Healing Nicole Read online

  HEALING NICOLE

  The Maynard series #1

  Rachel M Storm

  Copyright © 2017 by Rachel M Storm

  Healing Nicole

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including emailing, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance it bears to persons, living or deceased, is entirely coincidental. Names, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

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  Author Rachel M Storm

  Cover Design by:

  Mae’s Wicked Grafix

  Authors’ Acknowledgments

  Thank you so much Sarah Louise Brown, Claire Williams and Jaimie Steveson-Cox, for taking the time to BETA.

  Mae's Wicked Grafix thank you for yet another a-freaking-mazing cover, I'm loving it so hard.

  A special thanks to Stacey Davies who always comes through for me by helping with everything and anything! I would seriously be lost without you xx

  You are all my rock stars!

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Books by Rachel M Storm

  PROLOGUE

  NICOLE

  Today, after five years of dating I think Donald is finally going to propose to me. Last week I saw the American Swiss ring box when I went to his office to drop off the documents he forgot at home, and now tonight, I received a text saying I should meet him at Ocean Basket, my favorite seafood restaurant. He never takes me out to dinner so this must be it.

  I have been waiting so long for this day and to make our night even more memorable and special, I will be telling him the big news that I am two months pregnant. I have to say, my- no, our little blip chose the perfect time to come along.

  "How does this one look?" I ask Gabriella, my best friend since kindergarten, who is relaxing on my bed.

  She looks up from her phone, "Oh yes, that dress was made for you. Donald will be even more head over heels when he sees you in that tonight." She says cheerfully before picking up her glass and sipping on her wine. This is the fifth dress I've tried on and she's finally giving a thumbs up.

  I can never go wrong with her opinion. She is like my own personal fashion guru.

  I look at the tall, blonde haired, blue eyed woman who's now a cup size bigger, wearing a long evening dress with a slit on the side looking back at me in the full length mirror. Tonight will be the beginning of my happily ever after

  "Well I better get going, I have a date of my own tonight," Gabby tells me as she downs the last bit of wine in her glass.

  "Oh yeah, mister mysterious that you don’t want me to meet?" I ask, turning to look at her, the smile on my lips reaching my eyes.

  "You will meet him tonight hun, he is also taking me to Ocean Basket." She answers cheerfully before making her way out. "Oh, maybe we can have a double date after Donald pops the big question," She winks at me before closing the door behind her.

  "See you later babe!" She calls from the other side of the door.

  I feel my palms starting to sweat as I turn to look at myself in the mirror again. Great, now that I am alone the nerves are wreaking havoc on my body.

  I curse as I look at the clock to see that I only have half an hour left before I have to leave. I quickly apply some make-up before slipping on my high heeled black pumps, then rush out the door.

  Walking in to the full restaurant, I take a quick glance at my watch then sigh in relief when I see that I've made it just in time. I walk up to the smiling hostess

  "Hi, reservation for Donald McMann," I say, trying hard to hide my nerves.

  "Oh," she says, confusion swirling around in her brown eyes. “Excuse me, I’ll be with you in a moment,” she says before leaving.

  Well, that’s just rude. When she comes back, her eyes are full of an unnamed emotion.

  "Is something wrong?" I ask when she starts averting her eyes, looking everywhere but at me.

  "Um, I just- No ma'am nothing is wrong, the table is this way," she says, motioning for me to follow her.

  As soon as I start walking behind her, my eyes scan the tables for my soon to be husband. Fuck, can one be so damn excited yet nervous about being asked the big question? My eyes finally land on Donald just as the hostess looks at me with a sad smile and nothing but pity in her eyes.

  What the hell is her problem?

  My heart races when I see Donald sitting with another woman but a breath of relief blows through my lips when I see that it's only Gabby. She and Donald must have decided to sit together while they both wait for their dates. She grins when she spots me and I lift my hand to wave at her. Donald still doesn’t see me because he is sitting with his back to me.

  Just as I start walking toward them, for the second time in just a few minutes my heart starts pumping a mile a minute as it simultaneously free falls to my stomach when Donald stands and kneels in front of Gabriella, presenting her with a little black box.

  My vision is starting to get blurry as I stand paralyzed, watching as my boyfriend of five years proposes to my best friend of even longer. By the time Donald stands up, and every single diner in the restaurant start cheering and clapping, it feels like everything is happening in slow motion.

  "Miss, can you hear me? Are you okay?" Someone says as they lightly touch my arm.

  Instead of an answer a sob bubbles through my lips and as if Donald heard it, he turns and looks right at me. My eyes move between a grinning Gabriella and a shocked Donald.

  "Excuse me," I tell the hostess when nausea hits unexpectedly hard and I turn on my heel and run to the bathroom.

  As soon as I get to the bathroom I barge into one of the cubicles, immediately diving to my knees before expelling the content of my stomach. After a few minutes the only thing that is coming from my mouth are sobs mixed with dry heaves.

