Intoxicated Ch 03

A/N: Part III of intoxicated. Naomi seems pretty weak willed and emotional at this point. But she'll get it together. Or she'll try.

Greenwich, Grey village (Hemingford), etc. are inspired and named after real UK places. But I tend to hate proof-checking, so I'll just wing it. Some places are real, some aren't. Don't be surprised if you recognize anything.

Enjoy.

oOo

Grey Village: Stone Residence: ~L~

When Lisa decided to walk home alone instead of tag along with her best friend and her best friends annoying lover boy, she hadn't expected said best friend to barge into her home. In her pajamas. With tears trailing down her face. At midnight.

She did it while Lisa was reading her favorite novel, 'Reclaimed', no less. Just a nice cup of coffee in her hand, the buzz of her lamp light, along with some soft country music wafting from her radio and 'Reclaimed' snuggled into her lap. No thunder, rain, loud noises or any other panic inducing shenanigans present.

It was Friday for crying out loud! Her annoying drunkard parents and stupid older brother weren't home and she had the entire house to herself.

So why did Naomi have to choose THAT particular day to barge into her house. Why did she have to choose THAT day to induce Lisa with nerve wrecking news that took her five whole minutes to comprehend.

Lisa loved the girl. Truly, she did. They had known each other since their diaper days. Granted they had gotten off to a rough start, with Lisa being a bratty crybaby and Naomi being a meek little sweetheart.

But they accepted and adored each other. Lisa being the only one to actually have the ability to make Naomi LAUGH had to count for something. She didn't mind listening to Naomi's problems. Despite the fact it was usually Lisa doing the whining and Naomi doing the listening.

But WHY did it have to be on Friday! And during her horror mystery book marathon too...Oh well, the marathons could wait.

"Okay, so let me recap on this because I'm trying not to miss anything." Lisa muttered, her book now abandoned at her bedside as she sat beside a rather pale looking Naomi. Well, as pale as Naomi could be considering her skin tone.

"Your father, who I lately consider a total dick by the way- never mind his delicious sugar cookies, started dating some buxom blond station commander?"

Noting the slight mocking edge in her friends voice but deciding not to comment on it, Naomi nodded mutely as she slowly sipped from Lisa's coffee mug. Lisa sent Naomi a mildly pissed off look, she hated when Naomi drank her stuff, but went on anyway.

"And she just happens to live in Greenwich, which harbors only three high schools? All of which are rivals to ours mind you... And he NEVER told you about her before today?"

Naomi nodded again, this time her expression pained. Lisa's face grew dark as she went on, her arm pressing painfully into her headboard as she faced Naomi.

"But he wants you to attend a dinner with her and her kids...did he even think this through? Seven months with some widowed mother, no matter if she's rich or not, and yet they're considering MARRIAGE?" Lisa's voice had risen by then, and the crackle of her radio seemed to add a dramatic and even a humorous undertone to her voice.

Naomi would have smiled if she had the strength to. But the dark lines under her eyes and subjectively 'pale' tone of her skin made it quite clear she didn't have the strength? Or the will either.

"Usually I don't interfere with what he does you know? But I...but..." Naomi nearly choked on her tears as she took another gulp of coffee, the hot liquid providing a calming relief to her nerves.

Lisa quietly scooted across her bed to lift an arm around Naomi's shoulder. The comforting gesture made Naomi lean into her friends embrace, signaling her thanks. Lisa may have been snappy when it came to her coffee or book marathon moments, but she knew when to quietly comfort and when to speak up- at least when it concerned her. Naomi was infinitely grateful for it.

"But," Naomi went on, "he says he's only known her for seven months. I feel like...I feel like he's trying to forget mom completely. The fact that he kept this from me at all and for so long proves it. I've seen the picture of this woman, Heather her name is, and she's the EXACT opposite of Elle."

Lisa raised a dark brow in curiosity, her expression making Naomi pause.

"Do you have a picture or..." Lisa's voice trailed off, as if she realized she had asked a stupid question. Thankfully Naomi only shook her head instead of mocking her. Though Lisa hadn't expected her to. Naomi wasn't the mocking type, especially in times like this.

"No, dad didn't give it to me." Naomi said with a sigh as she pressed her face into Lisa's shoulder, the mug forgotten in her sweatpants adorned lap.

"But like you said, she's a blond- not that it even matters. But she's a pure blood Brit and everything. Her house is a fucking castle and apparently she has kids. Guess dad wanted another try at a functioning family." Naomi turned her head to softly and bitterly chuckle at the ceiling.

