Forever (Destroyed by Love #1) Read online

  Table of Contents

  FOREVER

  Copyright

  Dedication

  March

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  April

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  May

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  June

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  September

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Epilogue

  Author's Note

  Author’s PSA

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Forever

  Copyright © 2017 Abrianna Denae

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Trusties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitter in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information and retrieval system without express written permission from the Author/Publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover: Paper and Sage

  Formatting: CP Smith

  Dedication

  FOR EVERYONE WHO’S TIRED OF HIDING. IT’S OKAY.

  March

  Chapter 1

  Pagan

  The wisps of hair fall to my feet, the sound of the scissors opening and closing bring me to a sense of peace. Reaching back I try to fluff my hair out, trying to judge if it’s even or not. Grabbing the box of dye, I rip it open and begin the process of transformation.

  ***

  Wiping the steam from the mirror I take in the new me. I see the same cool green eyes staring back at me. My newly darkened hair lays wet and limp against my neck, barely grazing my shoulders. Turning away from the mirror, I grab the towel and begin to dry myself.

  When my hair finally finishes drying and the fog is gone, I re-enter the bathroom, carefully taking in my appearance. Now that my hair no longer hangs to the middle of my back, the curls that have always been weighed down and reduced to waves are thick and a little on the wild side.

  The dark brown dye that I chose covers most of the natural dark red locks. The tint of red that shows through might make the look more authentic. Removing the dark brown contacts from the little box, I insert them into my eyes. The contacts don’t hide the green eyes that everyone has always admired, but they mask them.

  The girl who stares back at me is not Pagan Fallon: head cheerleader of Westlyn High, daughter of Olivia and Albert, sister of Dakota, and girlfriend of Jonathan.

  The person staring back at me is a stranger because Pagan Fallon doesn’t exist. Not anymore.

  Marley

  The sounds of Dakota’s cries jolt me awake. Sitting up, I rub the kink in my neck. My back hurts from sleeping slumped over in the front seat of Dad’s car. Gazing out the window I spy a tree-lined street. Dad makes a left and drives down another block full of big houses and more trees. When he makes another left, I’m not surprised by the length of the winding drive.

  The house in front of us doesn’t surprise me in size; it shocks me by how familiar it feels. It’s been years since we’ve come to visit Gran and Gramps, but I still have memories of running around outside with Dakota.

  The pang in my heart at the thought of her almost gets to me. But I’m able to overcome it. Over the years I’ve become a master of hiding my emotions and shutting down. I’ve had to.

  The front door opens as soon as Dad puts the car in park. Gran comes hurrying down the steps, her dark gray hair in a bun, her black-rimmed glasses perched on the tip of her nose. The red and white apron tied around her waist brings back a feeling of nostalgia.

  “I’m so happy you’re here.” Gran pulls me into her warm embrace as soon as I step out of the car, her warm body and comforting vanilla scent almost makes me lose it. Almost.

  “It’s good to see you, Gran.” I pull back and give her my best fake smile.

  “You’re all grown up now, aren’t you? It’s so good to see you. I love what you’ve done with your hair, Pagan. The dark looks good on you. I’m not sure about the contacts, though.” Her mouth turns down, and I try not to cringe.

  “Please, can you call me Marley? I know it’s hard, but I need it.” Understanding washes over her and she nods her head.

  “Of course darling, let’s go inside, I’ve just pulled a fresh batch of pumpkin cookies out of the oven. I know they’re your favorite.” Gran leads me back to the house while Dad begins to unload our bags.

  I didn’t bring much with me. I couldn’t bear to drag along any unwanted memories.

  ***

  My room has a fantastic view of the large yard. The perfectly mowed grass, sparkling pool, trimmed bushes, and looming trees all call to me. However, I can’t help but see memories everywhere I look. Throwing my suitcase on the huge four-poster bed, I unzip it, and begin to unpack. I know that Dad said our stay here will be short, just until we can find our own place, but after everything that’s happened, I wouldn’t mind staying here.

  Gramps didn’t take well to my new hairstyle. He said I should be proud of who I am, but I can’t be. Not when I resemble the woman I despise. The cedar drawers of the dresser open effortlessly. This wasn’t here the last time we came, nor was the white down comforter on the bed, I’m sure Gran did some shopping and bought a bunch of new things when she found out we were coming.

  Dad knocks on the partially open door before swinging it open the rest of the way.

  “Settled in Pay-uh Marley?” I excuse his little slip, but I already told him that I’m not going to answer to the name she gave me anymore.

  “Almost.” I chance a look his way, his blue eyes are red rimmed, with bags under them showing his exhaustion. His dark blond hair is disheveled, and his clothes are wrinkled. He doesn’t resemble the man that I’ve known my whole life. He looks broken.