  "Nicole, you in there?" I hear the one person that doesn’t deserve to be called a friend.

  I stand on shaky legs and slowly push the cubicle door open to find Gabriella leaning on the basin, looking at me with a smirk playing on her red lips.

  "Oh, you look absolutely ridiculous," she says plunging the knife deeper into my back. I just gawk at her, lost for words as the tears continue running down my cheeks like the floodgates have been opened.

  "Let’s get the why's out of the way, shall we?" She says as she pushes away from the basin. "Well, you had what I wanted and for once I succeeded in getting it from you." She says as her smirk turns into a smile.

  "I-" I'm unable to finish that sentence when a hiccup cuts me off.

  "You what, Nikki?" She challenges. "Can't believe that I actually beat you at something? Well, be-fucking-lieve it sunshine!" She spews.

  "I thought you were my friend, how could you do this to me? How could you hurt me like this?" I say through the lump in my throat that feels like it
’s the size of a toad. Gabby laughs out loud.

  "How could I do it? Well that was easy." She snickers before continuing. "Ever since we were kids you've always gotten everything I wanted!" She says raising her voice slightly higher. "In kindergarten, I wanted to be the ladybug in our play but you got it instead. In high school you got to be head girl, I fucking wanted to be head girl Nicole! And don’t even get me started about college, you got Donald and guess what? I fucking wanted the hot as hell jock!" She whisper shouts through clenched teeth.

  "What?" I ask shocked because I never knew all this. Why she didn’t just tell me I wouldn’t know.

  "Don’t what me!" She says. "Even till this day you are getting what I want. Your position of being head of department? Yes, you guessed it, I applied for that position, you didn’t but you still fucking got it? How the hell does that even work? When I started that rumor that you were fucking the boss’s son I thought it would get you fired for sure, instead you became everyone's fucking favorite!"

  "You spread those rumors about me?" I ask. The tears falling from my eyes now are no longer tears of heartache, they are now tears of anger.

  "Of course, I had to do something to get you off your high horse." She says, that smirk back on her lips.

  "I can't do this right now. Gabby, stay away from me, I never want to speak or see you again." I say on a shaky voice as I turn away from her to get the hell out of here.

  "No fuck that, you are going to listen to me!" She shouts before grabbing at my arm and yanking me back with force.

  The next few seconds feel like everything's in slow motion again as I trip over my own feet, falling backward through a cubicle door before I feel the low toilet at the back of my legs, my ass slams hard in the awkward small space between the wall and the toilet. My heart races as I start panicking when the hard, unforgiving tiled floor gets stained with blood between my legs.

  No, this can't be happening. Not my little blip.

  "What's going on in- Oh my God why is she bleeding?" a woman that comes out of nowhere says as she takes in the situation.

  Please not my baby. I say the mantra over and over in my head as I clutch my stomach protectively.

  "Someone call 911!" I hear the woman shout as a few people assemble in the bathroom.

  "Are you pregnant?" Gabby, yes, I think that was Gabby who just spoke. I'm in such a panic haze that I am not sure what is going on around me.

  "Let's help her up," someone else says.

  "My baby, I can't lose my baby" I sob as gentle hands help me up.

  ****

  The steady beep beep sound of machines rouse me from a sleep I'm not sure when I fell into. I look at my surrounding and see that I am in the hospital with a drip connected to me. My hands flying to my stomach is the first reaction I have when the events of the night play back in my head.

  "How are you feeling honey?" Someone says in a deep southern accent, startling me a bit. I look up to see an elderly nurse walking through the door. Her soft sympathetic smile makes me fear the worst. That is the smile someone gives you just before dropping bad news.

  "My baby?" I ask, skipping all formalities and her question.

  "The Dr. will be with you in a short while honey," she says, fiddling with my drip instead of looking at me.

  "Please tell me my baby is okay," I choke past the massive lump in my throat.

  "Miss Parker, I'm Dr. Scott. How are you feeling?" A male voice says. I look in the direction of the door again and see a short, salt and pepper haired man walking toward my bed, a sad smile gracing his thin lips.

  "My baby?" I ask again for what feels like the millionth time in just a few minutes.

  Dr. Scott sighs heavily as he takes off his glasses. "I'm sorry Miss Parker, we tried-" Every word after that sounds like white noise when tears start streaming down my face as my heart breaks for the second time in one night.

  I lost three people in one night. My best friend since childhood, my boyfriend of five years and my little blip who may have not been born yet but I already loved him or her with everything I have. And now, I have nothing but a heart shattered into a million pieces.

  As from this day, I will never let myself get close to anyone ever again. I have had a whole bucket load of heartache and I am not about to go for seconds.

