Cursed (Cursed Superheroes #1)

My mind spins in confusion. None of what he’s saying makes sense. “What’s about to happen? And how do you know my name?”


His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he brushes his knuckles across my cheek. “I’m so sorry, beautiful. I wish I could change what’s about to go down, but a curse is a curse, and even I can’t change it.” His hand travels down my neck, my side, finally resting at my waist. Then he jerks me against him so tightly I can barely breathe. “Just know that it will get better. At first, it might not seem like it, but I promise you it will. But you have to be strong, okay? Don’t give up. Be strong. Don’t let them break you.”

Then he shoves me back. My fingers leave his as I float deeper into the crowd, and he steps back, getting swallowed up by the people around us.

Catching my balance, I frantically look for him. But I can’t see him anywhere. I push my way through the sweaty bodies with a desperate need to find him.

“Remi, what are you doing?” Jane’s voice cuts through my panic. “Why do you look so freaked out?”

The haziness evaporates from my mind.

“Where’d you go?” She’s wearing her one piece covered by a pair of pink board shorts with little hearts on them and her floral dress is clutched in her hands. “I thought you were going to wait for me outside of the pool house?”

“I was, but I...” My gaze darts around the area. “Got distracted.”

“Oh.” She twists a strand of her hair around her finger while chewing on her bottom lip. “If you want to go hang out with Steph and Kara, that’s okay. They’re probably having more fun anyway.”

Even though it’s complicated as shit, I concentrate on her and give her a playfully stern look. “No way. The hot tub is way more fun than watching guys hit on Kara and Steph.”

“Okay.” She perks up. “So who was that guy you were dancing with?”

I’m so distracted scanning the peoples’ faces around me, I barely hear her. “You mean Ian?”

She shakes her head. “No, that guy with the blonde hair. The one you were dancing with when I came out of the pool house. He doesn’t go to our school, does he? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before.”

“Um…” Unsure how to explain to her what just happened—and not really wanting to, because it’ll probably make me look insane—I lie, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It’s the second time I’ve ever lied to her and I feel like shit. Not knowing what else to do, I change the subject. “Hey, did I tell you that my parents are letting me have my birthday party at the cabin?”

Her brows knit, probably noting my obvious subject change. But she’s too nice to call me out on my bull. “Sounds like fun. Who’s all going to be there?”

I start yammering off the details. But I’m only mentally half there, my mind back on the dance floor with Cameron.

What was he trying to show me? And better yet, how the hell did he convince me to dance when I didn’t want to?





Chapter 4





Thoughts of Cameron and curses consume my mind as Jane and I make our way back to the hot tub and climb in. I swear I can feel someone watching me, but can pinpoint where it’s coming from. The feeling is unsettling, but Cameron’s words are even more so. All that talk about curses and things getting worse before they get better. What did he mean by it? Was he just straight up crazy? Or does he know something about me that I don’t?

Or am I just going crazy?

Ten minutes later, Kara and Steph finally join us. They have shots in their hands and while I’m not a huge drinker, I decide that tonight I might need a shot or two or three…

Somewhere, I lose track of how many shots I throw back. My voice starts to sound so far away, like a faint echo, and my stomach begins to twist with nausea.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I mumble, stumbling out of the hot tub.

Knowing I won’t make it to the bathroom, I stumble farther into the backyard and yack my guts up in the bushes. Mid vomit, I hear the town clock chime midnight.

Happy birthday to me, I mentally groan.

A hand suddenly touches my back. Figuring it’s one of my friends, I relax into their comforting touch.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologize to them through a groan. “I completely ruined the night.”

Instead of getting a reassuring answer, a low chuckle echoes through the darkness.

I tense, suddenly feeling very sober. “Who’s there?” I start to turn around when I hand clamps down on my mouth.

I throw my weight forward, but an arm snakes around my waist and drags me out the back gate. I bite and kick and scream, but it’s no use. Whoever the person is, is freakishly strong.

“Don’t worry,” the voice purrs as we descend farther and farther away from the party. “Soon, this will be over. But before it gets better, things will get worse. But that’s just how curses work.”