ANGEL

1 •

Valerie

I sit under the pink willow tree writing in my journal. It's my safe space & escape from the real world. The quietness of the garden puts me at ease. I feel relaxed & at peace.

My phone rings & I sigh. I set my journal aside & grab my phone. I stare at the contact name & decline the call. A loud sigh escapes my lips.

I stand from the ground & head inside finding my fiancé spraying water on the burning frying pan. I lean against the wall & smile as I watch him panic. I take a quick photo of him & smile.

I clear my throat & he quickly turns around. I bite the inside of my cheek trying my best not to laugh.

"Take out?" He shrugs. I smile & nod. He approaches me & embraces me into a warm hug, his wet shirt sticking to my cheek.

"Back up, you're wet." I laugh & he chuckles. He hooks his arms under my thighs & lifts me up earning a loud gasp from me.

I wrap my arms around his neck & smile. My smile slowly fades when I notice the small reddish mark on his neck under his ear. I feel my heart shatter. I run my thumb over the mark & he puts me down.

"Valerie-" I cut him off.

"Don't ." I dismiss him & head upstairs into our bedroom. I sit on the edge of the bed & sigh. Tear threaten to fall from my eyes. I swallow the lump forming in my throat & lay back in bed.

"Valerie." Keith calls out & I shut my eyes. He sighs & walks away, his footsteps fading.

My phone rings & I groan in annoyance. I stare at the contact name & a small smile make its way onto my face. I answer the phone & I hear shuffling.

"Yes Zoe?" I sigh.

Zoe is my best friend, mostly a sister to me. I met her at a high school track meet when I was 17. Her & I automatically clicked. Since then, we have been friends. I met Mateo through her. Although he & I aren't together, Zoe & I remained friends.

"What's wrong?" I hear the concern in her voice.

"Nothing." I whisper, not wanting to speak about the issue.

"Keith again?" She sighs & I shut my eyes. She's never been a fan of Keith, ever.

"Sadly."

"I'll pick you up tonight. We're going out." She speaks, I can hear the excitement in her voice.

"Zoe-" she cuts me off.

"Nope, you're coming." She speaks & hangs up not giving me the chance to say respond. I sigh & laugh to myself.

...

Mateo

I sit across the bloody & limbless man with a wide smile plastered onto my face. His wife trembles in fear sitting in the corner of the cellar with tears running down her red cheeks.

"Mateo!" Zoe, my youngest cousin calls out. I stare at my pistol then at the bloody man & his wife. I check the chamber for bullets before pulling the trigger, shooting the wife in between her eyes.