Falling for Nicole: An Enemies to Lovers Romance (Angel Book 8)

by Tracy Lorraine

  “My dad’s just outside. This is your last chance to change your mind.”

  “No, I’ve got this,” I say. Thankfully, my voice comes out sounding stronger than I feel.

  “Okay.” She comes to stand in front of me and grabs my hands in hers as she looks over me. Her eyes fill with tears. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you. Now stop that, or you’ll get me started.”

  “Sorry,” she mutters as she smooths down the front of her bridesmaid’s dress and stands back. “You ready to do this then?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “You know, it’s not too late to change your mind and dump my brother’s smelly arse.”

  I can’t help but smile at her slightly disgusted face. “It doesn’t smell that bad.”

  “Hmm, whatever you say. I’ll see you in a few,” she says, before slipping out of the room.

  Turning, I stare at myself in the full length mirror we placed up against the wall in our office when we turned it into my dressing room first thing this morning.

  I run my hands over the lace of my tea length dress before wrapping my fingers around the locket hanging from my neck.

  I’m not doing this alone. She’s right here with me.

  Taking one final look in the mirror, I blow out a slow breath and turn to the door.

  I can hear the soft sounds of the music coming from the decking as I make my way through the shack. Lilly spots me and gives me a wink before instructing the music to be changed.

  I wait a few minutes for everyone to be in place before I take the final few steps to the door, across the decking, and to the aisle of sand towards the man waiting for me.

  Everyone turns to look at me but the face I want to see. Slowly, I make my way past our few guests down the aisle with my head held high, ignoring the couple of sad looks I receive when they notice no one is escorting me. I don’t need anyone to escort me to where I need to go. The only man I need is the one I’m walking towards.

  Susan’s watery eyes lock onto mine, and I smile brightly at her. She’s finished treatment and is waiting for her surgery. The last few months have been really hard on her, but being able to help plan this day with us has helped keep her spirits up. She mouths you look beautiful to me. Blinking back the tears stinging my eyes, I once again look towards my future.

  At the very last minute, he turns, and the look in his eyes as he sees me is one I’ll remember for the rest of my life. In that moment, any concern I may have had that he ever hated me vanishes, because it’s clear as day that the only thing this man has ever felt for me is love, and thankfully I feel exactly the same.

  The End!

  Falling for Olivia, the last book in the series, is coming soon.

  Add to your TBR now!

  Acknowledgments

  Nicole and Declan’s journey has been a long time coming, and I’ve been so excited to write it. They’ve been floating around in my head for over three years now, and it feels incredible to finally be able to share it with you. I really hope you’ve enjoyed their emotional story as much as I have. There is so much of this story that isn’t just theirs, though. Many parts of it are very close to my heart, and I know a lot of you will also be touched by Nicole’s fight. If it wasn’t for the journey I went through with my mum and her own fight, my life might have taken a very different path and I might not be sat here writing the acknowledgements on my seventeenth book.

  I don’t usually get emotional when writing, but there were so many parts of this book that had me fighting a lump in my throat, many because they’re true. I hope I haven’t broken you too badly!

  Aside from the sad stuff, I loved writing Nicole and Declan’s banter; they were hilarious when they were arguing.

  The main person I need to thank for making this story what it was is my mum. She has no idea how much she inspires me every day, even though she hasn’t been here for over three years now. Things that she taught me, and many that I learnt myself during her epic twelve year fight, are laced through this book, and as hard as those times were, I’ve smiled at every memory.

  As always, I need to thank Michelle for alpha reading Falling for Nicole when it wasn’t much more than a load of jumbled letters on a page. I may not have quite achieved the challenge you gave me to make you cry, but I got very close, and I’m happy with that!

  Deanna, Helen, Lindsay and Tracy, I’m sorry for the tears I caused, but even now your messages of abuse as you ugly cried make me smile. I’m so glad my characters are as important to you are they are me. Thank you for all your feedback and suggestions. I couldn’t do it without you.

  And of course, my incredible husband and gorgeous little girl. Thank you for supporting me and not rolling your eyes too much at my crazy dream.

  I’m so sad to say that we’re nearly at the end of this series. When I first dreamt up Molly and Ryan’s story about four years ago, I never could have imagined it would have ended up as long as it has. These characters will always hold such a special place in my heart because it’s where this crazy journey into self-publishing began.

  You’ve probably already guessed that Olivia and Liam’s story is going to be the tenth and final book in the Angel series, and I promise not to make you wait as long as you did for this one to get your hands on it!

  Playlist

  Music heavily influenced Nicole and Declan’s story. Here’s the list of songs that featured within the book along with a Spotify link. Enjoy!

  Don’t Stop The Music - Rihanna

  Hate That I Love You - Rihanna

  Super Bass - Nicki Minaj

  The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding

  Never Be The Same - Camila Cabello

  Cannon Ball - Damien Rice

  Rude Boy - Rihanna

  7 Things - Miley Cyrus

  I Hate You, I Love You - I’ll Cheat You Nash

  I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift

  Not Letting Go - Tinie Tempah and Jess Glynne

  There’s Nothing Holding Me Back - Shawn Mendes

  Yesterday Once More - Carpenters

  The One - Kodaline

  Treat You Better - Shawn Mendes

  Listen Now

  Read Beth for FREE!

