Cursed

Chapter 7

I hardly slept—big surprise there.

The sun had barely crested the mountains when I climbed out of bed. Unsure of why, I’d searched the quiet house for the room my mom had been placed in, my hands shoved into the front pocket of my hoodie.

She sat in a rocking chair, staring out a large picture window overlooking the front yard. Limp curls hung around her pale face. The vibrancy in her hair seemed to have dulled since yesterday. Beside her was an untouched glass of water.

Ignoring the raw ache in my chest, I crossed the room and sat down cross-legged next to her, resting my chin in my hand. “There’s something wrong here.” I stopped and laughed wearily. “Besides the obvious. But he has these kids here and they hate me. And I think they all can do things.”

Silence.

“This lady wants to make Olivia her own daughter. That should bother you, Mom. She’s cramping your space.”

Mom blinked.

I wondered if that was some form of communication—like Morse code or something. “They’ve been watching us for two years. It’s really creepy.”

I liked to think Mom agreed.

“Olivia doesn’t want to leave. She practically picked sides last night. I know she doesn’t understand, and all she sees are new toys and people who can touch her.”

She let out a little sigh.

I looked up at her, frowning. “I don’t know what to do. There’s going to be no way I can get Olivia out of this house, and even if I did, where would we go? Everything is gone, Mom.”

Still, there was no response.

I sighed again. “Mom, you know I’m not dead, right? I did die, but I’m not dead. I’m sitting here, right in front of you, and… and I don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I should stay here or try to make a run for it with Olivia. I don’t even know where the damn keys to my car are, or if my car is even here.”

She rested her head back and closed her eyes, humming the same song Olivia did.

“And Olivia really does like it here. She’s getting so much attention and I’ve never seen her happier…” I trailed off, closing my own eyes. “I’m sorry for picking seafood that night. I knew you wanted to go home. I was so mad, because you and Dad were arguing. If I’d just kept my mouth shut, none of this would’ve happened.”

Mom stopped humming, but didn’t respond.

I pulled my knees up and rested my head on them. Giving up on the one-sided conversation, I stayed quiet. After a while, I headed downstairs. I really had no idea where I was going. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, but I was afraid someone would be in the kitchen again. So I found myself staring at the front door. Freedom seemed just a doorknob-turn away.

When I did open the door, freedom didn’t wait—a half-naked Hayden did.

Damp hair curled around his forehead and flushed cheeks. He was shirtless. Absolutely naked from the low-hanging jogging pants up. A music player was attached to one of his biceps, and a low hum came from the earbuds.

Hayden pulled the earbuds out, smiling. “Hey. You’re up early.”

My throat felt dry. “Yeah.”

“Were you going outside?”

Instead of answering, my eyes dropped. He was an obvious runner. Skin stretched over taut muscles, slender hips, and a very hard-looking chest—and wow, it was a nice chest. My cheeks suddenly felt hot.

“Ember?”

I forced my eyes up. He was smiling that lopsided grin. “What?”

“Were you going outside?” He slid the music player off his arm and started to wrap the earbuds around it. “This early?”

“Yes. I thought…” I inhaled. Huge mistake. Autumn leaves and something wild teased my senses. He smelled wonderful. The sudden urge to touch him hit me hard.

“You thought what?”

What was I thinking? I couldn’t touch him. And I didn’t want to. “You’re not supposed to be talking to me.”

He frowned. “What?”

“I overheard you guys last night. You’re not supposed to be talking to me or whatever.”

Hayden folded his arms across his chest. “You’re not really good at eavesdropping. I was never told not to talk to you.”

“You were told to stay away from me.”

“That can be construed in many ways. Anyway, you’re not planning on running away?”

“No.” I stepped to the side. “I just wanted to go outside. I’m not allowed to go outside?”

He shadowed my movements, blocking the door. “You are allowed to do whatever you want.”

“Except leave?”

“Except that, but it’s for your benefit,” he said. “You’d get lost out there. You saw it yourself yesterday. We’re surrounded by woods, and there’s about fifteen miles between here and town.”

