A Beautiful Mess

by T. K. Leigh

  Alexander looked down, unsure of what to say next, a gentle breeze rustling through the trees as the horn on the drawbridge sounded in the distance.

  “I brought you sunflowers again. You always loved them when we were kids. You used to call them giant daffodils.” He paused briefly, remembering arguing with Olivia when they were younger about the proper name for the flower that now lay in front of her gravestone. “You don’t remember anything about your past,” he said sadly. “You remember some things, but not much. It’s as if you are this totally different person than the girl that I remember. And I know that’s okay. I just wish you would remember, because it’s breaking my heart to know that I’m going to be the one to tell you. To tell you that you were taken from the people that loved you. That you were taken from me. That your entire life has been a lie.”

  Alexander looked at the grave, his eyes brimming with tears. “And I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do that.” Taking a deep breath and trying to control his emotions, he stood up and placed his hand on the top of the gravestone. “I love you, Olivia DeLuca.”

  He turned to walk away and heard a slow clapping. He looked in the direction of the sound. He should have known.

  “Adele. Why am I not surprised to see you here?” He walked toward a tall, thin blonde woman dressed in a short black dress, wearing an over the top black sunhat and dark shades.

  “Alexander, darling. So happy to see you. I knew you’d be here.” She walked toward Alexander and gave him a hug, which he returned weakly.

  “Well, it’s not that big of a surprise, now is it? I come here every year, don’t I, Adele?” He glared at her.

  “I know, darling. I know. Listen, Mummy and Daddy are having a thing today at the country club and I am in desperate need of a date, and I figure since you’re in town and I’m in town, you’d be more than willing to accompany me.”

  “Adele, I don’t think that’s such a good idea. If I wanted to, I’d see you in Boston, but I don’t. Plus, I’m seeing someone now. Someone that I actually care about more than just an occasional fuck. Don’t get me wrong, it was fun while it lasted, but I’m not interested anymore.” Alexander started to walk away.

  “Come on, Alex. As friends,” she said, running up to catch him, making him turn around. “I know you’re still in love with Olivia even though she’s been dead for like twenty years or something. Anyway, I’m not interested in dating someone who is in love with someone they can never have. No one can ever live up to that pedestal you’ve placed Olivia on.”

  “You always have an ulterior motive, so what is it this time, Adele?” He crossed his arms over his chest and Adele visibly gawked at the rather impressive muscles bulging through his simple blue tee shirt.

  “No motive, I promise.” She held up her hands in defense. “I just miss my friend. We used to have fun together. Before things got complicated. Let’s just hang out today, as friends, like we used to.” Adele walked up to him and pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes. “I miss the old Alex,” she crooned.

  He was torn about what to do. All his thoughts lately had been of Olivia. The girl he once knew and the Olivia he now knew. Maybe some time away from it all was exactly what he needed to clear his head. “Okay,” he exhaled. “I’ll go.”

  “Great!” Adele exclaimed, clapping her hands. “There’s a golf tournament that they’re all at now, but want to call it noon? It’s kind of an all day thing and I really didn’t want to go alone. I hate all those pretentious high school bitches who are all married and all they talk about are their kids. If I have to look at one more baby photo and pretend the kid is actually cute, I may lose it, so thank you for doing this.”

  Alexander looked at his watch. It was only about ten in the morning. “Okay. I can do noon.”

  “Fantastic. Pick me up at my parents’ place, okay?”

  “Why don’t you just walk over to my place? It’s only three houses away.”

  “Alexander, darling. You can’t honestly expect me to walk to you wearing heels, can you? You’ve been screwing trash for far too long, dear. You need to have higher expectations of the women you fuck.”

  “We’re not fucking today, Adele.” Alexander started to walk away. “I’ll pick you up at noon.” It was not worth the fight.

  Alexander had known Adele and her family almost his entire life. She was the same age as Alexander and, even at a young age, was jealous of Alexander’s relationship with the young Olivia. He remembered how inconsiderate she had been when she learned that Olivia died.