She didn't see the deeply concerned look passing over Lisa's sharp features. Nor did she notice the tightening of Lisa's arm around her shoulder as she turned Naomi's face back to her.

"Naomi, you don't think he's replacing you. Do you?" She asked softly, her eyebrows furrowing at Naomi's bloodshot eyes. The cause of her distress now took on a whole new meaning.

Naomi met Lisa's blue eyes with her own gray ones squarely. Lisa was never one to hide her emotions well. She always wore them on her sleeve...and let them tumble out of her mouth no matter the consequences. And right now Lisa was concerned for her. Worried for her. Soaking in the pain- for her.

Naomi couldn't help but briefly feel that she didn't deserve Lisa. Which was ironic, because Lisa had said the same thing about her not deserving Naomi three years prior.

How things changed. In less than a week Naomi had cried more than she had in her entire life. Excluding the arc of her life where Elle took her exit of course. Naomi wondered what would have become of her, if Lisa hadn't been there like a loyal puppy to keep her from giving up.

Instantly Naomi knew she'd have been pretty damn screwed without her. The feisty brunette had refused to let Naomi succumb to suicide in her worst moments. At first Naomi had been too scared to even think of it. But at such a vulnerable time, she almost couldn't take it anymore.

But Lisa wouldn't let her. She couldn't let her. What her father and Prince couldn't do- she did. Lisa had been there. She had shielded Naomi even when she pushed her away. And after it all she refused to be angry about it, instead just reminding Naomi how much they needed each other.

If that wasn't love, Naomi didn't know what was.

"He may not be trying to replace ME." Naomi admitted after a few long seconds of their silent stare down. "But he is trying to replace mom. The way he described her...just think of everything Elle wasn't. Now put all of those qualities in Heather."

Naomi paused, watching as Lisa mentally did what Naomi had told her to do. The brunettes eyes narrowed briefly for a moment before she turned back to Naomi, a crooked and sad half smile on her face.

"Well we all know Mrs.Williams was pretty badass. She was fearless... and amazing at making people laugh. And you know she sucked at cooking, unlike your dad..." Lisa's smile widened a little as memories of Elle flooded her mind.

The display of affection on her face made Naomi swallow thickly and quickly turn her head away. She had forgotten for a moment that Elle had been a huge role model for Lisa. Especially since Lisa's own parents were a sad excuse for any type of caregiver. Lisa had practically lived at Naomi's house in their younger days.

Until her death.

And like the abruptness of a lightning flash, Lisa's face darkened back into its somber state. Her smile faltered, and Naomi could have swore she saw the brunettes eyes tear up.

"Well," Lisa coughed, quickly brushing her hand against her face. "I guess that means this Heather is going to be an excellent cook. If she's the opposite of Elle."

Lisa tried to crack a smile at her best friend, but it was forced and weak. Naomi didn't try to humor her by attempting to smile back. Instead she just pulled Lisa back into a hug and let the taller girl take her turn to cry.

It took a few long abating moments, in which the soft sounds of the radio and Lisa's labored breathing filled the darkly lit room.

But eventually Naomi felt wetness on her shoulder, and her arms instinctively tightened around Lisa.

"Hey, Naomi..." Lisa muttered many minutes later after she finished her silent painful endeavor. Her body went limp against Naomi's as they silently listened to the music. Naomi straightened up a little at finally hearing Lisa's voice, though Lisa herself didn't even lift her head to look at her. But she continued to speak anyway, her voice slightly hoarse, demanding, and every bit of desperate.

"Promise me that you'll never forget us...how we used to be, even if you end up moving to Greenwich. You better call every day. And visit too, every chance you get. I want to see your dads famous cookies in the mail sometime soon. If I find out you replaced me with some other bitch as your best friend at your new school I'll-"

She would have ranted on endlessly, if Naomi didn't shift her weight to nudge Lisa off of her shoulder. When they were eye to eye, Lisa saw that Naomi now had an incredulous look on her formerly pained face.

It was a nice change since her eyes were finally alive with emotion, never mind that the emotion was disbelief, instead of the previous bitterness and jadedness.

Still, Lisa wasn't all that keen with Naomi directing that look at HER of all people.

"What?" The brunette snapped, her cheeks flushing when Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Don't judge me, I really will kill you if you decide to become besties with some Greenwich snob..."

Naomi stared at Lisa silently for a moment, the same expression pasted on her face, before she cracked the first smile she had worn all day.

"You are something else Lisa Stone." Naomi murmured, her expression turning to one of amusement. "Of course I would never trade you for some other girl. You're like a birthmark or something. I can't get rid of you."

