Be My Forever: The Complete Series Box Set

by Lauren Wood

  “My grandpa said it will be okay. Some of me is sad about that though. However, I can’t leave because of the kids. I’ve never felt like I fit in her anyway. It just proves to me more than ever after today. Even if he has talked them into it, that doesn’t mean they’ll be any nicer to me.”

  “What about when the kids are old enough to move out? Would you move out of the community after that?” He asked. Ben wasn’t sure why he wanted her to say yes, but his heart felt like it was on fire as he waited.

  “Yes I would.” Sara answered.

  Ben couldn’t hold himself back; he covered her mouth with his. It started as a light kiss, but soon deepened. He felt rocked when he stepped back. He’d never felt that way from a kiss in his life.

  Sara looked up at him. “You can’t stay, there is no reason, and we would only be tortured.”

  Ben wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. He wanted to kiss her again and do much more with her. He shrugged his shoulders and walked away from her.

  Sara felt like she would break down as he left. Her knees were going to buckle. She made her way back to the house after he was gone. She couldn’t bear to have been there when he had his suitcase in hand.

  Maybe they would see each other again one day, but she didn’t know. If she had been hoping anymore to hear the words, she might have asked him. “Ben can I come stay with you when the kids leave?” But she hadn’t said it. She had wanted him to ask her.

  But how could she expect that from him, he didn’t want long-term. He would surely go back to LA and forget she even exists. Sara felt like she was going to cry.

  Finally making it to the house she went to her room and crumpled on the bed. Now she let the tears come freely and she did. Her sobs came in loud sounds from deep inside of her.

  Chapter Ten

  Ben had left Lancaster what seemed like ages ago now. He had gone straight to the ranch that was now all his. This had been his first visit in years though, and he saw how run down the house had been.

  He spent any free time he had at the farm house fixing it up. He had plans to be in this house soon, and hopefully Sara would be with him. There hadn’t been a day that passed that she wasn’t on his mind.

  He woke up in the morning and thought of her. He pictured Sara as the woman who he was playing opposite in the movie. On screen it had been pure magic.

  The Oscar was his almost before the movie was even in the can. The talk had been all about how Ben North had pulled off an amazing drama role. He had even seen one review, after the movie was out, that said, “If I didn’t know better I would swear Ben North used to be Amish.”

  Tonight was the big of the event, and his nerves were up high. Even though he had almost been assured the win was his, he still wondered if he would win.

  Ben wished that Sara could be by his side for the event. He wanted everyone to know who had truly inspired his performance. He knew how true it was.

  During the filming he had pictured Sara and how he would feel being betrayed by her. His heart had felt like it was ripped apart while they were filming the scene of his breakdown. Not a tear had been left dry after he was done with the scene. It had taken the director several minutes before he could even call cut to the scene.

  Ben thought at that moment that he deserved the Oscar. He hoped everyone else had the same experience when they had watched the movie.

  He walked into the event, several cameras flashed in his eyes.

  “Mr. North, do you think you’ll win tonight?” He heard a reporter call out to him.

  “I’ll win if God is willing!” Ben smiled and moved on.

  He hated all the glitz and glamor now, he had once loved it so much. Now he couldn’t wait for this to be over and be back in Texas. He wondered how the world would feel when they heard Ben North was retiring?

  Ben would do that for her. He wanted to spend his time with her. So if she did come, he would spend his days with her.

  “The Winner for Actor of the Year is, Ben North, for his work in Amish Love.” He heard announced and stood up automatically.

  He got to the podium and cleared his throat. “I’d like to thank you all for this award. To the director and all the other people who helped me do so well in this role. The biggest thanks though goes to a woman who will never hear this speech, Sara Albright. She was my in to the Amish community, she taught me many things. She was my inspiration for this film, and thanks to her, I played a tremendous role.” He finished and the room exploded in applauds.

  Ben left early, skipping the after party. He didn’t want any questions; he simply wanted to escape to Texas and work. He had sent a letter out yesterday to Sara. He wondered if she had received it yet.