  CHAPTER ONE

  SIX MONTHS LATER

  NICOLE

  It's Saturday and I'm walking the aisles of the local supermarket when a group of teenage girls walk past me, speaking in hushed tones. Damn small town, everyone knows what happened between me, Gabriella and Donald. It's been six months, six freaking months and I still have to endure everyone's pity-filled eyes.

  I hate this town. I wish I could just leave!

  I ended up quitting my job because I just couldn’t handle seeing Gabriella everyday. She made sure that she rubbed the ring on her finger in my face every time she saw me. It hurt seeing just how much she hated me. She never even apologized for being the cause of me losing my baby.

  As for Donald? Well, he didn’t even care. He never even came to see me at the hospital. I haven't seen him since the day he kneeled in front of my best friend instead of me.

  My phone rings as I take out two ice cream buckets from the freezer and place them in my cart. I fish it out of my back pocket then answer.

  "Hello?" I say, jamming the phone between my shoulder and ear as I continue down the aisle to where the chocolate is.

  "Good day. Is this Miss Nicole Parker?" A feminine voice says on the other line. Wow, she sounds too professional for a Saturday afternoon.

  "Yes, this is Nicole Parker," I answer, stopping to reach for the Ferrero Rocher chocolates on the top shelf.

  "Miss Parker, I'm Sunette and I'm calling from C Maynard Incorporated," My heart skips in anticipation. This is the company I applied for three months ago.

  "Please let this be good news," I say out loud instead of just thinking. "I mean, how can I help you Sunette?" I correct myself quickly and the woman laughs a bit at my slip.

  "Well Miss Parker, I'm just calling to tell you that you have made the shortlist for interviews. Will you be able to be here first thing Monday morning?" She asks, making my day. This is the best news I've heard in six months.

  "Yes, I'll be there, thank you so much!" I say on a squeal while doing a happy dance in the middle of the chocolate aisle like a mad woman.

  "Be here at eight, Mr. Maynard doesn’t like late comers," She says.

  "Will do, thanks again," I reply in a sing song voice before ending the call.

  "Yes!" I squeal again as I start doing my happy dance once more. This is the best news I have heard in what feels like forever. I can finally pack my shit and get the hell out of this town.

  Getting this job means no more enduring pity-filled eyes from every single person in this damn town and there is no risk of me walking into the happy, now married couple that broke me in a way I never thought possible.

  How they planned a wedding in two months? I’ll never know. I swear Gabby did it just to rub it in my face. I can’t believe she even had the audacity to send me an invite. Like I would go sit in that church and be happy for the people who broke me.

  I push all that heartbreaking stuff to the back of my mind and skip on, getting the rest of the groceries on my list, and rush to the checkout. Luckily there isn't a line so I am served immediately. I pay for my groceries and rush to my car. As soon as I am done putting everything in the trunk, I climb in the car and pull out my phone to make a call. I dial the number then wait for my mother to answer.

  "Honey, you okay?" My mom answers on the third ring. Her voice filled with worry. She and my dad have been walking on eggshells around me this past few months.

  "Hi, ma. Yeah, I'm fine. Are you home?" I ask.

  "Yes honey, I'm home." She answers. "You sound.... I don’t know... happy?" she says. I'm not sure if that is a question or a statement.

  "Okay, I'm coming over right now. I need to talk to you and dad," I
tell her stabbing the car key in the ignition.

  "Is everything okay?" She asks.

  "Everything is perfect ma, see you in a bit," I tell her before ending the call.

  I put on my seatbelt and drive the few miles to my parents' house. As soon as I park outside, my mother opens the door. I climb out of the car and watch as she takes quick strides toward me.

  "Honey, is everything okay?" She asks when she reaches me.

  "I'm fine mom," I tell her, giving her a tight hug.

  "Oh, thank God," She breathes out a sigh of what can only be described as relief. "What do you want to talk about then?" She asks.

  "Let’s take this inside ma," I tell her, leading the way back into the house.

  "Henry, Nikki needs to talk to us dear!" My mom calls out to my father who is probably holed up in his study.

  My father walks in just as I am taking a seat on the couch. He wraps my mother in a hug before giving her a peck on the cheek. I can’t help but envy my parents. After thirty years of marriage they are still madly in love. After what I thought was gonna be my happily ever after got blew right to hell, it feels like I will never experience the kind of love my parents share.

  "Okay pumpkin, what's going on?" My father asks as he gently pulls my mother to sit next to him on the couch.

  "Well, I have a job interview in Port Elizabeth on Monday." I say, a smile gracing my lips.

  "Oh honey, that is great news, but I didn't know you applied for jobs so far away from home," Mom says, sounding shocked.

  "I know. I need a fresh start and I think this will be perfect," I say.

  "Okay pumpkin, if you are sure this is what you want, your mother and I support your decision," Dad says, smiling as he does.

  "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be driving down there first thing tomorrow morning and wanted to know if you will help handle selling my house here and moving all my things down there if I get the job?" I ask.