  “Good, I spoke with your grandmother; she said she talked to the principal about you already. He’s allowing you to go into the system under your new name, even if it’s not your legal name. Apparently, she explained the situation, and he was completely understanding and compliant. But then this is your grandmother we’re talking about, I didn’t expect anything less.”

  “Great, thanks.”

  “Are you sure you want to do this? You only have a few months left until summer. I can put you in a homeschooling program until next year.”

  “Yes, I’m sure. You’re right, there are only about three months left, which means I need to get in there and try to make friends. It’s going to be hard to do that during summer and I want to be sort of established at the beginning of senior year. I’d rather get the whole new kid thing out of the way as soon as possible.”r />
  “Okay, if that’s what you want. Let me know if you change your mind. I’ll see you in the morning.” Dad takes a few steps toward to me, like he’s unsure of what to do.

  Closing the distance between us I wrap my arms around him tightly, “I love you,” I whisper into his chest. Stiffly his arms come around me.

  “I love you too. Get some rest.” And with that, he’s backing out of my embrace and exiting the room.

  Flopping down in the middle of the huge bed I let out a sigh of relief. I’m finally away from everything I’ve come to despise. I resolve to never go back, so why does it feel like something is missing?

  The pang in my chest gets bigger and deeper, until it feels like there is a big hole in the middle of my heart. I know what it is. It’s being away from Dakota, never in my life have I been away from my sister for more than a day or two. But she made her choice, and I was forced to make mine. I’m never looking back. I can’t. The pain of the betrayal is too great.

  Kicking off my shoes, I grab the throw blanket at the foot of the bed and curl up in the middle of it. My eyes feel heavy, but sleep refuses to come.

  Every time I close my eyes I see Dakota’s bright blue ones staring back at me, the tears that ran down her face broke me into a thousand pieces. She begged me not to go, I heard her scream my name with so much emotion, but I didn’t look back, I couldn’t.

  Only when Dad was driving away did I chance one more look at my sister, the image of her collapsed on the ground in hysterics, being comforted by someone whom I thought I could trust, it will be forever etched in my memory.

  The minute Jonathan lifted his eyes and met mine while clutching my broken sister to his chest, that was the moment that I knew everything about us was a lie.

  Chapter 2

  Marley

  The nightmare dies away when I open my eyes. All I can see, all I can hear are my sister’s screams. The bright sun shines right in my eyes, I forgot to close the blinds last night. I didn’t even change out of my clothes; I just wanted the day to be over with.

  The bathroom mirror allows me to insert the contacts I took out last night, and also try to calm down my out of control hair. I’ll have to get online later and look up ways to keep it under control.

  A glance at the clock while changing clothes lets me know that it’s well past noon. I don’t normally sleep in so late, but with everything that has happened in the past two weeks, I guess I was exhausted.

  Downstairs I try to ignore the pangs in my heart. Seeing my whole childhood spread out on the walls brings me to things I would rather not think about.

  Gran and Gramps are in the kitchen. He’s sitting at the table reading the paper, and she’s wiping down the spotless counter.

  “Morning Sunshine, sleep well?” Gran’s cheery voice brings me back to reality. I can’t help but remember everything about my childhood when I’m in this house. It feels like so long ago that I used to sit on Gramps’ lap while he’d read every single newspaper article to me.

  “Yeah.” Taking a seat at the island, I drum my fingers on the granite. “Where’s my dad?”

  “He went into the office. Said he wanted to familiarize himself with it. Are you hungry? I could make you something.” Gran tries to smile at me but fails; I can see the worry in her eyes.

  “I’m not a big eater right when I get up. I was thinking about going out and looking for a job actually. Do you think I could borrow your car?” I don’t need to work if I don’t have to, but some mindless job will help me not think about the life I left behind.

  “Of course. Actually I think Davis was saying that he needed to hire somebody the other day. Let me call him and see if he’s still looking. It’s at the club so the pay will be good. Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I want to work.” I hope my old boss will be able to give a good reference since I left in such a rush.

  “Great, let me go call Davis.” Gran takes off with the cordless phone, her fingers already flying over the numbers.

  “You really want to work?” Gramps is studying me; his cool blue eyes go from my hair to my eyes, to my clothes.

  “Yes, I need to do this.”

  “Okay, well just don’t do anything too rash. Your Gran worries about you, I know things have been stressful. Make sure you come talk to me if you ever need to.” He turns back to his paper, not even waiting for my response. He doesn’t need it. We both know that I won’t talk, even if I wanted to. “Wanna know about the meat special?”

  I can’t help but laugh. That’s what I love about Gramps; he always knows when I need to hear about the meat specials. We sit in comfortable silence until Gran comes back in, a timid smile on her face.

