Lovely Little Lies

by Travis Szablewski

  “Should I feel bad?” Lillian asked as she ran her finger around the rim of the champagne glass.

  “No, because you’d feel even worse if they found out that Kendrick did kill Ally and you didn’t say anything. If Kendrick gets upset, then he gets upset; but that just means he may have something to hide,” Connelly shrugged softly, placing her glass onto the island.

  “She wasn’t that drunk, Connelly. The sheriff kept assuming that she was plastered; that she stumbled home and just…fell. Sure, she had a few…but…she wasn’t gone.”

  “I think it’s easier for them to believe that it’s an accident rather than a murder. I mean, Harmony is a small town and word gets around. They don’t want to tarnish this town’s perfect little picturesque image.”

  “Has Silas said anything? Is he working on the case?” Lillian asked.

  “The sheriff asked him to take a step back from it; since it’s so close to home and all…conflict of interest and stuff. But if he hears anything…I know he’ll tell me. At least, I hope he would,” Connelly said as she bit her lip, staring down at the champagne glass in front of her.

  “Talk about a conflict of interest,” Lillian smiled softly as she sipped from her wine.

  “I just can’t believe that she’s gone,” Connelly said, shaking her head, fighting back her tears. “One minute, she was here…with us. I’d give anything to just…see her smile again or hear her laugh. It’s scary because…you know one day you’re going to forget it; you’re going to forget what her laugh sounded like. You’re going to forget about the tone of her voice. That’s the scariest part about death to me; losing the memories,” Connelly looked down as she wiped her teary eyes.

  “If they mean enough to you, you’ll never lose them,” Lillian smiled as she reached across the counter and grabbed Connelly’s hand tightly, squeezing it. Connelly’s teary eyes lifted, meeting Lillian’s, as a tear trickled down her rosy cheek. Without Lillian and Victoria by her side, she’d be lost right now. Without them, she’d be crumbling into pieces. Connelly nearly jumped as the sound of the doorbell then rang through the house, echoing through the tall ceiling above.

  “That must be the pizza,” Connelly smiled as she grabbed a twenty-dollar bill from the countertop and made her way towards the doorway.

  “Don’t you dare leave a tip if they forgot the sauces!” Lillian joked as Connelly smiled, walking through the doorway and into the foyer of her home. Connelly stepped to the front door, wrapped her hand tightly around the handle, and pulled it open…

  As her eyes widened.

  There she was. Right on her front porch. Her long, brown, wavy hair draped down her right shoulder. A tight, black Armani cocktail dress hugging tightly around her curves and perky breasts. Her polished hand…was placed firmly on her hip as a coy smile spread across her face.

  “Hi, Connelly,” the woman said as she tilted her head slightly to the right, her brown eyes glued to Connelly in front of her.

  It was Fiona Lee.

  Silas’ ex-wife.

  Lillian

  Lillian zipped up her grey hoodie as she made her way down the sidewalk through Magnolia Cove and back towards her house from Connelly’s. She wanted to stay so bad and see the fireworks pop off between Fiona and Connelly, but she knew she had to excuse herself as soon as she saw the look on Connelly’s face when she opened her front door. Lillian didn’t know Fiona personally, but she knew enough to know that she was someone that was not to be messed with. Connelly told her all kinds of horror stories; from Fiona slashing Silas’ tires after their divorce to the nonstop calls in the middle of the night. Fiona was a grade A maneater…and there were already enough problems on Lillian’s overflowing plate. Lillian stepped onto the pavement of her driveway that led to the two-car garage…as she looked forward to see Kylie’s white Honda Civic…still in the driveway…right beside Tatum’s black Cadillac Escalade.

  Why did Tatum not text her to let her know that she was home? Why was Kylie still there? Lillian’s blood boiled as she stomped forward along the driveway and towards the front door, her fists clenched at her sides. The images of Kylie…straddled on top of Tatum…their hands all over one another circled through Lillian’s head. She knew something was going on. She knew it in her gut. Lillian stormed forward and grabbed the handle of the front door and twisted, rushing inside.

