Cursed Hearts (A Crossroads Novel)

by Light

  Ariahna never wanted to find her way out.

  The last chord rung out in the air just as the door to the music room was thrown open. Apparently they’d had an audience. Rome was just about done with people interrupting everything. Was this part of the curse?

  “Well isn’t this heartwarming,” Dallas said. He stepped into the room as a small crowd filed in after him – Christian, Jesse and Scarlet. Kaleb stopped in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe.

  “Meanwhile,” Dallas continued, “I’ve been going crazy trying to find you two. Do you know where I’ve been? I drove all over town and back. I checked every gas station and rest stop from here to Bansworth asking if anyone had seen a redheaded girl or a crappy, beat-up car rolling through. I thought you ran away!”

  “You didn’t check the parking lot?” Rome asked. “My car is still here. It’s been here the entire time.”

  “Well… that thing’s so low… how am I supposed to see it behind all the regular sized cars?” Dallas complained.

  “You drive a BMW, my car is like a boat compared to that thing.”

  “Shut up.”

  “You get stupid when you’re worried, don’t you?”

  “Why did you think we ran away?” Ariahna asked.

  “You took off in the middle of the night and never came back to your room. You’ve been gone half the day, and you left your cellphone,” Dallas said, shaking the small device at her. “The whole purpose of having a cellphone is so that people can get ahold of you. That’s why I said you needed one, so we could avoid this.”

  “Can’t you see they were busy serenading one another?” Jesse smiled.

  Ariahna was embarrassed to realize they’d heard her singing.

  “And about that,” Dallas said. “Since when do you sing?”

  “Dallas, how long have you known me?” Aria said patiently.

  “…I’m not really sure. How long have I known you?” he mumbled.

  Aria gave up trying to make a point.

  “I told your dad I couldn’t find you,” he said reluctantly.

  “You what?” she exclaimed. “God, Dallas, did you tell him I was at a party, drinking too? Do you know what you’ve done? He’s going to question me now, and he’s going to find out what happened, and then I’m going to be shipped off to an all-girls school,” she said, throwing her hands into the air. “Are you really that stupid?”

  “I thought you were missing!”

  “I wasn’t missing,” Aria snapped. “I was... in the library.”

  “Yeah, okay. Go ahead and try to pass that one by Richard. Not even I believed that. And by the way, that was the first place I checked.”

  “Do you hang out in the library in last night’s clothes often?” Christian asked sourly. “Kind of an ironic song choice, don’t you think?”

  “Shows what you know,” Rome muttered. “Who the hell invited you, anyways? Who invited any of you, in fact? We can take care of ourselves.”

  Kaleb rolled away from the doorframe, walking off wordlessly.

  “Well excuse me for giving a damn,” Dallas breathed.

  “Alright, let’s tone down the hostility,” Jesse said. “Everyone’s safe and they love each other. There’s no need to kill and maim because you care. Besides, I got those books in you wanted. We just need to ride down to my cousin’s shop to pick them up.”

  “Already?” Rome said.

  “Yeah,” Jesse smiled. “Why do you think it’s called Import and Trade Co.? ‘Cause we import and trade, yo. Plus magic helps.”

  “You are such an idiot,” Dallas commented.

  “No, I just act like one. Anyways, we going or not?”

  “Uh, yeah,” Rome said, setting down the guitar. “Did you want to come with us?” he asked, turning to Aria. “Maybe we can look over them together? There might be something in there about the curse.”

  “I’d like that.”

  She was feeling hopeful for the first time in days, and she was more motivated than ever to find a way for them to be together.

  “I’m going,” Christian said resolutely.

  “No, you’re not,” Rome said.

  “In the last twenty-four hours, I’ve tripped on thin air and fallen down the stairs, nearly been mowed over by some idiot in a Jeep, and found glass in my scrambled eggs. I don’t need any more convincing. I believe that I’m a part of this curse, and I’m not leaving my life in your hands.” It was more than that, though. He honestly thought that what he was feeling had to do with whatever spell had been thrown on them. When he looked at Aria, his body ached. He felt horrible, like he just wanted to cry, or wrap her in his arms and never let go. It was the worst thing he’d ever felt, and he wanted it to stop.

