Pretty Boy: The Lost Chapters

Post Credit: Alejandro Finds Out the Truth

Note: This is a scene I've thought about a lot since completing the Pretty Boy main story. It occurs after Marshall, now living in Barcelona, allows himself to commit to a friendly relationship with Alejandro, Brad's reincarnation. They become fast friends, and it takes a lot for Marshall to not reveal their true connection. He doesn't want to keep lying, though, and certain things are brought into the light the first time Alejandro sees Brad's urn.

While this won't be a long, super drawn out chapter, it'll still pack a lot of punch in terms of being emotional.

Get those tissues ready!

***

It was difficult to not see them as the same person.

Similar hair, similar body structure, similar face, similar voice...

Brad Romero: a rare human who had a presence beautiful enough to outshine the sun—someone who tragically passed because of a battle he had no business being part of.

Alejandro Ortega: a reincarnated vampire who carried hundreds, maybe even thousands of memories from a past life he himself couldn't recall.

Both men were very much alike.

At the end of the day, though, despite harboring the same soul, Brad and Alejandro were two different people. Their upbringing, personalities, dreams, passions, goals...they weren't the same.

Marshall fought a mental battle every single day to keep reminding himself of that.

He always held back a grimace whenever the wrong name almost fell past his lips. It became a habit to prepare extra food in the morning, only to remember his new friend wasn't capable of eating. A few "sleepovers" at Alejandro's house had moments of brutal clarity when reminiscing of another person who used to conk out at odd hours of the night. Reminders of having to go to sleep at a decent time were accidentally given to a vampire who didn't need to rest in such a way.

Laughing off the blunder helped to conceal a slight pain in Marshall's chest.

Even though, technically, their friendship was new, he couldn't help but feel like he wasn't being as sincere as he could be. In Marshall's heart, he felt like he knew every aspect pertaining to Alejandro's life, while the opposite couldn't be said in return.

It was an unfair situation to be in.

So, two months after their initial meeting, Alejandro was invited over, for the first time, to the Lahote house.

His genuine amazement at stepping foot into a private beach residence where he didn't have to completely shield his body was endearing. Eyes full of wonder scouring along walls covered in pictures, paintings, and murals had a certain child-like glee to them. Twirling around in front of surrounding floor-to-ceiling windows, simply to feel warm sunbeams on his skin, helped to instill a moment of peace in another vampire whose mind silently brewed with heavy clouds.

Knowing good and well what was planned for the evening, Paul intervened to distract Alejandro in the kitchen to give Marshall a second to gather himself.

Quiet steps against hardwood flooring muffled further when walking over a fluffy carpet. The edge of a low coffee table was lightly brushed in passing. Slender fingers glided along a center shelf belonging to one of two wall-length bookcases. Hard stone made contact with his skin when moving along the protruding edge above an inactive fireplace.

Despite being decades old, Brad's urn didn't have a single scratch or imperfection on its surface.

Marshall couldn't say how long he stayed in his spot, staring without a word.