Irritation spiked. I tipped my chin as I met his eyes. “I’m not as stupid as you must think I am.”

“I don’t think you’re stupid at all.” Hayden stepped forward. He was close, way too close. The tips of his sneakers brushed mine. “Never once did I think you were stupid. You wouldn’t have lasted as long as you did caring for a five-year-old if you were.”

“How would—” I stopped myself. Of course, he had been watching us—me.

Impossibly, he seemed to have moved closer. My back hit the doorframe. “When you returned to school after the accident, the kids were assholes about you wearing gloves. You always wore long sleeves, even during the summer. But I’m not sure if your friends abandoned you, or if you pushed them away.”

I nearly choked. “They abandoned me.”

Hayden tipped his head down and locks of damp hair fell over his forehead. “Within weeks you stopped everything. You were a cheerleader before. You wanted to go to college—Penn State? To become a doctor like your father,” His voice dropped to a whisper. “All of that stopped. Olivia became everything to you. Instead of going to the coffee shop before school like all the other kids did, you were dropping her off at a babysitter.”

My hands fell away from my body, hanging limply at my sides. His words were oddly compassionate, tender almost—and very creepy.

“I saw you once, outside of a bank in town. You were upset. It was the first time I could remember seeing you cry. I wanted to…” He trailed off, lips forming a hard, tight line.

I knew what day he was talking about. It’d been only a month or two ago. The money from the life insurance had been running low for weeks. I knew there was some in the savings, but the bank had told me they needed my mom’s signature to transfer the money over. Mom hadn’t held a pen since the accident.

“Why were you guys watching so much?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Why didn’t you talk to me before the day in the library? Then this wouldn’t be so… messed up.”

His dark gaze settled on my face. “I couldn’t, Ember. I… wasn’t supposed to keep going back, but…”

“But what?”

A door opened somewhere in the house, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Hayden reached out and brushed a curl off my cheek. My heart stopped. His hand hovered there.

“Don’t roam off too far.” Then he walked off, leaving me standing in the open door.

In a daze, I stepped outside. The air smelled strongly of pine and maple. The sun was still warm for a late September morning. Tiny beads of sweat dotted my forehead as I made my way around the sprawling house.

It was ridiculously huge. The main part of the house stood three stories high. Single-story wings spread out from the middle, flanking each side like a cloverleaf. Only the long, winding driveway and small patch of front lawn remained clear. Everything else was nothing but shadows and thick, imposing trees.

Isolation.

Did Cromwell pick this house because of its location? I could scream and no one would hear me. I shuddered and forced myself to keep walking. A large garage sat at the edge of the woods, kitty-corner from the house. Inside were two Porsches—both black and shiny coupes. Behind them towered a really nice SUV and two more absurdly expensive cars.

Sitting beside the cars, my poor Jeep looked like a sad, unfortunate creature. For the first time since I woke up, a smile broke out across my face. I didn’t care if it looked ugly. It was mine—my way out.

I started toward it, but the sound of tires crunching over gravel drew my attention. Curiosity propelled me back to the front of the house. Was it the cowboy man? The boy who wanted to toss me around the kitchen? My steps slowed considering the options.

What I hadn’t expected to see was Mrs. Lewis’ Toyota creeping up the driveway. The Camry rolled to a stop; the car door swung open before he killed the engine.

I broke out in a dead run. “Adam? What are you doing here? How did you—what are you doing?”

Adam stepped out of the car, his glasses crooked, shirt wrinkled. He gave me a goofy smile. “Google Maps, Ember. It wasn’t hard to find Petersburg. Apparently, it’s well known for those rocks.” He pointed to the monster in the sky. “I’ve been driving all night. Had two energy drinks and a coffee, probably grounded for life, but I’m here. Alive.”

I stared at him, and then burst into laughter. “Adam, you’re in so much trouble. When your mom finds out, she’s gonna kill you.”

