Fallen Angel (Paranormal Romance)

by Selina Coffey

  In the lower left hand corner of the video it showed the date. It was the night after they had returned from Vegas.

  Shelby turned it off and allowed the tears to well up in her eyes. She felt a piercing, stabbing pain deep in her chest, right over her heart. It felt like she couldn’t breathe and she thought she might be having a heart attack, or at the very least an intense panic attack.

  She stumbled to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She chugged it hard and sat down at the table to allow the pain to pass by. It slowly started to and she felt her breathing return to normal. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing, just allowing the hyperventilation to go away.

  It was over with Aaron. He had betrayed her just when she was starting to feel close to him. She had opened herself up and let him into her heart despite all of her misgivings and hesitations, and the worst had happened.

  He was supposed to pick her up for their dinner date that night. She knew what she had to do.

  Shelby picked up the phone and forwarded the email to him. She added a text line to the body.

  Hope you had fun with your whore. We are done.

  Shelby walked into her living room, sat down on her couch, and cried until she passed out.

  The knock at her door woke her up. Darkness consumed her as she tried to get her eyes to focus. The only light she could make out was the glow of the digital clock on the front display of her cable box.

  She moaned as her body moved, feeling the bones in her back crack and pop as the joints came to life. She had not slept that good in a long time.

  “Shelby! Open up, we have to talk.”

  Shelby turned on the light in the living room, and winced as her eyes adjusted.

  “Go away. There is nothing to talk about.”

  “Shelby. This is a lie. I did not cheat on you.”

  Shelby opened the door so she could look Aaron in the face.

  “Really? You are going to stand there and lie to me. I saw the video. It’s right there plain as day.”

  “This woman is my ex- girlfriend. She is unbalanced. She cheated on me and I broke up with her, but she won’t take no for an answer. This video is fake.”

  “Give me a break. That is clearly you and her in the video.”

  “Yes. It is me and it is her, but the date is completely wrong. It is from six months ago.”

  “How can I know that? I want to believe you, but I just can’t. How can you expect me to believe that story?”

  “I can prove it.”

  Shelby looked at him incredulously.

  “How?”

  Aaron pointed to his ankle. It was bare except for a barbed wire tattoo.

  “So? What about your ankle?”

  “I didn’t have the tattoo in this video. This is my newest tat. I got it two months ago. Apparently, Chelsea doesn’t pay attention to detail. She is just trying to break us up. She still thinks I’ll take her back.”

  Aaron held up his phone. It showed the paused video of him and Chelsea having sex where his ankle is clearly visible, with no tattoo. He was telling the truth.

  Shelby burst into tears, lurched forward, and wrapped her arms around Aaron’s neck, pulling him close.

  “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s ok, baby. You had every right to think that, but I promise you that I am not a cheater and I would never do anything to hurt you or betray your trust. I love you Shelby Wilkes.”

  Shelby pulled back a second and looked him dead in the eyes. She could see that he really meant every word of what he said. There was nothing hiding behind those perfect eyes of his.

  “I love you, too.”

  The words echoed in the calm air of the dark night and hung there, repeating in her ears. She had heard those words spoken before, but she had never believed that they were true until just now. The cadence and timing in his voice, and the emotion behind the words, as well as the truth gleaming from his eyes told her all she needed to know. He really meant those words when he said them.

  She leaned against him and let her tears continue to fall as the emotional outburst slowly started to subside, returning her to a normal state of being.

  Chapter Six

  Six months later

  She is so amazing, Aaron thought as he saw his beautiful bride walking down the aisle. He was completely enamored with the way she was basically glowing in the light of the beautiful, old church that was packed with close friends and family. He never really thought that this day was going to come. It was one of those things he had longed for and wished for, but he had just about given up hope on the search when Shelby walked into his life. He supposed he should thank Carly, his beloved lab for introducing them. He had wished she could have been here. It was weird to have a dog at a wedding, but stranger things had definitely happened. In the end he was outvoted. He smiled at the thought.

  Shelby looked so beautiful in her wedding dress and he had to fight the tears that were threatening to roll down his face. He had never been happy enough to cry before and it was a surreal experience for him, but the event unfolding before his very eyes was something that he was not equipped to handle. As she came closer to him-- a beautiful, sweet smile on her face—he found himself replaying the events of the past several months over in his head.

  After the fiasco with the sex tape that Chelsea had sent to Shelby, he had confronted her. Chelsea had been a little pissed that she had neglected such a vital piece of evidence in her trickery, but she had laughed the whole thing off. Too bad for Chelsea that she was set to fight one of his friends in an upcoming match.

  Vanessa Daniels was a top ranked female MMA fighter that Aaron had known for years. They had never been anything romantic, because their relationship felt almost like brother/sister. She truly was the little sister that he never actually had. When Vanessa heard about what Chelsea did she made it a point to punish her in the ring. It was a brutal beat down of a fight, with Chelsea enduring a career ending busted knee.

