Lovely Little Lies

by Travis Szablewski

  “I know it was rude of me and I apologize sincerely for that; I apologize for…for everything, Silas…and you, Connelly,” Fiona said sadly as she stared down at her lap. “I know I’ve been…a little difficult to deal with in the past.”

  “A little difficult? We literally moved halfway across the country because of you; from getting Silas fired from his old job to stalking our old house, I’d say you were more than just a little difficult,” Connelly growled as she crossed her arms.

  “I know and there aren’t any words I can say to take back all the pain and discomfort I caused the both of you. But I just wanted you both to know that I sincerely am torn up about the way I reacted; about the way I treated the both of you after your wedding,” Fiona said.

  “Is that why you drove nine hours here; just to say you’re sorry?” Silas asked, his jaw tight in anger.

  “No, that’s not all; far from it,” Fiona said as she swallowed hard and crossed her thin legs beneath the table. “I need help.”

  “You want help from us? After all the shit you put us through?” Connelly smirked, baffled by her idiocy.

  “I know I don’t deserve it…I know I was…” Fiona said as she thought for a moment.

  “A total psychotic bitch?” Connelly snapped.

  “I deserve that,” Fiona nodded with a soft smile. “The reason I’m here is…my house back in Miami burned down. I lost everything; my clothes, my belongings…my whole entire life. I know this is so rude of me to ask…but I was wondering if I could stay here for a few days; until I get back on my feet,” Fiona said.

  “Are you kidding me?” Silas smirked as he shook his head. “You’re joking, right?”

  “I wish I was, Silas; trust me, there’s nothing less I’d rather do than ask this from the both of you. But I have no where else to go and you know that, Silas. You know I have no family left.”

  “And that’s my problem how? Get a hotel and get out of my house,” Silas growled as he stood up and marched out of the kitchen, leaving Connelly and Fiona behind. Connelly picked at the bottom of the wine glass in front of her as her eyes lifted, staring at Fiona. Connelly watched as tears formed in her eyes, burying her face into her polished hands.

  “That’s not all, is it,” Connelly said, breaking the silence

  “What?” Fiona asked as she sniffed, wiping her tears…smearing her mascara.

  “Are you…are you broke?”

  “Let’s just say the salon didn’t take off like I thought it would,” Fiona said, her voice trembling, as she leaned back in her chair. “I have nothing left, Connelly. I have no money and I have no job; I…I have nothing. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do.”

  “How about we make a deal?” Connelly asked, tilting her head to the right, her eyes glued to Fiona.

  “I’ll do anything…anything if you let me stay here…just until I get back on my feet,” Fiona begged as she leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the table.

  “You can stay…for a week…if you promise to never contact me or Silas again after this; no phone calls, no texts, nothing. If I let you stay…right after you leave this house…we are dead to you; we do not exist in that tiny little fucking brain of yours. You don’t know us, and we don’t know you,” Connelly said sternly, staring into Fiona’s teary eyes. “Is that clear?” Connelly added as she slowly stood up from her chair at the table. Fiona stared down into her lap…as a tear trickled down her cheek.

  “Yes, I promise,” Fiona said as she looked up to Connelly in front of her. Connelly then turned, making her way through the kitchen doorway and into the living room…to see Silas sitting on the couch, a beer in his hand with his eyes glued to the TV.

  “She’s going to stay in the guest house out back,” Connelly said…as Silas’ eyes widened, looking towards her.

  “What?” Silas said in shock as he jumped to his feet and inched towards Connelly.

  “I told her she can stay for only a week. If we let her stay, she’ll leave us alone…for good.”

  “Do you really believe that, Connelly? Fiona is crazy and you know that; she’s never going to leave us alone…ever,” Silas sighed as he slammed his beer down onto the coffee table.

  “So, what do you want to do, Silas? Throw her out on the street? Sink down to her level and be just as vicious and evil as she was to us? That’s not what I believe in and I know you’re not that man; and if you are, then you’re not who I thought you were,” Connelly said sternly as she placed her hands on her hips. “It’s one week…one week we have to suffer through; I’d rather put up with one week of hell than an entire lifetime of it.”