  “Tatum!” Lillian snapped, her voice echoing through the empty foyer. Lillian threw the door back, slamming it shut behind her, as she walked into the dim foyer…listening…

  To the sounds of faint giggles...coming from the living room doorway to her left. Lillian rushed through the doorway, her jaw tight, as she stepped into the living room…

  To see Tatum sitting on the large grey couch…beside Kylie.

  “What the hell is going on here?” Lillian snapped as she stomped around the couch and glared down to Tatum and Kylie, eying the bottles of beers in each of their hands.

  “We were just hanging out; talking about Gordon’s day,” Tatum smiled as Kylie continued to giggle softly.

  “You won’t believe what happened between him and a little girl at the park,” Kylie laughed, her eyes watering, as she looked up to Lillian.

  “Why did you not let me know you were home?” Lillian shrugged as she looked to Tatum on the couch.

  “Babe, I didn’t want to bother you. I know you’ve been really upset about what happened last night and I knew you were with Connelly. I didn’t want to impose so I just wanted to let you be with her for a bit,” Tatum shrugged in confusion as she stood up from the couch, inching towards Lillian.

  “You need to leave,” Lillian growled as she looked down to Kylie.

  “Oh, yeah…I’m sorry,” Kylie said apologetically as she placed the beer bottle onto the wooden coffee table and stood up. “I’ll just tell you about it tomorrow…or Tatum can fill you in,” Kylie said, starting to laugh once more.

  “I’m sure she will,” Lillian said sternly as her eyebrows rose, her heart racing in her chest. Kylie’s smile slowly faded as she gently nodded and grabbed her purse from the side table beside the sofa. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Have a good night, Tatum,” Kylie said as she walked through the living room doorway and into the foyer.

  “Yeah, you too,” Tatum said, her eyes locked onto Lillian in front of her. They both listened…as they heard the front door click shut behind Kylie. They were alone. “What the hell is your problem?” Tatum snapped.

  “My problem? You’re sitting here in our house with the damn nanny just having a beer?” Lillian asked as she motioned to the couch with her trembling hand.

  “What is the big deal? You were out and she was about to leave! We just decided to chill for a bit and talk about Gordon! I feel like I haven’t seen him much lately, so I wanted to just hear how he was!”

  “Well, you could ask me; you know, your wife?” Lillian said coyly as she spun around and stomped towards the living room doorway. Tatum quickly placed her beer onto the coffee table and rushed up behind Lillian, grabbing her arm gently. “What is going on with you?” Tatum asked as Lillian spun around towards her, ripping her arm from Tatum’s hand.

  “I don’t want her working for us anymore,” Lillian said sternly.

  “Why? What the hell has she done wrong?” Tatum asked, shocked.

  “Are you kidding me? She is always late, she doesn’t clean up after herself, and she thinks it’s OK to get all cozy with you on OUR fucking couch in OUR fucking living room! She isn’t a friend, Tatum! She is our employee!”

  “Where the hell is all of this coming from?” Tatum demanded as she stepped away from Lillian. Lillian knew she was overreacting. Yes, she was somewhat uncomfortable with Kylie being around Tatum, but she had no reason to be; she had no evidence of anything ever occurring between them. It was everything else around her…pushing her to the edge; Ally and Kendrick and…what she knew. She felt like her head was about to explode. It was as if all these thoughts were slamming into her brain, try
ing to break out through her throbbing skull.

  DING! DONG!

  “I swear to God,” Lillian snapped as she spun around and rushed through the living room doorway and into the foyer. Lillian stomped towards the front door as she grabbed the handle tightly. “Kylie, just go the fuck home!” Lillian screamed as she ripped the front door open…

  To see Kendrick Cunningham.

  “What the fuck did you tell the cops?” Kendrick snapped, his deep voice booming through the open doorway as he slammed his hand against the door, shoving it open. Lillian quickly jumped back, her heart racing, as Kendrick stormed into the house, inching towards her.

  “What are you talking about?” Lillian asked, playing dumb.

  “They’re questioning me now! They think I had something to do with Ally’s death!” Kendrick snapped, spit spraying from his lips and onto Lillian’s cheeks.