  She wanted to become the new Olivia and had worked hard all during their school years to do so. They had slept together on and off for the past decade or so. She was a distraction, but no emotional attachment ever came of the relationship. Adele had become a means to an end. She was more than willing to give up total control of her body to Alexander, which was what he needed and craved. But since he had met Olivia, he wanted more than just an occasional screw.

  Adele’s family came from old money, just like Olivia’s mother. She was used to a certain way of living and refused to settle for anything less than marrying a man who had a heavily padded bank account, even though she also had one without working a day in her life. She was the polar opposite of Olivia, who, even with her wealth, still worked and volunteered her time to valuable causes. Adele preferred spending her time around Boston at night clubs with her friends from Wellesley College. She groaned every time her father insisted she attend one of the many charity events she was expected to be at, but attaching herself to Alexander’s arm for the evening made it more bearable.

  Adele quickly followed behind Alexander and jumped in her sporty white convertible, pulling up alongside Alexander. “See you at noon, Alex.” She smirked. “Oh, and Happy Birthday, darling.” She tore down the small dirt path in the cemetery and turned onto the street.

  “Stupid bitch,” Alexander murmured.

  ~~~~~~~~~~

  “Mr. Burnham, welcome back,” Mrs. Carlson said when Alexander walked into his house. “Your sister is here, along with your brother. They’re in the study.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Carlson. I’ll be going out in a bit and won’t be around for lunch or dinner, so you’ll only have to worry about Carol or Tyler, if they’ll be around.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Alexander made his way into the study.

  “Happy Birthday, bro,” Tyler said, walking over to Alexander as he entered the room, giving him a hug.

  “Thanks, Ty,” Alexander replied, staring at a younger version of himself. “What are you doing here? I thought you’d be hung-over from the big twenty-one celebration last night.”

  Tyler shrugged. “It’s your birthday today. I needed to be here for you. I know how hard this day is for you.” He leaned over and whispered in his ear. “Plus, that fake ID you got for me when I started college has been great. I feel like I’ve been twenty-one for years now.”

  Alexander smiled.

  “Hey! I heard that!” Carol interjected.

  Alexander looked fondly at his sister. “Hey Carol. How’s it going?”

  “Good. Good.” She looked hesitant.

  “What’s going on? Why are you both here?” While it wasn’t out of the ordinary for Tyler to show up in Mystic that weekend for Alexander’s birthday, Carol normally stayed in Boston in case she was needed for work. Her being in town struck Alexander as odd.

  “Umm, well, we need to talk, Alex,” Carol said, looking nervously at Tyler. “I’ve been thinking that with all the new information that has come to light, it might be time to open that letter.”

  Alexander stared at his siblings with a wide-eyed look on his face.

  “Alex, what are you so worried about? I know Dad sent the letter to you and it’s your decision about whether to open it or not, but come on already!”

  “You know what, sis?” he said, raising his voice, his face becoming flushed. “I love you. But I don’t want to sit here and listen to this anymore.” He turned t
o leave.

  “Come on, Alex,” Tyler interrupted, causing Alexander to spin back around to face his brother. “You’ve been sitting on that letter for over five years. Now you know that Dad covered up Olivia’s death. He had her name changed. I guarantee that’s what he was doing all those years when he was gone. He was with her. Protecting her. Don’t you want to know why?”

  Alexander looked at his sister, ready to kill her for telling Tyler about everything. “Of course I do!” he shouted, slamming his fist down on a nearby table. “But how the fuck do I tell her? I love her!” He couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth. “Oh my God. I love that woman, guys,” he said quietly, his lower lip trembling.

  “I know you do,” Carol said, laying her hand on his shoulder. “You loved her all those years ago when you were just kids. And you never stopped looking for her.”

