Her eyes widened, she never expected to see all of this again. She thought she had lost half of it.
“How the hell do you have all this? My USB, my map, what?”
“Eh, stole it from your room. Just in case this actually happened.” He said, crossing his arms.
“But that’s not what I was going to show you.” He started walking towards a box, lifting it up with a soft grunt. He walked towards the other side, and placed it down. Gesturing for Alex to join him on the floor, he opened the box placing the lid on the side. Alex walked over to him, sitting down on the floor next to him, she peeked inside noticing various folders, documents, pictures, albums. Why would he have all of this?
“So, what’s all this about?” She asked, scotting closer.
“It’s all about you, all this? Just you, here,” he pulled out a folder opening it, some small papers fell out, both sockets filled with papers and papers.
“Some of this is your birth information, your mother gave it to me the day your dad died. Told me to have this just in case anything happened. She didn’t want any of this to get lost, or stolen. So, I kept it here.” He pulled out a picture, the same picture that had always been shown to Alex, now realizing the difference between the one her mom showed her, and this one. Her mom on the left, Alex in the middle, and Aaron on the right. The same photo Charlie had, just with her mom.
“Why do you have this picture?”
“Served as a family alibi.”
Alex tilted her head, blinking. A family alibi?
“And why would we have needed a family alibi? I mean, it’s really stupid if I have this picture, and Charlie has the same exact one. It really is.” She commented, taking a closer look.
“Why do you think your real dad is dead, sweetheart?”
“He passed away due to cancer.”
“Boom, another lie yet lived. No, he didn’t pass away due to cancer, he passed away because someone in our family killed him. And guess who that was?” He asked, grinning as if he had just dropped the biggest joke ever.
“You?” She answered, looking up from the photo, he shook his head tapping Elizabeth’s face, Alex blinked.
“Your mother did, she killed him. The exact night we took this photo, we needed something that looked normal, as if nothing had happened. But look closely at her eyes, what do you see? Satisfaction, regret, guilt? Or something else? Your mom killed your dad.” He stated, so simple, so calm. But for Alex, half of the world that had fallen apart, has now broken into tiny pieces.
“What?”
“Yeah, she did. This was supposed to serve as an alibi for the family, I only helped. Remember the news that night? How the police heard those gunshots near the park? That was them, I know it’s a lot to take in, sweetheart.. But it’s true.”
Alex blinked, scared that everything that was being dropped on her would kill her along with it. Another lie lived, one that she never knew of until now.. Another lie, means another life.. Another life means more lies…
“But she can’t possibly be a murderer, I mean. Wouldn’t she have had a reason to kill him?” She asked, looking back up at Aaron, who nodded.
“Yes, she did have a reason. But that’s for you to ask her, I can’t tell you. That’s a lie for you, yourself to figure out. In the meantime, let’s get you a new identity. I’ll give you a new look too, yeah?” He said, pulling out a folder that had been labeled.
‘Possible Identities for Alexandra’
“New identity? For what?”
“You didn’t think you’d stay here forever did you? You’re going back to school next month, but you can’t go back as Alexandra or our plan will be ruined. So, here. Which one do you want to be? Penny Brown, a transfer student from Canada, comes from a wealthy family. Layla Simpson, just moved from London, so if you do pick that one you’d have to work on your accent to make it more believable. Or, uhm. Nex Simon, in school for the first time, homeschooled their whole life… Most likely will end up with a girl too, yes I know you’re dating Andrew. But this is part of our plan.”
“Uhm, OK. I’ll go with Layla.” She answered, looking at the picture that Aaron had for display.
“Perfect, you’ll have to become friends with the following. Sophia Blackburn, Eloisa Ayala, and Roan Ramson. Know any of them?” He asked, unfortunately for Alex she did know them. Especially Sophia, Andrew’s ex. She’d met Eloisa once, at a party, which ended in disaster. But she’d rather not talk about it. And Roan, she didn’t know Roan, apart from that day in the plaza. He was Rome’s cousin, but they didn’t get along at all. Becoming friends with them wouldn’t be so hard, besides she would be from London, probably get Sophia’s attention in seconds. Roan was a fan of ‘foreign’ girls. Which was really weird, and Eloisa didn’t give two fucks really.
“Then it’s settled then. We’re going to have to cut off this.” He said, gesturing to her hair. Great, even her hair had to change.
“Into what exactly?”
“A pixie cut, it suits your facial structure, I’ll also give you different colored contacts, and makeup? Unrecognizable.” He said, in an almost high pitched voice, Alex smiled a bit. She was smiling at a murderer, many would state it as crazy. But maybe Aaron wasn’t so bad after all. Hours went by, she had washed her hair, the chemical of the highlights coming off, as Aaron dried it for her. His hands gentle on her hair, as if scared it might break. She looked at herself in the mirror, she really did look good.
She put on the contacts, making her eyes a soft ocean blue color.
“You look great, sweetheart.” He said softly, putting away the hair brush.
