Fate's Second Chance by AJ Jarrett

Fate's Second Chance by AJ Jarrett

Blurb

Marie thought dying was the worst thing to happen to her, until informed she's always been a man's soul trapped in a woman's body. As Marc, he's got one shot to set things right--by finding love with his best friend and soul mate--with only a month to do it.

Marie Carter has never felt comfortable in her own body, and it took dying to find out why. Ross, her unlikely guardian angel, informs her that mistakes were made and he needs her help to save her fate, Ross's wings, and her best friend's heart.

Six month's after Marie's death, Marc arrives with one month to heal Sabrina's—his sister's—suffering, and win his soulmate, Shawn. If he fails, Sabrina will never know peace, Ross will be kicked out of heaven, and the love of his life will die from a broken heart. Will that be enough time to heal the wounds a lifetime in the wrong body has caused?

Excerpt

I always assumed when I died my life would flash before my eyes, but that was so not the case. Sitting on an airplane with complete strangers as the massive piece of machinery plummeted to the ground, all I could think was why the fuck did I take the earlier flight.

I was being a little dramatic I know, but I was about to die and leave my sister and my best friend. The only people I loved in the world, plus the only family I had. I was more than likely leaving them due to faulty equipment or engine malfunction. What a lousy way to go.

My poor sister Serena, what would she do? Our parents died when I was fifteen and she twenty-two. We were all we had in the world, and now I would be bailing on her too. Of course, this entire situation wasn't my fault but it didn't make it any easier. She'd been my friend and parent for the past ten years. I loved Serena, she was truly the best sister slash parent a girl could ever have.

Then there was Shawn, my best friend since kindergarten. The only man I ever truly loved. He was there when my parents died, there when Serena caught me having my first beer, and there when my first boyfriend broke my heart. Whenever I needed someone, he was there to pick up the pieces no matter how big or how small. I couldn't have picked a better friend.

The only thing bad about being in love with Shawn was that he's gay. I'm a girl so a romantic relationship would never happen. Now I wouldn't even get the chance to say I love you in more than a friend kind of way. Maybe going down was for the best. Telling Shawn my true feelings would ruin our friendship.

These were the things going through my mind minutes before the plane crashed and I'd die. To have just one more chance to tell Shawn and Serena I loved them, I would have given anything.

The swift drop in altitude told me the engines had stalled. I heard other passengers screaming, crying, and praying, but I sat there with my eyes clenched tight. Behind my eyelids, all I saw were Shawn and Serena. Then nothing.

* * * *

Sometime later I woke up. I took in my surroundings--white walls, white bed linens, and I was wearing a white gown. My nose twitched at the sterile clean smell of the room. I had to be in a hospital.

How could I have survived a plane crash? Maybe I had dreamed the whole thing. I sat up and looked around me. I took notice of the large white room with fluffy white fog floating around the floor.

Okay, that was weird. I had to be dreaming.

"You're not dreaming, sweetheart. You're dead as a doornail."

What the fuck? I spun around and clutched my blanket to my chest. There was a man leaning against the wall. I could tell even in a relaxed state he would tower over my short stature. He had a golden complexion, platinum blond hair that came to his shoulders, and a smile on his face that lit up the room. Definitely gorgeous in a preppy guy way, as if he just stepped out of a J Crew ad. He wore all white as well.

What was up with all the white? Okay, this wasn't the time for stupid questions. I needed to focus.

"Yes, please focus since we don't have a lot of time here, sweetheart, but thanks for the compliment."

Okay, is he reading my freaking mind? I tilted my head to the side to study this apparent psychic medium.

"Yes, I can read your thoughts, but can you start using your mouth? It would make this less awkward," the man said as he pushed away from the wall.

I tried to swallow but my mouth was too dry. I wasn't sure if it was the rising fear or shock that had me unable to move or react. "Where am I?" Start slow, Marie, you can do this.

"Okay, once again, speak words to me. Reading your mind is giving me a headache and that's just poor manners." The man came and sat down at the end of the bed I was lying on. "To answer your question, you're in what we like to call limbo. There has been a mistake, or actually," the man let out a small chuckle, "a few mistakes but who's counting. My name is Ross and I'm your guardian angel."

The angel named Ross held out his hand for me to shake. So I did. After all, I was completely crazy. The dude just said I was in limbo. Crazy Town, population me.

"Girl, seriously, snap out of it. My name is Ross, your guardian angel. Let us speed this up, shall we? You remember the plane crash?"

Plane crash, plane crash, plane crash. Fuck! Ross nodded up and down. "I'm really dead. My whole life seems like a dream and I'm just now waking up." I looked around me to get a better look. "Is this the waiting room for Heaven?" I whispered as I leaned toward him.

Ross shook his head at me. Sue me; I was new to all this dying business.

"L-I-M-B-O. Did you get that? Jeez, you're slow," Ross said as he relaxed back on his elbows.

"Dude, you don't need to shout at me or spell shit. I hear perfectly fine and speak English. You're just a lousy explainer," I said as I pointed my finger at him. Okay, maybe yelling at the crazy man claiming to be my guardian angel wasn't the smartest thing for me to do.

"I'm trying to explain but you're not listening." I watched as Ross ran his hands through his white blond hair as he mumbled something I couldn't make out. "Okay, let's try this again. My name is Ross, you died in the plane crash, and you're sitting in limbo. Long story short, there's been a mistake and like I said this dying business isn't the first mistake to happen to you."

I chewed on my lower lip as I tried to digest all the info. All I heard was mistake, dying, and wasn't the first mistake. Where does a person begin?

"What do you mean mistake? To me someone dying is a huge thing to fuck up on. Don't you think?" I shouted.

"Okay, first off, you can't yell at me if I can't yell at you, and second you cuss way too much. I've always thought that, you know," Ross said as he flipped his hair back in a very feminine manner.

Was this guy serious? "Listen here, grandma, if you don't explain yourself I'm going to want to speak to your boss or manager or some shit like that." There, that didn't sound completely absurd or anything.

Breathe, Marie, everything is all right, you're not crazy. My breaths started rushing in and out of my chest with so much force I thought I might hyperventilate.

"Take deep breaths and calm down. Can't have you dying on me again." Ross started to laugh and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Too soon for death jokes?"

"You think?"

"Sorry, you need to lighten up and laugh, because you're going to be laughing after I explain this whole mix up." Ross sat up a little straighter and crossed his legs at the knee.

"Okay." What else could I say? I didn't know how to get out of this place so listening to Ross was my only option.

"Twenty-five years ago I became a guardian angel. The night I got my wings, I went and celebrated with some other angels. That ceremonial wine has a kick like you wouldn't believe." Ross started to laugh but at my lack of amusement, he went on with his story. "Anyway, I overslept my first assignment. See, when we get our wings, we're given charges to follow from birth to death and you are mine. Actually you're my only one."

"You sound bothered by that. Why am I your only one? Are you supposed to have more than one?" This dude sure wasn't gaining my confidence.

"Well, I made a mistake and until I fix this debacle, I'm stuck with just you. And let's just say you're not the most exciting person in the world."

"Hey! We are talking about your fuck–up, not my boring life. And for the record, my life is so not boring." I stuck my tongue out at him. Childish? Yes, but I didn't care.

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AJ Jarrett
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