Eternal Bond : (The Cursed Series, Book 3) Page 15

  “Remember that friend I told you about? The one I traveled with this summer?” I chewed on the inside of my cheek nervously as I waited for her to answer.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Well, she’s still in town for another couple of days, and she just invited me and Abby to sleep over tonight. Can we?” I glanced at Abby; she was holding her breath harder than I was.

  “Where is she staying?” Aunt Beth asked. “I’d really like to meet her before I let you two spend the night. And I’ll need to talk to her parents.”

  I refrained from groaning. I knew this was going to be her initial answer, but it still sucked to have to go through all of this just to spend the night at a friend’s house. I had no idea how Abby dealt with this her entire life.

  “There’s a house just outside of town that they rented temporarily. That’s where she’s staying.” My heart thundered harder with each lie I told.

  Jax really was right about me. I was a horrible liar.

  “I have her dad’s number I can give to you, and Abby and I can bring Whitney home later to meet you,” I added quickly.

  Abby grinned and gave me a thumbs up, but I wasn’t so sure about her enthusiasm. Aunt Beth could very well say no, and then what would we do?

  “Okay, send me her father’s number. What’s his name?”

  I hesitated, eyes wide with panic. I had no idea. “Sean,” I blurted, because it was the first name that popped into my mind.

  “All right. Let me talk to him, and I’ll let you know,” she said.

  “Thank you,” I said and ended the call.

  “Well, that went better than I thought.” Abby laughed. “You should let Whitney know she needs to meet Mom.”

  I smiled, the gesture mixed with gratefulness and sadness. The first time Abby had referred to Aunt Beth as “mom,” indicating she was my mother, too, it had been like she’d punched me straight in the lungs. I hadn’t been able to breathe through the pain, but now it wasn’t so bad. Aunt Beth was like a mom to me.

  “I will,” I said, but before I got the chance, Trent and Wyatt returned, picnic baskets and blankets in hand.

  CHAPTER TWENTY:

  A Façade of Lies

  “I’M SO STUFFED.” ABBY PUSHED THE bag of potato chips away and groaned. “Good thing we have a long walk back to the car.” She laughed.

  I yawned. “I could fall asleep out here.”

  The sun was high in the sky and beating down on the clearing, making it impossibly hot. We’d moved our blankets beneath a tree that offered shade, and now the temperature was perfect—not too hot, but not so chilly I needed a sweater.

  “So, take a nap,” Trent said.

  He was sitting behind me, his back propped against the base of the tree, and I was settled comfortably between his legs, my back to his chest.

  “I won’t go anywhere,” he whispered and leaned around to kiss my cheek.

  “Seriously, how are you still eating?” Abby stared at Wyatt with fascination.

  He hadn’t stopped eating since they’d brought the food back. Right now, he was tossing tiny cheese crackers into his mouth, catching every single one like a pro.

  “You think that’s bad, you should see how much Jax eats. It’s ridiculous,” I said. “One morning, he made French toast, and I swear he ate an entire loaf of bread all by himself.”

  Trent laughed, the sound rumbling through me. “Jax never stops eating.”

  “What can I say?” Wyatt shrugged. “I’m a growing boy.” He gave Trent a wicked, knowing grin.

  I watched as Abby began tossing food at Wyatt; he caught every piece she threw at him. She moved from crackers to grapes, then to peanuts, laughing at how Wyatt snatched each thing from the air.

  Trent nuzzled his face against mine, his mouth near my ear. “Go to sleep, if you want. I’ll be right here,” he whispered.

  Sighing, I snuggled closer. He knew I never slept well without him, and it was incredibly sweet of him to offer to sit there while I napped, but sooner or later, I was going to have to learn to sleep without his constant presence.

  “No, it’s okay,” I said.

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. Besides, knowing I could no longer spend all day every day with him, I didn’t want to waste the time we did have by sleeping.

  “Can you catch this?” Abby asked, and then she splashed water on Wyatt’s face, giggling uncontrollably.

  Wyatt wiped his face with his hand, leveled his gaze on Abby, and with a devilish grin said, “You’re gonna pay for that.”