“Thanks, I didn’t know you knew how to cut hair.”
“Hey, I went to barbering school, it’s really easy when you get a hang of it. And you’re welcome. Also, what style do you want to go with? I might go out and buy you some clothes.” Alex thought for a second, she thought of how Sophia dressed, too phony. Eloisa, she liked her style, it was more to the ‘darker’ side.
“Uhm, how about we go with… Lana Del Rey.” She said, fixing her hair.
“So, what you’re saying is. A downtown style? Boots, Converse, jeans, jackets, sweaters, and graphic tees? The ones with her stuff right, and other things.” He said, looking at her through the mirror.
“Yes exactly.”
“Okay got it, I got someone I know to create you a fake ID, which will help lots. I’ll be back in half an hour, so don’t open the door to anyone, nor do anything stupid got it?” He said, walking out the bathroom. She nodded, as he walked out, hearing the front door click. She peaked out the bathroom doorway, and smiled at herself.
🗁
She walked to his room, looking around. A file cabinet in his closet, not so smart. Which was surprising for a man who claims to know so much. Part of a gang when he was in college. Not any gang, an organized one. Organized crime, part of a wealthy family too? What else was he hiding?
“Come on, Alex you’ve got this.” Someone said behind her. She whipped her head around, to see Isabell smiling at her.
“What the hell?”
“Did I scare you? Sorry about that. So, we’re looking at top secret stuff, huh?”
“How are you alive?”
“What? Oh, I never died. I just fell unconscious for a bit. My scars are healing, see? Lindsey woke up an hour ago, I told her to stay in the room. To close her eyes and stay still if Aaron goes in. Oh you look hot in that new haircut.” She said, Alex blinked again. Was everyone just unconscious? Is that how Lucas ‘died’ too? That the paramedics calculated his heart wrong, thinking he was dead for good. Did those gunshots mean nothing, only making Lindsey bleed out? Did nothing of what she saw matter? What about Jeremy, he also got hurt. None of this made sense. It never will.
“Oh uhm, thanks. Is she OK?’
“Yeah, she’s fine. I grabbed some clothes I found on the floor, ripped it and tied them around her wounds.” She said, looking over at the paper Alex had in her hands.
“That’s good. And uhm, go upstairs. Be careful, Aaron appears out of nowhere and anywhere.” She whispered, putting the paper on her lap. Isabell nodded and smiled at Alex walking out the room, her soft steps fading away slowly as she went further and further up the stairs.
Alex stood up, slow and calculating. She crossed the room like she was stalking something, not someone, and sat on the bed, the mattress dipping with a soft creak. The packet trembled in her hands—whether from anger or adrenaline, even she couldn’t tell.
“Aaron Leon. Born in New York City,” she read under her breath. “Yeah. Of course. Another lie stacked on the pile.”
She flipped another page, eyes scanning every line like the truth might bleed through if she stared hard enough. Silence wrapped around her like a noose.
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Beep… beep…
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Her head snapped up. Was that a—?
She heard it again. Soft. Mechanical. Too steady to be natural. A camera. She froze, her eyes darting across the room. Then she spotted it—barely bigger than a matchbox. Red light blinking. Watching
“I can see you,” a voice cracked from it.
She blinked, confused. “What?’
“I said I can see you. Come outside.” The voice was unmistakable. Elijah.
She dropped the packet like it burned and stood. Her breath became quick, but her face stayed unreadable. She walked to the door, opened it, and there it was; the car. Black. Sleek. Like a cliche out of a bad thriller. But this wasn’t fiction. This was real.
Alice sat inside, eyes wide and uncertain. Her curls framed her soft face like a halo she didn’t ask for, Elijah sat beside her, tension in his jaw. Like he knew.
“This feels wrong,” he muttered.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t have come.” Alice replied.
They stepped out. Elijah gave that practiced, politician's smile and opened his arms like the past hadn’t just smacked him in the face. Alex didn’t stop. Didn’t blink. She walked right past him and straight to Alice.
“You OK?” She asked sharply, scanning her face like a detective piecing things together. Alice gave a small, shaky nod. Alex didn’t believe it, but she didn’t push. Not yet. Her eyes snapped back to Elijah, ice-cold.
“You’ve got some nerve.”
He raised his hands defensively. “What? Don’t look at me like that. You’re not even supposed to be here.”
“Neither are you. But here we are.” Her voice was low, venom-laced.
“Come on,” he said, stepping forward. ”Let’s just talk—”
She backed up, eyes blazing. “You don’t get to touch me. You don’t get to pretend this is normal.”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” he hissed. “If that’s what you’re here to say.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. You didn’t kill anyone. You lied, Elijah. Repeatedly. I tore myself apart trying to prove you weren’t who they said you were—and guess what? You are.”
He opened his mouth, but she cut him off.
“You think running from your past makes it disappear? It doesn’t. You didn’t kill Alice. Yay for you. Want a trophy? But Katie? Your own sister is dead because of you. Because of your secrets. Because she tried to protect not only you, but the whole family. And she got poisoned.”
