The Broken Curse Read Online Free PDF Page A

back on track.  
    I lean over his body and check my cell, which sits on the windowsill. I have a few missed calls—and by few, I mean seventeen. Most are Kara, but I have a few from Ollie and Junior. I look at the time; it's already past noon.
    I've missed most of the morning. I should have eaten and gotten to the training center hours ago. I try to be quiet as I move around the room, shuffling my feet. I'm completely naked, so it's like a small scavenger hunt as I try to find each piece of my clothing and replace it. My body aches in strange places from my exploration of Ari's body. My abs are sore, my legs still wobbly. My lips are swollen.
    I'm putting on my shorts when Ari stirs in the bed. He rolls over and faces the outside, right towards me. I freeze so that I don't wake him up, but it's too late. I'm like a deer in headlights.
    His beautiful, jade eyes spring open. He's immediately worried, but then he sees me, and he visibly relaxes. He rubs his eyes and then sits up, the sheets covering his lower half, while his upper body is completely on display, naked and statuesque.
    "What's wrong?" he asks. He has sex hair and a raspy voice. It's so completely desirable that I burn to tame my lust. It just solidifies why I have to get out of here and get refocused.
    "Nothing," I say with an empty voice. "I have to get to the training center."
    "Why?"  
    "To train, what else?"
    "So, we're back to that?" His eyes narrow in on me. There's a snark to his voice, a tone that says he's not putting up with my crap. An attitude that says he knows I'm putting up a front.  
    "What did you expect, Ari? Did you think you'd just waltz in here, drag me into your bed, and we'd live happily ever after?" I finish pulling my shorts up, and then throw my hair into a loose ponytail. I refuse to make eye contact with Ari. I know it'd only make it harder to leave.
    "One: this isn't my bed. Two: I didn't have to drag you. And three: stop pretending not to care. You think that I don't understand you, but I do. I know the whole I-refuse-to-show-emotions attitude you got going on, and trust me, it doesn't work."
    "It worked just fine before you showed up here last night." I cross my arms over my chest.
    "That's because I make you feel things. And that scares you, Eury." He steps towards me and I step back.
    "I'm not scared of anything."
    "Everyone's scared of something."
    "I have to go," I say quickly and then sprint to the door. But Ari's faster than me. He catches me. He spins me around so we're chest to chest and runs his hands through my hair. Then he kisses me, hard. This isn't a good morning or goodbye kiss. This is an I-own-you kiss.
    When he pulls back, I'm short of breath. I can't focus. He stares at me, and for a moment, I'm dazed. But then it's back to my emotionless state. One kiss isn't enough to deter me this time.
    "Thanks." I glare at him and then leave him standing there, dumbfounded. I slam the door shut behind me and run into the stairwell, using my speed to make it in less than a second.  
    I lean against the brick wall and fight the urge to cry. The only thing I can think of is my need to hit something or to run, so I slam my fist against the wall. My hand screams in pain, but I revel in it. Physical pain is so much better than emotional torture.  
    I run.  
    And I don't stop.

    I've dreaded my return to the room based on the sheer fact that I know Kara is going to ask me questions that I have no desire to answer. But I'm disgusting after running for three hours straight in an attempt to clear my head.
    I tentatively open the door, peeking just my head in first. Kara is sitting at her desk, looking down animatedly at some book. Her desk light is shining right on the white paper. It's so blinding, it almost shows her reflection.
    "Hey," I say as I step into the room. I immediately walk into the bathroom and fill up a little cup with water. I haven't had anything to drink in twelve hours, and my head's getting a bit woozy.  
    I