Rainstorm (The Perfect Storm Book 1) Read online

  Rainstorm by Susana Mohel

  Copyright © 2016 Susana Mohel

  Cover design by Sue C. Hoffman

  Editing by Griffin Editing Services & Virginia Tesi Carey

  Proofreading by Mariely Lares

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the Author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Note from the Author

  Music for a Rainy Love Story

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Extended Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.

  Your people will be my people and your God my God.

  Ruth 1:16 NVI

  For A & L

  The greatest loves of my life

  Note from the Author

  Thank you for reading this story.

  When I started this book I had my heart broken and my eyes full of tears, and I wrote it not because I wanted to, but because I needed it.

  At the end was a wonderful ride, full of emotions and healing.

  I hope these words made justice to all those feelings.

  Love,

  Susana

  Music for a Rainy Love Story

  Remember When – Alan Jackson

  Make a Memory – Bon Jovi

  Trust Me I Lie – Joshua Ledet

  Just a Fool – Christina Aguilera & Blake Shelton

  I Won’t Give Up – Jason Mraz

  Naked – James Arthur

  You’re Gonna Miss This – Trace Adkins

  A Little Respect – Erasure

  Always Remember Us This Way – Lady Gaga

  Head Above Water – Avril Lavigne

  Un-break My Heart – Toni Braxton

  Secrets – One Republic

  Drops of Jupiter – Train

  Here Without You – 3 Doors Down

  Always On My Mind – Elvis Presley

  Locked Out of Heaven – Bruno Mars

  One and Only – Adele

  Prologue

  Chase

  Have you ever been at the top of a hill?

  Yes, the view can be spectacular and the feeling of having completed the climb even better. You enjoy the ache in your muscles, your agitated breaths, the sweat. All because of its worth.

  The rest of the world fades, because you are the king.

  The bad thing is when the ground at your feet suddenly crumbles and you fall down without warning, unable to avoid it. Falling breaks you, hurts you to the core, and you know that in order to keep alive the person that matters most to you, it’s imperative to let them go.

  That is just a brief account of my life.

  The day she said yes in front of the minister, dressed in white silk, was the day I touched heaven with the tips of my fingers.

  Now, I have to let her go, in order for her to be happy. Without me. Far from me. I need to let her go, to allow her to find someone to help her enjoy life again, even knowing that someday another man will find what I saw in her. Knowing that someday another man will have what was mine once.

  That breaks me from the inside out. It bares me, consumes me, eats me alive. But I don’t have the power to prevent it.

  I must protect her and to do that I must send her away.

  I’m being punished, I have to pay for my sins.

  The storm is looming over the horizon and its arrival is imminent.

  I’m not doing this because I don’t love her. I do. Madly. Truly. Wholly. Selflessly. Well, that’s not entirely true, I want her to be mine. Forever. But I want her to live and laugh, and I’m going down slowly and painfully in a spiral I can’t stop. It pulls me down to the bottom of the sea, to the eye of the hurricane in an attempt to kill my soul.

  Some people say that without rain nothing can grow, but this is more than a few drops pouring down and I had no time to build an arc. The storm is here. It has come to devastate, destroy and take everything away.

  Everything I had.

  Including her.

  This is our story; a love story with no happy ending.

  The rainstorm took that away.

  Chapter 1

  Rose

  Los Angeles, CA - Six years ago

  “And remember, you own the sunshine.” I punched my signature quote, smiling to the camera while staring at the monitor just above it.

  Behind me was an empty green screen, the people watching me through their televisions getting the full magic. The entire country map displayed in one corner while Los Angeles County occupied the rest of the screen. Big numbers showed the expected temperatures, while little sun silhouettes and cloud and wind signs adorned the map.

  I worked on one of the most watched morning shows in California, and I was proud that we also had watchers around the globe thanks to the internet. We Californians love the land we were born in, and always want our daily fix of the Golden State.

  And our eternal sunshine.

  “Enjoy this long weekend,” I chirped. “Happy Presidents’ Day, folks.”

  “Thanks, Roselynn,” greeted Angelique, one of the show’s hosts. “That was the weather report for the weekend, and after a brief message from our sponsor, the news all of you are waiting for...”

  Weekend. A long one.

  I was so, so ready for it.

  I was so tired.

  Three days of laziness and lying on my bed doing nothing were calling my name. So loud.

  Yes, weekend, I was ready for you.

  I looked again toward camera number seven, making sure that the light that until a few seconds ago was green, had turned red.

  What?

  A girl couldn’t be too cautious when the last thing she needed was getting caught having an embarrassing moment in front of the whole audience.

