First Love: A Superbundle Boxed Set of Seven New Adult Romances (177 page)

I scroll through the file and stop at a random spot toward the end.

You tell LeeroyJenks: Have U seen Angel, or heard from her at all?

LeeroyJenks: Arion, look. Angel’s gone. That’s the end of it. Maybe she’ll come back, but more than likely she won’t. We’ll find someone to take her spot on the raid team and move on. But you’ll prolly never know what happened, or why.
 
If she wanted you to know, she would have told you. Maybe she’s moved on. You should too.

Tears well behind my eyes, knowing how painful that was for him. He’s forgiven me, and I’ve mostly forgiven myself, but I still regret that I hurt him. I scroll back up toward the top, looking for earlier messages, wanting to immerse myself in the happier memories. It’s kind of comforting to know that so much of what Arion and I began in these words. It’s like the beginning of us. When I was little, I had a friend who lived next door, and she and her Mom loved to curl up on the couch together and watch her parent’s wedding tape over and over, just to see the smiles on their faces. I think this is sort of like that. Reliving some of the best times of my life.

You tell Angel: Want to go do a dungeon or something?

Angel tells you: I guess, if you want to.

You tell Angel: I don’t really care, I just though maybe you’d want to do something other than just sit around and chat =)

Angel tells you: You’d think that, but I don’t know… Just not really in the mood to do anything specific.

You tell Angel: Why’d you log in then?

The timestamp for the message below that one makes it clear that I stayed quiet for a bit, delaying, but even now, almost two years later, I remember why.
 

You tell Angel: You afk or just ignoring me?

Angel tells you: thinking.

You tell Angel: About?

Angel tells you: How honest I want to be.

You tell Angel: Didn’t I make you a rule about that? Something like, ‘Always tell Arion the truth.’

Angel tells you: *laughs* something like that.

You tell Angel: It’s settled then. Why’d you log in?

Angel tells you: Because I wanted to see you.

You tell Angel: Angel…

Angel tells you: See, this is why I didn’t want to say anything. You’re about to get all weird. Or worse, you’re going to make fun of me.

You tell Angel: nope.

Angel tells you: Really?

You tell Angel: Really. I think logging in to see me might be the best reason to log in. Ever. Like ever, ever.

Angel tells you: LOL. Don’t get a big head.

You tell Angel: I’ve got something big for you.

Angel tells you: *groan*

You tell Angel: Moan is more of what I was going for.

Angel tells you: I don’t think you could make me moan.

I can’t help laughing at myself now, in retrospect. Of course, I didn’t have any doubts about it when I taunted him either.

You tell Angel: Oh, I know I could. Want me to demonstrate?

Angel tells you: You’re going to make me moan through game?

You tell Angel: Unless you’re inviting me over… in which case, I’ll be there in like, um, 8 hours?

Angel tells you: Sounds like a waste of a perfectly good plane ticket.

You tell Angel: Seeing you would never be a waste.

Angel tells you: Yeah, uhuh. Whatever.

You tell Angel: I’m serious. I want to someday.

Angel tells you: Want to what, see me?

You tell Angel: See all of you.

I huff out a little breath as I’m instantly flushed with thoughts of stripping for Arion last night, his eyes lighting up as he devoured the sight of me.
 

Angel tells you: How would you know if I was moaning?

You tell Angel: I’m pretty sure I’d know if you were moaning in my bed.

Angel tells you: I meant through game.

You tell Angel: Well, you could give me your phone number, and I could make you moan through the phone.

Angel tells you: Give me your number instead. My mom needs me to run down to the store for her to pick something up so she can make enchiladas for dinner.

You tell Angel: Must be nice.

Angel tells you: What? Enchiladas?

You tell Angel: Having your Mom cook for you.

My heart hurts, knowing Arion still misses his mother. I know he and his dad have had a few good conversations about her lately, and I think it’s helping him, but he still holds the anger of her leaving inside. I wonder if she knows how much she hurt him. Hell, I wonder if she thinks about him at all.

She must, right? I mean she’s his mom. Surely if she knew how much it effected him, she’d try to make things right. I want to believe she must have had a good reason for not coming back, for disappearing without a word.

But of course Arion is a man about it, and doesn’t openly say how much it hurts him. And he’d never ask for help getting in touch with her.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t.

Kevin’s number is programed into my phone, thanks to Arion. He wanted me to have it, just in case. If something ever has me afraid and I can’t reach Arion, I’m supposed to call Kevin.

Kevin answers on the second ring. “What can I do for you, Tess?” he says, his voice courteous but wary.

I suck in a sharp breath, then let it out slowly. “I need you to do me a favor.”

“A favor, or a job?”

“What’s the difference?”

“A favor I can tell you if I think it’s not a good idea, and I can say no. A job, I do what I’m paid to do.”

“Why don’t I tell you what I want then, and you can tell me whether it’s a favor or a job.”

“Fair enough.”

“I want you to find Arion’s mom.”

Kevin let’s out a low whistle. “Have you talked this over with him?”

“No. And I don’t want you to, either. If you can’t find her, or… or if she’s not the person he remembers… if time has changed her, then I don’t want him to know. It’s better if we just find out what we can first, and go from there.”

“There’s a very good chance he won’t be happy. Not with us meddling, and not with what we find.”

“That’s why I’m trusting you to be discreet. He’s not happy now—not truly. Until he settles things with her, there’s always going to be something that he feels like he’s missing.”

The phone is quiet for a moment and I have to glance down at the screen to make sure I didn’t loose the connection.

“So will you do it?”

When Kevin responds, his voice is different. I know that I’m no longer talking to Arion’s employee, but Arion’s friend, who cares about him almost as much as I do. “Yeah, I’ll do it. God help us all.”

There simply aren’t words enough to thank everyone I should. No One’s Angel touches on some very important topics, and I hope that I have done them justice.

There are far too many girls and women who have found themselves in Angel’s position, and my heart breaks over the reality of it. If you take one thing from this book, let it be that there is no wrong way to survive. There are many ways to cope, and there are many ways to fight. Know that if you need help, you don’t have to fight alone.

RAINN can be reached at 1.800.656.HOPE.

You can learn more about RAINN here:
http://www.rainn.org

I want to say a huge thank you to the people who made this book possible: my crit partners, my very special beta readers (Navasha and Lisa—Thank you!), and my editor Alexis Arendt.
 

Last but most certainly not least, thank you to my husband for being exactly what I need, even when I don’t know what I need myself.
 

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Upcoming Books:

Jaded Stone
– A Souls of the Stones Prequel (November 2013)

No One’s Fool –
 
(Early 2014)
 

Lexi’s story will pick up after No One’s Angel as she ventures off to college determined not to let Nick’s upcoming trial (or her pesky but oh-so-hot bodyguard) overshadow her pursuit of her dreams.

Thank you for reading our books!

You can find lots more of our romances everywhere ebooks are sold.

Casey Shay Press

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