  “Good God,” Silas sighed as he turned, rubbing his face with his calloused hands. “She better not talk to me…or look at me. I swear to God, if she says one fucking word to me, she’s gone.”

  Connelly stepped forward, wrapping her hands around the top of Silas’ shoulders…as he turned towards her, his eyes staring into hers.

  “You’re a good man. This is just as hard for me as it is for you, but I want her out of our lives, Silas. I don’t want to go through the rest of our lives together with her in the background…with the calls…the texts. I want this to be over. And this might be the only way we can make that happen,” Connelly said as she draped her arms onto his shoulders.

  “I hope you know what you’re doing,” Silas sighed as he wrapped his hands around Connelly’s waist and kissed her gently on the forehead.

  “I hope so, too.”

  Victoria

  “What the hell do you mean she knows?” Harlan asked nervously as he paced back and forth along the back patio of the Hampton house, the hot summer sun beaming down from above, glistening on the crystal-clear pool water. Victoria adjusted the sunglasses on her face as she sat up in the lounge chair, her eyes locked on Harlan’s abs peeking through his open button-up short sleeved shirt; his tight blue swimming trunks hugging tightly to his tight buttocks.

  “I don’t know how she found out, Harlan. I thought we were always so careful,” Victoria sighed as she massaged her throbbing forehead gently.

  “Yeah, well, clearly we weren’t! Dad isn’t here right now, is he?” Harlan asked as his eyes darted to the back of the Hampton house.

  “No, he left an hour ago for work,” Victoria said as she grabbed the glass of lemonade from the table beside her and took a sip; the perspiration dripping down the glassy surface.

  “She’s going to tell him, Victoria. She’s going to tell him and we’ll both be screwed,” Harlan said as his voice quivered.

  “If she was going to tell, she would have already. She wants something from us,” Victoria said, placing the glass back onto the table.

  “What does she want?” Harlan asked as he heard the glass patio door click shut behind them.

  “I want what we all want,” Elle said as she stepped from the patio door and made her way towards them, her breasts bouncing beneath her skimpy red bikini top. Elle sat into the chair beside Victoria’s as she pulled her long brown hair back, tying it up with a black hairclip.

  “Please, Elle…don’t…don’t tell dad; you know it’ll break him,” Harlan begged as he knelt down in front of her, his hands clasped together…almost in a praying position.

  “I won’t tell him…if you help me get what I want,” Elle said coyly as she crossed her legs, her eyes darting from Harlan to Victoria.

  “What’s that? A nose job?” Victoria said sarcastically as she smiled wickedly to Elle beside her.

  “No, unlike you, I don’t need it,” Elle snapped back quickly. Victoria just wanted to lunge forward…and wrap her hands around Elle’s pretty little throat. She wanted to grab her by the hair, throw her down, and smash her skull against the concrete. But Elle now had the upper hand…and whatever game she wanted to play…was mandatory. “What’s the one common denominator between the three of us? What’s the one thing that would make our lives better?”

  “I already tried to persuade your father into sending
you off to boarding school; it didn’t work,” Victoria said as she rolled her eyes beneath her dark shades.

  “I am talking about dad,” Elle said sternly as she looked to Harlan. “If you guys help me…then your secret is safe.”

  “Help you with what?” Harlan asked nervously as he stood to his feet, the wind dancing through his long blonde locks.

  “Help me with killing him,” Elle said emotionless as her hands griped the armrests of her chair tightly.

  “What?” Victoria asked as her stomach dropped, leaning forward in her chair as she ripped her sunglasses off.

  “What the fuck?” Harlan gasped as he slowly stepped back from Elle.

  “We all would benefit from that fat piece of shit being six feet under! The inheritance, the house…and the beautiful wife that’s been slipping her hand into her stepson’s shorts,” Elle said coyly as she looked to Victoria.

  “You’re crazy,” Harlan said as he shook his head, pacing back and forth.