  Especially when a strawberry bombshell was walking, almost running, directly toward me, shoving her arms theatrically in the air, opening her mouth to let out a silent scream of joy.

  “Shh!” I hushed Mandy Sue, who was one of the make-up girls and the closest friend I had. Although the commercial ads were now running, while we were on the main floor we still had to be careful. My friend might be one of the best in the business, but she was also well known for her quirkiness.

  She was untamable.

  Incorrigible.

  So adorable and authentic.

  Like her curly hair and cowboy boots. Wild and free.

  Smiling as she grabbed my arm, she practically dragged me across the studio, walking so fast I had a hard time keeping up. “Hey, crazy girl. If you want
me still in one piece by the end of the day, let go of my arm, ‘cos you’re giving me a shoulder sprain.”

  She just ignored me as she kept going despite my protests.

  When we finally arrived at her workstation, she shoved me onto the high wooden chair, then leant over to cage me in with her hands on the chair arms, a devilish smirk twisting her lips.

  Mandy had plans.

  Evil plans.

  And those said plans included me.

  I knew her well enough. We’d worked together for more than two years, as she’d been my designated make-up artist from my very first week. Of course, she also worked with the show’s other guests, the chef, who came twice a week, and the yoga instructor as I was not important enough to have my own staff. But still.

  She was one of the most loyal and caring people I’d met in my entire life.

  And I adored her, despite the fact that I usually ended up involved in a binge, prank, fight or all of the above.

  As I said, my friend was a quirky bird.

  She leaned in, towering over me as she checked my appearance. Petting my head, running her skilled fingers through the bangs of my dark hair. I was prepared to say no to whatever insanity came out of her mouth, despite her disastrous attempt to bribe me.

  “I love your dress, it looks really gorgeous on you.” She smiled. Oh my... her attempts were getting worse by the second, her plans must be dangerous. “Is it new?”

  I rolled my eyes, as if she didn’t know that all the dresses I wore on a daily basis were new, it was one of the perks of my job, and thanks to my agent renegotiating my initial contract, I got to keep as many as I wanted. Now, several local boutiques supplied me with outfits in exchange for publicity and a mention in my social media accounts in OOTD posts.

  “Mandy, I have to go. The show is finishing and I need to be at the post production meeting. Mr. West will be furious if I’m late, you know how he can be.”

  That might have been an excuse but it was also the truth. Our boss was implacable, every day after the show we had a production meeting to discuss any mistakes, improvements for the following week, guests we were having on the show, that kind of stuff. In cases where there was major change, we had to stay and rehearse as if we were on air, like the time they brought in some new equipment for my segment and I had to learn how to use it. Also, I usually got a preliminary weather report to study, ahead of the final forecast the evening before the show.

  “That’s okay, I’ll wait for you,” Mandy announced, but that sounded more like a dare. “It’s just I met this guy last night at the car wash, he was there waiting at the same time that I was, so we talked, talked and talked a bit more.” I bet they did, poor man. “So, he asked when he could see me again, and I told him that today at lunchtime would be perfect. So we have a date, however, I need my wing girl.”

  “Mandy, you’ve got this, you really don’t need me trailing along,” I pleaded, trying my best to get out of it. “You didn’t invite him to your condo, right?”

  “Oh no, I’m not crazy,” she replied, as if that were a fact. My eyebrows lifted automatically giving her a silent answer, which she caught, of course. “Well, not that crazy anyway. Rose, you have to come, my treat. We’re going to meet at this new seafood place in Santa Monica, and I know you want to go there. See, I can be thoughtful with my friend. It’s a win-win situation, I meet this guy and you get to eat like a princess.”

  Yes, she was. So thoughtful. I almost rolled my eyes again.

  “There’s no way out of this, right?” I sighed, mocking resignation. I was trying to distract her though. First chance I got, I was breaking out of there.

  “Please, Rose, please come with me,” she begged one more time, and my resolve faded away. “What if I promise to bring you breakfast for a month, I know you’re craving my mother’s strudel and apple cobbler.”

  “You’re bringing all the big guns, eh? You really like this man?”

  “A lot!” she sighed dramatically. “I think he could be The One.”

  Another One? Mandy had met her ‘one’ at least ten times in the previous year. Instead of the one, she should’ve called them the flavor of the month.

  “Aaaaaaaaand... I’ll bring you one of those green juices you love so much every day.”

  “Every single day? No excuses, Mandy Sue!”

  “Promise,” she swore, lifting her right hand. “And I’m not crossing my fingers behind me.” She lifted her other hand, being serious, at least as serious as she could be.

  “There is no escape?”

  “Only in your wildest dreams, babe.”

  “Fine, see you later, then.” I walked off to my meeting, mumbling under my breath, as I didn’t really want to go. But a month full of baked yumminess was worth the effort.