  Grab your FREE copy of Beth now:

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  About the Author

  Tracy Lorraine is a M/F and M/M contemporary romance author. Tracy has just turned thirty and lives in a cute Cotswold village in England with her husband, baby girl and lovable but slightly crazy dog. Having always been a bookaholic with her head stuck in her Kindle Tracy decided to try her hand at a story idea she dreamt up and hasn’t looked back since.

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  If you want to know what I’m up to and see teasers and snippets of what I’m working on then you need to be in my Facebook group. Join Tracy’s Angels here.

  Keep up to date with Tracy’s books at

  www.tracylorraine.com

  Also by Tracy Lorraine

  Angel Series

  Falling for Molly: Part One #1

  Falling for Molly: Part Two #2

  Falling for Abbi #3

  Falling for Beth (An Angel Series Novella)

  Falling for Emma #4

  Falling for Connie #5

  Falling for Lilly #6

  Falling for Taylor #7

  Falling for Nicole #8

  Falling for Olivia #9 - coming soon

  Chasing Series

  Chasing Logan

  Ruined Series

  Ruined Plans #1

  Ruined by Lies #2

  Ruined Promises #3

  Never Forget Series

  Never Forget Him #1

  Never Forget Us #2

  Everywhere & Nowhere #3

  The Cocktail Girls

  His Manhattan

  Never Forget Him - Sneak Peek

  Never Forget Him

  Prologue

&
nbsp; “Once upon a time there was a handsome soldier. He was strong and brave, and whisked the princess off her feet.

  “The solider was a hero, fighting all the bad guys and giving people their lives back.

  “He was more than that, though. He wasn’t just the brave soldier, he was thoughtful and caring, funny, and a little bit of an idiot.” I smile to myself as memories start playing out in my mind of his slightly wonky smile when he was winding me up, and the infectious sound of his laugh.

  “One day, I’m going to be just like Daddy. I’m going be big and brave and rescue people,” Denny says sleepily.

  I stay where I am, sat on the edge of his bed, and watch as he loses the fight against sleep. Denny looks just like him. Most days I find it comforting, but there are times, like right now, after he’s made me recite his nightly story, that it’s painful. The memories of him threaten to rip me apart.

  I gently sweep his hair from his forehead once I know he’s fast asleep. “You already do that, baby boy. You rescue me every day,” I whisper as I take one last look at his gorgeous, peaceful face.

  Never Forget Him

  Chapter One

  Five Years Ago…

  “Erin, come on, at least look a little excited about this. It’s your twentieth birthday, for fuck’s sake,” Frankie, my best friend, complains when I sit on her bed, looking less than enthusiastic about our night out.

  “I’m good, Ki. I am looking forward to it,” I lie. “It’s just I’m—”

  “Worried about your mum.” Her words come out softer, showing she does understand. They still make me feel guilty, maybe I’m being a little too self-involved.

  “I’m sorry. I’m going to forget all that and we’re going to have an amazing night,” I announce, summoning up as much excitement as I can muster.

  Frankie is the ultimate party girl. She loves nothing more than spending all weekend either getting ready to go out, or being out and getting very drunk. That whole scene isn’t really me; I much prefer to spend my Saturday night at home, in my den, working, but I don’t have a chance in hell of getting away without going tonight, seeing as it’s my birthday.

  “Here, get this down your neck. It’ll help chill you the fuck out,” she says, thrusting a glass of vodka Red Bull at me.

  “Haven’t you got anything else?”

  “Nope, suck it up. We’re gonna get ourselves nice and drunk before heading out. Seeing as we’re two weeks away from our next loan payments coming in, I’m fucking skint. We don’t all have a cushy job like you,” she says before necking her drink in one go. I, on the other hand, sip at the vile liquid before putting it down behind me. If I never taste vodka Red Bull again I’d be happy. “Although,” she adds, with a wiggle of her eyebrows, “a little birdie told me there’re some hot soldiers in town tonight. Maybe they’ll buy us some drinks.”

  I can’t help but groan at her mention of soldiers. Frankie makes no secret of her desire to bed a hot army guy. She has some obsession with being the one to make a soldier’s leave the best he’s ever had, to let him use her to blow off steam before sending him packing to wherever it is he’s based with some amazing memories and no intention of ever seeing him again.

  “Oh, don’t give me that, E. You know you’d want it if you had the chance.”

  I don’t respond other than to lift my eyebrow at her. She knows exactly what I’d say, anyway. My dad was in the army and I watched what it did to Mum every time he left to go on tour. I vividly remember the day she answered the door and collapsed to the ground wailing before the men the other side had even spoken. From as early as I can remember, I’ve said I’d never touch a man in the army. Dad broke my mum—totally shattered her. I never want to experience anything like that. Ever.

  “Anyway, what do you think?” Frankie asks as she holds a small piece of silver glitzy fabric in front of her.

