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Chapters (82)
  1. Cover
  2. ALSO BY JAMIE BRENNER
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. PART TWO
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. PART THREE
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. About the Author
  82. What’s next onyour reading list?

He stood still, looking at her. Their eyes met, and for a moment she thought she’d reached him, that he would let go of the idea their relationship had to be all or nothing. But then he walked out.

66

Gemma overlooked one small detail in her plan to avoid Elodie: All of her jewelry-making equipment was at Celeste’s. By sunset, she couldn’t ignore all the orders flooding her Instagram.

Queen Anne’s Revenge was closed and she walked around back to use the private entrance. Before she reached the porch, she heard something that stopped her in her tracks: a woman crying. Gemma followed the sound to the yard, where she found Celeste at the picnic table, her head buried in the crook of her arm.

“Aunt Celeste! What’s wrong?”

Celeste looked up, wiping her eyes and glancing around as if she’d been caught doing something illicit.

“When did you get back?” she said.

“A few hours ago,” Gemma said, walking closer. “I’m staying at Maud’s.”

“Why would you— Oh. I understand. You don’t want to see Elodie.”

Surprised, Gemma slid into the bench across from her. A stray shard of wood scratched her elbow.

“How did you know?”

“She’s here, too. And she told me about the ring.”

“She did?” Hadn’t Elodie begged her not to tell Celeste? Hadn’t she specifically guilted her—and rightly so—not to bring it up and spoil Celeste’s happiness heading into her wedding?

“More than that,” Celeste said. “She gave it to me. Or tried to.”

Gemma leaned forward, avoiding the rough patch on the table. “Gave you . . . what, exactly?”

“The eternity band. Made from pieces of the Electric Rose.”

What? “You’re saying that Elodie still has one of the pieces made from the original diamond?”

“Yes. I’m sorry. I thought you knew. Anyway, I asked her to leave. She lied and manipulated us over that stupid auction! I believed her when she said she sold the diamond long ago. But it’s not gone, so the curse is still here. And I can’t get married. So Jack left.”

Gemma sat up straight. “Aunt Celeste, you don’t really believe that, do you?”

“Of course I do. We’ve talked about this. As soon as my father launched that competition for the diamond, everything fell apart. And the one couple that didn’t break up because of it died.”

Gemma’s immediate thought was, Yes, exactly: It was the competition that hurt the family. Not the diamond itself. But it was clear her aunt was stuck in a kind of magical thinking, and there was nothing Gemma could say in that moment that would change her mind. If Celeste was so fearful of the curse that she was willing to break off her engagement, Gemma would need help.

She needed Maud.