Cursed (12 page)

Devil. Death. Six of Cups.
This story was familiar. How was it possible that Jayden had the same cards as the brother of the girl she’d seen at Madame Estelle’s on Sunday?

“Ace of swords, reversed. Be careful who you trust,” she whispered and turned the final card. “Six of cups. A connection to the past and need to look towards the future. I’ve seen them cards before, but the story wasn’t complete then either.” She dwelled briefly on the cards she’d read Sunday for the girl named Tara and then glanced towards the ceiling. “If any of you are here, can you help me put these in the right order?”

She looked down. Two of the cards were crooked, both angled to the left. Accustomed to the way the spirits talked to her, she swapped the places of those two.

“Hanged Man, Devil, Six of Cups, Ace of Swords, reversed and Queen of Swords, reversed. I need to let go of something in my past. Jayden is trapped by something in his past. We must be careful who we trust, because there are others who will cause …”

Danger.

She sucked in a breath.

No, the cards hadn’t answered her simple question about dating him. They’d given her something else. A layered warning, one she couldn’t fully understand but which she knew came from outside her and Jayden. He was no danger to her, but something out there – perhaps connected to their past – was a threat to them both.

Was this a sign they shouldn’t be together, that the danger appeared because of their relationship? How did their separate pasts connect?

Or maybe,
when
? They’d only just met. Was there a connection among their ancestors instead of their childhoods?

The warning bell rang.

Heart racing, Adrienne snatched up the cards and put them away then raced out of the bathroom to make her next class.

Jayden waited the rest of the school day for her response. He considered sending his again to make sure Adrienne got it, but stopped himself.

He’d never had any girl reject him before. The idea that this one might, made him want to laugh in confusion. Mickey was right. Girls threw themselves at him, if not because of his status as the leading high school quarterback in the country then because of whom his father was. Had he come across too strong? Not strong enough? Did he somehow offend her? Was she really angry about the lunch? Adrienne wasn’t exactly falling into his lap, like most girls, which left him a little confused and a little more intrigued than he liked.

Was she going to be more drama than Kimmie, whose emails hadn’t stopped all day long?

Jayden was almost angry by the end of the day. He’d met a beautiful girl, the first he ever really felt drawn to, and this was how it ended? Before he even got to know her? She’d seemed very … sweet, especially to befriend someone as unpopular as Emma and to put having lunch with the social pariah over lunch with
him
.

God is telling me not to get involved.
At least, that’s probably what his mother would tell him. He hadn’t planned on it, until Adrienne started playing hard-to-get, tugging at his competitive streak.

Irritated, Jayden waited when the last bell of the day rang. Kimmie asked him to meet her outside the gym, where she was having her cheer practice, for one final attempt to convince him not to break up with her and take her to Homecoming. He felt less tolerant of her antics than normal as he grabbed his stuff from his locker. A glance at his iPad revealed half a dozen new emails. He was constantly talking to Mickey and others during class, usually about football, girls or the instructors boring them to death.

Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he read the latest reminder from Kimmie to meet her and was about to delete the entire conversation when he saw that Adrienne had finally responded.

Jayden, I live in the Projects. I’m sure that that changes your mind, and I understand. – Adrienne

His opinion of her warmed immediately. He hadn’t considered what she’d grappled with as a scholarship student. He’d seen how mean some of the kids could be to the less fortunate students. He was at once irked that she’d assume he was like that and understanding that she had no idea who he was in the first place. They were virtually neighbors; his mother’s apartment was in the same ward.

He didn’t have a chance to respond before meeting with Kimmie. Still, he felt better knowing Adrienne wasn’t rejecting him. Jayden left the school for the sports complex. Kimmie was pacing outside the propped doors, waiting for him. His eyes fell not on her, but on Adrienne, who was trailing the cheer squad into the gym. If Kimmie wasn’t sure to get jealous, he’d tell Adrienne right then and there what he thought of her email.

“I knew you’d be late,” Kimmie said as he approached. “I’m glad you came, though.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “Look, Kimmie, I haven’t –”

“- changed your mind,” she finished for him. “Still?” She searched his face, as if genuinely surprised that was the case.

“No.”

“Then who will you go to Homecoming with?”

