sure why. I didn’t have anything to hide or be embarrassed about. He was right—we were two friends hanging out. Nothing more. Besides, it wasn’t like I owed Trent any explanations.

  “Is that so?” Trent said, his voice cool. “Well, then.” He straightened and pinned me with a heated stare. “You and I are friends. Are you going to hang out with me this weekend, too?”

  I took a deep breath, unsure how to answer that.

  Olivia sauntered over, and I groaned. She gave me a dirty look. “The feeling’s mutual,” she said.

  “Whatever.” I rolled my eyes.

  She turned her attention to her brother. “Simon, a word, please.” Her tone was curt, and she spun on her heel, walking away before he could answer her.

  “I’ll be right back,” Simon said as he stood.

  As soon as he was gone, I turned to Trent at the same time he turned to me, and our gazes collided. Mine was furious, but his was full of amusement.

  “What are you doing?” I hissed.

  “What do you mean?” he asked innocently, and I was struck by how similar he was to Jaxon. I seriously needed to figure out what was really going on.

  “I mean asking me out in front of Simon like that.” I waved my arm in the direction Simon had gone. “Did your brother put you up to it?”

  I wouldn’t put it past Jaxon to tell Trent all about my relationship with Simon. For all I knew, Jaxon told Trent to ask me out like that so Simon would get the hint we were only friends. I wanted to kill both of them for screwing around with my life like this.

  Trent’s eyes darkened, and I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. Why did I find that equally sexy and scary? I held my breath, waiting for what Trent would say to my accusation.

  “I thought you and Simon were just friends,” Trent said, his voice tight.

  “We are, but—”

  “But what?”

  “But…” I sighed, and my shoulders sagged. “I don’t know. It’s complicated, okay?”

  Trent stood. “Then do both of us a favor and un-complicate it.” Then he walked away, effectively ignoring my comment about his brother.

  I rested my head on my knees and exhaled all the pent-up frustration building inside of me. I hadn’t meant to make things that complicated between me and Simon. I liked him, but I didn’t like him the same way I liked Trent. Not that I could tell Trent that.

  Simon didn’t return, and the bell rang. I headed to my locker and found a Post-it Note stuck to the outside. I approached cautiously, fully expecting it to be something nasty Olivia and her friends had left for me. I snatched it down and read it.

  Sorry about lunch. I didn’t mean to upset you. ~ Trent

  My eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. I spun around, fully expecting to see him lurking in the hallway, but he was nowhere to be seen. I turned back to my locker and was hit with an intense wave of vertigo. I blinked to steady myself, but the moment wouldn’t pass, and memories shoved their way to the forefront of my mind.

  Opening my locker to find Post-it Notes stuck inside. Each one sweeter than the next, and one asked me to go out with him. Me feeling ut
terly giddy with excitement. A deep voice behind me. Spinning around to come face-to-face with another note. Laughing. Then arguing.

  My temples throbbed with a stabbing pain. I leaned my head against my locker and closed my eyes, trying to breathe through the onslaught of… whatever this was. What was wrong with me? Why did this keep happening?

  “Chloe? Are you all right?” Trent asked.

  I straightened at the sound of his voice. Concern filled his face, and all the breath rushed from my body like he’d reached deep into my chest and ripped it out of me.

  “I’m fine,” I said, then raced to my class, the note wadded in my hand. He was the very last person I could handle facing right now.

  Thankfully, nothing else weird happened the rest of the day, but I was emotionally drained in a way I couldn’t quite explain. Most of the students had already left, and I basked in the silent hallway.

  Declan was caught in traffic, which meant I was stuck here until he arrived. So, I took my time gathering my books and heading outside.

  I sat on the edge of the marble fountain that graced the front of the school and put my earbuds in. After the concert, I’d downloaded the Asking Alexandria album, and now, the hard, loud melody filled my ears. I had no idea how long I sat there, lost in my music, before my body tensed with knowledge.

  Trent.

  I yanked my earbuds out, and sure enough, he was sitting next to me. Not close enough for us to touch, but that didn’t really matter. My body was hyper-aware of him. Again.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  I raised a brow. “I’m just supposed to talk to you because you said so.” I shook my head. “I don’t think so.” I wrapped my earbuds around my phone and shoved them into my backpack before slinging it over my shoulder and standing. Truth was, I couldn’t handle talking to him right now. I would end up saying things I’d probably regret. “Goodbye, Trent.”

  He was on his feet and blocking my path quicker than I could blink. “Please, Chloe. It’s important.” His tone was pleading.

  I crossed my arms. It wasn’t like I could really go anywhere, so I stood there and waited for him to speak.