  “It’s like my heart knew she was still out there,” he said quietly. “I just had to find her. Even though you all told me time and time again that she was dead. I have her fucking death certificate for crying out loud. How do I tell her that everything she has been told her entire life was a bunch of lies? How will she react? I just don’t know if she needs to go through any more pain.”

  “I know, Alex. And when I read through the report you had Simpson prepare, I hoped that I could prove that it wasn’t her. But too many pieces fell into place. The hospital records from the accident. The birth certificate that was dated the same date of Olivia’s supposed death. School records. Signatures that were strikingly close to dad’s signature. It was all too much. And then the photo enhancement of what she would look like now. We all still have questions. Questions that could probably be answered if you open that letter.”

  “I know guys. And thanks for coming to see me and all, but I need more time to think about all of this.” Alexander looked at his watch. “I have to get ready. I promised Adele I’d take her to her parents’ thing at the club.”

  “Oh, you’re still talking to that bitch?” Tyler asked, surprised.

  “She’s not that bad.”

  Carol laughed and Tyler joined in.

  “Okay, okay. Maybe she’s a little cold.”

  “And calculated. She wants your money, Alex,” Carol retorted.

  “She’s got money of her own. So she’s not after mine.”

  “You haven’t heard?” Tyler asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “Heard what?”

  “Well, word is, her family took a bit of a hit a few years back with the downturn of the housing market. They’re still trying to keep up appearances that they have money as a way of attracting money to them, but, let’s just say, they’re practically broke.”

  “Gold digging whore,” Carol muttered under her breath.

  “Come on. I grew up with her. You guys didn’t know her that well. And she liked me when they still had money. I’m not saying I ever saw myself with her long term, but she was always good for a distraction, and maybe that’s what I need today. A distraction. So if you don’t mind, I need to get ready to pick her up.”

  “Okay,” Tyler said. “But you better hope she didn’t pull some move like she did last time and call the photographers just to get her name and photo in the paper for a quick buck and a few minutes of celebrity.”

  “That was New York. We’re in Mystic, for crying out loud. Not a hot bed of celebrity sightings, so I think we’ll be fine. But thanks for your concern.” Alexander turned to leave.

  “Wait, I’m sorry guys,” he said, spinning around, hating to leave his siblings on a sour note. “I’m just on edge lately. Stay the weekend. We’ll go out for some drinks later. I haven’t spent time with you all in a while with work being busy and all that. It’ll be good for us.”

  “Yeah okay, bro,” Tyler replied, giving Alexander a brief hug. “I know things have been rough lately.”

  “I can make that work. I’m off until Monday,” Carol replied, giving Alexander a quick peck on the cheek before turning to her youngest brother. “Come on, Ty. Let’s go get some oysters. My treat.”

  Alexander looked at his siblings, a hint of jealousy on his face.

  “You can blow off Miss Fake Boobs and join us for oysters, too.” Carol winked.

  He hesitated before answering. “I can’t. I’ll meet you all later and we’ll have some drinks. Promise.”

  “Okay. But leave Adele out of it,” Carol said.

  “Got it. See you both later.” Alexander walked out of the study, thankful that he hadn’t left his siblings on a bad note. He was actually looking forward to spending some time with them during the weekend. He normally didn’t get to hang out with them, although they all lived in the greater Boston area.

  His younger brother went to Boston University and was in his last year there. His older sister, Carol, had joined the Boston Police Department nearly twenty years earlier. She had gone to college in Boston as well and never left the area.

  Growing up, Alexander wasn’t close to either one of his siblings, there being such a big age difference between both. Carol was in high school when Alexander was born. Tyler was born the day before Alexander turned nine. And for the longest time, he blamed Tyler for Olivia’s death. If he and his dad weren’t at the hospital visiting a newborn Tyler, maybe they could have gotten to the DeLucas in time to prevent their deaths.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  NO GOOD DEED