  “You do realize that means you’re admitting you think we’re brothers?” Rome said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

  Christian remained silent.

  “So, Scarlet, you taggin’ along?” Jesse asked. “You could ride with me? I’ve got a motorcycle.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll pass,” she said. “Your cousin’s a creep.”

  “Yeah, that’s true,” he grinned. “Both of my cousins are kind of one stamp short of postal, if you know what I mean.”

  “Is that even a saying?” Rome asked.

  Jesse shrugged. “It is now.”

  “Can I change before we go?” Aria said, looking over at Rome. Her clothes were a little wrinkled, not to mention dirty, and she still didn’t have any shoes on. “I really don’t want to go into town like this.”

  “Yeah, sure. I’ll just wait out at my car.”

  Ariahna slipped out of the room, blinking back to her dorm as soon as she knew she was alone. She took a few moments to rifle through her closet, dissatisfied with everything she had to wear. It felt like it was all too old, or too fancy, or it was just going to look like she was trying too hard. She’d finally settled on a simple top and jeans when a soft knock came at her door. “Just a minute,” she said. She slipped the shirt on and opened the door to find Christian standing there, holding her sandals.

  “I had to fight Jason for these,” he smirked. “I don’t think he even intended to give them back.”

  “Thanks,” she mumbled weakly, taking the shoes from him and looking anywhere but at his face. They needed to talk, she realized. The realization was followed by the strong reminder that she never wanted to speak to him again. “…Can you actually come in for a moment?”

  “Uh, s-sure,” Christian stammered. He was a little confused. “Are we talking now? Because I want it noted that I tried that last night and that didn’t really go over so well for me.” His eyes drifted over to her bed and a sharp, constricting feeling squeezed at his heart. It was difficult being in here, after—“I’m sorry,” he said. “What did you want to talk about?”

  Ariahna set the shoes on her nightstand before retrieving his necklace from the top drawer. “You left this here,” she informed him, holding it out for him to take. She was stalling, and she knew it. He took the chain from her, wrapping it nervously around his fingers before slipping it over his head. “About the other night,” she started. “We didn’t exactly… practice safe sex. I mean, I’m not on the pill, and, there wasn’t a… a condom involved.” Her face was turning red as she spoke, but it needed to be said. “I’ve just kind of been freaking out ever since, wondering what I’m supposed to do if… My father would probably kill me. He’d definitely kill you.” She swept her hair anxiously over one shoulder, turning and pacing away from him. She stopped in front of the window, her fingers gripping at her elbows.

  “You have nothing to worry about,” Christian said. Despite his better judgment, he was slowly crossing the floor, inching closer to her. He drug his fingers along the edge of the desk as he passed, keeping his eyes on his shoes. “I want you to know… it didn’t mean nothing to me. It was just supposed to be sex, but every time I—” He bit his tongue. “What if I told you I thought I’d made a mistake?”

  “I’d tell you I t
hink I made one too,” she whispered. She turned to face him, trying to convince herself she wasn’t the one who should be feeling guilty. The way he was looking at her was making it hard to believe. “What do you mean, I have nothing to worry about?” She watched him slip a thick Celtic band off his finger, placing it on her upturned palm.

  “There are a surprising number of books on contraceptive magic,” he said. “The ring is enchanted. As long as I’m wearing it that can never happen.” She seemed dissatisfied by his answer.

  “How can you be sure it works? How do you know you even got the enchantment right? And what about STD’s, magical or otherwise? I’m not naive enough to think I was the first, or even the second person you’ve been with… You kind of have a reputation.”

  “I know it works because you aren’t the first,” he said, sounding upset. “And I don’t… have anything. I’m pretty immune to diseases.”

