Chapter Eight

The Intoxicated Truth

Linus jumped, feeling the sudden sensation of a brushing motion across his chest, eyes darting downward in a frantic attempt to catch the culprit. Lily had walked past him in the over-crowded bar, her hand running the width of his shoulders. She had succeeded in getting his attention, and proceeded to rope him in offering him one of the pair of long neck, green bottles clenched in her fist. He followed her to a table in the back of the room, watching her curiously.

She had a sway in her step that made her glide across the room with an intoxicated grace. She was clearly drunk, but it was an elegant drunk. At least, if there was such a thing.

He felt compelled to ask, "Are you here by yourself?"

"Not anymore," she hummed, taking hold of the bottle and pressing it into the hot skin on her cheek. Normally, she wasn't a beer drinker, but lately she hadn't been feeling normal.

When Lily saw Linus walk through the door, she knew that this was her opportunity to balance things out for herself. "So listen, you and Rusty are friends, right?"

He answered, but his voice was drowned out by the volume of the music. To compensate, he moved closer and screamed the next part. "Did he say something?"

The sheer giddiness in his voice and on his face made Lily understand that he wasn't quite as high on the totem pole as she had expected. Then she remembered the conversation she and Rusty had about him in the van that night. "You're Bobby Caldwell's kid, right?"

Her newest question knocked the smile from his face. "Yeah." His answer was hollow and shaken.

"I knew your dad. My dad and your dad used to...," but she paused. The expression on his face sunk even deeper, so she decided to change the subject. "You know, that's neither here nor there. What I really wanted to talk to you about was someone named Isabel."

"Isabel? Rusty's Isabel?"

"Yeah."

"What about..."

Lily raise a hand to him. She knew she was drunk. She knew he knew she was drunk. In her drunkenness, she was getting extremely annoyed with all the questions he was asking. She was supposed to be the one to ask questions. She was the one who was supposed to be choosing the subject of the conversation. All she wanted to talk about was Isabel. That's all. All she wanted was some questions answered. Okay, so maybe she was a little bit jealous. Just a smidge, though. Plus, the music was getting just a little to loud for her by now, and her a buzzing noise had formed in her ears. "Everything. I want to know everything. Pretend it's a job, or something."

Linus folded his hands in front of him. "Long story short, her name is Isabel Lahiri. They met in Europe about four years ago, broke up and got back together about a year ago, not really sure about the time line. Now they live together in Rusty's hotel in Los Angeles."

For years ago... probably close to when they broke up. Right before the Benedict Job. Right before her father had gotten out of prison... She decided to speed this up. "And is Miss Lahiri a thief, criminal, or anything else that has to do with stealing, lying, and cheating?"

"No. She's a detective."

This didn't surprise Lily in the least. Rusty also sought to acquire things that were just out of his reach. Hence why he became a thief. Hence why he dated Lily Ocean, untouchable baby girl of one of his colleagues. Hence why he was so unnaturally attracted to cops. Yes, Lily could have seen it coming from miles away. "And does she know what Rusty does for a living?"

Linus nodded hesitantly. "There was a big fuss after the Benedict Job, and she eventually found out."

"And she didn't have a problem?"

"At first. Then she found out her father is Gaspar LeMarque."

Lily's theory about criminal parents and their prodigy came back in mind, three perfect examples stewing in front of her. "No shit?"

Linus shook his head.

Lily took a tighter hold of her beer, brought the bottle to her lips and tilted her head back. After she finished her bottle, they just sat and stared at each other. Lily noticed just how innocent and pure of heart Linus was. And he was genuine about it, not like how Lily faked when she put on her puppy-dog eyes and pouty face. He was sincere, which she figured would have been a nice reprieve from the guys she usually dated. And then dumped.

It must have been the beer, or maybe the several shots she had done earlier before she had spotted Linus walk in, but Lily decided to get up and link arms with him.

He walked with her, sensing that he shouldn't leave her alone. He was right, because Lily had only made it about five feet before doubling over and depositing the contents of her stomach on his shoes.

Wincing, he helped her into a cab and headed back to the brownstone. He nearly had to carry her from the cab to her bed, where he tucked her in before turning to leave.

Vomiting cleansed her sensibility somewhat, but she was feeling the effects of all the alcohol on her body. She craned her neck just in time to catch him exiting her bedroom. "Sorry about your shoes."

He pivoted back to her. "Oh... yeah, don't worry about it."