  “I think it looks about the right size to be a dishcloth, Ki.”

  “I don’t know why I bother,” she complains, throwing the dress on the bed.

  Frankie and I are complete opposites. She’s tall, I’m short. She’s blonde, I’m some boring shade of brown—to say brunette would probably make it sound too good. She’s outgoing and adventurous, and I’m shy and reserved. Our choice of clothing is also at different ends of the scale. Frankie follows fashion and must be seen wearing what the celebs are. I, on the other hand, love the 1950’s look, so when I’m not in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt you can find me in something like the high-waist pencil skirt, white shirt, thick red belt with matching court shoes I’m about to change into. It’s not exactly a look most of our fellow students rock on a night out, but it’s what I love, so I go with it. I wouldn’t be seen dead in the tiny scraps of fabric Frankie steps out of her flat in.

  “Who told you that, anyway?”

  “Lisa rang me this afternoon from a bar in town. Apparently, they came in all boisterous and sexy and offered to buy her and Tara a drink. Once they found out their plans for the night, they excused themselves to ring me. I can’t fucking wait, E. Soldiers! Actual soldiers!”

  “Yay,” I say, feigning excitement.

  Frankie throws her lip gloss at me. “If you’re not excited for yourself then at least be excited for me,” she says, before stripping off her robe and reaching for her dress.

  “Ready?” she asks excitedly as she finishes off the drink I abandoned some time ago.

  I take one last look at myself in the mirror and run my hand down the fabric of my skirt. My hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail with my fringe swept to the side and pinned behind my ear. My eyes are lined perfectly and my lips are fire engine red thanks to Frankie’s skills—I could never achieve this look on my own. I may be good with my hands but it doesn’t seem to translate to putting make up on.

  “I guess,” I mutter as I grab my bag.

  Frankie ignores my less than enthusiastic response and takes my hand to pull me through her flat to the awaiting taxi. She can barely sit still during the short ride to the city centre, and I hate to admit it, but her excitement is a little infectious. This may not be my kind of thing, but seeing my best friend this happy does make me feel better about everything.

  “We’re here,” Frankie exclaims, throwing money onto the passenger seat and practically bouncing from the taxi.

  I thank the driver and get out in a slightly more composed manner. I wasn’t paying much attention to where we were going, but I groan when I see which club we’ve just pulled up outside.

  “Smoke? Really?”

  “Yes. This is where Lisa and Tara said the soldiers were heading.”

  I’m not a fan of nightclubs in general, but I have a particular hatred of Smoke and Frankie knows it, which is probably why she didn’t tell me.

  “We’re meant to be out celebrating my birthday. Shouldn’t I have the final say?” I ask, refusing to move from the curb.

  “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Frankie says, thinking about more than her sexy soldiers for a second. “Where do you want to go?”

  I desperately want to say home, but I know that isn’t going to go down well. I also don’t know if it’s actually the truth. The place I love being isn’t the same now I’m watching Mum fight this losing battle with her business. I think where I want to be is anywhere but here. I don’t want to be stood outside this club I hate, and for the first time ever, I don’t want to be in Bristol. I need to get away from it all, from the stress and the pressure. Being in uni should be pressure enough, but that’s not even half of it. Even my love of jewellery making has been tainted by it.

  Frankie stands in front of me. I can see how torn she now is about tonight. She’s a good friend, and I know that if I were to say I didn’t want to go in there, she wouldn’t. As much as she wants those soldiers, I know she’d choose me over them. I’m just not sure I can do it to her.

  “It’s fine, let’s go.”

  “Really?” she asks, all hopeful.

  “Really. But if one sleezeball tr
ies touching me up on the dance floor again, I’m leaving right after kicking him in the bollocks.”

  “Fair enough. Just let me know which one it was and I’ll kick him too.”

  I reach forward and grab her hand, and then together, we walk towards the end of the queue.

  “It’s fucking freezing,” Frankie complains after a couple of minutes waiting in line.

  I look over at her in the flimsy bit of fabric she calls a dress and raise my eyebrow.

  “Oh sssh,” she sulks.

  “ID please,” the bouncer demands when we eventually get to the front.

  I can’t lie, even I’m cold now it’s taken us so damn long to get here. Frankie had a text from Tara ages ago to let us know they were inside, but there was no sign of any soldiers yet. That news didn’t help Frankie’s quickly depleting excitement.

  “Thank fuck for that,” she grumbles when we begin walking up the stairs. “I swear my tits were about three minutes from freezing the fuck off.”

  “Let’s go and get a drink,” I suggest, hoping some more alcohol will put the spring back in her step. For my own sake, I really hope these soldiers are real and actually turn up. I don’t think I’m ever going to hear the end of her disappointment otherwise.

  “Oh there they are,” Frankie points to the other end of the bar when we get through the crowd.

  We do the usual shouted greeting that always has to happen when in a club; we all nod and smile at each other like we have a clue what the other is talking about, but in reality, the music is so bloody loud I can barely hear my own thoughts, let alone someone talking to me.