Past Forgiven

by Jesse Lorenzo

  “If you’ll have me, I’m ready and eager to take on the world with you, Mr. Wyndham.”

  Shannon was flirting with him just enough to keep him interested, and the look of appreciation he projected her way let her know she was doing a good job of it. She would play this game with him… right to the top. She vowed to herself a long time ago that she would get there someday no matter what it took, and she wouldn’t stop now that she was so close.

  “Good girl, that’s what I like to hear. Let’s get started.”

  Shannon gave him a small smile and gazed out the window, watching as the rest of the world flashed by.

  Eight months later

  Behr jogged toward the front door as the bell chimed impatiently for the third time.

  “Hold your shorts, for the love of God. I’m coming.” Throwing open the door, he came face-to-face with his favorite group of people. “It’s about time you show your faces ‘round ‘ere. I was about to eat all this food myself.”

  Grady, Patrick, and Lachlan push past Behr.

  “Yeah, yeah, we’re all of two minutes past the time, you impatient bastard,” Patrick grumbled.

  “Aye, n’ where’s my sweet girl?” Grady tossed his coat in Behr’s face, ignoring him completely.

  Behr chuckled at the old man. “Aye, lads, she’s in there with all the ladies fawning all over her, and the food’s around the corner. Help yourselves.”

  Adelle and Gavin showed up right behind them hand in hand. Behr and Ellora both were elated when the two finally announced that they were officially engaged.

  It’s about time!

  Adelle squealed out a high-pitched sound that nearly broke every glass around as she bounced over to her friend. Gavin sidled up to Behr and nudged him with his elbow. “You didnae waste any time planting that seed, didja, m’ friend?” Gavin wiggled his eyebrows teasingly and winked.

  Behr gazed over at Ellora, his eyes traveling to the beautiful swell of her rounded belly. His smile widened with pride as he watched her hand rub the spot where their child kicked, laughing with the rest of the excited women around her. His eyes shifted over to a suspicious looking Patrick, ready to dig into the baby-bottle-shaped chocolate cake, and roared, “Drop it, ol’ man, or I’ll throw ya outta ‘ere on your wrinkled ass!”

  All eyes landed on Patrick, caught red-handed hovering frozen on the spot above the cake. “Patty, that’s my gender reveal cake. Don’t spoil the surprise or I’ll sick Behr on you,” Ellora threatened, laughing and only half serious.

  Rose, Behr’s mother, clapped her hands, eager to find out. “So neither one of ya knows the wee baby’s sex yet?”

  Ellora gazed up at Behr as his protective arms wrapped around her to rub her large belly. “We wanted it to be a surprise. The doctor gave us a sealed envelope after our last sonogram, and we handed it off to the bakery to make us the cake. If it’s a girl, the inside will be pink. Blue if it’s a boy.”

  Adelle bounced with barely contained excitement. “Didja decide on names for the wee little one yet?”

  Ellora nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, Behr got to pick out a name if she’s a girl, and I picked out a name for if he’s a boy.”

  Behr kissed the top of her head. “Would ya like t’ hear both names before we cut the cake?” The entire room broke out into an uproar, shouting in unison.

  “Yes!”

  “Are you daft?”

  “Why else are we ‘ere? It’s not to see your gruff face, mate.”

  “Tell us already. I’m not gettin’ any younger.”

  “A’right, a’right, keep your pants on, lads.” Behr pulled out two pieces of paper and handed one off to Ellora, coaxing her gently, “Ladies first, love.”

  Always the stubborn one, Ellora shook her head and waved him off. “I’m saving the best for last. You go first. I insist.” Wrinkling her nose, she stuck out her tongue, teasing him.

  “A’right then…” Behr unfolded the paper and announced in a proud booming voice, “If the wee one is a girl, I will name her Elaina Belle, which means Beautiful, bright, shining light. That is exactly what she and her mother are in my life.” Behr brushed his lips over Ellora’s tenderly. “I love you, Lor.”