  **

  Sara wondered every day what was up with Ben. She had now had to resort to having Sally and Henry go to market. Her tainting hadn’t rubbed off on them. She was trying to distance them from her as much as she could.

  Sara had been pushing them out the door more and more lately. Telling them to go and mingle. She thought it was working out well, she had heard Henry talking about one of the young girls.

  Soon he would be proposing to her. She could hope that she said yes, that would be one sibling out of the door.

  Sally would take a bit longer. She was quite shy and wouldn’t talk to many of the young men who approached her. Maybe her grandpa would speed up the process, she could hope.

  Today had been the second time she had sent them to the market together. She had no choice. She had tried to go and had found that all of the Amish let her know just how lucky she was, who her grandpa was. They suggested that she not show up at the market again, or she might not make it back. She could feel the anger coming from them, and was sure they saw it as justice from God. Sara had gone home quickly, shaken to the core by the whole thing.

  The next market she had convinced Henry and Sally they should go by themselves. They had sold a bit of the food they had taken along. Sara hoped this was a good sign that they were more accepted.

  “I hope they don’t turn against them too. Please God if you’ve ever done me a favor this would be the one I want the most.” She prayed allowed.

  For what seemed like the hundredth time of the day she wondered what Ben was doing right now. She wondered how many girls he had bedded since he’d been back in LA.

  As if a sign from God, she opened the mail box and found a letter from Ben. She held it to her heart for a second, and then quickly ripped the letter open.

  My dearest Sara,

  I hope this finds you well. I’ve thought about you every day since I’ve left. I don’t know how close you are to having the children out of the house, but please find these tickets for a bus trip to Texas. I went there when I first left Lancaster, and have since been fixing up my childhood home. I would love if you come to live with me here. I want to have you in my life and only you Sara. These tickets can be used whenever you are ready, I’ll be waiting! Just call me from Amarillo and I’ll come and pick you up right away.

  All my love,

  Ben

  SEDUCED BY ALIEN OVERLOAD

  Kayla Hartley has settled. She was taught, at the tender age of three, that she would never be good enough for anything or anyone. Life would come much simpler to her if she held her tongue and always said yes. Her mother was adamant to teach her daughter, she led by example.

  When Kayla was born, her father decided he wasn’t interested in changing diapers. He left. Her mother didn’t much care from changing diapers either. Her resolution was to place Kayla in an empty room and close the door. To this day, Kayla wasn’t certain if this act was to conceal her from temporary lovers or if it was a ploy to muffle her cries. Whatever the reason, Kayla’s familiarity with abandonment and loneliness is textbook. Her only comfort is found in the misfortune of others. Reason number one why she became a journalist. Reason number two: it rendered her immortal.

  Kayla’s concern with immortality spawned by the drunken hands of her boyfriend. At ever
y given moment Kayla feared the loss of her life. Kevin was abusive and controlling. He would hand Kayla a black eye or a broken rib on a silver platter if she so much as took the long route home. Her life was a series of disappointment and abuse. Kayla was confident that her mother would be proud of this fact. Had her mother not started shooting heroine between her toes, Kayla could confirm this assumed maternal approval. Instead she would step on her mother’s grave and curse that woman’s existence in her sleep.

  At first Kevin didn’t seem so bad. Even after the first broken bone, Kayla knew that Kevin lusted after her. She stayed. With each empty bottle, Kevin’s hand would fall heavier. With each empty bottle, Kayla felt inclined to settle. How would this man survive without her? Better yet, how would she survive without him? Kayla knew nothing other than control. Without someone to answer to, her life would become an abyss. She needed Kevin just as much as he needed her.

  ***

  Kayla looked at the time, four fifty. Uncomfortably, she shifted in her seat, twirling her long brown hair between her fingers. She had exactly forty minutes to get home before Kevin would see the bottom of his first bottle.

  “I’m sorry Mr. Gosbin, but I have to cut this interview short. I have prior commitments I must attend to.” Kayla outreached her fragile hand to the CEO of Industrial Cosmos Atlantic. She winced slightly at the pressure of the handshake. Her hand hadn’t quite healed from Kevin’s last escapade.

