Forbidden Forever

by Christy Dilg

  "Stone Mountain is full of cool things to do and you haven't truly seen it until you climb it," he explains.

  "Climb!" I mumble.

  "Trust me. You will enjoy it," he assures me.

  I put on my excited but completely unsure face. So it is a hair in pony, Fancy Mafia T-shirt, denim shorts and tennis shoes kind of day. Good thing he gave me a clue on what to pack. The SUV is waiting for us when we walk out the lobby doors, with the same little old man holding open the back door.

  I notice that his badge says Frank so I greet him. "Good morning, Frank."

  "Good morning, ma'am," he returns the greeting.

  Chance nods and then smiles back at me. The drive to the mountain is crazy due to traffic. Man, I would not want to live in this every day. Good thing we have a driver to get us to and from places. The mountain disappears by trees as we get closer, but the minute we pull up on it I can see how magnificent it is. It is like literally a big stone mountain. The mountain has a carving of three Confederate heroes of the Civil War stretching across three acres of land. It is amazing to see the work of an artist and in such massive form. We start at the Antebellum Plantation house and the driver lets us out so we can spend the rest of the day enjoying the park. The Plantation house is strikingly beautiful. I have always had a passion for the old South and this brings me so close to see how they lived.

  The farmyard has animals to pet and I can smell the cooking at the cookhouse. As we are walking to the house, two ladies donned in southern belle dresses appear. They each have lace umbrellas that they are using to shade their faces. They look absolutely beautiful.

  "I sometimes wish we still dressed like that," I tell Chance.

  He cocks his head to one side and chews on his lip for a moment. "I can see you in that corset with your breasts popping out of your dress," he playfully teases.

  "Is that all you think about, Dr. Chance Turner?" I ask.

  "Well that, and how much I fucking love you." He sweetens up his voice.

  I roll my eyes. "Sure, sure. That's what is always on your mind." I giggle.

  We stroll the Plantation house and walk the farmland, then Chance says it's time to walk the mountain. It is a nice breezy day but I am still thinking to myself about how I am going to walk this mountain. I'll probably slide down the stone and injure something. Once we get about halfway up, we stop and take a break. The stone is cool to the touch even at this time of day. We sit and relax, looking up at the sky and the town below. It is beautiful up here and I am really excited to get to the top now, so I tell Chance to stop being a lazy butt and we start walking again. We don't really talk a lot going up the mountain because I am too interested in the view, and I am lost in my own thoughts.

  I think about the one and only vacation I went on with Michael to the beach. We took the kids there and stayed for a weekend. Michael was so cold and hateful that the kids and I stayed out at the beach almost the entire day. I kept applying sun block to all of us and shaded us the best we could, but I was so worried about the kids I ended up getting blistery burnt. He never looked in my direction once for two weeks after that and never once asked if I needed anything. Here I am now walking up a mountain with a man who has asked me several times if I was okay, needed a break, and made me apply sun block twice since we have been here at the park. How things changed from living in fear of a monster to living in happiness with a prince. We reach the top of the mountain and, holy shit, the view is spectacular. We can see probably fifty or so miles of the state; Atlanta's tall buildings are even more beautiful up here and look like their own rectangle mountains. People are just laid back, taking in the amazing, tranquil view, so we join in.

  "What are you thinking?" Chance asks me.

  "Well, honestly I have been thinking about how much my life has changed in just a few months. I left my husband and fell in love with someone I never thought existed for me, and you actually love me. I never thought I was worthy of such love," I admit, shamefully but honestly.

  "Exist for you? I don't know how someone so truly wonderful inside and out could think so little of themselves. Sapphire, you are worthy of so much more than you give yourself credit for. One day I hope you will see what a priceless treasure you are." He sincerely speaks from his heart.

  "I can feel your love for me. I know it is real, but I have to admit I am scared for the day that you wake up and hate what you see in front of you," I whisper.

  "Laney, I fear you will do that to me." He softly puts his hand to my face and looks me in the eye.

  "I will never hate anything when I look at you. I hope one day to bring you a sense of peace from the life you had before. I promise all relationships don't end up like your and Michael's. Ours will be forever!" he assures me.

  With that I feel better and I lean over to kiss him. "I love you!" I whisper.

  "I love you more!" he whispers back.

  We take the sky ride down the mountain and walk toward the Memorial Law. We take our seats in the VIP terrace seating and Chance goes to get us some food. We are starved after the long day, and really thirsty. He comes back with BBQ sandwiches, fries, drinks, and a funnel cake. I don't know how he managed it but he actually carried all of this by himself. Must be what those large, sculpted arms are for. Oh damn, those arms are sexy as hell in that blue Quicksilver tank top he is wearing. Night falls and before I know it, this awesome laser shows starts. Chance didn't tell me about this because he wanted me to be surprised. I am mesmerized by the lights as they dance through the lawn and created jaw dropping images and stories on the side on the mountain. I am so glad I got to see this and even more glad that it was shared with him. He acts like a kid in these surprising moments and I know he loves to see me react, but I think I love it more how he gets so pumped up.