  “I love you, too, Behr,” she whispered against his lips, then opened up her own envelope and cleared her throat. “If the strong kicks this wild one is giving me are any indication, he’s definitely a boy. The name I chose is Matheson Michael. This name stuck out to me on the page, literally. It means Bear’s son. I also wanted him to have my father’s middle name because he is always with me.”

  The room erupted with applause and a few tears, filling the space with praise for both names and their meanings.

  “Well, whatcha waitin’ on? Cut that thing and let’s find out already!” Gavin hollered, doing his best to shove his friend but succeeding in hurting his own shoulder.

  Behr helped Ellora up, kissing the tip of her nose. “What say you, love? Ready to find out?”

  Ellora nodded, her smile widening with excitement. “Ready.”

  Adelle and Kristy gathered the plates, knives, and forks, readying to pass out pieces to everyone. Ellora and Behr, hand-in-hand, grasped hold of the cake cutter and slid it through the moist cake. Everyone in the room strained their necks to be the first one to catch a glimpse of the color inside and held their breath.

  The loving couple slid the wedge out, looked at each other, and announced, “Blue! We’re having a boy!”

  The room shook with shouts and laughter. All the men claimed they knew it would be a boy, and the ladies rushed to Ellora to hug and kiss her. Gavin clapped his friend on the back and lifted his beer to toast the news. “Here’s to baby Matty. May he boast his father’s size and his mother’s good looks!”

  The group raised whatever glasses they were holding and shouted a thunderous, “Aye!”

  Ellora stroked her bulging belly lovingly and whispered, “I can’t wait to finally hold you, Matheson Michael Buchanan.”

  In that most precious moment, Ellora felt the presence of her mother and father swell within her heart. They may not be with her physically to share in this moment with her, but she believed that they were still there in spirit. Ellora silently swore that she would keep their memory alive with all their wild stories. They would never be forgotten. Their legacy would live on through their grandchildren, and they’d always watch over them.

  …For now

  Bonus Short Story

  Gavin & Adelle’s beginning:

  Beauty Beneath the Mask

  A Forever Marked Prequel

  by Jesse Lorenzo

  The greatest act of courage is to be and to own all of who you are—

  Without apology, without excuses, and without masks…

  ~ Debbie Ford

  Sometimes we hide behind our masks to protect ourselves.

  HALLOWEEN IS THE most remarkable time of year. For one day, you can put on a mask and be transformed into anyone you want to be, and have the courage to reach out to others and form a relationship with who they truly are inside—without fear of judgment or the prejudices that blind us when viewing one’s outside.

  “C’MON, ADELLE, you’ll thank me for this later.” Leiah tugged on Adelle’s arm, practically pulling it out of socket. She would’ve been kicking and screaming, but who was she kidding? Leiah was her only friend. She wouldn’t risk losing her over something as stupid as a make-over.

  “All right, all right. I’m going. Don’t get your knickers in a twist. Really, I don’t know why this is so important to you.” Adelle stared at her sad reflection in the unflattering mirror in the waiting room.

  “Because it’s your last night in Portree. Because it’s Halloween, so it’s a time to be whoever the hell you wanna be. And because it’ll be a fresh start for your new life,” her friend ticked off all the reasons on her fingers. “Not to mention, I’ve been dying to transform your outer beauty so that it finally matches your inner beauty.”

  Adelle smiled a
t her positively chipper friend. Leiah was a driven, stubborn woman, and she loved her for it. She’d hate to admit it, but she knew she was right, too. Her lack of concern for her outer appearance had gone on long enough. It was finally time for a new look to match her new life. Now was a time to move forward. Adelle allowed herself to get excited over all her future possibilities, that is until she heard the wretched high-pitched voice of her childhood tormenter.

  “Oh my God. Look, girls… Ronnie’s here to touch up her clown make-up.” Shannon walked up to Adelle and Leiah, flanked by her equally bitchy clones. Adelle cringed at the overused nickname given to her as a kid. Her naturally bright red hair was out of control with kinky curls and untamed frizz. Her very pale complexion helped complete the visual of the clown character she now despised, the very same one who represented a popular burger chain. It wasn’t like she refused to help herself out. It’s just that she was the only girl in her family, the youngest sibling of four brothers. She was never taught how to tame her wild lioness hair or to apply her own make-up. In fact, by the time that kind of thing mattered to all the girls around her, she was already considered an outcast.