He shrugged. “Look, I needed to make sure you were okay. I tried calling you, but you turned your damn phone off. I thought you’d been kidnapped and stuck in a one-room shack in the mountains of West Virginia. Apparently, I was wrong.” His eyes squinted at the house behind me. “You’re stuck in an eighty-

room shack.”

God, I wanted to hug him. I also wanted to strangle him. “Adam, how did you find this house?”

“You told me the guy’s name. I Googled Jonathan Cromwell, and found out he’s the mayor. So I asked for directions at the gas station over on some hick road named Patterson,” he explained, clearly proud of his investigative skills. “Anyway, this is what friends do. They watch out for each other. Mom will just have to suck it. She can’t ground me forever.”

“Oh, Adam,” I whispered, and then inhaled deeply. The scent of detergent and familiarity washed over me. Sandbox love—nothing was stronger.

“Em, something is wrong with all of this. You can tell me you’re okay all you want. I know you’re not.”

I wasn’t okay. “It’s complicated.”

His brows went up and his glasses slipped further down his noise. “Try me. Some say I’m smart. I just may understand.”

“Adam, I just don’t know how to explain this. I’m not even—”

“Ember, step back now.”

The authority alone in Cromwell’s voice forced me away from Adam. Except Adam didn’t recognize the tone, or he just didn’t care. Because he knew I didn’t like to be touched, when Adam stopped me, he grabbed my sweater-covered arm.

“Who is that?” His eyes were glued above my head.

“Uh, that’s Mr. Cromwell. Adam, you should probably—” Adam frowned. “The mayor is that young?”

“Huh?” I turned around and froze. I hadn’t mistaken the voice. Cromwell stood on the porch, but it was Hayden whom Adam was staring at. “No… that isn’t the mayor.”

“Ember, what’s going on?” Cromwell came striding down the steps.

Adam dropped my arm and stepped in front of me. “My name is Adam Lewis. I’m Ember’s friend.”

I should’ve been paying attention. Instead, I stared at Hayden. Gone was the strangely compassionate boy who had stood next to me in the doorway. In his place was someone who was as hard and cold as one of those statues inside.

“Adam,” I whispered. “You should probably leave.”

He snorted. “I’m not leaving. Shouldn’t he invite me in? He is the mayor. Shouldn’t he be friendly and inviting?”

“Adam, that isn’t—” I stopped. The cowboy was here—Kurt. Like a tumbleweed, he had come out of nowhere.

Cromwell smiled. “How did you find your way here, Adam?”

“The internet,” he responded dryly. “So you’re a friend of Ember’s family? That’s kind of funny since I’ve known her forever, and she’s never once mentioned you.”

“Adam, please—” Kurt propped himself against the hood of Mrs. Lewis’ car. “She obviously told him where she was, Jonathan.”

“Get off my mom’s car, man. I get a dent in the hood, I’m dead.”

Kurt grinned.

“Does your mother know where you are, young man?” Cromwell asked.

“Who wants to know?” Adam was frowning at Kurt.

“He knows too much, Jonathan.” Kurt pushed off the car.

“What?” My heart thrummed. “He doesn’t know anything.”

“I know enough,” Adam cut in. “Enough to know you’re all a bunch of freaks living in the middle of nowhere.”

“Adam, shut up!” I yelled.

His gaze flickered at me as he started digging in his pocket. He pulled out his cell. “Em, is Olivia really here? I’m calling the police.”

Several things happened at once.

“Wipe him,” Cromwell ordered with an almost sad shake of his head.

A second later, Kurt had Adam by the front of his shirt. Adam didn’t even get the phone open.

“No!” I rushed forward, only to be stopped. Arms like bands of steel captured me around the waist, holding me back.

“Don’t,” Hayden whispered in my ear. He started pulling me back, away from Adam. “You need to go inside, Ember. Now.”

“No. She needs to see this. To understand I will not have our kind threatened.” Cromwell’s eyes met mine. “I take no pleasure in this, Ember. I asked you not to let me down. You’ve left me with no other choice.”