  It makes the experience even more memorable. He wraps his arms around me and we watch the moving lights as they entertain us. I love being this close to him. The way we just fit together like pieces of a puzzle is so unreal. The show comes to an end and I am glowing with my new light up beads as we walk to meet the SUV. Chance is even wearing some light up glasses. I swear I love this man. Back at the hotel we enjoy some quiet time together before returning to our crazy life. When we return, I have to finalize my divorce and put that part of life behind me. I am looking forward to my future for the first time in as long as I can remember. My personal future. Usually I only think about my children, but now I think about myself in the picture as well. These past couple days have been so much fun. I feel like a teenager experiencing the fun parts of life instead of a soon-to-be divorcee with two nearly grown children. I love it.

  The morning sun beams through the open window and the smell of my favorite Starbucks vanilla double shot latte is invading my soul. That's right. I am madly in love with my coffee; the warmness from the minute my hands touch the coffee cup all the way to the last drop that slides down my throat and opens every crevice of my body. Good till the last drop is right. I am not ready to go back to reality so I savor every drop and every moment before we leave to go back the Sunshine State. I start to get up to fix myself but Chance grabs my arm. I stop and try not to breathe on him with this horrible breath. I know he's seen me without makeup but I'm just waiting for him to start hating what he sees. His hand is warm on my flesh and as much as I want to wrap myself up in them, I have to go brush my teeth. Once I return from the bathroom I walk straight over to him and kiss him on his moist lips. Chance helps get everything packed and calls for the bellboy to take everything to the SUV. The trip from Atlanta to Jacksonville doesn't take that long but we have another hour and a half to two hours, depending on traffic, to get home. I text Callie and Kaleb in a group message and let them know we are almost home in hope that they will be there. I have missed them so much and I hope that the next vacation includes them as well. Callie texts back quickly and says she will be home waiting. Kaleb takes thirty minutes to respond and his texts are short and sweet with K and see you soon.

  Chapter 24


  I love taking the scenic route home. It is so peaceful watching the beach pass by and hearing the sounds of the waves crashing over. Chance has the windows down and my hair is a hot mess but I don't complain. I love being so relaxed and carefree when I am with him. I am starting to stop the habit of sucking in my stomach, it is difficult as hell but I am getting better. The cool breeze flowing through the window is enough that I need a light jacket. The October air here in Florida isn't cold, just mainly the breeze from the ocean. Chance must see the goose bumps because he rolls up the windows and reaches for my hand and entwines our fingers. His warm hand send a chill down my spine, or maybe it is the electricity between us that sends a spark to my soul. Chance drops me and the luggage off at the elevator and goes to park the car. I am waiting for him to return when I notice a dark figure walking toward me. As the shadow uncovers his face, I see that it is Michael.

  "What are you doing here?" My voice cracks.

  "I have wanted to talk to you but you won't give me a chance. I am tired of going through lawyers. I need you to talk to me," he explains.

  I can feel the fear of him being here taking over and I back up to the wall. "Do you love him?" he says.

  I don't answer.

  "Is this why you left me?" His voice is louder this time.

  I start fidgeting with my hands and I remember that my hair is windblown and I am in sweats. I bet he is laughing on the inside that I still look like pure hell.

  "Michael, we are over and this has nothing to do with him. It has to do with you and the years of mental abuse you beat into my head. Not to mention you beat me nearly to death." I firmly speak out the words, trying not to be afraid even though deep down I am in the closet, hiding behind the clothes with my head between my knees and eyes closed tight. Where the hell is Chance?

  "All I want to do is talk. Agree to talk to me and I will go for now," he pressures me.

  "Fine, I will talk to you. I will text you where," I answer.

  He leaves and I fall to the ground and cry. I cry because I don't ever want to see him and because I fear what he will do when I do see him again.

  Chance comes running when he sees me on the ground. He is yelling my name and saying the words, "Laney, are you okay?" I pick my head up out of my hands and utter the name Michael. He looks around. "Where?"

  "Gone! He left but he won't stop until he has his way," I mutter.

  "What does he want?" he asks.

  "He says he just wants to talk to me," I reply.

  "Not alone, he isn't. Someone will be there with you." Chance's voice gets loud and his tone is something I would fear if I knew it was toward me.

  He helps me up and takes the luggage as we get into the elevator. The door opens and Callie and Kaleb are standing there with flowers and balloons. Their faces droop when they see that I have been crying.

  Chance says, "I called them and told them we were here when I parked the car." I hug them both in one big mama bear hug.

  "I'm okay. I just had a run-in with your father at the elevator," I tell them.

  "What did he do to you?" Kaleb angrily asks.

  "Kaleb, son, I am fine, really. He caught me off guard and I just got scared. He just wants to talk with me." I try and assure him.