  Not knowing what else to do, Adelle just accepted it. After all, she knew who she was and didn’t want to change for anyone. If they didn’t like her for such a superficial reason as that, then fuck them. Pardon her French. As previously mentioned, she grew up with four brothers. They’d all adored her since the moment she was born. If one would just close their eyes and ignore her outward appearance, you’d swear she was born a princess. Her brothers literally tripped over themselves to cater to their baby sister.

  Unfortunately, that love and adoration didn’t help her where school was concerned. They were much older than she, and already in and out of college. She also never told them about her troubles at school. She knew they would want to come to her aid and ‘do something’ about it. She didn’t want that. They were successful and hard working. She didn’t want to get any of them in any trouble over something as stupid as her looks, or lack thereof. But at least she would always have four doting brothers and one feisty best friend in her corner. No matter what!

  Shannon broke into Adelle’s daydream when she continued ridiculing her. “So, Ronnie, I’ll have a cheeseburger, fries, and a diet coke, please.”

  Adelle never rolled over and took her crap, though. She always gave it right back to her. The bullied girl wasn’t afraid of Shannon or her friends. She just despised them all a great deal for making her life miserable most of the time. “Oh wow, Shannon, that dig was a lot like your dye job… pretty SHITTY!” Leiah snorted as she choked on her laughter.

  Shannon sneered at her as other patrons in the salon laughed at Adelle’s witty comeback. She stalked over to where they stood and jabbed Adelle in the chest with her boney finger. “What I don’t understand is how someone born in the same family as all your smoking hot brothers could ever turn out as hideously ugly as you. Is that why your mother left? Because she took one look at you and regretted immediately that she didn’t have you aborted?”

  Adelle’s mouth hung open in utter shock. The cruel statement felt like a punch to the gut, stealing away all her air. This was an incredibly low-blow, even for Shannon. Adelle’s mother was a flitty, free-spirited, wild child who left her family behind because she didn’t want to be tied down. She tried the ‘family life’ but once Adelle was born, she’d had enough. Leaving them all behind with just the clothes on her back, they’d never heard from her again. Adelle, having been caught tongue-tied, just dipped her head low. She would rather be sipping tea with the devil than hear another word from this bitch.

  “SHANNON!” The loud booming voice at the doorway made everyone jump in surprise. It was Behr, Shannon’s on-again, off-again boyfriend. He was good friends with the youngest of Adelle’s brothers and a genuine, good hearted guy who’d always treated Adelle like his kid sister. It was usually extremely irritating, but at times like this, thankfully appreciated.

  “I don’t want to hear you say something as ugly as that to her EVER again. Understand?” Behr scolded her like a child—a very evil child.

  Shannon continued her assault, undeterred by Behr’s intimidating appearance. “What? It’s not like she doesn’t know she’s disgusting.”

  Leiah came up to stand beside her friend. “What the hell does someone like Behr see in someone like HER?”

  In a very small voice only she could hear, Adelle murmured truthfully, “Because she doesn’t look like someone like me.”

  It’s not like she wanted to be friends with Shannon and her clones. She didn’t want to be popular, or any other lame thing like that. She just wanted, for once, to either be treated with respect or, if nothing else, to be left alone. She no longer wanted to feel like she did in this moment… Like she was human garbage, unworthy of kindness or love, just because she looked different than everyone else. She didn’t want to be convinced of hating herself, but it was a constant internal battle to remind herself that she wasn’t a worthless nothing.

  Adelle stood there, frozen on the spot, her eyes cast downward, embarrassed and ashamed. Overwhelmed with the powerful hollow emptiness she felt deep inside, fresh tears burned behind her lids, threatening to spill over. But after years of being tormented and publicly ridiculed, she learned to hold them at bay until she was alone. Only then would she let them fall freely. She would never give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

  “Hey, brat. You okay?” Adelle looked up, void of all emotion, all her guards firmly in place. She looked directly into the eyes of the object of her constant daydreams.

  Gavin.