  And what the heck, other than my bed, nothing exciting was waiting for me at home. I could humor my friend and after that get all the sleep I needed.

  ☂☂☂

  Before leaving the studio, Mandy made sure her make-up and hair were impeccable, as well as checking out her tight little dress. I decided to change my work outfit for something more casual, my favorite pair of faded jeans, a cute white top with straps crossing over the back and a fabulous pair of heeled booties. I did some retouching of my eyeshadow, nothing too flashy, it was Mandy’s moment; the last thing I wanted was to steal her thunder.

  An excited Mandy drove us to a restaurant located a bit too far away from the studio if you ask me, but what the hell, it was a long weekend and I wanted to have a good time.

  The vibrant energy and the delicious aroma of the food hit me as I opened the door of The Sand Crab. As I expected, the place was full and the noise of loud conversation and laughter echoed on the wooden walls, filling the big room.

  A hostess dressed in tight black slacks and a matching top greeted us.

  “We have an estimated twenty-minute wait for a table,” she stated, at which point I gave Mandy Sue the stink eye. She’d dragged me there, but we had to wait and I was hungry. “If you want, you can wait at the bar. Ask Bryan, our bartender, for one of our appetizers. You won’t regret it, I assure you.”

  Good thing Mandy was paying.

  Now she was the one with no escape.

  Only in your wildest dreams, babe. I silently said to her, smirking, as we followed the hostess toward the bar.

  My gaze traveled over the busy place, taking it all in. Mandy chatted about the restaurant being new, but already having a great reputation, which explained why none of the colorful tables were empty. Waiters were hustling around filling orders, the bartender was busily mixing drinks and the kitchen doors were opening every two seconds. The place was buzzing.

  Yeah, coming here had been a great choice. The decor was a hit, something modern, something Mexican and something chic.

  Even the sunlight streaming through the large windows was on point.

  And speaking about the windows, my scrutinizing suddenly came to a halt as I glanced over to take in the view of the ocean on the opposite side of the street, because at that moment, I was pretty sure the entire world stopped too.

  A dark blond haired boy was sitting by the windows talking to someone. Only he was not a boy, he was a man. The most handsome man I had ever seen. As cheesy as that sounds, it was the truth.

  The sunlight streaming through the large windows behind him was illuminating his hair, making him look like a god with a halo and all the props. He was laughing at something the guy sitting opposite him had said, his eyes glimmering with amusement. And although his companion was attractive, he didn’t compare to this guy.

  Living in the city of angels, you get used to seeing handsome, well-groomed men walking around, chasing dreams, begging for an opportunity, eager to reflect the perfect image for the next shining star in the firmament. This man seemed untouched by pretension, looking so damn attractive in his own way.

  So primal.

  So unique.

  It should’ve been illegal to look that w
ay, to have that effect on me, but despite being a good ten feet away, when he looked my way, his stare pinned me in place.

  Magnetic eyes traveled over my body. From my bare shoulders and the valley between my breasts. Dipping in. Caressing me with intensity.

  My outfit was demure, but he made me feel exposed in some way. Bare, yet at the same time wrapped in the might of his gaze, he made me feel invincible.

  Indomitable.

  Running across my heated body, those eyes finally trailed up to meet mine.

  A wave of electricity.

  The strength of thunder.

  Even just sitting there in the restaurant, I could recognize how great his presence was, the power he radiated, overshadowing all other men.

  The attraction sizzled.

  Gravity pulled at me.

  I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I just stood there, transfixed, watching him, until the voice of Mandy Sue calling my name brought me back from my lust induced fantasy cloud and back down to earth.

  We found two tall stools at the end of the bar, and I dropped onto one of them, happy that from my spot, I could steal furtive glances at the man on the other side of the restaurant.

  I was already a lost cause.

  “What can I offer you today, ladies?” the bartender greeted us. I ordered a strawberry margarita—my favorite—and an order of ceviche to share between us.

  When my drink arrived, as I took the first sip, I dared to glance over at where he was, only this time he caught me.

  He caught me staring.

  At him.

  STARING! For God’s sake.

  Ignoring the heat in every cell of my traitorous being, I continued with my spying task, worse than a teenager with her first crush.

  Feeling confident, I raised my eyebrows, and was rewarded with a smirk. Damn him for being so gorgeous. And cocky. I continued sipping my drink, enjoying the mixture of flavors, the sweetness and the saltiness, the tequila’s bitter kick.

  His intense stare pinned me. Lust wavered between us. Flirtatiously, I flicked my hair over my shoulder as I asked Mandy about her date. After all, that was the reason why we were there.