“No one, at this point,” he replied.

“You’re going to be crowned the king. You can’t
not
have a date!”

“Do you have a date? You’re a shoo-in for the Homecoming queen.”

“Well…” She crossed her arms. “I have a back-up plan, if you’re serious about not going with me.”

“Not surprised,” he muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“I said, that’s good. Because I’m serious about breaking up with you, Kimmie. I’m done with the drama and the emails and the phone calls. Whoever your back-up plan is, go and be happy,” he said with more heat than he intended.

She appeared wounded, and he felt guilty, despite the fact that she was driving him crazy. After years of taking care of his mother and sisters, he hated,
hated
upsetting women. Nothing good ever came of a woman who was pissed.

“I don’t understand it. You should be …” She shook her head.

“Should be what?” he asked. “Harassing me isn’t really a good way to convince me.” He tried to make it sound like a joke, but it fell flat.

“No, because I bought a spell from a
bokor.
He said you’d fall in love with me!”

“Oh, god, more voodoo crap. You know that’s just a sham, right?” he asked. “Go get a refund.”

Anger glittered in her dark eyes. Kimmie whirled away and went into the gym. Jayden followed, only because he wanted to see what the cheer squad was doing with his angel. Kayla was showing Adrienne a routine. He’d heard Darla quit, but he hadn’t thought they’d ask Adrienne to join the squad.

Then again, it made sense. While smaller than the others, she gave any girl on the squad a run for their money in looks. Those green eyes and blonde hair were the talk of the football team.

As if feeling him study her, Adrienne glanced up. Her face turned pink, and she looked away quickly. He hadn’t responded to her email yet and wondered if that’s why she appeared embarrassed. She was waiting for him to reject her.

Jayden pushed himself away from the doorway and left. Tonight he was headed to his father’s. He spent the weekdays at his father’s and every other weekend at his mother’s, unless she called him drunk to pick her up. Then he usually stayed the night to make sure she woke up the next day.

His daddy was having friends over for dinner, and Jayden hoped it was the Tarinos, who had a son his age who played sports. His dad loved to brag about the All-American quarterback that was his son. Jayden went with it. He tried to keep both parents happy, which was often impossible, since they seemed to want different things.

He whipped out his iPhone, where he’d routed school messages to his personal email.

How did he reassure Adrienne he didn’t care at all about her being from the wrong side of New Orleans? He thought hard about it as he walked to his car. He slid into the driver’s seat and blasted the AC then typed a response.

Adrienne- I’ll pick you up at 10. Send me your addy. BTW- can’t wait to see you in your cheer uniform Fri at the pep rally. – J.

Too strong? Probably. He really couldn’t help it, though. He’d never been this attracted to anyone. It was almost like he knew her somehow.

Jayden left campus and raced across town to reach the highway before rush hour started at three. His trip home was all of ten minutes once he hit the freeway, and he drove slowly through the affluent neighborhood and the gate around his father’s property, parking in back.

Jayden went in the side entrance of the garden, not surprised to see his stepsisters trying to catch the last direct rays of sun before autumn. Tara’s half-sister, Chelsea, was short and a little on the chubby side. She was eight with light mocha skin.

With them was his sister, Isabelle. Also eight, she was tall, dark-skinned and skinny, an indication she’d end up close to six feet tall like their mother.

“Hi, Jay,” Isabelle called with a wave.

“Hey, Izzy,” he replied. He crossed to hug his sister. “Don’t you have cheer practice, Tara?”

“I skipped,” she replied lifting her sunglasses to squint at him. “Did Kimmie badmouth me for it?”

“I have no idea,” he said, not about to get caught up in any drama. “I just saw them teaching a new girl –”

“New girl?” Tara shot up. “That bitch better not be replacing me!”

“Oooooohhhhhh,” Chelsea and Isabelle said simultaneously.

Tara ignored them. She snatched her phone and started towards the house.

Aware he’d caused enough drama with Kimmie, Jayden intercepted his stepsister and plucked her phone free. One sister was bad enough. Three? There were full weeks when he had no peace.

Tara looked up at him, frowning.

“I broke up with Kimmie, so don’t call her and yell,” he said quickly. “Okay? She’s already pissed at me.”

