Betrayed
Page 39
Chapter 38
Adela and Liam stood in front of Missy’s door. Evangeline had received permission for both of them to be present in angel form and for Missy to be able to see them. Adela was both excited and nervous. She was excited because she knew they were on the right path of saving Jeff, yet nervous because she had never appeared in her angel form to a living, breathing human.
“Ready?” Liam asked.
Adela nodded, and he knocked.
Missy answered the door, smiled, then gasped and took a step back. She looked at them for a moment, puzzlement crossing her face, and then giggled. “Oh my God, you guys look so good! What great costumes! Are you going to a biker rally or something?”
Adela looked down at her leather-clad body wondering what Missy would do when their wings appeared.
“No, but we do need to talk to you,” Liam said. Adela had never seen him so serious.
“Sure, come in!”
Missy stepped back and Adela followed Liam in. “Go ahead and have a seat,” Missy said.
“I think we’d prefer to stand,” Adela said. If they were going to reveal their wings, she wanted to make sure that Missy got the full picture.
“Okay. What’s up? You guys look so serious.”
“Missy, we need you to be honest with us, okay?” Liam said.
“Of course.”
“Do you have feelings for Jeff?”
A blush started at the base of Missy’s neck and crept upward. Her cheeks blazed red. “Of course not. Well, I like him, yes, but he’s married to my friend! Well, someone who used to be my friend. How can you ask something like that?”
Adela didn’t really have much experience with liars. There was nothing to lie about during death—it was what it was. And when she had been among the living, lying was a sin, so she didn’t do it. However, even Adela could see that Missy was a very poor liar.
“Missy, the truth please,” Adela urged.
“I am telling you the truth, Adela,” Missy said, a hard edge to her voice.
“Look, Missy. There’s nothing to be ashamed of if you do have feelings for the guy, which judging by your red cheeks, you do,” Liam said.
“I . . . I just . . .” Missy looked down at the ground. “It’s really none of your business how I feel about Jeff, Liam.”
“Under normal circumstances, I would agree one hundred percent. In fact, I wouldn’t even be asking, but these aren’t normal circumstances, Missy. We are trying to avoid a catastrophe. Whether you like it or not, I believe you are a part of the solution. So I ask you again, Missy, do you have feelings for Jeff?”
Missy lifted her gaze, tears glistening in her eyes. “What catastrophe?”
Liam remained silent, as did Adela. They needed to hear Missy say how she felt about Jeff.
“Fine. Yes. I love him. I loved him when Sara was around, and I love him now. And I feel awful about it.” Missy sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking silently.
“You don’t need to be ashamed of your feelings,” Adela assured her.
“Yes, I do, Adela. I’m in love with my friend’s husband. Well, her soon-to-be ex-husband. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get over Jeff.”
Adela sat down beside Missy and rested her hand on her back, hoping the gesture would comfort Missy in some way.
“We’re glad to hear that, Missy,” Adela said. Apparently, heartache also came with falling in love with someone, especially if that love wasn’t returned.
“What catastrophe are you avoiding?” Missy said between sniffles.
“Jeff,” Liam said.
“What?” Missy asked, looking up at him, her face masked in confusion and worry.
“Jeff’s is going to be a catastrophe unless we step in and intervene,” Adela said.
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. You can’t possibly know what’s going to happen in the future.”
Liam’s wings appeared and slowly unfolded. Missy’s eyes grew wide, and she sat back on the couch. Adela studied him with a critical eye. He was magnificent standing in the middle of the small space. He looked large and proud and every inch like the Angel of Death he was.
Missy looked to Adela, then back at Liam. “What’s going on here? Who are you?”
“It’s quite a story,” Adela began, hearing the nervousness in her voice. “Liam and I are Angels of Death. Things on this planet are in bad shape, Missy. We’ve been pulled from our stations to help bring more love into the world. Jeff is our first assignment.”
Missy gasped, and looked from one to the other as if they were crazy. “I’m sorry, I still don’t understand.”
“In a nutshell, the world has too much hate in it,” Liam said. “It grows and spreads like weeds, consuming all it infects. The very opposite of hate is love. Jeff needs love in his life, and we’re here to make sure that happens before the darkness overtakes him and at worst, he hurts someone or commits suicide.”
Adela imagined that this was a bit much for Missy to take and tried to put herself in her shoes. Honestly, what Liam was saying made perfect sense, but it was different coming from an honest-to-God angel’s mouth, and it had to be overwhelming.
Missy stared at him, rubbing her eyes, as if she did not believe what she was hearing or seeing. Finally, she said, “I appreciate your logic, Liam, if that’s your name, but there’s one problem. Jeff loves Sara, not me.”
“Sara’s dead, Missy,” Adela declared. She cringed as Missy burst into tears all over again. She had to remember that death for mortals was a tragedy and she should have delivered the news with a little more tact.
“How do you know?” Missy sobbed.
“We watched her die,” Liam said.
“Y-you watched her die? How?”
“We’re Angels of Death, Missy. That’s what we do. We deliver people to their final resting place of Heaven,” Liam explained.
“Did Sara go there? To Heaven?”
“Yes.”
“How did she die?”
“It’s best you don’t know all the facts, Missy. You know that it’s coming, but it’s best if you find out the details when Jeff does.”
“Missy,” Adela said in a quiet voice, “Jeff is going to find out about Sara soon. When he does, you need to be there for him, okay?”
Missy nodded. “When will he find out?”
“We don’t know that,” Liam answered. “It will be soon though.”