Page 22 of The Immortal’s Curse (Bound to the Immortals #2)

DARCIE

Once upon a time, I would’ve said a person couldn’t have their heart broken by someone who was never truly theirs, but that was before Des.

We didn’t date. We weren’t a thing.

But that didn’t stop my heart from getting caught in the crossfires of his turbulent emotions, battered by the constant back-and-forth of attraction and then his pushing me away.

Now, I’m left picking up pieces of something that technically never existed.

I’m a fucking idiot.

I groan and push myself up and off the couch, uninterested in the sitcom playing on the TV, and drag my feet to the kitchen. I haven’t been able to stomach eating anything since last night. I’ve been too busy wallowing in heartache and shame.

As much as I wish things could be different, I can’t continue to date Kevin. It wouldn’t be right.

He deserves someone committed to him, not someone who’s been suppressing a supernatural pull to an Immortal who has made it clear, more than once, that he wants nothing to do with her. Kevin deserves better than me .

A tear rolls down my cheek. I swipe it away. Life isn’t fair. I’ve wanted to be with Kevin for so long. Now that I had the chance, I’ve fucked it up.

It doesn’t matter how Des looks at me when he forgets to conceal his emotions, or how quickly he comes to my rescue when I’m in trouble.

It doesn’t matter that his green eyes have haunted me for as long as I can remember, that their presence, while eerie, fills me with a sense of peace. Of familiarity.

Enough, Darice!

I cross the kitchen with an irritated huff and fling open the fridge. Ham. Cheese. Fruit. Nothing sounds appetizing. Even a piece of toast makes me want to gag. I’d blame my nausea as a side effect of my forced vision if guilt weren’t gnawing away at me every second.

But I have to eat something. I can’t go out on an empty stomach tonight, not when I don’t know what Kayla has planned.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Speak of the devil…

I close the fridge and inhale slowly, forcing myself toward the front door.

When I came downstairs this morning, I found the wood intact, with no trace of the damage from last night.

In fact, it looks exactly the same as it did before, right down to the chipped paint along the bottom where Dad and I kick it shut when our hands are full.

I can only assume Des used his powers to fix it… right after he finished ripping my heart out.

When I reach the foyer, I call out, “It’s open.”

The door flies inward. Kayla bounces inside, eyes bright and smiling wide until she sees me.

“No. Not happening.” My best friend looks me up and down with a scowl. “You need to change.”

I snort. “Wow. That’s a great birthday greeting.”

“Sorry.” She shakes her head. Then, she rushes forward and wraps her arms around me, squeezing tight. “Happy birthday, Darcie!”

I return her hug. “Thank you.”

“But seriously.” She leans back, holding my shoulders as she takes in my knee-length sweater dress. “You are not wearing that .”

My forehead creases. “What’s wrong with my dress?”

“It’s not fancy enough.”

“It’s a dress !”

“Made for a nun.”

“It’s warm,” I counter.

“You can handle being cold for the sake of looking fierce on your twenty-first birthday,” Kayla declares, shrugging off her charcoal gray pea coat, revealing a black mini-skirt with an emerald blouse tucked into the leather waistband.

Knee-high black boots and the golden hoops and necklace complete her ensemble.

Kayla tosses her coat onto the rack by the door, takes my hand, and leads me upstairs. “Let’s see if you have anything that will work. If not, I’ll ask Kevin to bring over some options from my house.”

My stomach twists. I was supposed to have dinner with Kevin last night, but after the vision-induced pain and Des’s rejection, I canceled.

“You don’t have to call Kevin,” I say, voice tight. “I’m sure I have something.”

Kayla pauses to glance over her shoulder, lifting a brow. “Why not? Are you two mad at each other or something?”

Not yet.

“No.”

I told Kevin I didn’t feel well. It wasn’t a lie. I still don’t feel like myself. But the truth is, I canceled because I have to end things with him, and I couldn’t bring myself to do it last night. Honestly, I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready to do it .

“Is he mad he isn’t invited tonight?” Kayla snorts and rolls her eyes before turning around and continuing up the stairs. “I swear, if he’s giving you a hard time, I’ll talk to him.”

“No, it’s not that.” The truth attempts to crawl up my throat, but I swallow it.

I’m lucky Kayla declared tonight a girls' only event and refused to “share me” with her brother on my twenty-first birthday.

I’ve been a crappy friend lately, too busy to hang out with her as much as both of us would like. I’m grateful she hasn’t given up on me. She’s a great friend. I don’t deserve her.

What do you think is going to happen when she learns you cheated on her brother?

Inside, I wince.

“Then what is it?” She presses as she walks into my bedroom. She crosses the room, pushes the sliding door to my closet aside, and thumbs through the clothes. “Is it about Amanda?”

I’m halfway to lowering myself to the bed when I freeze. What?

I sit on the edge of the bed, my forehead furrowed. “Amanda? From high school?”

“Uh, yeah.” Kayla clears her throat, still pushing around my clothes. “ That Amanda.”

I don’t understand.

Amanda went to high school with us, but she’s a year younger. Until recently, I hadn’t spoken to her in years. That was the day Evetta attacked me in the Robertsons’ bathroom. The day everything changed.

I stare at Kayla’s back, waiting for her to explain. She doesn’t.

I press my lips together and think.

While I was in Greece, Kevin told me Kayla and Amanda were hanging out. He even went bowling with them once. But based on my best friend’s tense posture, I’d say there’s something she isn’t saying… something more to know.

“Kayla?”

“Hm?” She pulls out a midnight blue dress and shakes her head.

“What happened between Amanda and Kevin?”

