Page 3 of The Immortal’s Curse (Bound to the Immortals #2)

DARCIE

I missed Maine while I was gone. I really did.

But right now? I hate it.

The cold is ruthless, sharp enough to bite straight through my gloves and numb my fingers in five minutes. My breath fogs the air in quick, shallow bursts, and my teeth clack despite the thermal boots and the puffy coat that makes me look like a human marshmallow.

My hands tremble as I scrape ice off my Jeep’s windshield, each scrape more futile than the last. I curse myself for not coming outside to start my car earlier. My time away has made me forget the basic winter car protocol.

I should dive into the Jeep and wait for the engine to warm, letting the defrost function do all the work. Art History 101 is in a giant lecture hall. There is no way the professor will notice if one frozen student slips in late.

“Darcie!”

My name cuts through the air. I spin, heart thudding in my chest.

Kevin, my childhood crush and maybe something more, jogs across the street with a bouquet of red roses in hand. He hits a slick patch and nearly wipes out.

“Careful!” I call, pulse spiking.

He chuckles, steadying himself with a swipe of his hand through wind-tousled hair. “Yikes. That was close.”

He slows down and climbs my icy driveway with more caution. When he stops in front of me, he smiles—shy, endearing, familiar.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey.” My heart skips a beat. “How was Vermont?”

Kevin just returned from a ski trip with college friends. It was a spontaneous getaway that was planned sometime between me waking up in Adir’s prison and being rescued by three Immortal brothers. He left Maine before I got back, and he’s been gone ever since.

Until now.

“It was fun. I’m glad I went.” He shifts from one foot to the other and holds out the bouquet. “These are for you.”

I set the ice scraper on the car's hood and take the flowers. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

I breathe in their scent—sweet, fresh, and entirely out of place in the frozen world around us. When I look up, his gaze meets mine, filled with something that makes my stomach twist.

This is the first time I’ve seen Kevin in person since we started talking again… since we admitted we liked each other.

And honestly? I don’t know how I feel.

A few weeks ago, seeing his name light up my phone would’ve made me feel like I was floating on air. But when he texted last night asking me out, something inside me tensed. Not in a bad way. It was just… strange.

Still, I said yes. How could I not?

But now, standing here with him—smiling, handsome, giving me flowers—I can’t shake the image that flashes behind my eyes: Des, kissing me in the dark. His hands. His voice. The look in his eyes that made me feel like I was the only thing anchoring him to Earth.

Stop it, Darcie.

Kevin’s smile falters. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

“Nothing.” I smooth my features and lift the roses slightly. “Thank you again for the flowers. They’re really sweet.”

"I’m glad you like them." He glances back at his house across the street.

I shift my boots on the ice, desperate to fill the silence before it stretches on, “I bet your parents are glad you’re home.”

He snorts. “Not exactly. They weren’t thrilled I skipped town the day after Christmas, and they won’t stop letting me hear about it.”

I can imagine.

The day after I returned to Maine, after my night of misery, the first thing I did was apply to work at The Bean Bazaar. Then, I went to see Kayla.

While I was in Greece, the Immortals had used one of their many magical abilities called a Masking to make my loved ones believe I was studying abroad in Greece. I worried what my best friend would think of my sudden return.

But the Immortals had it covered.

Kayla wasn’t surprised when I texted her the day after Des dropped me off at the end of my driveaway, asking to see her. She didn’t blink when I told her my program had ended. Instead, she told me about Kevin’s trip and how pissed their parents were that he bailed on the family’s holiday plans.

I glance at Kevin now, curiosity outweighing the budding awkwardness between us. “Why did you decide to go on the trip?”

He rubs the back of his neck, eyes sliding away. “Honestly? I needed to clear my head.”

I arch a brow. “From what? ”

“From thinking you ghosted me.”

I draw my head back and blink.

“I know, I know,” he says before I can speak. “You lost your phone. I felt like an idiot after Kayla told me.”

I drop my gaze to the icy driveway. These lies are exhausting, but the truth is too hard to explain.

Lifting my eyes, I ask, “Why would you think I ghosted you?”

He shrugs, cheeks flushing. “No good reason. I guess I was worried I came on too strong.”

That throws me.

“Seriously?” I blink. “You were the popular one in school. The guy every girl wanted to date.”

His lips quirk. “Did you want to date me back then?”

