Cursed Hearts: Book One of Hearts Duology

Chapter 3/Kelsie

Lena picks up on the first ring. In the background, I hear a male's laughter. So, that was why she rushed out of the coffeehouse. I should have known Jonah Nelson, captain of the baseball team and her boyfriend, was the reason and not a massive amount of homework. Now I feel stupid interrupting their couple time.

"Hey, Kelsie, what's up?" Her happiness oozes through the phone. Siren, I'd give anything to experience that.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize Jonah was over."

"Let me guess. You got set up by Cash. Right?"

I have a bad habit of calling Lena each and every time I have a hookup. It's why she thinks I date losers. "Sorry." I exhale. "Cash set me up with this awful guy. He was so unattractive and—"

"Oh, Kelsie," she starts. My friend would never poke fun at me or make light of my misery, but this time I hear the undercurrent of laughter. "You're always exaggerating. I'm sure it wasn't that dreadful. First dates are rarely good. Remember the one guy I went out with? What was his name?"

Right now, I'm ready to evoke the name of every Siren known in the deep blue sea. Please do not let her mention his name. I've been tortured enough for one day.

"Landry Moore," she exclaims.

A wave of dizziness hits me, and I drop to my bed. If Lena continues with a story about Landry, it only proves there's a spot in Hell with my name on it.

"Kelsie, remember how I thought he wasn't a great guy? Turns out he was a great kisser." She pauses for a second. "I wonder whatever happened to him."

Confirmation. I'm going to Hell. Now the memory of his succulent lips is on my mind. Again.

Lena continues, ignoring my silence. "Was this guy a good kisser?"

"Yes, but..."

"No buts. Half the battle is finding a guy who can kiss. Now find out what you have in common," she chides.

Yes. That's how it should work. How it does work for humans—flirting, making out, and deciding whether or not he or she is the right one. It doesn't work that way in the supernatural world. Half the time we're in the company of humans deciding if they can fulfill a need for us. The rest of the time we're thinking about scaring the crap out of them. No room for finding out what we have in common.

I wish I could tell Lena the truth. Fill her in on what I really do on the hookups Cash arranges. But the one unwritten, unbreakable rule is to never reveal ourselves to humans. So no matter how bad tonight went with Gregg, I'll have to stick to my lies.

"Trust me, Lena. It was a bad date, and there won't be another one with him." Well, that isn't a lie.

Menacing footsteps approach my door. It doesn't take a crystal ball to figure out who they belong to. Would be nice, however, to have a wand to make my brother disappear for a while.

"Lena, I've got to go. Cash is letting me know I left a mess downstairs." Understatement.

"Let him clean it up," she snaps.

"Night, girl."

The door opens as I place my phone on the nightstand.

"We need to talk. Now." Cash slams the door behind him.

I shift my position on the bed and place my legs beneath me. "Before you say anything, why didn't you tell me that Angela was a regular?"

"Dammit, Kels, would it have mattered?" He grabs hold of his hair and paces the floor. "Gregg could have died tonight. If you had killed him, I would have had to kill Angela."