  He looks so angry; I have never seen him this way before. He kisses me on the cheek and does a horrible job at pretending that he is okay. He grabs our bags and takes them to our bedroom. He is in there longer than I would like, but I know he needs to be alone. Callie gives me another hug and I can see the concern in her eyes.

  "How was your trip?" she asks, trying to get my mind off of things.

  It works for now. I tell her about the concert and leave out the personal parts, and then tell her about the Mountain and how I want to take her and Kaleb there sometime. She tells me about her weekend and how Brooke went on a date with the boy from the pool. They really hit it off and they are all going on a double date this weekend. I'm glad little Brooke finally found someone to hang out with. I remember growing up and how much fun it was to go on double dates with my friends. It made it just a little less awkward. Chance brings me a mixed drink of some sort that tastes like Kool-Aid, but it helps take the edge off. He sure knows how to make things better. I see his concern and I know he will not let it pass for long. He wants to know what I am going to do about seeing Michael again. I think about it as we all sit and they stare at me while I drink. You would think I was a fragile piece of stained glass that could break at any minute.

  My heart breaks for my loved ones here in this condo. They have been through so much heartache. My beautiful kids who have seen more than any child should at their age. This amazing man who gave up his life to be with someone who has all this excess baggage. I wish there was a way I could take all the pain from them, but instead I just want to help it end. Kaleb comes to join us in the living room. I sit up and tell them I am going to meet Michael tomorrow after work and hear what he needs to tell me. Chance just listens instead of being controlling, which is what I need him to do.

  "I have thought about it and this is the only way to get it over with and move on," I tell them.

  Callie grudgingly agrees while Kaleb tells me that he wants to go with me. I look at him, unsure if that is what I want, but I can see deep into his eyes that this is what he needs: to confront his father and to protect his mother. I agree. I text Michael the meeting place and time. He responds quickly with the okay, and now I wait until tomorrow. My first day back to work since everything has happened. Everyone knows about Chance and I and they also know about the beating from my husband. I don't want to go back there and face people's looks and gossip but I have to work. I refuse to live off of Chance without contributing anything. Chance spent hours begging me to stay home and not go back to work. Who would I be if I don't own up to the damage I caused by staying married to an asshole and then having an affair with my boss? Man, I really can screw a lot of stuff.

  I get ready and put on a navy blue pantsuit with a light blue ruffled blouse underneath. My hair is loosely pulled in a low bun to the side of my neck and I wear my black lace heels to finish everything off. I look very professional even though the rumor is I fucked my boss in his office. Luckily for me, I did. I smile a wicked grin as I walk in the kitchen to meet the love of my life. He is standing there in his two piece navy suit and I giggle over how we match without even trying.

  "One of us should go change," I admit.

  "Why? I think we both look edible," he jokes.

  I roll my eyes at the way his brain works and how laid back he is about it all. He reaches out and tickles my side as I squeal. Callie walks around the corner.

  "Ugh, get a room." She rolls her eyes and smiles jokingly.

  She gets that from her mama. She reaches in the fridge for the orange juice and sits at the bar. Chance hands me the coffee he made for me and I join her. Kaleb comes in and leans against the counter with Chance and asks him if he heard about the surf competition that is coming up in a few weeks. Chance is silent for a moment and then expresses how Kaleb should enter it. Kaleb tells us he just has to get my permission and a physical. I smile and tell him to get me the paper this evening and I will sign it and I will make him a doctor's appointment without thinking we live with a doctor. Chance offers to take care of that end of it and I feel a little excitement that I am dating a doctor. I laugh at my thoughts and even though it doesn't matter what he does for a living, I have to admit it is cool. I am sitting there watching everyone interact and it hits me. We are a family. I have wanted this whole relationship with Michael but he grew to be so angry we never had it.

  I get nervous energy shooting through my body just knowing I have to see him today. I am glad Kaleb will be there with us but sad that he has to be put through this with his own dad. Chance and I ride into work together for the first time. It is sweet but I also feel like a home wrecker when we pull into the parking lot. I know I shouldn't care what others think but I do and Sierra has told me the g
ossip. She always defends me but really no one knows the story, the connection, or how happy we both are now. Chance wants to walk in together so we can get it over with and also show he is beside me. Here goes nothing. It feels like the first day of work when I walk in, the butterflies are doing back flips in my stomach. We walk down the hall to our office and make it unnoticed. Woo, I feel a small sense of relief fill my body. The moment we step in our office I leap at Chance and wrap my arms around him.

  "What's wrong, baby?" he says as worry in his voice deepens.

  "I felt like I was waiting to be burned at the stake," I express to him with my heart in my throat.

  "You don't have to do this. I don't want you stressing yourself over things like this." He pulls me over to sit on his lap.

  Chapter 25

  I cuddle in his arms and lay my head on his warm chest. "I have to be strong and be a role model for my children. I don't want them to see me as weak. I am not weak. I can and will do this." I take a deep breath and pull myself up over the mountain and I don't look back.