2. A DARK PAST.
Alexander Damien was first guy she ever loved. Liv—
—the only guy. But then again, she was ten and had only a vague idea what that word actually meant. Love could mean playing down the slides with father, or casual dinners and game nights after such long days. Love was what she felt for Gerald, her dad.
Because he died in that car crash.
But that's way ahead of ourselves.
ELEVEN YEARS AGO
The door closed behind her ans Liv alighted with her summer camp suitcase wheeled in her hands. Every single year, she looked forward to spending two weeks at Camp Kiwi, not essentially because it was fun or that she had her best friend, those were all reasons as well but most of all, because she got to see Alex.
And she had a feeling that summer will be the time she summoned enough courage to actually walk up to him. She smiled, the sun beaming against her glasses before she made her way down the steps and towards the checkin.
"Bye Liv" Her mum yellee, but she was already a distance way. It was Alli that turned around to bade his goodbyes. And a sigh escaped Sara's lips as she went back into the car. Liv, on the other hand had already sighted whom she thought was her soulmate from far away—Alex, his brown fluffy hair and magical freckles that made him seem like a deity's incarnate.
He was at the forefront, with a vintage luggage, and amongst the usual rugby boys, jeering and laughing at whatever they found funny. Alli bumped into her, also sighting what had caught her attention and he sighed. "It's been three years, Liv" He rolled his eyes as if he was such a stranger to long overdue crushes, especially if it was for some straight guy. But the difference between the two of them was Allo didn't really expect much. He had come to terms that he might never actually have a middle school love story or whatever, unlike Liv who'd just read Wild Sin and was convinced she could get with Alexander.
He tossed his head over his shoulders and they made eye contact. She could never get over his void dark eyes, with so much mystery yet to unravel and she flashed a smile, her now braceless teeth peeking through as she waved at him.
Alex nodded, at this strange enthusiastic girl, and she felt the butterflies erupt in her stomach, leaving her with a strange mix of anxiety and goosebumps. "I have a feeling, Alli" She whispered.
"I have a feeling this summer would be different." They looked to each other and Alli felt his arms drop. "I just know it" She sounded so convinced that he didn't even utter a word. Except—
"Yes."
-
NOW
"As many of you already know, my father, Hank Archer, CEO of Hank Corporations passed away sometime last week due to some health complications" Damien mounted the stage in a hall full of employees and media coverages. He leaned towards the mic, his coarse deep voice echoing through the halls.
"He always said his only wish was his company, his legacy never dies. He didn't care about much, but this. That is why he left a majority of it, alongside his fortunes to me, his son Damien Archer. I'm here to make sure my father's legacies lives on to honor his very last wish. As of today, i would be overseeing the executives of this company, assuming the position of CEO. And i want nothing but to work hand in hand with everyone already here—" His voice fazed into her ears as Liv felt the breeze against her lips. "You gotta be kidding me" She muttered as Alli leaned into her. "That's all he gotta say about Hank?"
"Hank was the sweetest person" She whispered. "I know Liv, we'd save the eulogies for his funeral" Alli replied. "Good afternoon and have a good day" The cameras immediately went off, flashing into her eyes as he mounted down the podium. And with each flash was a memory beckoning back at her.
A memory from several years ago, with her legs swinging in the air and barely grazing the grounds. The birds chirped loudly in the trees above her as she sat on the opposite end of the wooden table. The breeze was fresh, like nature and the smell of wood and papers blended rightly in her nose. There was a silence between her and Alli as he drew whatever in his A4 pad.
Liv just preferred to daydream with her headphones over her ears and a novel in her hands. She was present but her mind wasn't. That was until a familiar figure approached her from behind. And she could recognize that scent even if she was asleep. She jolted up but he was already as close.
Alex.
Alli mouthed in shock as he inched closer to her, her hands nervously twirled the edge of her brunette ponytails as he tiptoed. "Hey" He said and Liv tossed the book away.
"Hi"
"You must be Olivia"
"You uhm—you know my name" She stuttered as she secretly pinched into her skin, an attempt to check her consciousness, that she wasn't asleep. That this was actually happening right now.
In the center of the park, with eyes peering from the bushes amidst the gasps. It was exactly how she envisioned it. Like it happened in the novels. And while a million things ran through her head, she forgot she was still standing there and had to utter a reply.
"So what do you say?" Her ears zoned back into his words. "Huh" She blurted out. "A picnic later in the evening by the Bay Waterside, what do you say?" He asked again and Liv nodded frivolously this time. "Of course" She gasped, turning back to Alli who had the straightest face imaginable to mankind.
The moment Alex turned his back, she threw herself across the wooden table in her yellow flowery dress. "Did you hear that Alli?" She shook him, in the process squeezing his drawings. He looked up at her, flashing a fake smile. "Oh i heard"
"Come on, Alli. I told you, it's this summer. It's going to happen this summer. All i needed was to get those braces out and a glow up man, i got the man" She squealed before reminding herself that she was still in public. "I got the boy like Marilyn, and Ruby did in Oscar Petterson's Lily" She spoke book language and whenever that happened, Alli tended to zone out.
And she noticed his lack of enthusiasm.
"Why aren't you happy for me?" She asked him. "It's not my fault you don't like any girls from around here" Those words stung his heart like a bee sting and he pushed a lump down his throat. He was ten then, so he had no idea what a sexual orientation was. And a part of him still hadn't come to terms with who he really was, even after so many years.