  Aaron had not asked Vanessa to do that and he had actually felt pretty bad that it had happened, but Vanessa was very protective of him when it came to women and she had gone out of her way to make sure that Chelsea paid for what she did.

  He looked over at Vanessa and smiled. She smiled back with pride. She had loved Shelby from the moment she met her and the two had become fast friends, which was very important to Aaron. He did not have that many truly close friends, but Vanessa was one of them.

  Shelby reached the end of the aisle and was now standing in front of him. He reached up and grabbed her hand gently, taking it in his and watching her small hand disappear in his large grip. She smiled that amazing warm smile at him and he felt the first tear roll out of the corner of his eye. He smiled as a wave of relief fell over him.

  It was the type of relief one feels when you realize that what you have so desperately wanted and longed for has finally arrived and it is even more spectacular than you thought it could be. Shelby’s face lit up even more when she saw the tear stream down his face.

  As the minister spoke Aaron blocked out most of what was said. He was too caught up in looking into Shelby’s eyes and the amazing times they’d enjoyed together over the past six months and the wonderful times that were surely to come in the future for them.

  That night they would be heading towards their honeymoon destination—The Bahamas. Aaron had always wanted to go there and so had Shelby. Aaron had travelled fairly extensively during his fighting career, but he had not gone outside of the country except for a few fights in Mexico and Canada. He had never travelled anywhere exotic, and he was looking forward to a great getaway with the love of his life.

  The hardest thing for him and Shelby was going to be letting go of work, but he was proud of Shelby. She had worked extra hard to get caught up with all of her clients so she could take the week off for their honeymoon vacation. He admired the way Shelby worked so hard at something she was passionate about. She was so determined in
everything she did and he knew there was nothing out of that woman’s grasp if she wanted it. It was great how they could just immerse themselves in their work and not see or talk to each other for hours on end, and when they came together it was like they had not even been apart.

  If someone had sat him down and explained to him when he was younger that this is what love was supposed to feel like then he wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to make it happen, and he wouldn’t have wasted so much time and made so many mistakes with women who were obviously not right for him.

  But he guessed it was all for the best. Everything he had done and everything he hadn’t done or achieved had all brought him here today. He thought about all of the what ifs in his life and how each decision—no matter how big or small—had altered his life in some beautiful way to carefully bring him to this moment at this time. It was all so perfect. He was not a deeply religious man, but at times like this he had to believe something higher than him was behind the wheel.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to unite Aaron and Shelby, two pure souls who have found each other according to God’s beautiful plan. At a time like this we are reminded of what it means for two people to unite themselves together and to make a pact—an eternal commitment—to each other before all of us and before God.”

  The minister’s words filled the air in a hauntingly sweet, almost musical, sing song monotone. Aaron found himself feeling faint for the briefest of moments, and then it was gone. He wondered if Shelby felt it.

  “When two people make this pact together they are forsaking the affections of all others and allowing their bodies, minds, and spirits to become one person. They will stand as one person for the rest of their Earthly days and into the afterlife where they will remain united forever. The pairing of these two children of God that you will all witness today is perhaps the greatest gift our maker gave us. It is the ability to fall in love with another and the privilege of sharing one’s life with that person. The Lord, our God did not want man to be alone. He has foreseen it and he has made it so.”

  Aaron was starting to feel that the minister was laying it all on a little thick, and as cheesy as what he was saying felt, Aaron found himself tearing up more when he realized it was a perfect analogy for the way he felt about his bride.

  Aaron thought about the plans he and Shelby had made together for the next few years. They figured they would both want a bigger house for the two of them and the children they planned on having. It was something both of them had always dreamt of—having children— and Aaron was looking forward to it more every day. They did want to take a few years and enjoy just being a free couple who could come and go as they pleased. There was a lot of the world neither of them had ever seen and they both wanted to, but eventually children were going to be in the picture.

  Aaron found it funny how when he was younger he never saw himself as a dad, or even a husband, but as the years rolled by he started feeling like there was something missing from his life. He had a lot of love to give and he had a lot of guidance to share. He felt he had gained so much knowledge about life over the past few years and he didn’t want that wisdom to go to waste. Shelby would be an amazing mother as well. She was so caring and so nurturing, once you broke down the walls she had constructed around herself to keep the world at bay. He had somehow been able to do that and once he was inside those walls he never wanted to leave. It was the perfect place to be, with the perfect woman.

  After the ceremony they partied it up at the reception. Shelby and Aaron had launched themselves out onto the dance floor. Aaron had never considered himself much of a dancer, but the spirit grabbed him and he found that he could not stop dancing. He was having too much fun and feeling way too good from the endorphin rush of getting married. As soon as the minister said to kiss the bride, Aaron had been on that high. It was all over and the nerves and excitement had built to a final crescendo that finally exploded.