“What?” She drops the hanger and swiftly bends to pick it up. “Nothing. Nothing worth talking about.”

I grip the edge of the mattress.

Funny thing about that phrase… It’s usually only said when something is , in fact, worth talking about.

“Then why would you mention Amanda?”

“I don’t know. Forget I said anything.” She pulls out a baby blue dress that is eerily similar to the color of the gown from my latest vision, sending a shiver down my spine. “How about this? It will go great with your eyes.”

I ignore the dress and focus on my friend. Again, I ask, “What happened between Amanda and Kevin?”

She lowers the dress and releases a heavy sigh. “Darcie, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do. You were in Greece, and Kevin said you two weren’t official yet. I didn’t think Amanda’s flirting was a big deal.”

“Flirting isn’t a big deal,” I agree, watching her closely. “But something tells me there’s more to the story than that.”

My best friend bites her bottom lip. “Yeah… well… Amanda and Kevin… they kind of hooked up.”

My eyes widen. “ What ?”

When Amanda and I ran into each other, she’d made a point of asking about Kevin. Like everyone we grew up with, she knew I was close with Kayla and Kevin.

Amanda had commented on how hot Kevin is, but I didn’t know she’d actually made a move on him while I was gone. Or that it worked .

Kayla’s shoulders hunch, her face twisting with a wince. “I’m sorry, Darcie. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

I take a deep breath, then swallow the emotion building in my throat. “When you say hook up… do you mean?—”

“Yes.” She holds up a hand. “And before you ask, I don’t know anything else. I told Amanda to stop talking the second she mentioned Kevin’s name. The last thing I want to hear about is my brother’s sex life.”

Sex life?

The words crash in my head like cymbals, reverberating throughout my body.

“I… I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” I whisper.

Regret flickers through the tight lines of her face. “Kevin asked me not to.”

“Okay…” I nod my head slowly. “But you’re my best friend… wouldn’t you want to know if the guy you were talking to was hooking up with someone else at the same time?”

“You’re right. I should’ve told you.” She squeezes her eyes shut, voice strained. “God, I’m sorry, Darcie. Please don’t say I ruined your relationship with my brother. Or your birthday.”

I pause and let the silence hold the weight of my emotions for a moment. Then, with a shake of my head, I confess, “You didn’t ruin anything.”

Kayla’s eyes snap open. “W–wait. Really? You’re not mad?”

“No.” I release a slow, heavy sigh. “I’m not mad.”

I don’t know how to describe what I’m feeling.

I should be devastated. When Kevin texted me while I was in Greece, he told me how much he looked forward to taking me on a date. He shared how much he liked me, telling me he had feelings for me for years. And I believed him.

Obviously, his feelings weren’t as deep as I thought.

And neither were mine.

“Seriously?” Kayla stares at me like I’ve grown a second head. “How is that possible? ”

That’s a good question.

Kevin and I weren’t official when he slept with Amanda. I’m upset, but I don’t think I have the right to be mad . We hadn’t established we were exclusive or anything.

I don’t like that Kevin withheld this information from me when we got together. He didn’t let me decide if it was a deal breaker, but he didn’t cheat.

I’m the one who made out with Des, and I likely would have done more if he hadn’t stopped it.

“I don’t know why I’m not mad,” I finally murmur, answering Kayla’s question. I draw my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around my knees.

Kevin and I weren’t going to work out anyway, thanks to my impulsive actions and annoying feelings for an equally annoying Immortal. A few weeks ago, hearing about Kevin and Amanda would’ve destroyed me. But now, after everything I’ve experienced, it just… stings .

“Darcie…” Kayla drops the dress, crosses the room, and sits next to me. “I’m sorry. Do you want to yell about it? Or we can craft an angry text to send to Kevin together?”

I huff a weak laugh. “Thanks, but I’m good. I’d rather not talk about it anymore if that’s okay? I want to have fun tonight.”

After my mishap with Des, the guilt of betraying Kevin, and now hearing about his past with Amanda, a night of fun is a must. My problems can wait until tomorrow.

Kayla’s eyes burn my face as she stares at me. I keep my attention on the blue dress on the floor.

“Alright.” She reaches out and squeezes my arm. “You got it. A night of fun with your best friend. I can do that.”

A weary smile tugs at my lips. “Thank you.”

“But first, you need to change.” She hops up. “No one is going to let a nun into a nightclub.”

She picks up the blue dress from the floor and walks back over to lay it on the bed. Then, she spins on her heel and goes to my dresser, pulling out a pair of nude tights.

“So… we’re going to a nightclub?” I ask.

Kayla’s been secretive about tonight, impressively so, considering she’s never even been able to resist giving me birthday presents early.

She grins. “Actually, I’m not sure. I left the planning up to someone else.”

“What?” My spine straightens. “ Who ?”

“You’ll have to wait to find out.” She shoots me a mischievous wink. “But trust me, it’s going to be fun.”

I force a tight smile. Just what I need in my life…. more surprises.

At Kayla’s urging, I change into the outfit she chose and apply a modest amount of makeup. I’m swiping mascara on my lashes when someone else arrives.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Kayla squeals and rushes out of my bedroom. “They’re here!”

I frown. “They?”

She ignores me. Her feet thump against the stairs as she hurries downstairs. I follow after her, wary but intrigued.

Kayla reaches the front door. She grabs the handle, glances excitedly at me over her shoulder, then flings the door open.

My jaw drops.

There, standing on the doorstep, is none other than Bella.

And behind her, with blatant disapproval swimming in her gaze, is Eshe.

What the hell is going on?