  This interview was potentially the most important of Kayla’s career. Industrial Cosmos Atlantic has been making leaps into accounts of space exploration. They had been improving means of transportation via space highways for several decades now. A trip to another galaxy was becoming as simple as a weekend road-trip. With seven new galaxies uncovered in the past year, Industrial Cosmos was well spread across newspapers and tabloids across Earth. Kayla was the first journalist they had allowed past the wrought iron gates. They had granted her an exclusive insider interview. It burdened her to cut it short.

  “Are you certain you have enough information Mrs. Hartley?” Mr. Gosbin glanced down at his watch.

  “Ms. Hartley.” Kayla corrected, a placid smile across her pretty face. “I appreciate the time you have given me, I have exactly what I need for this article. Thank you again Mr. Gosbin.” She gathered her notebook and slung her bag over her frail shoulders.

  Thirty minutes later Kayla was crossing the parking lot toward her shabby apartment door. She hesitated, inhaling, before proceeding through the entrance to her living nightmare.

  “Hey babe, I’m early!” her voice echoed through the empty one bedroom apartment. She slid her bag off her shoulder onto the linoleum floor. Wincing, she massaged her shoulder from the weight of her bag. Since she dislocated her shoulder last year, it hadn’t felt the same. She learned quickly to stay clear of stairwells when Kevin was in the vicinity.

  Her greeting rang unanswered through the apartment. Kayla made her way around the hallway toward the kitchen. She parted the dusty rose-colored curtains and peered into the back parking lot. Kevin’s motorcycle was in its usual space. Certain that he must be home, Kayla called out again, “Kevin, are you hungry?” Again, no response.

  Assuming he had seen many empty bottles at this point, Kayla trudged toward the bedroom. Bucket in hand, prepared for the mess ahead of her. Without hesitation she leaned into the door and entered.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Kevin leapt out of the bed with a hand over his junk. A painted-up young girl clung to the stained sheets. Her breasts exposed and age concealed. Kayla estimated she would be pushing eighteen.

  “I’m so sorry.” Kayla dropped the bucket and automated herself to the door. She could hear Kevin bounding across the room toward her. This was the first time Kayla had truly felt betrayed by him. Through every bruise and beating, Kayla didn’t doubt his love for her. Seeing him with someone else, in the bed that they had shared, shattered all of her hope and diminished her false securities.

  Kayla reached the front door and snatched up her bag managing to bring it up to her shoulder. As Kayla’s hand brushed the brass door-knob, a bottle of Jack Daniel’s smashed into a thousand pieces two inches above her head. Kayla braced herself for what might happen next.

  “Look what you made me do!” Kevin shouted, fumbling down the hallway toward her. His words slurred under the wash of whiskey.

  Kayla knew better than to respond.

  “Thanks to your fucking job, I’m stuck in this dump alone every day.” Kevin took a swig of something that resembled burnt motor oil.

  What’s holding you back from finding your own job? Kayla withheld. She wouldn’t dare breath those words to him. The last time she mentioned finding him a job, he handed her a broken jaw.

  “Because of you I have to find a good fuck on the side of the road. Does that make you happy?” His hand wrapped around the back of her neck. He applied pressure forcing her cheek against the cold metal door.

  Kayla’s heart was broken. Not only for herself but also for the minor cowering under the sheets in the next room. She couldn’t remain silent any longer. Her next words were chosen carefully. “You could go to jail for even thinking about touching her. She’s a child, Kevin.”

  Kevin wound his fist back, ready to bring it down hard against Kayla’s vulnerable flesh. “I could fucking kill you right now.” He spat in her face.

  Kayla gathered what strength she had. “Let me go and I won’t lock you up.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut as Kevin slammed his fist through the drywall beside her. Adrenaline pumped through her veins forcing her to make a decision that might change everything she knew. There was no better opportunity, she slipped through the door and ran. For the first time in her life, Kayla didn’t look back.