  “Davis wants you to go in and do an interview. You can use my car. It’s all taken care of. Just go straight to his office, his assistant should be waiting for you. Here, take my membership pass.” Gran hands me a little card from her purse. “The gate guards should be expecting you, but just in case.”

  Two hours later I’m in Gran’s Mercedes, heading the five miles to the club. The guard at the gate waves me through after I tell him that Davis is expecting me. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the club. I’m taken back by the lush green grounds and huge imposing buildings.

  The inside lobby has cream walls and gold trim, even the floor is beautiful. The high ceiling has a detailed ornate chandelier in the center of it. A petite blonde wearing ridiculously high heels and a tight pencil skirt walks up to me. “Miss Fallon, Davis is expecting you.”

  She turns on her heel and begins walking down a long hallway. On the other side of the lobby I can hear the chatter of the diners. I really hope the job is in the dining room. I don’t mind making small talk with the diners and faking a smile. It’s a mindless job for me, something I’m able to lose myself to.

  The girl walks ahead of me, shaking her hips as she walks. It’s obvious to me that she’s trying way too hard. Her hair is obviously dyed, she swings her ass a little too much as she walks. She’d probably look better without the makeup.

  She knocks on the door and waits for the muffled “come in.” When she swings open the heavy wooden door I hesitate. As much as I’m sure about this job, I can’t pretend not to be nervous. I don’t know if Gran explained my situation or not. This is an exclusive place, and they’re going to want legal documentation, which I can’t provide. Not while I’m pretending to be someone else.

  “Come in. Rithy shut the door behind you.” The man behind the desk says. Rithy steps aside and I enter the spacious office. The door shuts behind me, and I’m left standing in front of it.

  The large desk is intimidating; I guess it has to be since the man behind it isn’t. “Sit.” He gestures to one of two black chairs in front of the desk. “I’m Henry Davis, but you can just call me Davis. You must be Pagan.” He holds a hand up when I open my mouth.

  Sitting, I wait to hear what he has to say before I correct him about my name. “Jodie already explained about the name thing. It won’t be a problem, Marley. I don’t care what you want to be called. It could be our secret. Now about that job. It’s yours if you want it. My server quit last week, left me in a real bind.”

  I blink and let his words soak in. This was easier than I expected. “Um, wow, okay. Yes, I’ll take the job.”

  “Great, have you ever waitressed before?”

  “Yes, I can give you the name and number of the last placed I worked.”

  “Really to me it doesn’t matter. Jodie recommends you, but for my boss that does matter.”

  Scribbling the name of the restaurant I worked at in Georgia, I really hope that Mr. Jim can say something good about me. Davis pushes the intercom button on his phone. “Rithy, come here please.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “No, thank you. Now since this is a high scale club the pay is more. Fifteen an hour, plus tips. Rithy is going to take you out to Margie, she’s in charge of fitting you for your uniform. Then you’ll meet Tony, he’s the kitchen manag
er. If you have any issues, come find me. You can start today, right?”

  “Oh, yeah, that’s no problem.” I can’t help but smile at him. His warm brown eyes smile at me as he reaches across the desk to shake my hand.

  Rithy knocks on the door and Davis sighs. “Come in Rithy, I called you in here, you don’t have to knock.” When she pokes her blonde head in the room, he motions to me. “Take her to Margie, she’s going to work today.”

  Davis pushes some papers my way, and I fill them out quickly. I throw another smile his way as I stand and join Rithy at the door. Rithy leads me out a door at the end of the hallway.

  The lush grounds are spread out in front of us. It takes my breath away for a moment. The ocean comes right up to the edge of the green. There are a few colorful umbrellas set out on this early spring day, but not many, the weather is still a little too cool for the beach. I can’t wait to get down there. I wonder if employees are allowed some privileges. I’ll have to ask Davis.

  Rithy leads me to a building not too far from the main portion of the club. There are a few golf carts parked to the side of it. I figure they’re for the employees when I see a girl with dark hair climb into one and take off with what looks like a cooler on the back. She heads in the direction of the golf course.

  Rithy opens the glass doors to the building and steps back to let me enter. “Davis wants you to fit her then send her to Tony. She’s our new waitress,” she tells the older woman behind the desk.

  “Thank you, Rithy,” The woman says. She has gray hair, light eyes, and an easy smile. I immediately feel comfortable around her. “I’m Margie. I run everything Davis doesn’t. You’re welcome to come to me for any issues. Now let’s get you fitted for a uniform. I’ll have to order one for you, but I think I have something that will work.” Margie comes around the desk with a tape measure in hand.

  “I’m Marley.” It’s the first time I’ve used this name with someone who isn’t family. Margie measures my bust and makes a sound I can’t interpret. I don’t have the biggest chest around, but it is pretty impressive, sometimes I hate how much attention my boobs get me.