Heat blooms in my cheeks. “Maybe.”

His grin widens. “Really?”

I nod, shy. “Yeah.”

His expression softens. “I had no idea.”

I shrug. “Why would you? I was just your little sister’s friend.”

“You were more than that.” He takes a small step closer. “You were my friend, too.”

“I know.”

“And I cared about you. A lot.”

My chest warms. The awkward tension begins to chip away with each passing second. “I know that, too.”

“Good.” His steady gaze holds mine. “You’ve always been a bright spot in my family’s life. Hell, Kayla was an unbearable menace before you moved in across the street. You’ve grounded her. She’s been more considerate ever since you two became best friends.”

And Kayla helped bring me out of my shell.

The most beautiful friendships are the ones where each person has their individual strengths, and it effortlessly helps make the other’s life better. I’m lucky I found Kayla when I first moved to Brunswick.

Kevin continues, his voice soft, “None of us knew how much we’d miss you when you left for Greece after high school. I didn’t know how much I would miss you.”

I clutch the flowers tighter to my chest, like they might calm my racing heart. “I missed you guys, too.”

It’s true. Travelling with Dad was incredible, but a part of me always wondered what I gave up. If I’d stayed in Maine, I’d be much closer to graduating from college. Maybe I’d know what I wanted to do with my life.

But maybe Kevin would still view me as his little sister’s awkward friend.

I chew my bottom lip. “Do you think things would be different if I’d never left? Would we be here, right now?”

He tilts his head to the side. “I don’t know. But I’m damn glad we’re here now.”

I laugh. “That’s a good line.”

“It’s not a line.” He moves closer. “I went on that trip because I really, really like you, Darcie. And it sucked thinking you might not feel the same.”

Butterflies stir, and guilt flutters in their wake.

Kevin Jameson, the guy I crushed on for years, stands in front of me with a hopeful smile, telling me he likes me. I should be ecstatic.

But the ghost of Des’s strong hands still lingers on my arms. His evergreen scent clings to the air, teasing my senses. And the way he looked at me—cold, hollow—just before stepping through the rip and leaving me behind in Maine, replays in my mind like a broken record.

Don’t be an idiot, Darcie. Des doesn’t want you.

I breathe in slowly. I’m not going to ruin this thing between me and Kevin. Not when the broody Immortal has made his intentions very clear .

I meet Kevin’s eyes, ignoring the sting in my heart, and murmur, “I really like you, too.”

He exhales, relief loosening his shoulders. “That’s… good.”

My lips tilt up.

Kevin takes the bouquet from my hands and sets it on the Jeep’s hood. The cold air between us thickens with anticipation.

His head dips, and my heart pounds. I’ve imagined this moment so many times over the years. I want to get this right.

But as soon as the thought forms, Des’s brilliant green eyes flood my mind. My stomach twists.

Kevin brushes a strand of hair from my cheek, eyes searching mine. “What’s wrong?”

I force my smile wider. “Nothing.”

“You sure?”

No.

I bob my head. “Yes.”

His gaze lingers, uncertain, but he doesn’t press. His hands slowly cup my face, and then, his lips are on mine, gentle and tentative. Like he’s giving me time to pull away.

For a second, panic surges through me.

The memory of kissing Des slams into me like a tidal wave, drowning every thought that isn’t him. The want that consumed me in that closet surges back, fierce and immediate. But this is wrong. I’m not kissing Des. I shouldn’t even be thinking about him.

I place my hands on Kevin’s chest and will my mind to return to the present. His heartbeat thrums against my fingertips through his thick winter coat. Quick but steady. Safe .

I shove down the guilt twisting my stomach and return his kiss.

Seconds pass.

When Kevin pulls away, he rests his forehead against mine, and our breath mingles in the cold.

“I’ve been waiting to do that for a long time,” he says .

My answering smile is shy but real. “Me too.”

He kisses me again, slower this time. Warmer. More confident. This is the kind of kiss that feels like a beginning.

I let it happen, my hands sliding up to rest at the base of his neck.

With every brush of his lips against mine, I let go.

Of the Immortals.

Of the rebellion.

Of Des .

I’m home now, I’m safe.

It’s time to look forward… to school, Dad, and my friends.

And maybe, just maybe… memories of Des will fade into the past where they belong.

And the sooner, the better.