Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel)

by Light

  “Christian, don’t do anything,” she pleaded. “He’s upset.”

  Rome growled at him, elbowing him in the gut as he tried locking his arms around his back. “I’m so fucking tired of your shit,” he bit out. He spun around and slammed Christian back against the wall. He was still huddled over, holding his stomach, when suddenly his arms wrapped around his legs. Christian lifted him up, tackling him to the ground. Rome landed in a large, murky puddle of water. The pavement was biting into his skin and Christian was winding back to take a swing at him.

  “Fuck!” Christian exclaimed. Rome had moved his head at the last second, leaving his fist to crash full force into the concrete. Pain shot out through his hand and halfway up his arm. In his stupor, Rome had flipped him onto his back, and he could hear Aria screaming at them to stop.

  “You are such a fucking asshole!” Christian yelled.

  Rome’s eyes were blazing gold, and he was growling so deeply he didn’t even sound like a man anymore. His fist collided with Christian’s jaw despite his attempt to block the hit.

  “Stop!” Ariahna pleaded.

  Rome hooked his fingers around the collar of Christian’s fancy jacket, shoving him challengingly into the pavement. “I hate you,” he breathed, pushing up from the ground and staring down at him. Aria fell to her knees at Christian’s side, touching his face gently. And for a second, it was like he was looking at a scene from someone else’s screwed up life. Henry may not have been his father, but in this moment, Rome knew he wasn’t any better than him. “I’m sorry,” he said, taking several slow steps backwards. Aria wasn’t meeting his eyes, and he decided that whatever he’d see when she did wasn’t something he could handle right now.

  He ran all the way to the parking lot.

  Rome jumped behind the wheel of his car, peeling away in a mess of squealing tires. When he reached the junction to the highway, he found himself at an impasse. He couldn’t figure out if he was going back to Vardel, or if he was going to turn tail and run. Henry was no longer his responsibility. He could go anywhere; maybe south, towards Florida, or west towards Hollywood. Redwood Bay would be only too happy to see him go. He had enough money saved up to get him far enough away that no one would even know his name. He sat there as the engine rumbled, his foot pressed against the brake. He was thinking about Ariahna, and Kaleb, and even Christian. In less than a week, they had wiggled their way into his life.

  “Damn it,” he muttered, flipping off the person honking angrily behind him. He whipped his car towards the school, still unsure what he was doing. He argued to himself that even if he was going to leave, he needed to get his stuff. By the time Rome got back, the video of his father at the restaurant had all but gone viral. People were staring at him as he walked up and ripped the doors open, and he could hear his own voice filtering through grainy cellphone speakers.

  Fuck taking the stairs, he thought.

  He stepped into the elevator, taking it up to the third floor alone. He reached his room in what felt like record time, tearing off the dirty tank top as he slammed the door behind him.

  Kaleb popped up from where he’d been reclining on Rome’s bed.

  “You smell like pasta,” he remarked.

  Rome startled. “What the hell are you doing in my room?”

  “I’d think that would be obvious. I was waiting for you.”

  “Do you already know?”

  Kaleb smirked at him in response.

  “That you look amazing shirtless?” he said. “Yeah, I knew that.”

  Rome tensed. It was this kind of shit that had gotten him in this situation in the first place. “I’m leaving,” he decided, walking across the room and opening his closet. “I’m getting so fucking far away from this town, and these people, and all this magical, supernatural, vengeful ghost bullshit.”

  “No,” Kaleb said, slipping off the bed and closing the closet with force. “You’re not. You’re staying right here. If I can’t leave, you can’t leave. I’m not going to let you leave me to put up with all of this on my own.”

  Rome pressed his forehead against the cool glass with a sigh, fogging up the mirror before rolling his body around languidly to face him. “You know, what you said to me before, it’s true. I am worthless, and ugly. I don’t look good without a shirt on. I’m mangled and disgusting and no one in their right mind would want me,” he said bitterly, staring up into his eyes. “My own father hates me. And it turns out you were right, he’s not even my father. No one gives a shit what happens to me. They don’t even care if I live or die, or if I’m being assaulted in the middle of a restaurant. I’m fucking trash, I’ve always been trash, and I’ll never be anything but trash.”

