Eternal Promise: (The Cursed Series, Book 5)

or not.”
He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on top of my head. “I don’t know, either,” he said.
“I just know if it were me, I’d want to know everything,” I said, resting my hands on his waist.
“Well, you know Abby better than the rest of us. If you really believe she should know, then she should know.” He held me out at arm’s length. “No matter what you decide, I’ll help however I can.”
“Thanks.” I smiled and rose up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss.
“Can you stay for a while?” he asked, not moving too far from my lips. The way his voice dipped, taking on a slightly raspy tone, made his intentions clear.
I shifted on my feet, bringing my body closer to his, and his eyes darkened. My heart beat hard and steady. I took a deep breath, hating that I had to tell him no.
“I should go home and check on Abby,” I said, though I’d much rather stay here with him. But Abby needed me, and I wanted to be there for her.
He groaned. “I seriously can’t wait for the day when you don’t have to leave to go home,” he said.
“Me too. So, what’re you going to do the rest of the day?” I asked.
“Hang out with my brothers.” He grinned.
I laughed. “No fighting.”
“No promises,” he said with a playful wink. “C’mon, I’ll walk you out to your car.”
THAT NIGHT, ABBY SLEPT in my room, and we stayed up until almost three in the morning, talking. She had a lot of questions, and I answered every single one of them as honestly as I could.
I didn’t tell her she’d known Isach once before, though I did tell her she’d known Trent and that he’d wiped her memories like he had mine. Thankfully, she didn’t dwell on that subject for too long.
I even confided in her about the time I’d spent locked up with Jax, how I’d developed feelings for him, how he’d bitten me, and we were eternally bonded. Of course, I then had to tell her how Ivy transferred the bond to Trent, and then he’d bit me to claim me because I was his soulmate.
She’d insisted on seeing the bite mark, and that led to a million more questions about what it felt like to be bitten and if it hurt. I was glad she was talking to me about everything—it gave me hope that she might actually be okay with this.
Eventually, the conversation circled around to the deal we were making with Ivy and how it meant Trent and I would be having a baby. In typical Abby fashion, she was overly excited for me, squealing and hugging me. Of course, she was more excited that she’d be Aunt Abby than anything else, and she already had grand plans of how she’d spoil her future niece or nephew.
When my alarm went off a few short hours later, we groaned in unison. I slapped at the clock and sat up, rubbing sleep from my eyes. I was tempted to play sick so I could stay home and sleep, but if I did that, there was no way Aunt Beth would let me out of the house later, and today was the day I’d make another blood oath to Ivy. I couldn’t not show up for that.
Abby shuffled to her room to get dressed, and twenty minutes later, we were in my car and headed toward school. Not even coffee and loud music could wake us up enough to be functional. It was going to be a long day.
I pulled into the student lot and parked. “Okay, this is going to sound so selfish, but I have to say it.”
“Say what?” Abby yawned.
“When I change, I’m not going to be able to stay in Keene Valley for very long. Everyone I know will start to age, but I won’t, so I’ll have to move. I mean, now that you know the truth, I could still see you, I guess, but I’ll have to basically never see anyone else again.” I rubbed my hands over the steering wheel, my heart in my throat. “You’re like a sister to me, Abby, and I don’t want to lose you. I want you to change,” I whispered.
Tears pooled in my eyes. I’d promised myself I wouldn’t rush her or try to guilt her into making a decision, and that’s exactly what I’d just done.
“Chloe…” Her lips trembled.
“I’m sorry.” I forced a smile and wiped the tears from my eyes. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. This is your choice. Don’t let anyone—not even me—force you to do something you don’t want to do.”
“Thank you.” She lunged across the center console and gave me an awkward hug.
If she chose not to change, I was really going to miss her hugs. I used to hate them, but now I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through life without them. “You know I love you, right?” I said, not ready to release her.
“Okay, do not make me cry,” she said around a laugh, but it was too late—there were already tears glistening in her eyes.
Laughing, I once again swiped my fingers beneath my eyes. “Sorry. I’m not normally so emotional.” At least, not with her. With Trent, I was always blubbering like a baby. “I blame it on the lack of sleep,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “C’mon, let’s go before we’re late.”
Together, we walked toward our lockers. Abby’s steps faltered when she noticed Isach was waiting for her. She took a deep breath.
I grabbed her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “You got this,” I whispered, then veered off in the direction of my locker.
When Trent saw me, he straightened and greeted me with a breathtaking smile. “How’d things go last night?”
I’d texted him briefly to let him know I was spending the night with Abby, but I hadn’t had the chance to ever call him back to