  Abby was on her feet and running across the field, her shrieks of laughter livening the otherwise quiet afternoon. Wyatt shot up and went after her.

  I laughed. “Should we tell her she’s wasting her energy? There’s no way she can outrun him.”

  “Nah. Let them have their fun.” Trent once again leaned around, but this time, he captured my lips in a sweet kiss.

  Somehow, without ever releasing my mouth, he managed to shift us so I was flat on my back, and he was on his side, leaning over me, hand resting on my stomach. And I wasn’t even dizzy; maybe I was finally getting used to his superhuman speed.

  I reached up and removed his sunglasses, my breath hitching at how clear his eyes were. “That’s better.” I tossed the glasses to the side and ran my fingers through his hair.

  Moaning, he closed his eyes and tilted his head.

  “I really hope Aunt Beth lets us go to the sleepover tonight,” I said.

  “Me too.” Trent eased his hand up the hem of my shirt, his fingers grazing my flesh.

  My stomach hollowed, and goose bumps erupted beneath his touch. I trembled.

  “I can’t stand not having you close.” His thumb brushed over my belly button. “It scares me.”

  “Scares you?”

  He nodded, his fingers continuing to flutter across my stomach. “I have no idea what’s going to happen with Isach, or if the Rose Coven will come back for you. I can’t protect you when you’re at home.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I said.

  But as the words left my mouth, I knew they weren’t true. I had no idea if I’d be fine or not. I wasn’t as worried about Ivy and her coven as I was about Isach; he could decide at any moment to just kill me so I could never break the curse.

  “I can’t lose you, Chloe.” He swiped his lips across mine, a tender touch that sparked something deep inside of me. “I love you too much.”

  “You’re not going to lose me, Trent.” I gripped the back of his neck. “Not for a very long time anyway,” I whispered.

  He smiled sadly. “It’s not a long time for me.”

  There was way too much sadness in his tone, a total resignation to my fate that he’d finally accepted. And that was worse than anything else in the world—the knowledge that he was no longer trying to convince me to change.

  He was doing exactly as he’d always promised—he was letting me make the choice. Not that I had much of one anymore, but even if I did, we both knew what it would be.

  I tugged against his neck until his lips were on mine, but I couldn’t stop the tears that escaped. “I’m sorry.” I covered my face with my hands.

  “Hey.” He gently removed my hands from my face. “Why are you crying?”

  “I don’t know.” I wiped at my eyes. “I just… I hate that this is how things are between us. That no matter how happy we are right now, it won’t last. That we have to constantly wonder and worry who might show up next to force me to break the curse or threaten to kill me. Why can’t I just be normal? And, God, why can’t I stop crying all the time?” I let out a frustrated huff.

  “Well, at least your emotions aren’t heightened. That would make everything twice as bad,” he said.

  “That’s not funny.”

  He laughed. I smacked him, but I laughed, too.

  He pulled me up to a sitting position, kissed me briefly, and then hugged me. “We’ll figure this out, Chloe. I promise.”

  “Hey.”
Abby dropped to her knees next to us, panting. Wyatt was right behind her. “We should probably go get Whitney so she can meet Mom. Did you text her with the number?”

  “No.” I pulled away from Trent, but he didn’t let me get too far away.

  He wrapped his arm around me, tucking me to his side.

  “What number am I giving Aunt Beth?” I asked Trent.

  “Sean’s,” he said, and then recited the number.

  I texted the information to Aunt Beth, then texted Whitney to let her know what was going on. As expected, she eagerly agreed. We packed up, and the walk back to the car was mostly silent.

  My thoughts kept circling back to everything Trent had said to me, how he suddenly seemed okay with the fact that I was going to die someday. Guilt and indecision gnawed at me. If I pleaded my case to Isach, would he give in and let me change?

  The idea was becoming more and more tempting, but was that because it’s what I truly wanted? Or because I no longer had a choice and this was a case of wanting what I couldn’t have?

  Kind of like Jax.

  Fear punched at my heart, and I stumbled. Where had that thought come from? I didn’t want Jax.