  And the alcohol probably helped a bunch. Both he and Shelby drank a lot that day, but not too much—they did want to remember the wedding day, after all.

  The next morning they were on a plane heading for the Bahamas. The flight was so smooth and Aaron was so happy that they had decided to fly first class, even though it was twice as expensive. They had decided to splurge and make it happen.

  As they approached the end of their flight and they could see the Bahamas islands coming up in the distance, Shelby reached over and grabbed his hand. He turned to look at her and got lost in the beauty of her eyes.

  “I love you,” she said.

  “I love you, too.” Aaron kissed her sweetly.

  As they walked off the plane they were taken in by the culture of where they had arrived. Aaron was used to beautiful sunny weather, living in Phoenix Arizona, but he was amazed by how blue the ocean looked when you were that close to it. As they rode towards the hotel and resort where they were staying he marveled at the crystal clear, blue water that reflected the sunshine back at him. It was breathtaking to say the least.

  As far as he could see there was nothing but blue, so much so that it was impossible to tell where the sky and the water split apart. They stretched on in an endless direction of mingling blues and sunshine. As he watched this vision it reminded him of how it was a perfect metaphor for the journey that he and Shelby were embarking on.

  He was no longer alone and neither was she. They were two shades of blue that had come together at last to create their own distinct shade of blue. It was uniquely theirs and no one could ever interrupt it and nothing could ever separate the gleam from the blue.

  It was time for the next step.

  The End

  Part III

  Wild Fight

  Sports Romance

  About the Book

  “That night you slammed the door in my face, I wanted to ask you out.”

  “Sorry about that,” I said feeling ridiculous now. “It was just a shock seeing you...after...well...you know.”

  “After I deflowered you in the alley?”

  “I wasn’t a virgin!”

  “You were tight like one.”

  Reckless sex? A one-night stand? Did I really have the audacity? If someone had asked me those questions just six months ago I would have laughed in their face or blushed in embarrassment. But six months ago I hadn’t been a recently single divorcee with a chip on her shoulder large enough to carry Paris, France.

  I had no skills, no money and now no husband. What was a girl to do besides get in touch with her wild side? And so, I did. After all, I had nothing else to lose. However, I didn’t know that one night of passion would come with a price. I mean, so what he was a professional MMA fighter. I could handle him...right?

  Prologue

  “Are you leaving me, Tommy?” I tried to keep the fear from my voice as I addressed my husband of five years. He looked so serene, so calm as he told me the words I thought I would never hear. He simply didn’t want me anymore. I shook my head wondering how that could possibly be. I had given so much to him, to our relationship. I had given up so much for him, as well. How could he not love me? I had done everything in my power to become exactly the woman he wanted me to be. How was that not good enough?

  He didn’t answer at first and then slowly his eyes met mine, “I’m sorry, Bree.” I didn’t say a word for a moment. I just stared blankly into his green eyes that I remembered thinking were so beautiful at one point in time. I’d thought for so many years that when he looked at me, those eyes showed an expression of love. However, now they just showed emotional exhaustion and indifference. He was tired of me. Apparently, he was done being with me. My heart started racing quickly and I tried in vain to breathe deeply in and out, while my brain raced in pace with my heart trying to come up with a way to stop my current reality. I felt as if I were having a panic attack.

  “What did I do wrong? What’s going on? Tell me and I’ll change it. You can’t just throw our marriage down the drain.” I know I sounded de
sperate, but I felt desperate. After all, Tommy was the only family I’d ever known.

  He shook his head and looked elsewhere, not wanting to meet my eyes. “I should leave.”

  “Leave?” I said startled as if he hadn’t already told me that was his intention. “Where are you going?”

  We were in the living room of our spacious townhouse that Tommy had bought only last year. We had agreed to move out of our luxury condo in order to start a family. The townhouse was located in an exclusive neighborhood and the school district was one of the best in the state. Not that it mattered now, I thought bitterly. Apparently that wasn’t going to be my life anymore. I was no longer going to be his wife, let alone the mother of his children. I struggled to keep my emotions in check and pushed that thought aside as tears began to pool in my eyes.

  “Out. I’m going out. I think you need some space. It’ll give you time to process everything without worrying about my presence.”

  “But that’s just it, Tommy. I do want to worry about your presence. I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to lose us,” I said grabbing his arm.

  “Bree---” And it was then that I knew it was really over. His voice had grown cold. He was done with this conversation. I’d heard him use that same tone before when he was firing a manager over the phone. He was done with me.

  “I’m seeing someone else. It’s pretty serious. I’m sorry to tell you this way.”

  I slowly released my grip on his arm. I hadn’t been expecting that. I had definitely not been expecting that. I went from desperate to angry in the matter of milliseconds. I had never been angrier in my life.

  “Who is she?”

  He stood up and said dismissively, “Why does it matter?”

  “Who is she, Tommy?”

  “Stop punishing yourself---”