  “What the fuck is going on here?” Tatum growled as she rushed into the foyer, her eyes set on Kendrick inching towards her wife.

  “This isn’t your business, Tatum!” Kendrick snapped, his eyes burning into Lillian in front of him. Lillian was frozen in terror. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t think.

  “Yeah, well, now it fucking is,” Tatum snapped as she ripped the drawer of a table open to her right…and pulled out a small nine-millimeter handgun…and pointed it directly at Kendrick.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Kendrick said, lowering his voice, as he raised his hands and stepped back from Lillian.

  “Get out or take one to the kneecap…your choice,” Tatum growled, the gun tight in her hand. Kendrick swallowed hard…as his eyes burned into Lillian in front of him. He then looked back to Tatum, his eyes on the gun pointed at his face. “I can aim lower,” Tatum added, as she pointed the gun down, aiming right at his groin. Kendrick’s jaw tightened…as he slowly turned from Lillian…and stormed out through the front door, disappearing out of sight. Lillian’s lips trembled…as warm tears suddenly poured from her eyes and down her red cheeks. Tatum rushed forward and slammed the front door shut, turning the deadbolt tightly. Tatum spun around and walked towards Lillian as she tucked the handgun into the waistband of her pajama pants. “Are you alright? Baby, are you alright?” Tatum asked as she grabbed Lillian’s face gently with both hands, staring into her eyes.

  “I’m…I…” Lillian stuttered as she slowly shook her head…and hugged Tatum tightly. Lillian sobbed loudly into Tatum’s shoulder as she released every single emotion she had been holding in since last night. She would fall apart right now if Tatum’s arms weren’t around her. Without her…she’d be lost.

  “It’s alright, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Tatum cried as she hugged Lillian tighter.

  “There’s so much I want to say, but I can’t,” Lillian cried. “It’s going to drive me crazy, Tatum.”

  “What is it? You can tell me, Lill. I promise, you can tell me!” Tatum begged as her own eyes filled with tears. Tatum released Lillian and grabbed her hands tightly, their faces inches apart. “No matter what it is, you know I’ll listen. Please…what is wrong?”

  “It’s…it’s about Ally.”

  “Babe, I’m so sorry she’s gone. I know nothing I say or do can take the pain away; but you know I am here for you.”

  “I can’t…I can’t keep hiding it from her,” Lillian sobbed.

  “What? What are you talking about?” Tatum asked, confused, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

  “I can’t keep hiding it from Connelly,” Lillian said, her voice trembling. “Ally and Silas…they…they were having an affair.”

  Victoria

  Victoria crossed her thin legs beneath the table as her short purple cocktail dress tightened around her thighs. Victoria reached forward, wrapping her hands around the champagne glass sitting on the table in front of her, and brought it to her lips…as her eyes scanned Delphina’s; a luxurious Italian restaurant that sat along the edge of downtown Harmony. The soft sound of a piano flooded her ears as she looked to Derek beside her…watching him twirl his fork through a plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

  “You haven’t touched your salad, dear,” Derek said as he slurped a noddle between his wrinkled lips.

  “I’m not that hungry,” Victoria nodded as she sipped from the wine glass, her eyes peeking over the rim at Harlan who sat across the round table. Elle shifted in her chair beside Victoria as she ran her fork through the chicken fettuccini on her plate, carving little lines with the spikes of the fork into the white sauce.

  “Why are you so quiet tonight?” Derek asked as he looked to Elle across the table.

  “Dad, that’s a blessing,” Harlan smirked as Elle’s eyes darted up, glaring towards him.

  “Can we all just please have a nice family night without any fights? Just once?” Derek asked as he stabbed his fork into his spaghetti and twirled his fork around the thin noodles. Victoria then felt the soft tap of Harlan’s shoe…rubbing against her ankle beneath the table. Victoria smiled softly as her eyes looked to Derek beside her.

  “The lake was beautiful today, wasn’t it?” Victoria asked, breaking the silence.

  “Would have been better with my friends,” Elle said as she rolled her eyes.