  Kaleb frowned at him unhappily. “You’re not trash. I’ve known trash. You don’t even come close. And those things I said…” Kaleb stared down at his boots, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “I was mad.” He couldn’t bring himself to say the words. “You’re not mangled and disgusting. Or maybe I’m just out of my mind,” he said, glancing up at him nervously. “But I want you.”

  Rome was speechless. He felt like a hypocrite. He’d said and done all these things, he’d spoken up about not caring what others thought, and he’d even called everyone else out on being close-minded and scared. He supported the right to love someone else regardless of their gender, and yet what was he doing? He was staring back at a person that he thought he might actually have feelings for, and the only thing stopping him from admitting it, was the fact that he was a guy.

  “I don’t…”

  There were so many things Rome could think of to finish that sentence. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know what you want me to do, or how I’m supposed to feel. But what came out was, “I don’t like you like that.” He clenched his jaw, closing his eyes. Maybe it was just because of what had happened with his father, but he was actually waiting for Kaleb to hit him. After that, he felt like he deserved it.

  Kaleb laughed quietly before staring out at the room. “I know,” he said. “You know I didn’t really mean that,” he added, fumbling to cover what might have been the first hint of something genuine that he’d shared in years. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do for friends? Tell them things they want to hear?” They both knew that was shit. If Rome was kind, he’d let him keep his lie. Kaleb was praying he was kind.

  “Don’t start thinking you actually mean something to me, because you don’t. I’m a shameless flirt. I like sex and the sound of my own voice, and most of all, I like to make people uncomfortable. And those are just a few items on the long and varied list of my flaws. Neither of us is perfect. No one is, in fact.” Kaleb turned away from Rome, straightening out his jacket and brushing his hair back over his shoulders. “You shouldn’t leave,” he concluded. “It would be an annoyance, finding someone else to play with.”

  Kaleb wasn’t the kind to be timid about how he felt. He was loud, and more than often opinionated, and he didn’t mind being the one running the show. He actually preferred it that way. Rejection didn’t bother him. He’d lived off a steady diet of rejection and prejudice since he was a child. If anyone else had said that to him, he would have fought the issue, thrown them into bed and fucked them until they changed their mind. That was why he was so baffled by his reaction to Rome’s statement. When Rome had said that, for the first time in a long time, it actually hurt. And he didn’t know where to put that emotion.

  “Kaleb, I don’t know what I’m going to do in the morning, but… if I decide to leave, do you want me to say goodbye, or just slip out?”

  “If you think you’re going to leave, come see me.”

  If it came down to it, he’d find a way to change his mind.

  Chapter 25

  Everyone was down at dinner by the time Ariahna got back to her room. She unlocked her door and shuffled Christian inside, thankful that there was no one around to see them. He had a split lip and a bad attitude thanks to his encounter with Rome, and she was hoping to re
medy both. “Sit,” she said gently, motioning him towards the bed. She looked at his lip with remorse, wondering how she could have let this happen. Tonight hadn’t gone quite as planned. Nothing ever did when it came to them.

  “Let me find you a tonic. I think I have one in my drawer.”

  Christian watched her flit away from his side to rummage through her things. Thankfully, the car ride hadn’t been as eventful as their date, though it had been as awkward. He hadn’t spoken to her since they’d left the restaurant. He didn’t know what to say. She’d been kissing Rome, touching Rome, and it made him aggravated and pissed beyond belief. They couldn’t even have one night together without him, one night where he was the only person who mattered.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered suddenly. He sighed and accepted the potion from her. “Christian,” she said, “I had a nice time tonight, before... all of that. I’m glad you asked me out. I’m glad you took a chance.”

  Christian grabbed her wrist, pulling her close. He wasn’t really mad at her. He was mad at Rome. The throbbing pain in his jaw reminded him of that. “Oh for three,” he remarked wryly. “It’s like the universe is trying to tell me something, but I’m just a little too dense to get the message.”

