Fallen Angel (15 page)

His curly brown hair was
windblown and sticking out in all directions as if he’d had a
fright. He had sand and blood all over his face and dark circles
under his eyes. And for the first time in his existence, his
normally smooth chin was covered with dark stubble. Frowning, he
glanced at his clothes in disgust. He looked like he’d slept in a
refuse tip. The tracksuit was now stained with his blood and
although he was six-feet tall and muscular, it hung from his body
like a sack. Eloise would think he was a homeless person, but then
that’s exactly what he was. He had no money, no possessions, and
nowhere to stay.

Knowing he couldn’t waste
a second over vanity, he rushed outside. No wonder people were
staring at him. They were probably wondering why his clothes were
covered in blood. As he hurried up the street, the aroma coming
from a restaurant entrance was making his stomach growl. He guessed
it was the smell of cooked food, but having never experienced
hunger before, he was surprised how uncomfortable it felt. He blew
out a sigh. It was much easier being an angel and not having to
worry about things such as food and grooming.

He raked his hands
through his tangled curls and pulled his collar up around his neck.
It was already dusk and he still hadn’t figured out where he was
going to sleep for the night, but looking for shelter would have to
wait until after he’d seen Eloise and made sure she was all
right.

Though it wasn’t raining,
the air was damp and cold and as he jogged along Beach Road, he was
glad for the comfort of the shoes, at least they were the right
size.

As he turned into the
cul-de-sac where Eloise lived, his stomach flipped with
nervousness. Although that was another thing he wasn’t used to, he
was also experiencing something strangely pleasant, a sort of
anticipation at seeing her again. Just the thought of her was
making his heart skip. He didn’t have a clue what he was going to
say to her, but knowing Eloise’s sweet nature, he didn’t expect her
to call the police on him, at least he hoped not. He wasn’t so sure
about Madeline though. If she was home, she’d more than likely get
the broom to him, and then have him arrested. She could be quite
fiery when it came to protecting her daughter.

The nearer he got to
Eloise’s house, the faster his heart raced. The nerve endings in
parts of his body began to twitch and he took a deep breath to calm
himself. His hands were sweating and his legs were wobbling so
much, he was sure they’d buckle from under him. What on Earth was
happening to him? He was behaving like a child. Grabbing onto the
neighbour’s fence to steady himself, he stopped to rest for a
moment. His head was aching and his mouth was dry. With a sudden
urge to drink water, he licked his lips and stared at a garden
hose, though he feared if he turned the neighbour’s tap on, someone
would come out and see him.

Deciding not to risk it,
he turned into Eloise’s driveway instead. Although he was pleased
Madeline’s car was nowhere in sight, he was disappointed to see
Tom’s motorbike, still parked on the lawn. He was hoping to talk to
Eloise alone.

As he tiptoed down the
side of the house, dried leaves crunched under his shoes. Freezing
on the spot for a moment, he feared someone would come out and see
him sneaking around. He began to feel even more self-conscious
about seeing Eloise now that he was so close to her, and his face
was burning with embarrassment.

Hearing her sweet voice,
he realised he was standing only a few feet from her open bedroom
window and his heart began to pound. It was already quite dark
outside, so he hoped she couldn’t see him, but when he peeked into
her room, he sucked in a sharp breath and held his mouth. Tom was
lying on the bed next to her and they were looking at a book. When
Tom suddenly leaned over and kissed her, Nathaniel felt a pain in
his heart as if he’d been stabbed with a dagger and he was sure he
was about to die.

Covering his face with
his hands, he fell to his knees. He shouldn’t have come here.
Spying on Eloise like this just wasn’t right. He wasn’t her
guardian angel any more. It felt so wrong—but why, oh why did it
hurt so bad to see her being kissed by Tom?

Pressing his hands to his
chest, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ease the ache in his
heart. Neither the hunger in his belly or the burns on his back
felt as bad as the mental anguish he was feeling. The image of
Eloise and Tom kissing was tearing him apart, and he couldn’t get
it out of his head. He doubted any willpower or denial could stop
the way he felt, but what on Earth was it? Was it love, lust,
jealousy? Probably all three, but he had no idea how to handle
it.

Stumbling to his feet, he
clenched his fists. He was losing control again. He just wanted to
drag Tom away from her and toss him onto the street, but not for
the right reasons. Trembling with an uncontrollable rage, he
staggered to the bottom of the garden and leaned against a gum
tree. But no matter how many deep breaths he took, he was unable to
control the fury building inside him. Growling like a bear, he
punched the tree trunk with both fists, not stopping until blood
squirted from his knuckles and splashed on his face and clothes. As
he cried out in pain, he stared up at the night sky. It seemed
fallen angels were just left to suffer for their sins with no help
from the Lord, or his angels. Holding his wounded hands to his
heart, he bowed his head in shame. Why wouldn’t God punish him?
After all, he was punishing himself, wasn’t he?—even if he couldn’t
help the way he felt about Eloise. Tears filled his eyes. He had no
more control of his feelings for her than he did of breathing air
into his lungs.

He slumped against the
tree and gritted his teeth as he laughed hysterically. The pain
from his wounds was excruciating, but it hadn’t overtaken the pain
in his heart like he’d intended it to do. He still wanted Eloise
more than anything in the universe, and if he had the chance to
give her up to earn his wings back, he knew he’d refuse. Throwing
his head back, he screamed up to the Heavens. “Keep your bloody
wings. I will fight my battles alone.”

To be
continued in: Nathaniel Teen Angel...................

To F
ollow the
Ominous Series:

Nathaniel Teen
Angel (Book One)

Ominous Love
(Book Two)

Ominous Angel (Book
Three
)

New Series
Coming Soon

A huge thank you to Patti
Roberts for creating my wonderful book covers. Thank you also to
Melisa Hamling for checking the medical terminology in the hospital
scenes.

Thank you to my wonderful
husband for putting up with my endless hours on my computer, to my
mother for her encouragement, my father for giving me the
confidence to follow my dream, my in-laws for always telling me I
was a born author, and to my family for their support.

To everyone that has read
my books, thank you so much. You make it all worthwhile and I’m
truly grateful.

My Children’s Books

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