His eyes flickered.
“You can stand there and act innocent all you want, but when it comes down to it? You let her take your fall. You knew this would happen, and you just watched.”
“She made her own choice,” he snapped.
“No,” she said. “She made your choice.”
Her voice cracked, but only for a second. She didn’t let him see her fall apart.
“You had people who trusted you. Me. Katie. Andrew. We thought you were innocent. And you used us, knowing it would come down to this. You knew Aaron would do this. You fucking used us.”
He looked at her like he didn’t recognize her anymore. Maybe because she wasn’t that eight year old girl anymore, maybe that’s why he didn’t.
“Maybe Aaron was right,” she said coldly. “Maybe this is all just a twisted little game to you. A puzzle for you to manipulate. So sure of yourself while everyone else bleeds around you.”
His face twisted. “You’re siding with him? The psycho who nearly got you killed?”
“At least he didn’t pretend to be someone he wasn’t.” She laughed, bitter. “You wear honesty like a mask and lie through your teeth while doing it.”
He reached for her again—some desperate, pathetic gesture.
She recoiled. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
A long silence.
“You should go,” she finally said. “I’ll tell Lindsey and Isabel to come out. You’re not welcome here.”
She turned around without looking back. Inside her hand trembled as she called for them. When they came, Isabel caught the flicker of pain behind her eyes.
“You sure you’ll be OK?” Isabel said softly.
Alex nodded, managing a tired smile. “Yeah. Go.”
The car pulled away, tires kicking up dust, headlights bleeding into her eyes. She stood in the doorway, arms crossed clenching her stomach. She watched until they vanished. The door clicked shut behind her. And the moment she was alone, her mask shattered.
Acting was getting harder.
But lying? Lying had become her second nature.
She dropped to the floor, leaning against the door. Her head hitting it softly, tears swelled up in her eyes. Has it been half an hour, was Aaron coming back now? God, she was terrified for her life. She ran to his room, grabbing the camera and crushing it under her foot. She grabbed the micro-chip, and put it under water until she saw sparks. Perfect.
The door clicked open, and she blinked, running to the living room and sitting on the couch. She tried to steady her breathing, hands shaking when she reached for the controller. The news came on, when she turned her head around. Aaron was placing three bags down. Good.
“Oh, you’re back already?” She asked, her voice unsteady. He nodded, taking off his coat. She sighed, looking back at the TV screen, the news reporter standing in front of the mall, speaking into the microphone. A shooting? About half an hour ago?
“Oh look, I made it on the news.” Aaron said, coming over and sitting on the couch. Of course, just what she needed. He never stopped committing crimes, and didn't even bother laying low for this one.
“What did you do now?” She asked, looking at him. He had a proud smirk on.
“You know, some guy pissed me off. So I pulled the trigger.” He said, stretching looking at the screen. She scoffed, standing up.
“Did you at least buy supplies while you were at it?”
“Yeah, I did. I also bought you a backpack, and some keychains. Just to go with your role, besides I think you’ll like them.” He said, standing up as well, going to the kitchen and grabbing a beer. Where the hell did he have that hidden? Suddenly she remembered the chip in the sink. Shit, she went to grab it. Fuck fuck fuck, sparks were flying.
“What’s that?” He asked, looking over her shoulder.
“None of your business, so leave. I’ll handle it.” She muttered, turning off the water and waiting a few seconds, the moment that sparks left she quickly grabbed it, but somehow Aaron snatched it from her hand. He shook his head, going outside and scraping it on the ground. A small flame ignited, as he threw it far. Somehow it landed into a house, the flames growing from where she stood.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” She yelled, he shrugged walking back inside.
“I hated those guys, besides it’s not my problem anymore. They’re house goes up in flames? That’s their problem to tell the police.” He took a sip from the beer, setting it down on the counter. She had the urge to just find some pills and put them inside the beer, knocking him out well enough for her to be able to run away, but she knew that would never work. Nothing works on him, not even her lies.
“But that gave you no reason for you to do that you dumbass.”
“Who are you calling a dumbass, sweetheart?” He said, a pleased look in his eyes. She couldn’t believe it, this was the dumbest person she’s ever met, aside from his actual smart side. The night went by quicker than what she had expected, Aaron had gotten her a phone. Which was excellent because she remembered most of her contacts. Especially Andrew’s of course. He had texted her the instant she reached out, and they put their plan into action. But it’ll stay behind their closed doors for now.
In the end all she had to do was wait. Survive. Even if it was for one more month. One more month, and she’d be out there again. In the real world, where she belongs. The only way she’d survive from now on would be by lying. Becoming multiple people, for her sake and for everyone in this town.
Save herself and Westmore.
No more Elijah, he was alive. She didn’t need to save his name, didn’t need to prove him innocent. Everyone would know what happened, the moment she’s done with Aaron and everything comes into the light.
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