  She bit her lip guiltily. “Life was easier before boys,” she decided.

  Christian laughed.

  “Easier, sure, but where’s the fun in anything easy?”

  “He really got you,” she said, brushing her thumb across his jaw.

  Christian grit his teeth. “I let him get one in. I figured he needed it, after being pushed around and humiliated. I’ll bet he feels better now.”

  “I doubt it,” she mumbled. She closed her eyes and Rome’s vibrant gold irises were staring back at her. She could hear that growl, feel the power in his voice and the insistence of his words. He’d said they belonged together. The truth was, they were cursed to be. There was a difference.

  “If you’re feeling better, you should go.”

  “Or maybe we could just talk for a while? It’s not like I exactly got the chance to kiss you goodnight at the door and make sparks fly. But I figure we could at least have twenty minutes of uninterrupted conversation. That is, if the universe decides to show us some mercy.”

  Christian slipped his dirty jacket off and his tie, setting them on the floor like it was his own room. He didn’t even realize how comfortable he was making himself. “I’m sorry about your dress.” He reached over and snagged a tissue off her nightstand, reaching up to wipe away the mascara still staining her cheeks. “Why don’t we clean you up and get you into some dry clothes? I’d really feel like a jerk if you got sick again.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Ariahna said, examining her dirty dress. “Let me slip out of this and then we can talk.” She opened her closet and pulled out some fresh clothes, setting them on top of her dresser. The sensation of Christian’s eyes on her pulled her out of her thoughts. “Turn around,” she said in amusement. “I didn’t have that much wine.”

  “Right, sorry.” Christian slipped his shoes off and laid down on the far side of her bed, facing the window. He could see her reflection in the glass, and he couldn’t bring himself to look away. He could see her fighting with the zipper going down the length of her spine. It was caught on the fabric of the dress. “You almost done?” he asked casually.

  Aria huffed in frustration and tried to slip out of the dress with it half unzipped. She wiggled and squirmed, but she couldn’t pull it down over her hips. This was so embarrassing. She leaned against the closet door, resting her forehead over her knuckles before turning to look at Christian’s back. She wasn’t going to end this night with any sort of dignity, she realized. “I, um… I can’t get it off.” He glanced at her over his shoulder, and she crossed her arms quickly over her chest, turning away.

  Christian walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders, smoothing his palms down over the tops of her arms. “I got it,” he whispered, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He unsnagged the fabric in the zipper and let the dress fall to her ankles. She was standing in front of him in nothing but her underwear, and he could feel his heart starting to race. He could actually feel his hands shaking as he mapped his fingers down her back. He wanted nothing more than to press hot kisses over her spine.

  “Christian,” she breathed.

  “Aria,” he whispered back. He pulled her hair away and his lips found her neck, hands gliding over her sides and pulling her back against his body. “You smell so good,” he said.

  She swallowed as his lips moved over her throat and his hands swept over her stomach, dipping down into the crease of her thighs. She turned in his arms, gazing into endless brown eyes and admiring his full, parted lips. “Do you want that goodnight kiss?” she whispered.

  He cradled her jaw in his palm, kissing her softly in answer.

  The world felt like it was spinning as she wrapped her arms around his neck, stumbling with him over to the bed. The back of her knees hit the mattress, and they toppled over onto the smooth sheets.

  Christian panted into her mouth, moaning breathlessly. She was touching him, and he’d never been so nervous. Nothing had ever felt this good. He could feel her desire, and it was stirring up a fire inside of him, leaving him yearning for more. He started fumbling with the buttons on his own shirt. He wanted nothing more than for Ariahna to touch him in more intimate places. He wanted to feel her hands move down his taut stomach and dip dangerously into his waistband. He wanted her to take it nearly all the way and then tease him until he begged. “Touch me,” he pleaded.

  Aria moved her hands over his skin uncertainly. She didn’t know what she was doing. She’d never done anything like this before. Christian guided her hand down towards his hips until her fingers were brushing over the edge of his pants. Her heart was beating heavily in her chest.