  “Easy,” Trent said, stopping to ensure I wasn’t going to fall flat on my face.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention.”

  We reached the vehicles, and Trent and Wyatt loaded the picnic baskets and blankets into the back of Trent’s truck.

  “You’re picking up Whitney to take her back to your house, right?” Trent asked, keys clutched in his hand.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Then why don’t you ride with me,” Trent said.

  I glanced at Abby. “You okay with that? Wyatt can ride with you?”

  Her huge grin was the only answer I needed. “Yeah, I’m totally okay with that,” Abby said.

  Wyatt walked around and got into Abby’s car. It was amusing watching him fold his large frame into the front seat of her small car, but he managed, then gave us a thumbs up. Smiling, I climbed into Trent’s truck. He drove out of the parking lot and headed toward town.

  “You know, I’m probably going to have to wait until everyone falls asleep tonight and then sneak into your room,” I said.

  “As much as I really want you to do that, Whitney was extremely graphic in her explanation of what she’d do to me if I, and I quote, “stole you away from her” tonight.” He laughed and reached for my hand, entwining our fingers.

  “That sounds like Whitney, but she’s crazy if she thinks we can be in the same house and not end up together.”

  He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “Just knowing you’re under the same roof will make me feel better. We might have to both end up in the kitchen for a drink at the same time.” He winked.

  When we arrived at Trent’s house, Whitney was on the porch waiting for us. She bounded down the steps and all but dragged her brother out of Abby’s car.

  I leaned over and gave Trent a kiss. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Can’t wait.” He smiled.

  I got out of his truck and into Abby’s car, and then we were headed home. Abby was practically bouncing in her seat, and I knew she wanted to gush about Wyatt. She was probably nervous to do so in front of Whitney, though.

  “So, how did today go?” Whitney asked from the back seat.

  And that was all Abby needed to start talking. She explained, in excruciating detail, about how polite Wyatt was, how he held her hand, how she’d thrown food and water at him, and how he chased her, and when he caught her, he’d kissed her. I swore the girl didn’t stop to take a single breath.

  Whitney patted Abby’s shoulder. “I’m glad you had fun. My brother is pretty cool.” She turned her attention to me. “And I assume Trent is as dreamy as ever?”

  I sighed, unable to contain my smile. “Yes.”

  Whitney rolled her eyes. “Y’all are terrible.” But she laughed. “Okay, so tell me about your mom. What do I need to know?”

  For the remainder of the short drive, we filled Whitney in on Aunt Beth, how she was really nice but also strict when it came to letting us go places with people she didn’t know. We also warned her that there would be a list of rules we’d be expected to follow.

  “Don’t worry. I got this,” Whitney said as we pulled into the driveway. “Parents love me.”

  Simon had said the same thing to me once. What was he up to lately? Was he okay? I really wanted to call him and just say hi, see how he was, but I had no idea if he wanted to talk to me. For all I knew, he could’ve completely forgotten about me.

  We filed out of the car and into the house. “Mom, we’re home,” Abby called.

  Aunt Beth came down the stairs. “How was your day?”

  “Amazing,” Abby said, her face bright. “We had so much fun, didn’t we, Chloe?”

  I nodded. “Aunt Beth, this is my friend, Whitney. This is my Aunt Beth.”

  Whitney stepped forward like she wasn’t afraid of anything. “Hi, Mrs. Benson. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Chloe has said so many wonderful things about you.” She shook Aunt Beth’s hand.

  “Hello, Whitney. I actually just got off the phone with your father. He’s a very pleasant man.”

  I stifled a laugh. Though I hadn’t spent a ton of time with Sean, what little I did had been… interesting. There’s a certain inherent charm to him that can’t be explained.

  “Does that mean we can go to Whitney’s tonight?” Abby asked.

  “Yes, but there are rules,” Aunt Beth said.

  Whitney, Abby, and I shared a knowing look, barely containing our smiles.

  “Of course, Mom. Anything,” Abby said.

  “First, if you decide to go out tonight, please let me know ahead of time. Stay together, and be safe. Secondly, I want you to call or check in later, at least once. And finally, please be home no later than noon tomorrow,” Aunt Beth said, looking at me and Abby in turn.