  “Am I, Harlan? Because I think I’m the sanest person here right now! Think about it, Harlan! What’s the one thing you want more than anything? Victoria! Who stands in the way of that? Dad!” Elle snapped as she turned in her chair, looking to Victoria. “Don’t you want to be with Harlan? I know you’d give anything to be with him! If it wasn’t for the money, you and Harlan would have already bolted out of this piece of shit town. Dad is your security blanket and nothing else! You don’t love dad so don’t even pretend you do!”

  “What the hell do you get out of this?” Victoria asked as she crossed her arms.

  “I’d get the perfect life. You don’t give a shit about what I do. You’d be my legal guardian,” Elle nodded. “I’m suffocating in this house with him! Think of the freedom that would come with this, Victoria; think of the money…the opportunities…the happiness if he was out of the picture…if he was out of our lives.”

  Victoria swallowed hard as she looked to Harlan, his eyes on her. She couldn’t lie to herself. Did she love Derek? No. She’d give anything in this world to just be with Harlan. Elle was right when she said that Derek was just a security blanket. But to go as far as killing him…

  “What if we don’t? What if we won’t help you?” Victoria asked softly.

  “Then I’ll tell dad about the two of you…and you’ll both be out on your asses…with no money…no cars…no roof over your heads…not shit,” Elle snapped. “I’d take the bait while it’s wiggling. This offer won’t last forever,” Elle said as she stood up from her chair. “Don’t take too long to decide, either. Who knows; I might just let it slip…I’ve never been good at keeping secrets,” Elle smiled down to Victoria and then to Harlan…as she spun around and strutted back towards the patio door.

  Connelly

  Connelly tightened her grip on the pair of steel scissors in her hand as she chopped through the bottom three inches of stems on a set of marigold flowers placed on the counter. Her tired eyes glanced around the vacant flower shop as she pulled a pink vase across the counter and towards her. She had barely slept last night. All she kept thinking about was Fiona…staying in the guest house right outside in her back lawn. She had never thought in a million years that she would be so close to them; as if she was restricted from crossing stateliness. After everything they did to keep the distance between them and her…it was ironic that she was sleeping a mere six feet from their backdoor.

  “Good morning,” Piper yawned as she walked through the glass entrance door of the shop, two Starbucks cups in her hands, as the bell sounded off above.

  “Please tell me one of those is for me,” Connelly smirked as she rubbed her tired eyes.

  “Yes ma’am; venti ten pump sugar free vanilla latte with an extra shot and whip,” Piper said as she placed the cup in front of Connelly and stepped behind the counter.

  “You’re an angel,” Connelly said as she grabbed the cup, the warm liquid inside heating up her palms that were wrapped tightly around the base.

  “What’s up with you? Usually you’re so lively in the morning,” Piper smirked as she pulled her crossbody purse off and over her head, placing it on the counter beside the vase and marigolds.

  “I woke up late and didn’t have time for coffee,” Connelly yawned as she sat into the stool behind the counter, taking a long sip from the cup; the sweet, hot vanilla liquid rolled across her tongue and glided down her throat, warming her soul.

  “Silas keep you up all night?” Piper winked coyly as took a sip from her own coffee and then sat it onto the counter.

  “You will not believe who made a surprise visit last night,” Connelly said as her red eyes looked to Piper.

  “Who?” Piper asked as she began to place the marigold flowers into the pink case, arranging them around the rim.

  “Fiona.”

  “What?” Piper asked, nearly dropping the flowers in her hand, as she looked to Connelly.

  “I was just as shocked as you are,” Connelly nodded.

  “What the hell did she want? Don’t tell me she’s stalking you guys again,” Piper sighed.

  “Not quite; she’s broke,” Connelly said as a soft smile spread across her face. “It actually scares me how much I enjoy saying that.”

  “Damn, karma finally got that crazy bitch,” Piper giggled. “So, she came asking for money?”

  “No…a place to stay.”

  “What? Don’t tell me she’s living with you guys!” Piper said as her eyes widened.

  “Just for a week.”

