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

Dad prattled on endlessly in the back seat, trying to lighten the mood. He talked about what we should do for Christmas, the weather out in Phoenix compared to here, how busy the shop was starting to get with winter around the corner.


Colten clung to my hand as if he never intended to let go.


In all our time together, I never thought he’d be as torn as I was about this, thinking he might be the one to move out with me. Though not for the same reasons as me, I understood why he couldn’t relocate. He had family and a job here. He’d be lost in Arizona. Me moving here worked so much better.


Stop, I told myself. You’re thinking too much. Besides, you’ve only been dating two months. It’s too soon to be making these leaps


I rubbed my thumb against the back of his hand.


Before I knew it, we were pulling into the airport’s departure zone. It was the quickest drive to Pittsburgh I’d ever experienced.


“We should park and walk you in,” Dad suggested.


Chapter 46