“Finally. What took you so long?”

“To break up with her?”

“She’s a bitch!”

“Ooooooohhhhhh!” went the girls again.

“Shut up, Chels, Izzy!” Tara snapped.

“I’m telling mom you’re saying bad words!” Chelsea retorted.

“If you dare, I’ll tell her you both were in her chocolate stash!”

Chelsea took a deep breath, preparing to squeal at the top of her lungs in a form of angry hissy fit. Isabelle recently took up the habit, too, and Jayden was in no mood for screaming girls.

“Don’t start,” he chided the two younger girls.

“Jayden!” Chelsea objected.

“No whining, no screaming, no cussing,” he said firmly. “Y’all got it?”

Tara snatched her phone and stormed inside. The two younger girls nodded.

Jayden shook his head. His father married the girls’ mother seven years ago, soon after Izzy was born. He’d spent more time babysitting and raising the two little ones than their parents had. They listened to him.

Most days, Tara ignored him but helped out where she was willing. He was certain his stepsister and ex-girlfriend would soon be on the phone together, comparing notes about how bad of a person he was.

Did he really want a new girlfriend when he was constantly surrounded by women?

His phone dinged, indicating he had a new email. Jayden glanced at his phone as he took the stairs to the second floor two at a time. He paused at the top of the grand staircase.

The email was from Adrienne. Any thought he had of not wanting anything to do with another girl in his life faded. He opened it instantly.

Hi Jayden,

I don’t think I can go. Thank you for asking.

Adrienne

Jayden frowned. How did she say no? Had Kimmie said something to her during cheer practice?

Let her go, Jay,
he told himself again.

But he couldn’t. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her all day, and he hated the idea of putting aside something that interested him before he’d satisfied his curiosity.

“Tara!” he called, striding down the hallway lined with the rooms of all four kids.

“What?” she shouted from inside her room.

“Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Fine.”

Jayden opened the door to her room. Like his, the massive space was filled with a four-poster bed, heavy furniture and paintings chosen by his stepmother. All similarities ended there. Tara’s marble floors were covered in pink and teal rugs, the mantle above her hearth decorated with awards won by the cheer squad. Her bedspread was fuchsia and the rest of her room adorned by girly colors and objects.

Slung across her bed in her bikini, Tara was on the phone. She held up her finger for him to wait.

Jayden did so impatiently and checked his phone, reading Adrienne’s email again.

They had chemistry. He felt it. Didn’t she?

“Okay what?” Tara asked, lowering the cell.

“What’s the deal with the new girl on the cheer squad?” he asked casually.

“You had to ask.” She rolled her eyes. “They’re not replacing me.”

She was quiet, content.

“Yeah and … ?” he prodded. “She’s replacing Darla?”

“Not really. Darla got pissed, but she’ll be back next week. She did this like, five times last year.”

“So Adrienne is just subbing for the week?”

“Why do you care about the cheer squad?” Tara pinned him with a glare. “Kimmie told me you broke up with her right before Homecoming. You’re an ass, Jay.”

“So she’s a bitch and I’m an ass?” he asked, crossing his arms. “Which is it?”

“Both!”

“Just tell me about Adrienne.”

Tara’s brow furrowed. She gazed at him for a minute then sat up, interested.

“You
like
her,” she accused.

“I don’t
like
her,” he retorted. “I heard her sing. She seems too nice to hang out with Kimmie.”

“And I’m not?”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said with tried patience.

“I can’t stand Kimmie. I’m glad you broke up with her.” Tara pushed herself off her bed and crossed to her cavernous walk-in closet. “I haven’t met Adrienne. What’s she like?”

“Small, blonde. She sings real good. She got a scholarship to –”

“Scholarship?” Tara poked her head out from the closet. “You’re serious?”

“Yeah.”

“You better not tell Daddy.” Tara considered for a moment, then ducked back into her closet. “Then there’s no way Kimmie will let her on the team. She’s probably just pranking her.”

Jayden frowned. “Kimmie would do that?”

“Duh. You remember how last year, she wouldn’t let Lori Jenkinson try out, because her parents mortgaged their house to send her to school there for her senior year?”

“I don’t even know who Lori Jenkinson is,” he replied.