  We both nodded.

  “All right.” Aunt Beth smiled. “Have fun tonight.”

  Abby squealed so loud I thought she busted my eardrum. “C’mon, let’s go pack.” She grabbed my hand, and I grabbed Whitney’s, and we raced upstairs.

  As happy as I was that Aunt Beth was letting us go, I couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about how we’d lied to her. But, it seemed, my life had become nothing but one big façade of lies, one lie built upon the next. When would it all come crashing down? I only hoped when it did, it didn’t crush me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

  Secret Rendezvous

  THE NIGHT HAD BEEN FILLED WITH laughter, talk of boys, school, and more laughter. My sides hurt from all of it, but it had been so much fun. Now, Abby snored softly. Whitney made no noise at all, and I had no idea if she was wide awake or sound asleep.

  And, naturally, I couldn’t sleep at all, which probably had a lot more to do with the fact that I knew Trent was waiting for me. I flipped the blankets off and stood from the floor.

  No movement from either of them. I tiptoed to the door, eased it open, and slipped out. My heart hammered loudly, and I fully expected Whitney to bust out after me, but she didn’t.

  Letting out a sigh of relief, I snuck down the hallway as quickly and quietly as possible and rounded the corner into the living room. Trent was sprawled out on the couch, one hand tucked behind his head, the other gripping the TV remote.

  He was dressed in a dark gray T-shirt and black cotton pajama pants. His hair was damp, as if he’d just gotten out of the shower, and he looked incredibly comfortable. At peace, almost.

  Would this be what it was like to be with him, to be his wife? To walk into our living room and find him lounging around, relaxed and happy, and waiting for me? Emotion swelled in my heart at the thought of this being my life, and my God, I wanted it so bad. All of it. Trent. A long, happy marriage. The house. A family.

  Trent glanced in my direction, a faint smile on his face. “You just gonna stand there and stare at me all night?”

>   “Maybe.” I smirked.

  His smile widened. “If you think I won’t go over there and get you, you’re wrong.”

  I sauntered toward him. He scooted over so he was flush against the back of the couch and then patted the spot in front of him. I wasted no time laying down, my back to him, and he draped his arm over my waist and tossed the remote onto the coffee table.

  “Watching anything good?” I asked, taking his hand and lacing our fingers.

  “Not really.” He kissed my cheek. “Have fun tonight?”

  “Mm-hmm.” I snuggled closer, loving how safe I always felt in his arms.

  Almost immediately, exhaustion set in, and I yawned. But I knew I couldn’t fall asleep out here with him. Whitney would kill me. She’d made me promise I’d stick with the girls until morning, and I had agreed with the compromise that I’d get to say good night to Trent.

  I rolled over so I was facing him. He flattened his palm against my back, urging me closer, and I didn’t resist.

  “I heard what you said tonight,” he said, a sparkle in his eyes.

  “I said a lot of things tonight. You’ll have to be more specific.” I wanted to touch him, to run my hands down his chest, but I was pressed too close, so instead, I fingered the hair at the base of his neck.

  He teased me with an almost kiss, then dragged his lips across my jaw and up to my ear. “That thing about me,” he whispered. “About how you know you’ll never want anyone else, how I’m all you’ll ever want. That you’d give anything if it meant you could be with me forever.” His breath was warm against my skin, causing flutters to take root in my chest and spread like wildfire.

  I stared at his chest, refusing to meet his gaze. I cannot believe he’d heard that, but what was even more horrifying was that he’d probably heard everything before that, too. Whitney and Abby had finally convinced me to tell them all about my and Trent’s non-existent sex life, but I hadn’t spared any details about how intensely he kissed me at times, or how it felt every time he touched me. How I wanted to go all the way, but I was afraid.

  Then, I’d rambled about how much I loved Trent, how I never wanted anyone else, how I’d literally give my life for him, and how I’d give up everything if it meant I could have forever with him. At which point Abby had asked me how I could be so sure, that I was still so young and that there were lots of opportunities I’d be missing. I’d looked her dead in the eye and told her I just knew.