  “Well that’s comforting,” Ariahna mumbled. The way she said it suggested that it really wasn’t. “I guess that’s all I wanted to talk about.”

  ***

  Jesse turned in the passenger seat, shooting Rome a curious glance.

  “I can feel you staring,” Rome said. Jesse laughed in response.

  “So, did you…?” he asked, making crude gestures with his fingers.

  “No,” Rome said. “And stop doing that.”

  “But you’re not really a virgin, right?”

  “No—I mean, yes.” Rome sighed. “I’ve never had sex,” he clarified. “Why are we talking about this?”

  “And you said you didn’t need anything,” Jesse smirked, pulling his bag into his lap and flipping it smugly open. Rome frowned at him.

  “Are you going to pull a girl out of there or something?”

  “Sorry, I left the blowup doll in my room.”

  Gross, Rome thought.

  “I’m joking. So, what size do you need?”

  “…Size?”

  Jesse slapped a box of condoms down on Rome’s dash, reaching into his bag and pulling out half a dozen more. Some of the boxes were already open, and a few loose condoms spilled out onto the floor.

  “I can sell them individually or by the box, whatever you think you’re gonna need. Personally,” he said, leaning towards Rome, “I’d go for the box. It’s best to plan ahead, and I know a closeted freak when I see one. That girl wants it, bad.”

  “Watch what you fucking say,” Rome snapped.

  Jesse held his hands up innocently, smiling at him. “Hey, I’m freaky too. No harm meant. You, my friend, need to learn to speak guy. It’s all in good fun.” Rome was gazing intently at the cardboard boxes lining his dash. The way he was looking at them, you’d think they were whispering the secrets of the universe. “What’s on your mind?” he asked tentatively.

  “She said she’s not ready.”

  “Little late for that… Sorry, sorry.”

  Rome let it slide. “It’s just, if I get something like that, does that seem like I’m expecting it? I don’t want her to feel like I’m pressuring her.”

  “No, it means you’re being smart. What if she just walked up to you and said she was ready, and you were completely unprepared? Because I’ve had that happen, and let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than missing out just because you didn’t have a condom. Now, what’s your pleasure? I’ve got lubricated, non-lubricated, colorful ones, ribbed ones, ultra-thin, glow in the dark, flavored—”

  “Flavored?” Rome said, interrupting him. His head was spinning.

  “Hah, I knew you were a man of good taste.”

  “No, I—I just meant, why would you ever need flavored condoms?”

  “What, you think latex tastes good?”

  “I thought condoms were just for… you know.”

  “There is such a thing as safe oral sex, just not everyone practices it,” he remarked, lifting his eyebrows as he spoke.

  Rome rubbed a hand over his eyes.

  “I don’t even know what size I’d need.”

  “The things I do to make a sale,” Jesse grumbled. He sighed softly. “Okay, look. Condom size is pretty much based on how… thick you are.”

  He felt wrong even saying that to another guy.

  Rome picked up one of the boxes, glancing at a small size guide on the back. They outlined snug, regular, large, and extra-large in approximate inches. “I think I need an XL?” he said, clearing his throat.

  “You sure? You don’t need to try and impress me,” Jesse smiled.

  “Screw you,” Rome said, laughing self-consciously. He grabbed a single, lubricated condom from the box, slipping it into his wallet and slapping a couple dollar bills into Jesse’s hand.

  “One?” Jesse said. “You’re gonna be back, and soon, and then they’re going to cost more. You shoulda bought in bulk,” he said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I suffered through that awkward ass conversation for one condom. My sales skills are slipping.”

  “Shit,” Rome said. He could see Ariahna and Christian walking towards the car in his rearview. “They’re coming, put this crap away!”

  Jesse wrapped his arms around the boxes and swept them into his open, bottomless bag. He bent to pick up the few condoms scattered around his feet, smacking his head against the dash and cursing angrily.

  “Hurry the fuck up,” Rome whispered. Aria knocked on his window just as Jesse shifted in his seat, crossing his arms and trying to play it casual. No, we weren’t just talking about the size of my penis, he thought, smiling at her through the glass. His neck was turning red.