  ***

  Sipping her café latte, Kayla tapped her foot impatiently waiting for something to happen. Feeling her heartbeat in her throat was not a sensation Kayla was unfamiliar with. However, this time it was different. It was a sensation of excitement and rejuvenation. Finally freedom greeted her without waving a choice finger.

  “Kay, girl, what did I miss?” Lonnie slumped down beside Kayla stealing a sip of her latte. He winced at the bitterness and slid the cup back toward her. “What happened to drinking macchiato and double whips?”

  Kayla could only taste the bitterness of blood, she was biting her tongue so hard. Where would she begin? “I missed you, Lon.”

  Lonnie waived a passive hand in her direction. “Girl, you know I’m always here. Don’t be such a stranger.”

  “What have you been up to?” Kayla decided to shift the spotlight toward Lonnie while she gathered her own thoughts.

  “What have I been up to recently? Or what have I been up to over the past eighteen months?” Lonnie pursed his lips and turned his nose up.

  Heat reached Kayla’s cheeks. She hadn’t spoken to Lonnie since the first incident with Kevin. Lonnie begged her to press charges but Kayla argued it wouldn’t happen again, she loved Kevin. Even though, deep down, she always knew Lonnie was right.

  “I’m so sorry Lonnie.” The apology stained her lips. Kayla reached for her friend’s hand. “Tell me everything.”

  He bounced up with a forgiving smile wiped across his face. “I met someone.” He started, coyly.

  She was uncertain why, but Kayla felt a pang of guilt and envy strike her. Through a forced smile, “Tell me all about him! How did you meet?”

  “Oh Kay, baby girl, he is an absolute diva. I am so in love. You must meet him.” Lonnie took another hesitant sip of Kayla’s latte. “We met online sweetie! It’s unbelievable how many people there are in the universe just waiting to meet you. Rin is from Yeba.” His amusement captured Kayla’s full attention.

  “Yeba? That’s the new galaxy uncovered by Industrial Cosmos isn’t it?” Kayla recalled her previous interview with Mr. Gosbin.

  “Not only did they discover it but they have secured a truce. The solar highway passes right by Yeba. It’s s
trange that they hadn’t discovered it sooner.” Lonnie shook with excitement. “You’ll start seeing more and more Yebans on Earth now Kay. Rin is my soul mate. It feels like only yesterday space travel was so far beyond our reach and now it’s possible to find love in another galaxy!”

  “I left Kevin.” Tears burdened Kayla’s eyes. She could sense her mother rolling over six feet below.

  Lonnie’s eyes brightened but then settled when he realized his friend might need compassion prior to celebration. “Kay…” he grasped Kayla’s hands. “What happened?”

  “I caught him in bed with someone else.” Kayla was resentful. Fastidiously, she admitted the words she fought for so long to harbor. “But that wasn’t all. He hit me far too many times. So hard that I finally saw a glimmer of light.” Her weak attempt to play it off coolly.

  Silence surrounded them. Lonnie scrambled the words together. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Sure you are.” Kayla tossed her green eyes to the side. “You always hated Kevin.”

  “Truth.” He admitted confidently. “But you loved him. Leaving him makes you brave, baby-girl.”

  Sucking on this information was sour. She knew that Lonnie was right but couldn’t help scolding herself for retaining this decision for so long.

  “I don’t know what I am supposed to do next.” She conceded.

  A longing smile escalated across Lonnie’s face. “Sweetie, let me introduce you to Infinite.”

  ***

  Contrite, Kayla measured the lengths of Lonnie’s apartment. Escalating heartbeats and insecurities over unexplored opportunity. The computer displayed notification of Kayla’s potential future.

  Infinite was the largest grossing intergalactic dating service online to-date. With ninety-eight percent match success, Kayla figured she had little to lose and a lot to gain.

  “Are you going to check that?” Lonnie snuggled up to Rin on the sofa.

  Warily, Kayla looked over at the smitten pair. Granted, she longed for the comfort of their relationship but feared the alien concept in more ways than one.