  What if she did it wrong? What if he laughed at her? Why was she even doing this? He pressed passionate kisses over her collarbone and she tipped her head to the side to allow him better access. He tore his shirt off, tossing it onto the floor as her palm slipped over the fly of his pants. She pulled away instantly, holding her hands at her sides.

  “Christian, I don’t—” He cut her off with a fiery kiss, his tongue slipping back into her mouth and battling with her own. He was making her feel weak and light-headed. His fingers started gliding along the back of her thigh and she moaned softly, gasping as he pressed himself between her legs. He was rubbing them together tortuously, and Aria was getting feverish at the friction. She wanted to shove him away, but she was quickly being swept away by desire.

  Christian teased agonizingly at the sensitive skin just below her breast. He wanted to make her hot. He wanted her so aroused that all she could think about was being completely naked with him. His lips found the perfect curve of her neck and he sucked gently on the skin, rubbing his arousal against the thin fabric of her panties.

  Ariahna knew she was getting in over her head. She knew she should say something, anything, to make this stop, but all that ghosted across her lips was his name. “Christian,” she begged, shocked by the desperation in her voice. She blushed at how quickly he reached underneath her and unlatched her bra, exposing her skin. He was claiming her greedily with his eyes and she covered herself with an arm, looking shyly away.

  “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered, pulling her arm back and kissing down her chest. Her head fell back against the mattress as he locked his soft, wet lips around her nipple. He was sucking and licking her into his mouth, and kneading her other breast in his palm. Ariahna shuddered beneath him, fingers slipping into his hair as she arched off the bed. He could feel the burning pleasure spreading through her body. Nothing had ever felt so thrilling, so dangerous. She was delicate, and her skin was as soft as silk. Christian knew no one had ever touched her like this, made her feel like this. His fingers slid down over her hip, provoking a near painful throbbing between her legs. She was aching for him and mewling softly whenever he rolled hi
s hips against her.

  “Please,” Aria cried, hands slipping down his muscled back and finding the top of his boxers. She tugged suggestively at the material. She couldn’t believe what she was doing, what she was asking for, but she felt like she might die if he didn’t give it to her.

  Christian reached down and unzipped his pants slowly as she watched with a timid fascination. The thought alone of her seeing him left him excited. “Don’t look away,” he breathed. He stood up, letting his pants fall to the floor along with his boxers. Christian bit his lip, gliding his hands down over his own body. “Do you want to touch me?” he asked, his voice as gentle as a caress.

  She exhaled nervously, nodding as she scooted over to the edge of the bed. She sat in front of him, eyes locked on his body as a deep, red blush claimed her cheeks. She glanced up at him and then quickly back down as she reached out to touch him, ghosting her hands up over his thighs. She was scared – excited, and scared. She closed a shaking hand around his shaft, stroking over him with inexperienced fingers.

  Christian’s face was screwed up in pleasure. A hot breath escaped his lips on a shudder. “Oh god,” he breathed, letting his eyes slip closed. He looked down at her after a few timid strokes, gently touching the side of her face. He brushed his thumb over her lips, suggesting with the drop of his gaze what he’d like her to do next. “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to,” he said. “But if you do, I promise I’ll return the favor.”

  Ariahna looked up at him reluctantly and shook her head. She wasn’t ready to do that, and she certainly didn’t want whatever he was suggesting he’d do in return. “Maybe we should stop,” she said apprehensively.

  “It’s okay,” he said, laying her back on her pillow. He got on top of her and started leaving tender kisses down her body. Ariahna whimpered softly as his mouth and fingers reached her hips, closing her legs weakly. Her hands were reaching for him as though she were trying to pull him up. “Shhh,” he breathed. “Just relax. I promise it’ll feel good.” She was writhing beneath him, aroused and needy. He kissed over her wet panties before working to slide them down her legs. “I want to make this pleasurable for you,” he said sensually. She let him touch and kiss her, teasing around her until his tongue brushed slowly against her most sensitive skin. Ariahna let out a startled moan, and he hummed happily between her legs. She was already so wet, but he knew the more aroused he could make her the better.