Lizzy Ford: Cursed

Tara’s name crossed the screen.

“You can talk to her later,” Kimmie said. “We’re busy talking.”

He clicked the button to hang up on Tara and set the phone down.

“Where were we?” Kimmie asked, her smile dazzling. “I think you were telling me again how beautiful I am.”

Jayden opened his mouth to speak. His phone rang again.

Come on, Tara, just find another ride home.

He hung up.

She called right back.

“All right, she’ll drive me crazy if I don’t get this,” he said apologetically to Kimmie. “Give me a sec.” Jayden untangled his arms and legs from her in the booth where they sat practically on top of one another and walked to the lobby.

Kimmie rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, Tara,” he said, answering.

“Where are you?” she demanded.

“Hanging out with the most incredible woman on the planet.” He flashed a smile at Kimmie, who grinned.

“Ugh you’re making me sick. I need you to come get me.”

“Later. Or you know what? Find your own ride, Tara. I’m tired of driving you around,” he said. “You drove Daddy crazy until he bought you the car you wanted and now, I take you everywhere.”

“You won’t come get me?” She sounded offended.

“Nope. You’re seventeen. Act like it.”

“Okay, fine. I just got raped by a gang, and now, I’m gonna call Daddy and tell him that you refused to come pick me up because you’re too busy hanging out with Kimmie!”

“You what? ”

“Oh, are you listening now?” she snapped. “I’m your family, and I need your help. You promised to always come get me.”

“Tara, did you get hurt?”

“Not yet, but if you don’t come here, now, I’m going to walk into the first gang infested alley I find.”

“You’re acting psycho, Tara,” he said, not understanding what was wrong with his stepsister. “What’s going on?”

“Just come get me before I do something stupid. I’ll text you where I am.” She hung up.

Jayden stared at the phone. His heart had flipped when she said she’d been hurt. Whatever mess she got herself into, she clearly needed his help, if she was going to make up crazy stories.

She was acting like his mother. Something was wrong with everyone today. Except Kimmie, the only person making sense.

Jayden returned to the booth. “Kimmie, I gotta pick up Tara. She got into some trouble.”

“What? Now?” Kimmie frowned. “We’re supposed to spend the evening together.”

“We will,” he promised. “I just need to pick her up.”

“Okay.” Kimmie was watching him closely. “You’re sure it’s just Tara? Not like … someone else?”

“What’re you talking about?” he asked. He bent down and kissed her, long and deep, until she was breathless. “Just you, baby.”

Placated, Kimmie smiled.

Jayden left her reluctantly. Sometimes, it hurt being away from Kimmie. Today was one of those days, when walking away made him ache to the point where he was tempted to call Mickey and send him to pick up Tara.

But he’d promised Tara when they entered high school that he’d always put his family first. His phone buzzed, and he glanced down.

“Coffee Loa. What on earth are you doing on that side of town, Tara?” he murmured. He programmed the address into his phone’s GPS.

He went to his car and hopped in, waiting until the interior cooled down before pulling out of the parking lot. With the guidance of the GPS voice, Jayden managed to make it to the Coffee Loa in just under thirty minutes.

He expected to see his stepsister waiting for him outside. When he didn’t, he parked as close as he could get and walked down the block to the coffee shop.

Jayden entered and breathed deeply of the scent of espresso and incense. There were two customers in the shop, both of whom looked wasted or drugged. Either way, he assessed they probably needed the huge mugs of espresso in front of them.

A pretty woman in authentic African dress sat behind the register, her eyes on the door. She smiled when he entered.

Tara wasn’t there. Irritated at being pulled away from Kimmie, Jayden crossed to the friendly looking woman at the counter.

“Hi. I’m looking for my sister. She said she was here,” he said.

“Jayden?” Tara whipped open the heavy curtain separating the coffee shop from the back. “Took you long enough.”

He looked her over, expecting to see something wrong after her phone call. She appeared to be fine.

“Come on. I left Kimmie to come get you.”

“We’re not done yet,” Tara said, glancing at the woman behind the counter. “Candace and I need to talk to you, Jay.”

“Make it quick.”

Tara waved him back behind the curtain.

“I’m Candace,” the woman in African garb said.

“Jayden.” He waited for her to duck beneath the curtain then followed.

Tara sat down at a table in the middle of an area that resembled his grandmama’s too much for him to be comfortable. A shrine to one of the gods was on one side, and veves decorated the walls and floor.

“Sit, Jay,” Tara ordered.

“Nah. Let’s just go.”

“Please, Jayden. It’s important to your sister that you sit and talk for a moment,” Candace said, her polished accent and soft voice easing his concern she’d be another crackpot like his grandmama.

He debated for a moment then sat. “What’s this about?”

“It’s about Kimmie putting curses on people,” Tara said bluntly. “She did it to Adrienne and she’s done it to you.”

“Leave Kimmie out of this,” he said firmly. “She’s the love of my life, Tara.”

“Um, no, she’s not. You broke up with her over the summer. Ask Mickey.”

He shifted, uncertain why so many people seemed to think they knew more about his life and heart than he did.

“Do you recognize her?” Tara pulled up a pic on her phone and slid it across the table to him.

Jayden glanced down then looked again, unable to pull his attention away from the angelic girl with white-blonde hair and green amethyst eyes. He knew her from somewhere. He just wasn’t certain where. She wore the cheer squad uniform from the academy, and the photo featured the girl and Tara, grinning for the camera. The picture was a self-portrait taken by Tara.

He knew all the girls on the cheer squad. Why didn’t he recognize this one?

A memory teased him, dancing just out of reach. He heard a faint ballad sung in a voice that was unfamiliar and achingly sweet, a siren song he wanted to hear more of.

“Jay?” Tara prodded.

The song slid back into the depths of his mind.

“I feel like I should know her,” he said then shook his head. “But I don’t.”

“Her name is Adrienne,” Tara said. “You were like, head over heels for her two days ago.”

“No. I’d remember that. I’ve been in love with Kimmie for years.”

Tara gave a noisy, exasperated sigh and looked to Candace expectantly.

“Do you remember these?” Candace asked, holding out the dog tags he’d been searching for Saturday.

“Of course. Grandmama Toussaint gave them to me.” He took them. “How did you get them?”

“You gave them to Adrienne,” Tara said impatiently.

He studied Adrienne’s picture again. His heart belonged to Kimmie, but if not … wow. He’d be all over the beautiful blonde.

“These have a protection spell on them. When you took them off, Kimmie’s hexes were able to take hold,” Candace explained, motioning to the tags.

“Grandmama said never to take them off.” He gazed at the necklace, puzzled as to why he did take them off. Why they ended up with a stranger he’d never met, but whom he couldn’t take his eyes off of. “I don’t believe this stuff, but would putting these back on … change anything?”