  “MR. and Mrs. Peters,” Alexander said, standing from his seat at the bar. “Wonderful to see you.” He shook Mr. Peters hand and gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “Oh, Alex, darling. It is wonderful to see you again,” Mrs. Peters said with a fake smile on her face. Her bleached blonde hair was pinned back. She had the appearance of a woman who fought the aging process, with disastrous results. “We’re so happy you and Adele have gotten back together. You really do need to date someone within your social status, you know. Your mother, God rest her soul, should have taught you that at an early age, but I don’t mean to speak ill of the dead.”

  Alexander turned to the woman in front of him who had clearly received far too many Botox injections and lip implants. “First off, my mother is alive and well. Second, I am not dating your daughter. She begged me to accompany her today and I am here as an old friend. Last, I don’t give a damn about dating someone in my social status, and you shouldn’t comment on that either, given your family’s precarious financial position of late.”

  Alexander threw back his drink and excused himself from the bar. He remembered why he avoided functions like that. It was good to go for business reasons, but, unfortunately, there were so many trust funders who continued to jockey for position in New England Society just by associating themselves with Alexander, whose successful company had secured him a place as one of the most sought after bachelors in the country.

  Alexander walked through the front entrance of the country club, hoping to get some fresh air, when a photographer snapped his photo.

  “Hey. I thought I told you to leave, jackass.” He walked briskly toward the photographer. He recalled just a few hours earlier, seeing the same photographer snapping photos of him and Adele as they entered the country club. He had an inkling that she or her mother had set it up in order to plaster Adele’s photo all over the internet again, but he wanted to avoid arguing with her that day, if it all possible.

  “I know you did, but I’m getting paid for the day. So make it financially beneficial for me to leave and I will. But just so you know, I’ve already sold some of the photos of you and blondie over there.”

  “What!?” Alexander exclaimed.

  “Yeah. You’re hot news. Who would think I’d get a good dish on you here in Connecticut?” The photographer lit a cigarette.

  “You know what? I don’t care. Sit out here as long as you want.” Alexander turned to head back to the bar. How low would Adele stoop? he thought to himself.

  Alexander re-entered the lounge area, happy to see that Adele and her parents had
gone to the deck patio to have a seat. He needed a minute. Grabbing his cell phone out of his pocket, he saw one more missed text from Olivia. He thought again about responding, but with it being the supposed anniversary of her death, he simply couldn’t do it. He didn’t know why. He just needed that day.

  After ordering another scotch from the bartender, he reluctantly returned to Adele and her parents. He thought her mother was a catty bitch, but actually got along quite well with her father. He was thankful to see Mr. Peterson sitting alone at the table as he made his way across the deck patio overlooking the perfectly manicured greens of the golf course.

  “Alex. You’ve returned. Don’t worry. They’ve gone to find someone else to sink their claws into,” Mr. Peterson laughed, motioning toward a chair for Alexander to sit in.

  “My apologies, Mr. Peterson. I had no intention of being rude,” he explained, sitting next to the gray-haired older gentleman. “But there are some things I cannot hold my tongue over. And I apologize for taking a dig at any financial difficulties you and your family may be going through.”

  “Oh, Alex. Don’t you worry about that. I’m perfectly set for the remainder of my life.” He smiled and Alexander could see the kindness in his eyes. He wondered how he could stand being married to such a fake woman. “My dearest Adele, however, having only viewed college as a way to find a wealthy husband, is going to have a difficult time once I pass. And I’m sure her mother will face the same problems.”

  “I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but I prefer to devote my time and efforts to real charity cases…”

  “Oh, my dear boy. Of course, of course,” Mr. Peterson replied, placing his hand on Alexander’s arm. “I would never ask you for anything like that. But that’s me. My wife and daughter are a totally different story, I’m afraid.” He paused briefly before continuing. “I’ve always been fond of you, Alex. I remember watching you grow up and play with that dear friend of yours, oh, what was her name?” Mr. Peters took a sip of his bourbon.