"No, really. I guess that last beer pushed me over the edge," she explained, curling deeper underneath her blankets. She couldn't even remember everything she had to drink, but it was making everything come up front. In his presence - with his innocent and compassionate feel - she was feeling incredibly vulnerable. And maybe a little more that a smidge jealous. At this point, she would have said anything to make him stay. "Dammit, my dad is going to be mad."

After the words left her mouth, another theory started to form in her mind. She didn't want Linus to stay with her because she thought he was making her feel better. She wanted Linus to stay to feel empathy for her, to pity her. She wanted him there so she could feel bad. She wanted him there for the same reason she had so much to drink even though she knew she had a job in the morning. To have an excuse. He was a witness, and the drinking was her excuse. Just so she could drown herself in pity and loathing and denial, and have a reason.

Rusty and Isabel who?

"Uh... I'm sure Danny won't..."

Lily weakly smirked at him. "You're right. He won't be mad, he'll be disappointed. That's what me and you have in common, kid. Our fathers want us to be the best, setting unusually high standards and whatnot. Hell, bank heists aren't my dad's style. Why do you think he even chose to do this job?"

Linus shrugged, taking a seat in an armchair on the other side of the room. "Because it's a lot of money."

"That's such a novice answer. First, it's because he's trying to get me to be like Rusty, the son he wishes he had. The perfect partner. Second, he's trying to get me and Rusty back together. That one, I haven't really put my finger on yet. Whether it's because me and him would be the perfect partners, or because he thinks it's the right thing is another matter."

Linus's gaze lifted to her, getting caught in her blue eyes. "You and Rusty?"

"No shit, Sherlock!" she yelled, sitting straight up. The moment she realized she said it, she regretted it. "Sorry, it's the alcohol talking. But, yeah, Rusty and I were a thing a while ago."

A while ago. Years. It seemed like it was yesterday. It made an anger fill up inside her, something that she had been storing ever since that fateful day. He had promised her, and he had broken his promise. He claimed it wasn't really about the promise, that it was just Lily being paranoid. No, it was about the promise. "IT WAS ABOUT THE GODDAMN PROMISE!" she vocalized, causing Linus to get up from his chair and inch towards the door.

"What?"

"He promise me! He promised me that he would stop being my father's little play toy and stop fucking every woman in sight just so he and my father could con someone and get a pretty penny out of it... He promised me that he would be faithful to me... He promised me that I was going to be the only one... Goddammit! Why couldn't he see that it meant a lot to me? Why couldn't he see that what he did was a complete betrayal of whatever we had? I gave him his creative space. I did! He could still pretend t to be the playboy and just not break out the condoms, but... Oh, God!... and now he's giving HER everything that was supposed to be mine? He's living with her. He's not screwing anyone other than her...I hate her. I hate him! No, I don't hate him. I hate that I don't hate him. I still love him. I'll always love him. I just wanted him to love me back. Is that so much to ask? Really? No, Rusty's always going to be a whore in the end. It makes me wonder why he didn't end it before I did. God... how I just wish that everything was so...different..." A drowsiness fell over her as she continued to talk, slowly confessing all her feelings and thoughts to an almost stranger.

"Uh huh..."

"I mean, I loved him! I did! I do! I know everything about him. I know... people tell me that he's changed and that things are different, but I know. I know that he loves waffles, but hates pancakes. Hates them. He'd throw a hissy fit whenever there's even a pancake in the room. Even if it's not on his plate! Weird... but I loved that about him. I also know that he automatically associates the words surprise, gift, bonding, and the phrase 'get together' with sex and only sex. Oh God... the sex..."

And that was the point when Linus put on his mental earmuffs. He was aware she was still talking, but he was too much of a gentlemen - and something of a pansy, according to Basher - when it came to the topic of sexually related things. He held those earmuffs in place, firmly, until he was sure she had stopped and drifted into the thoughts of her own mind. He just hoped that she would be able to pull it together by morning.

Lily had contemplated many theories in her lifetime, finding it fascinating to study and observe human behavior. Very few times had she ever remembered her thoughts. Only the important ones really stuck out.

Another theory popped into her head as she drifted off to sleep. One she was going to remember, and one that required no explanations or illustrations: A drunken rant is the most honest truth you will ever get from a person. Ever.

And her rant to Linus had just revealed a truth to herself that she had been killing herself to keep concealed. The truth was out, and it was a bitch. She was still in love with Rusty Ryan more than she ever could have cared for. And she knew just what she had to do, no matter how hard it was going to be for herself. And her father.