Microsoft Word - Fates_Second_Chance-AJ_Jarrett.doc (10 page)

Even with knowing all that, I couldn't muster up any anger toward my guardian angel. He gave me back my sister.

"Yeah, they were naming you after some friend of theirs from college." She waved her hands in front of her face in excitement. "Do you think this Ross guy—or should I say angel?" I just shrugged in response. I was more thinking on the lines of asshole. "Do you think he knew what he was doing by giving you that name and having you get a job here?"

"I was thinking the same thing. He orchestrated my whole being hired here. He was the one you were

communicating with by phone and email, not me. The day I came in for my interview he told me you had been suffering and that you blamed yourself. I think maybe he was trying to help ease your pain." My heart started to warm toward Ross, maybe he wasn't such a douche bag after all.

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"So do you think all this is him trying to make up for his major fuck up? Is this why he brought you back?"

How did I explain the circumstances of everything to her without freaking her out? She just got the shock that I'm me and that I was supposed to be a man, but to tell her if I didn't get Shawn to confess his love for me I would die again. I didn't think I could do that.

"Hey Marc, was getting with Shawn part of the plan, too, or are you just living out your teenage dream by hooking up with him? I know you've been in love with him forever so it only makes sense you two got together now that you're a guy."

"Well that's part of it, I guess you could say." I turned my head away from her and mumbled under my breath. "I need him to fall in love with me."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you. Did you just say you need him to fall in love with you? Why would you need that?" I saw my sister's jaw start to tick. She could tell I was holding something back.

"You know how I told you Ross made the mistake that caused me to end up a girl?" She nodded. "Well, he also said that in our life there are people we are supposed to meet and know. Shawn and I were meant to be together.

When Ross messed with my destiny, he inadvertently messed with Shawn's as well. While I was living as a 94

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woman, we were best friends and that was okay because we were still a part of each other's lives. But my death caused a ripple effect."

"What do you mean ripple effect? What aren't you telling me?" Serena's voice rose in panic.

"I was brought back because it wasn't my time to die and that gave Ross a chance to make up for the huge mistake he made. My fate is intertwined with Shawn's and if I don't get him to fall in love with me in like two and a half more weeks I will die, he'll eventually die of a broken heart, and Ross will be kicked out of Heaven." I was out of breath but I got it all out for her to hear.

Serena sat back against her desk with a lost look on her pretty face. I could see the evidence of the pain she had suffered through just by looking at her. She had lost weight and had dark circles under her eyes. I didn't want to hurt her any more but she needed to hear the whole truth.

"So let me get this right, you were supposed to be a man, you and Shawn are meant to be together, and you have two weeks to get him to fall in love with you, or you both will die?"

"In a nut shell, yes." I nodded.

"That's so not fair." Her voice started to crack. "I just got you back and if I lose Shawn too, I will really have no one."

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I watched as the tears overcame my sister and I

couldn't hold mine back any more either. We sat there together and cried like we did when our parents died.

Serena wiped the tears away from her eyes. "This will be easy. Shawn and you have been best friends for most of each other's lives. I mean, hell, we always joked about how you two would be perfect for one another. Now you guys can be together the way it was supposed to be."

I smiled at my sister, deep down she was a complete romantic. "I agree. We've spent the last two weeks together constantly. I love him and I'm sure he has strong feelings for me as well. I think, like you, he feels like he knows me but can't understand why. I want to tell him the truth but Ross said he would probably think I was wacko."

Serena patted my knee. "Sweetie, I have to agree with the incompetent angel on this one. The only reason I figured it out was because I was looking for the connection between you and Marie. Shawn isn't doing that."

"I know but I'm running out of time." I put my head on her shoulder.

"We'll get you your man. Don't you worry, sweetie.

Now on the other issue I want to meet the ass of an angel who messed up my brother's life."

I tilted my head up to look at my sister. She called me brother. She accepted me without even batting an 96

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eyelash. I loved her for that. This was the life I wanted, the life I was meant to lead and knowing my sister had my back made it perfect.

"What's the smile for?"

"You called me brother," I squeaked out.

She let out a chuckle. "Don't go getting all emotional on me. You're my brother. The past doesn't matter anymore only the future. I love you, Marc."

She leaned in to give me a tight hug and I hugged her back. "I love you, too, Serena."

"Now let's go chew out some angel ass," Serena said as she stood up from the floor. I was a little worried for Ross, the last time she stuck up for me to a girl in elementary school the kid went home in tears. Serena didn't let anyone mess with her little sister, scratch that, her little brother. That brought the smile back to my face and the fact that I was about to unleash my sister on an unsuspecting Ross.

* * * *

"This is so creepy. You're living in the same apartment you lived in when you were Marie."

It was strange. I loved my apartment and being in the familiar space did make me feel more at ease. But I 97

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couldn't bring Shawn back here, it would be too weird and he'd ask questions I couldn't answer.

I opened the front door and could smell that Ross was cooking again. The angel really enjoyed making food.

"Ross? You here?"

"Of course, where else would I be?" He came around the corner and froze in his tracks. Coming face to face with an angry Serena could do that to a person. "I see we have a guest."

"So you're the moron who messed up my brother's life?"

Ross looked at me for help and I just shrugged. This would be good for my sister to have someone to yell at for a bit. I would stop the confrontation before she got violent or anything like that.