  “Honey, I told you; I don’t feel comfortable with you going out on a boat with a bunch of kids without an adult. Something could happen,” Derek said as he grabbed his glass of whiskey and sipped.

  “Keegan has his boating license, dad; I told you that,” Elle growled as she slammed her fork down onto her plate.

  “Is it really that painful to spend just one day out of your summer with your family?” Derek asked.

  “Yes,” Harlan joked as he popped a ripped piece of breadstick into his mouth. Elle sighed as her eyes then darted to Victoria beside her.

  “Don’t look at me; I told him to let you go,” Victoria said as she sipped from her wine glass.

  “Powder room?” Elle asked. Victoria’s eyes widened as she nearly choked on the wine running down her throat. Elle…was asking her to go to the restroom with her? This was a shocking first.

  “Yeah, sure,” Victoria nodded as Elle lunged up to her feet, nearly tossing her chair back. Elle stormed around the other tables and made her way towards the restroom in the far corner as Victoria looked to Derek.

  “Progress is progress,” Derek smiled as he winked to Victoria.

  “I’ll take what I can get,” Victoria smirked as she grabbed her clutch from the table and stepped around a table, making her way towards the powder room. Victoria pressed her palm to the door of the restroom and stepped inside…

  To see Elle…standing at one of the sinks…staring into the mirror, her hands wrapped around the porcelain edge tightly.

  “You alright?” Victoria asked as she eyed Elle’s hideous orange and yellow cocktail dress.

  “I can’t stand him,” Elle growled as Victoria stepped up to the sink beside Elle’s in the deserted, silent bathroom.

  “No girl likes their father…well, I didn’t,” Victoria smiled as she sat her clutch down onto the sink edge and pulled out a tube of bright red lipstick. “Hate to break it to you…but he will never change…and you will always just be a little girl in his eyes.”

  “I hate him,” Elle said sternly as Victoria popped the cap off and twisted the tube, the red point rising from inside.

  “No, you don’t,” Victoria shook her head as she glided the lipstick smoothly along her lips.

  “Yes, I do. I can’t stand him. He favors Harlan so much…it’s sickening,” Elle said as she turned towards Victoria.

  “You’re his little girl. He’s going to be a lot stricter with you. Harlan is grown. Your father is just…trying to hold onto you as long as possible,” Victoria said as she popped the cap back onto the lipstick and dropped it into her clutch.

  “You know the real reason I asked you to come in here with me, right?” Elle asked as she watched Victoria place a paper towel between her lips, removing the excess lipstick.

  “Y
ou’ll be eighteen soon, Elle. You can move out and it will make your life…and mine…so much better,” Victoria said coyly as she stared back at her reflection, running her hands through her blonde hair.

  “I know about you and Harlan,” Elle said sternly. Victoria’s eyes widened…as she felt her stomach drop. Victoria slowly turned…staring into Elle’s dark eyes.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Did I stutter?” Elle asked sarcastically. “I know about you and my brother,” Elle said firmly as she stepped towards Victoria, inching towards her.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Victoria lied as she grabbed her clutch and began to turn from Elle. Elle then lunged her hand up, wrapping it tightly around Victoria’s wrist, pulling her back towards her. Victoria turned, staring into Elle’s eyes…as her heart raced inside of her.

  “Don’t play games with me, Victoria; we’re way past that,” Elle said, tightening her grip on her wrist.

  “What do you want, you little shit?” Victoria growled, her teeth pressed tightly together. “Money? Is that it?”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Elle said sharply…as she released Victoria’s wrist…walked to the bathroom door…and shoved it open.

  Connelly

  Connelly brought a glass of wine to her lips as Silas sat next to her at the kitchen table, the both of them, staring at Fiona who sat across the table. Right after Fiona had arrived, Silas pulled up…which couldn’t have been more perfect. If she had been left alone with Fiona, it would not have been a pretty sight.

  “I know I’m the last person you expected to see at your door tonight,” Fiona said as she bit her bottom lip nervously. “I apologize for the intrusion. I tried to call last night…but I couldn’t get an answer.”

  “So, you just decided to show up…unannounced?” Silas snapped as he tugged at his police uniform top that hugging tightly around his neck.