“Father?” Hayden had a catch in his voice. “You can’t—” Cromwell’s face hardened. “This is not your call.”

“Wait! What are you doing?” I struggled, but Hayden’s grip was unbreakable. I couldn’t get my hands up. Touching him was out of the question.

Adam stayed rooted to where he stood, eyes wide with fear. “Em? What’s going—?”

Kurt touched him on the forehead. Just a thumb—that was all it took. Adam’s eyes fell shut. He stood motionless, like a sculpture.

“What are you doing?” I screamed. “Stop touching him! Stop it! He doesn’t know anything! I haven’t told him anything.”

Letting out a little sigh, Kurt stepped back. A small, sated smile played across his lips. I thought I heard Hayden apologize, but I couldn’t be sure. Rushing filled my ears as ice touched my blood.

Hayden let go.

I staggered forward. “Adam? Are you okay? Adam, look at me. Open your eyes.”

Adam blinked slowly, as if he was just waking up. First he looked at Kurt, then Cromwell. “Where am I?”

“Nowhere,” Cromwell answered quietly. “You need to go home, Adam Lewis. Go now, before your mother worries.”

“I don’t want Mom to worry.” He rubbed a hand over his forehead.

I pushed down the dread building bitterly in the back of my throat. Adam was fine. He just looked tired and confused, but okay. “Adam?”

Adam blinked again. “Who… who are you?”

My laugh sounded strange. “You know who I am, you idiot.”

He fiddled with his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his noise. “I have no idea who you are, but I’ve got to get home. Mom is gonna kill me.” He walked past me, shaking his head. “Man, I’m in so much trouble.”

I stared. He got back in the car, muttering the whole time. He slammed the door and turned the ignition. The engine roaring to life snapped me into action. I rushed to his car. “Adam, look at me. Please!

You know who I am.”

He jerked back from the window, frowning. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know you. I don’t even know why I’m here.”

“Please, don’t do this, Adam. We’ve been friends since I ate your lunch in kindergarten. You fell off your bike when you were ten and you broke your leg. Remember?” He continued looking at me blankly.

Panic caused my voice to rise. “You have to sit next to Sheila Cummings in bio. You hate that, because she thinks osmosis is bad breath. Last week, she asked you if she was Jewish. Come on, don’t do this to me. Please!”

“Ember,” Hayden called out, his voice sounding ragged. “Just stop. Stop now. Please.”

I ignored him. “Adam, come on. You are my friend—my best friend. You’re the only one who was my friend after the accident. We… we…” We had sandbox love; didn’t he remember that?

Adam started rolling up the window, brows raised. “I’m sorry. I don’t know you.”

Pain cut through me so sharply that it knocked the air right out of me. “No. No.” I hit the window with my palm. It shook, but did not give. “Adam, please. Say my name. You know who I am. You have to!”

He shook his head, lips pulled back in a sneer—a look I’d never seen Adam give me. “I don’t know you. Jesus. So stop being a freak.”

My hand stilled against the window. I blinked, willing myself to wake up. Because this—this had to be a nightmare. Surely, this couldn’t be real—the pain in my chest, the numb way my body felt.

Adam threw the car in reverse, shaking his head. Someone pulled me back before he ran over my foot.

He left—really left. I wanted to run after him, but it’d be pointless. His face showed the same blankness Mom had whenever she looked at me.

I was dead to him, just like I was dead to Mom.

I could’ve stood there for hours. It didn’t matter. My heart seized, then shattered, and with everything I’d learned to deal with, I didn’t know how to deal with this.

Cromwell sighed wearily. “I’m sorry for your pain, but you left me no other choice.”

My cheeks felt damp. My fingers came back wet. When I looked toward the house, I saw Cromwell go back inside. Mom thought I was dead. My sister chose toys and a pseudo-mom over me. Our house was gone. And now, my only link to anything had been wiped away.

Adam was gone.