  “What the hell, Connelly? After everything she put you guys through? Girl, you are crazy! I’d never let that crazy ass chick in my house,” Piper shook her head as she grabbed a long, thick strip of yellow lace and began to tie it around the top of the vase.

  “Her house burned down, and she was desperate. As much shit as she put us through, I’m not that heartless; I couldn’t just turn her away. But something good comes out of it.”

  “Like what? What good could possibly come from this?” Piper asked.

  “After this week, she is going to be out of our lives for good; no more texts, calls, or anything. She agreed. That was my one condition.”

  “You are a lot braver than I am. I’d never trust her in my house…especially around Silas. What if…what if she tries something with him? Does that not make you a little uneasy?”

  “Silas would never…especially not with her. That’s the last thing I have to worry about,” Connelly said confidently as she jumped off the stool and placed her cup on the counter.

  “Do you trust her?”

  “What do you mean? Of course I don’t,” Connelly smirked.

  “Then how do you know this isn’t just a scam? Do you know for sure that she’s telling the truth?”

  “Why would she lie about something like that?”

  “The same reason she stalked your entire life back in Florida years ago; for Silas,” Piper said, placing her hands on her hips. Connelly bit her lip nervously as she stared back at Piper. That had never crossed her mind. Maybe she was so shocked last night by her sudden appearance that she didn’t think of this from every angle. There was only one way to find out…

  Connelly grabbed her laptop out of her messenger bag and placed it onto the countertop, lifting the screen open. What if this was some sick game for Fiona? What if she really was just trying to get Silas back in the sneakiest and shadiest way possible? Connelly quickly scrolled her mouse and double tapped onto the Internet icon, her finger tapping nervously as she waited for the browser to load. Piper stepped up beside her as Connelly moved the mouse to the search engine…and typed in housefires in Miami. Connelly scrolled through the numerous pages…none of them remotely close to the area that Fiona lived in.

  “Search her address,” Piper said. “Do you still know it?”

  “Like the back of my hand,” Connelly said as she her fingers tapped along the keyboard, typing in Fiona’s Miami address into the search bar. The browser reloaded…as an image of Fiona’s gorgeous, modern
two-story beach house popped up below the first article. Connelly quickly moved the mouse and clicked onto the image…as she watched the page load.

  “That little bitch,” Connelly growled as Piper looked to the screen, moving closer to Connelly’s side.

  “Oh, my God,” Piper said, stunned, as she stared back at the realty page on the screen. Fiona lied…about everything. Her house didn’t burn down. It was for sale…by the owner.

  By Fiona, herself.

  Lillian

  Lillian tightened her grip on the steering wheel of her silver Audi Q7 as she drove through the open gates and down the road through Magnolia Cove. She couldn’t go five minutes today without thinking about Connelly; about how Silas was having an affair with Ally. It took everything inside of Lillian to not tell her…and with Ally dead, it made it even harder. What if Ally was going to tell Connelly about the affair…and Silas found out? What if he snapped…and pushed her down the stairs that fateful night? But no matter which way she turned the puzzle piece, she couldn’t imagine Silas as this heartless and psychotic predator. But then again, she never thought he’d be the kind of man to cheat on Connelly, either. The truth was…she didn’t know what to believe anymore. Everyone on Magnolia Cove had secrets…even herself. Lillian turned the wheel to the left as her Audi pulled up into the driveway in front of her home…to see Kylie’s car still parked in front of the garage. Lillian gathered her purse onto her shoulder, stepped out of her car, and made her way towards the front door.

  “Gordon, mommy’s home,” Lillian called out as she walked through the front door, shutting it gently behind her. Lillian made her way through the foyer and turned into the kitchen…as her eyes settled onto Kylie…standing at the sink, washing dishes. “You didn’t have to do that,” Lillian said with a soft smile as she walked to the center island and sat her purse down.

  “It’s fine, I know I’ve been kind of slacking lately on the housework,” Kylie said as she held a large butcher knife in her hand; the hot, steamy water running from the faucet trickling down the glistening blade.