Cursed Love Read Free Page B

nowhere. “I don’t know what to say.”
    It was beautiful and ironic. And I didn’t
deserve it.
    “You should have trusted me.”
    The words, spoken so softly, hit me like a
lead fist and went straight through my chest to my heart. He was
absolutely right. I should have trusted him.
    It was a sorry excuse, but because he’d never
lied to me before, when I found him in the middle of one I
just…went crazy. I turned into one of those chicks I disliked—the
jealous ones who never trusted their boyfriends and always thought
the worst for absolutely no reason. This would have been
avoided—could have been—if I’d just listened or at least given him
a chance to explain before I went nutso and broke up with him.
    “I know,” I sighed. I looked up, met his gaze
and, knowing I had to do it, closed the gift box and handed it back
to him. “I don’t deserve it.”
    He gave me a crooked smile that made my heart
tumble. “No, you probably don’t.” Reaching out, he took my hand and
then yanked me forward. “So you’ll just have to spend a lot of time
making it up to me, won’t you?” I stared at him, speechless, which
only made him laugh. He ran his fingers through my hair and gave me
a noisy kiss on the forehead. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
    “Are you sure?” I asked. Half a beat passed
and then snatched the box back, immediately putting it behind my
back and out of reach. “Too late. It’s mine now and if you want it
back, you’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers.” Was I
romantic or what?
    He held me close, his arms wrapping around
me, and leaned his face into the side of my neck until I could feel
his breath on my skin. “Do you like it?”
    Smiling, I said, “Would you help me put it
on?”
    He leaned back. “I would love to.”
    I opened the box and gently pulled the
necklace away and handed it to him. He walked behind me and brought
the chain over my head as I pulled my hair up. It should have been
cool against my skin, but it wasn’t. It was warm. And it
felt…right. There were no other words to explain it.
    It was perfect. He was perfect. Everything
was perfect.
    Until I spotted the Evol entering the park
fifty feet away.
     

Chapter Four
     
    The smile fell from my face. My stomach
bottomed, sank into a pit of coldness. The Evol was staring at me
with a big grin. Someone must have let it out of the bowling alley.
I knew it would happen eventually, but couldn’t eventually have
been…longer? Say, after midnight?
    Before I could think, do, or say anything,
Aaron’s hands brushed across my neck, then rested on my shoulders
for a brief moment. I didn’t realize he’d moved until he blocked
the Evol from my sight. “The necklace looks good on you, Am,” he
said with a sweet smile.
    I tried to return it but knew it fell flat.
“Thank you.”
    His hands went to arms, rubbed up and down.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning.
    I opened my mouth to respond and then closed
it. I couldn’t tell him the truth, at least not all of it. He would
never believe it.
    Everything was perfect—except a creature that
wanted to steal his love from him. I couldn’t let it happen. No , I corrected myself, I wouldn’t let it
happen. The Evol was getting closer and preparing his bow. I
had to do something. “Whatever happens next,” I started,
glancing over his shoulder, “just…I love you,” I said quickly.
    Aaron’s tone was wary when he responded.
“What’s going on? What do you expect to happen?”
    “Nothing. I just wanted you to know
that.”
    His smile blossomed and sent butterflies
fluttering in my heart. “I love you, too.”
    The Evol was twenty feet away and closing in
fast.
    Aaron deserved to love, and someone—even if
it that someone wasn’t me—deserved to be loved by him. It was going
to take his love and I had no power to stop it.
    You can’t have his love, I thought. And if you get it, I’ll just keep giving him mine.
    Tears streamed down my face in hot