Marty Smith was born in Accident, Maryland, and his whole life reflected it: he missed the game-winning free-throw junior year, got chicken pox twice in grade school, even lost his mother to cancer. To break this supposed curse, he fled Accident as soon as he graduated high school.<br><br>Now, ten years later, Marty must face his past when he's forced to care for his suddenly-immobile father. Marty knows his close-minded hometown hasn't changed, but seeing an old classmate named Colten Williams makes him wish things were different. The more time he spends with Colten, the more he wants to stay. Accident isn’t so bad when viewed through Colten’s eyes.<br><br>Or is it just the curse lulling him into a false sense of security before it pounces again?

The Accident Curse

On the drive back to Accident, Colten cuddled me again. It was an easy situation to get used to. I liked the attention and the soft way his lips felt along every inch of my skin. Maybe having Colten at Dad’s wasn’t the solution. I’d want to reach out and touch him. Would Dad be okay with that?


I pulled the Tundra into the Williams farm, then parked the truck. Turning to Colten, I said, “See you tomorrow.”


His fingers touched my cheeks and I leaned into them.


“See you tomorrow,” he repeated, then kissed me.


All too soon, he pulled away and climbed from the car. My chest hurt, and my stomach roiled nauseously when I realized whyit ached. I was so fucked.


Colten turned on the front porch and waved. I waved back, then headed to Dad’s. 14


Chapter 28