  Behr’s best friend and the town playboy. He. Was. Gorgeous. He definitely was the very definition of “pretty boy.” Adelle had an enormous crush on him for years. She lived right next door to him for a long time while growing up. Even then he was the most beautiful child in town, and she’d loved him at first sight. After a few fun-filled years, Adelle’s father was forced to move into a smaller house further away from the much sought after harbor homes. That’s when things started to change.

  Instead of chasing frogs and balls, Gavin started chasing girls. And puberty had been a cruel reality for Adelle, one that neither her father nor brothers knew how to help her through. Yes, their relationship changed as they grew. But Gavin wasn’t the typical popular pretty-boy, arrogant, douchebag you’d expect. Gavin and Behr both treated her respectfully, which was a plus.

  They were a few years older than she was and the object of every woman’s desire in town. Call her crazy—you wouldn’t be the first—but every once in a while, Adelle had a fleeting thought that Gavin may possibly like her a little more than a friend. Every now and then, she would catch glimpses of Gavin looking at her in a certain way that made her insides turn to jelly. Kinda like the way he was looking at her right then.

  With his head cocked to the side and a sinfully playful smirk on his face, he looked at her as if he could see through Adelle’s neglected fashion sense. And just see her—the real girl hidden beneath the surface.

  “Don’t worry about her. She’s just a nasty bitch. Everyone knows it.” Gavin tucked a runaway ringlet hanging in her face behind her ear. Before the tongue-tied girl could think of something genius to say in that heart fluttering moment, a few local ladies walked in.

  “Hi, Gavin,” they gushed. “Can’t wait for your famous Halloween party tonight.”

  Gavin looked up and smiled brilliantly at them. The loss of connection made Adelle a tad jealous. “Hey, ladies. I look forward to seeing you there, and your costumes.” He winked at them and they giggled.

  Adelle inwardly rolled her eyes. And there it was. His very big flaw. Gavin was a ladies’ man and a major player. His belt had so many notches in it already, he was due for a new one to mark up.

  “Thanks, Gavin. I’ll see you around. Don’t keep your fan girls waiting.” Adelle stepped to the side and was bumped roughly as the girls took her place in front of the object of th
eir desire. He reached past his groupies and grasped Adelle’s elbow, halting her.

  “Hey, sweetie, I’m having a Halloween party tonight at my place. If you’ve got a costume, I’d love to see you there.” His serious eyes broke through Adelle’s protective wall that surrounded her heart. She felt it swell, and the dull ache turned to a fluttering warmth. She couldn’t resist him when he looked at her like that.

  Shannon’s high-pitched cackle broke their private moment. “She doesn’t need a costume. She’ll scare more people if she goes as herself,” she mocked as she hovered inside of the door, waiting for her group to follow. “I’m ready to go. Now,” she commanded.

  Adelle pointed at Shannon, but her eyes never left Gavin’s. “That! Is exactly the reason why I wouldn’t step foot into that party, Gavin. Not in a million years!”

  Gavin looked back at Shannon. When his head came back around, anger shone on his reddened face. He wouldn’t say anything out of respect for Behr, but she could tell he was sick and tired of having her around all the time. He reluctantly dragged himself out of the shop, never taking his eyes off of the broken hearted girl.

  “Behind every mask, there’s a face,

  And behind that, a story.”

  ~ Marty Ruban

  “OH, HONEY! Nuh-uh, I don’t think so! You sit your cute lion-haired, round lil’ behind down in my chair. We’ll take care of you.” The magnificently flamboyant beautician grabbed hold of her shoulders and forced her to sit down. “You are going to have that delicious man-eating outta the palm of your pasty lil’ hands by the time we finish with you. Mmhmm, yes, you are,” he announced as he snapped his fingers, signaling the rest of the staff to come help. They all poked, prodded, and tugged Adelle in every direction.

  The whole process took several agonizing hours. Adelle wasn’t sure what was going on back there, but the smell of chemicals made her incredibly nervous. Too late to back out now. They had her chair turned away from the row of mirrors so that she couldn’t see the progress, expressing that they lived for the exciting reveal once the makeover was complete.