And he didn't think Liv knew till now.
He scrunched up his artwork, tossing it into the grasses far from him before he stood. "Just be careful, Liv" He replied. "It's all i'm saying" He left her standing there, the winds breezing into her yellow dress as she bit on a finger. And there was that chill that usually ran up her spine at the thought of Alex.
There it was.
-
"Does that mean i work for him now?"
"Now that Hank's—dead" It still felt unnatural for her to say. She and Alli paced down the corridors, heading to their cubicle. In the same room, but still a distance apart.
Alli ruffled his shirt. "I don't know but that would be awkward wouldn't it?" He asked. "Being a secretary to someone you already don't like?" He added and she rolled her eyes. "All i'm saying is he should have at least turned around. Maybe even apologize for turning my books over instead of acting like anyone besides himself doesn't exist" She gritted through her teeth as Alli muffled a shrill laughter.
"What's so funny" She turned to him and he raised his palms to her. "I didn't say nothing" He replied unconvincingly before pulling away from her. Rolling her eyes, her fingers found a way to her jaw. "Besides there's something so familiar about him—" The last part she said in a whisper. "Damien Archer."
-
ELEVEN YEARS AGO
Liv had spent the entire evening looking for Alli but he was nowhere to be found. Now, she was in a halter top, accompanied with a deerstalker hat—typical camp attire. Liv would lie if she said she hadn't spent a huge chunk of her time in front of the mirror and downing mouthwash as if she was about to have her first kiss. She was.
She thought she was.
Night had fallen and the moon was partially out, hiding behind a burst of dark gloomy clouds as if it were about to rain and Liv made her way down the strap bridge to the Kiwi fountains and finally she got to the Bat waterside, with some white Orchids—
—she read how they were the most suitable flowers for boys. There was a tower sprouting above her but the grasses were bland. Plain, and void of any food or picnic mat. Or even Alex.
"Alex" She called, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ears. Her rainbow ribbon shot out proudly as she halted. And in a moment, she stared in the windows on the tower, admiring how well she looked after so much effort— like the girls she'd read about. The ones in novels and in the telenovelas that she watched. But all of a sudden, a drop of water fell into her glasses and slowly, she wiped it off. "Shit" She cussed before tilting her head to the sky—assuming it was rain but it was not.
The moment Liv faced the height of the tower, there was a hanging bucket that hovered above her. And within a second, it tilted to the side, emptying all it's content on her. A wave of water washed into her hair and over her body and in a split second, Liv was soaked, all to the amusement of the people above her. She could hear the jeering, and the laughs as she shivered to look down on her stained blouse. The water was muddy and across her shirt was a smudge of brown.
The orchids fell to the ground as Liv backed away, then suddenly she slipped and fell to the ground as well, finding it hard to get up on her feet. It was then it hit her, there was no picnic. There was no Alex, God forbid someone like him ever paid her that much attention. God forbid she ever had something.
It was a dare.
It wasn't real. None of it was real. Tears filled he eyes but they couldn't even fall, it was painful. She suddenly heard splatters towards her before a hand reached towards hers. It was Alli. She couldn't bear to look at him, knowing how right he had been.
And how wrong she was.
But he didn't care about right or wrong, he just wanted to get her out of there, even if they were laughing at him as well. "Shut the fuck up" He yelled up at them as he held Liz.
"Shut up faggot" Came a reply that bruised his heart. But before they could leave the waterside, there was that scent that filled the air and Olivia was quick to turn around. To face him—
—Alex, with pants rolled to his knees, soaked and a smirk across his face. "Why?" Was the single question she asked, and he scoffed lightly. "You think i was interested in you?" He threw a question back at her. "You think anyone in their right minds would be interested in you?" He jeered and Liv pushed a lump down her throat. It struck her, so deep she could fall to her knees.
Love, was terrible. Boys were.
And she was done.
Alex was the first guy she ever loved. And he was the last.
NOW
She closed the door behind her, making her way into the storage closet. Liv could feel her heart sink into her chest as her hands bore the side of the railings.
She relived those excruciating memories within a split second and she was unsure why. The thing was, she'd buried painful memories like those in the back of her head. Without grief, without mourning. Just completely forgetting it ever happened.
But this, this came back to her.
The door barged up behind her and Liv turned around. Her fingers clasped the edge of the table as her eyes fell to the ground—his shimmering black boots to be precise. Slowly, her eyes wandered up his crisp suit till they locked eyes.
She didn't move, rather just pushed a lump down her throat as he drew nearer. Closer and closer, he inched. And when he was close enough, his lips parted to speak. "You were my father's secretary" His voice went low in a coarse whisper as he held her chin to face him. "You're mine now" He added.
And Liv was suddenly overcome with anxiety the moment their skins brushed together, and a drop of water fell behind her eyes. Alas, it was all she needed to remember him—the last fragment of the memory.
"Why?" Was the single question she asked, and he scoffed lightly. "You think i was interested in you?" He threw a question back at her. "You think anyone in their right minds would be interested in you?" He jeered and Liv pushed a lump down her throat.
It struck her, so deep she could fall to her knees.
And then suddenly, one of the rugby boys clung to him. "Come on, Damien. We don't want to wake Ms Wheeler" They scribbled away just as a tear dropped from her cheeks.
There she was, standing before him again. But now, short of breath. "Mr Archer" Her lips quivered and he looked down on her, oblivious to who she actually was. "You can call me Alex."
To be continued...