  “…Get in the back,” Rome said. “She’s sitting up front.”

  Ariahna got into the front seat after Jesse clambered into the back. Rome was already pulling out of the parking lot when she started fastening her seat belt. It was then that she noticed the shiny golden foil. A condom was stuck between the seat and the center console. She frowned at it, picking it up by the very corner. Big cursive letters read: For Her Pleasure.

  Rome’s eyes shot to the side, watching Ariahna dangle a single condom between her fingers. He felt like he was going into cardiac arrest. This was how he was going to die – embarrassment. He snatched it from her and tossed it out the open window in a moment of panic.

  The rest of the drive was completely silent.

  Import and Trade Co. sat on the corner of Grand and Main in a two story brick building. An old Laundromat occupied by some shady looking men leafing through magazines was its neighbor. A sign in the window read: Machines out of order. The rest of the street was barren. Several advertisements in the empty storefronts proclaimed they were for lease, but it seemed as though the properties had been abandoned for some time.

  “Does your cousin really own this place?” Aria asked, stepping onto the sidewalk and reaching for the glass door. A sensor beeped as she crossed the threshold, alerting whoever was manning the counter that they had customers. Jesse nodded.

  “He owns the Laundromat next door, too. But don’t go and try to wash any clothes there,” he laughed. Aria seemed confused.

  “Eh Johnny, ya favorite cousin’s ‘ere,” a man shouted up the stairs.

  Rome drifted through the shop, touching a few items as they approached the counter. The store was crammed with wall to wall shelves, and almost every available inch of floor space was occupied by tables, dressers, and other large items. Smaller objects and knickknacks littered their surfaces. Some of the items looked new, still in their boxes or plastic but covered in a light layer of dust. Others had obviously been pawned.

  It was an eclectic mix, to say the least.

  “Does he ever actually sell anything?” Christian asked.

  “Don’t ask stupid questions,” Johnny said, stopping on the last step with a creak. He took a drag off the cigarette pressed between his lips, blowing the smoke out towards the ceiling. “Who’s your friend?” he asked, nodding at Aria. Jesse went around the room introducing them all.

  Johnny’s eyes never left her.

 
Ariahna coughed lightly, trying to stifle the sound as he walked closer, bringing his cloud of smoke with him. The thing she noticed first was his eyes. They were dark, almost devoid of color, and fiercely intimidating. The burning cigarette reflected in those dark eyes, making them glitter as he stared back at her. Sharp, slanted eyebrows accentuated his strong bone structure, making the widow’s peak along his hairline seem somehow even more attractive. In several subtle ways, he reminded her of Jesse. He had the same black gauged earrings, tattoos stretching down both arms, and a similar shaven haircut with a longer length of hair atop his head. Unlike Jesse though, who swept his hair up and out, Johnny’s hair was smoothed suavely back. A few loose strands fell near his temples, and like his eyes, his hair was also dark. Something about it just looked entirely touchable, and she felt her fingers itching with the desire to find out if it was really as soft and healthy as it looked. He was smiling at her. She’d definitely been staring too long. She covered her mouth, turning to let out another cough as he stopped beside her.

  “This bothering you?” he asked, flicking some ash onto the floor.

  “No,” she choked.

  Johnny stubbed the cigarette out on the rough denim of his jeans, smirking as she followed the motion with her eyes. She blushed a second later, apparently realizing she’d nearly been staring at his crotch.

  Jesse cleared his throat. “We’re here for those books.”

  “They’re in the back room,” he said, “with all the other fun stuff.”

  No one had moved to go retrieve the books yet, and Johnny was still hovering too close to Aria for Christian’s comfort. He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her possessively to his chest.

  “Worried?” Johnny smirked, staring back at the kid.

  “You’re at least in your early twenties,” Christian said. “She’s underage. I think it’s you who should be worried if you don’t stop hitting on my girlfriend.”