"You must be Serena. Nice to meet you finally."

Ross stuck out his hand for her to shake and she just glared at him. "Okay, I take it you're mad. I completely understand where your pain and hurt are coming from, I truly do." He gave her his brightest smile, but not even creating a rainbow out of thin air would cool her temper.

"If you did, you wouldn't have caused all the shit you had. It wasn't just me you caused pain for, but Marc.

He was living his life as a woman for heaven's sake when he was supposed to be a man. I could just strangle you. It 98

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isn't like accidentally putting cream in someone's coffee when they wanted black. This was a person's life."

I watched as Ross took the tongue-lashing Serena gave him without complaint. He deserved to be throttled for what he'd done but, in his defense, he was trying to make up for it now. Even if it was to help save his own skin. He had the saddest hangdog expression on his face and I decided he'd suffered through enough of Serena's verbal abuse on his stupidity.

"Serena, that's enough. Ross knows he fucked up, we need to move on from it."

She took a deep breath as if gearing up for some more yelling but held her tongue. "Okay. I just needed to get it off my chest." She ran her hands through her hair as if trying to calm her shaking hands.

"Glad I could be of assistance, now would you two like dinner? I made fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and corn on the cob."

"Dear lord. He messes up your life and now he's trying to kill you with high cholesterol."

I started to laugh at the shocked expression on my sister's face. She looked mortified. She was a health nut and didn't eat a lot of fried food. However, I did. "Ross is an excellent cook and I love fried chicken. Just eat some for me this one time, sissy." I used the whiny voice that always 99

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got me what I wanted.

"For you, yes." She looked at Ross. "The next time we have dinner, let's plan grilled chicken and a nice spinach salad."

"Oh, I can do that. There's this vinaigrette dressing I've wanted to make."

I listened as Serena and Ross talked about food

choices and the healthiest way to cook those items. It was nice these two had found common ground. I moved to pull my chair out to take a seat when my phone rang. Looking down, I saw it was Shawn calling.

"Excuse me, you two. It's Shawn." I walked to my bedroom and shut the door behind me. "Hello."

"Hey babe, you coming over tonight?"

I closed my eyes and let my head fall back against the door. His voice sounded so sexy even over the phone. "I can't tonight, but how about I come over early on Saturday?"

"I hate sleeping alone," Shawn whined. "But if you get here really early, it just might make up for you not being here all night."

I laughed at his teasing. "I'll be there at the crack of dawn with coffee."

"Great! Can't wait to see you, baby. Sleep tight."

"You, too." I heard him hang up. I wanted to go 100

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over there but I needed to spend some time with my sister. I walked back into the kitchen in time to hear them talking about Shawn and me.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Ross spoke first. "Oh nothing, just how cute a couple we think you and Shawn make."

Serena nodded. "It's true. You guys look so cute together and to think had Stupid over here—" Serena pointed her finger at Ross. "—not messed up, you guys would have been together sooner."

"Hey, I thought we were bonding?" Ross pouted.

"We are but I still think you fucked up royally."

He took of bite of chicken and then turned his eyes to me. "How is everything on the Shawn front going?"

I shrugged a shoulder. "Good, I guess. He did say he had strong feelings for me."

"That's a start but we're running out of time. He needs to say the words, Marc."

Serena stopped eating. "I don't know if Shawn has mentioned this to you but when you died, he fell into a deep depression. He was like a walking zombie for two months. He lost the gleam in his eyes. He told me he hated not being able to talk to you every day. He was lonely like me. So I started checking in on him and eventually one day he just snapped out of it." She turned her head to look at 101

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me. "And then when he met you he started to smile again."

Serena's brow furrowed in thought. "When Marc got made into a girl, why couldn't you find Shawn's guardian angel and have them make him straight?"

"Angels can't change what's in your soul. Whom you're attracted to and love are part of your personality.

That part of you is linked to your soul. The body mix up happens often but at least with Marc we got the chance to fix it."

"Only if Shawn tells me he loves me." Ross and Serena both turned to look at me. I could see the pity in their eyes.

"Sweetie, he will. You just can't give up, little brother." Serena came over to hug me.

"You two are going to make me cry." Ross got up to come join our group hug.

As crazy as this might sound, I really could feel the love with these two people in that very moment. They both really did care about me and they would do whatever they could to help me win Shawn.

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After spending all Saturday and most of Sunday

with Shawn, I went home Sunday evening to have dinner with Serena and Ross. Those two were becoming fast friends. Bonding over how to save my life, his wings, and Shawn's broken heart. No matter how much we plotted and talked, everything depended on Shawn.

My deadline was seven days away. When I wasn't

with Shawn, I was freaking out. Worried that I would die again and leave this perfect life behind. However, when I was with Shawn, everything seemed right in the world.

Shawn was my home and no matter what happened at the end of my allotted time back here on Earth, I would forever be grateful for the time I got with Shawn and Serena, hell, even spending time with Ross was worth it.

After that night in the shower, I hadn't repeated those three little words for fear of making Shawn uncomfortable. He did say he had strong feelings for me and he even gave me a key to his house, but that was it. I wanted to hear him say he loved me but I didn't want him to feel like I was pressuring him. I knew how much of a turn off a needy person could be. Whenever a guy came on to me too strongly, I looked for the nearest exit. Yet here I 103

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