Lisa couldn't help but scoff at that, but at Naomi's soft laugh which revealed every emotion- good and bad- that she had been trying so hard to hold back, so angered and pained and yet beautifully raw...

Well Lisa couldn't help but smile as well. And soon they were both laughing and holding on to each other for dear life.

That is, until Lisa decided to ruin the moment.

"So, how come you walked all the way here? Couldn't Prince have given you a ride?"

oOo

Greenwich: Fellers Manor: ~G~

oOo

"Heather did what?" Gwen demanded quietly, her pale fingers unconsciously tracing the bare surface of Luke's chest as they laid beside each other on her king sized bed.

The young man in question simply grunted in annoyance at having to repeat himself.

After his mother had given him the news about her impending engagement with some no-name man who resided in Hemingford Grey, or apparently Grey village as most called it, Luke hadn't been the happiest person in the world. Adding that to the fact that his least favorite professor seemed to have it in for him wasn't helping either.

So when he had heard Gwen was coming back into town he had fetched his car and went to pick her up at the airport. She had been studying abroad for two years but apparently her father had ordered her to return to the UK for reasons even Luke didn't know.

Truthfully, he didn't care about it. He had simply needed something to get his mind off the very thing that he had been dreading for months. And considering his relationship with Gwen, though complicated and all kinds of annoying, she had been the perfect choice.

So he had picked her up at the airport, let her reunite with her family, and then she had convinced him to have lunch with her at 'Gee Wiz', a small diner where most didn't recognize them.

Eventually things had led them to Gwen's bedroom, not that Luke minded, and that was when Gwen had dropped the bomb and asked what had been bothering him all day.

Not only was Gwen inhumanly beautiful, but she was creepy as fuck when it came to reading people. She could be telepathic with her skill, especially since Luke wasn't the easiest person to figure out with his constant indifferent expression.

He wasn't called the ice king for nothing. Though the title had more to do with his snowy locks than with his personality.

God, he hated that nickname.

Knowing she wouldn't let it go until he gave in -Gwen had a much higher patience level than humanly possible- Luke finally explained everything to her. She simply watched quietly as he turned to look her in the eye.

One of the things he liked about Gwen was that she was a good listener. Unlike his past girlfriends who always babbled on about their own trivial problems, Gwen rarely spoke at all unless needed.

Sure she reprimanded him from time to time, but he was used to it.

Shifting himself so he was level with his girlfriend, Luke's blue eyes were accommodating yet aloof as he summarized the cause of his ire. Or more specifically the indirect cause of his ire.

"My mother canceled the Southeast gala, Gwen. She completely annihilated our plans for that night, in favor of us having dinner with her new plaything and his daughter. Happy? Good." Luke murmured with finality, in hopes that she would just drop it so he wouldn't have to worry about a 'heart to heart' talk as they call it.

He really believed girls were too emotional, even the ever stoic Gwen.

He leaned forward to brush his lips against Gwen's pale neck, warmth instantly spreading there, and when she faltered; Luke smirked and attempted to remove the blankets hugging her bare form.

But Gwen wasn't having it. Pulling away from his touch, the blond narrowed her eyes at Luke and pushed a cold hand against his shoulder- forcefully stopping him.

"No, Luke." She replied, her tone as cold as her gaze. She had known from the start that Luke was letting steam off her, and she was tired of him dodging the subject. "We need to talk about this. You were dreading the gala, and now you're free of it. So why are you really upset? Is it because of the dinner? Or is it because of your father."

The last sentence struck a chord, and the stiffening of Luke's jaw didn't go unnoticed. Gwen let out a sigh when Luke stared at her guardedly, a clear sign that she was right in her assumptions.

As she relaxed into the satin pillows beneath her, pale green eyes lifting to the ceiling, understanding filled her expression.

"I knew it, your father's heard about the rumors I'm guessing." She directed at him, though her gaze didn't leave the ceiling. "He knows Heather is attempting to marry this man doesn't he? That must be why you're so disgruntled. What has he done or said to you Luke? You can tell me."

The blond in question simply muttered incoherently as he turned his back to her and silently shifted the covers over his body- signaling his retreat from the conversation. The covers slid over his pale shoulder blades, but not before Gwen's eyes got a glimpse of the long scar that traveled between them.

The ripped muscle tissue had healed since it's infliction on him ten years prior. But every time Gwen set her sights on it, a rare occurrence since he rarely went shirtless, she was reminded of what Mr. Heath had done to his son in his rare but boisterous fits of anger.

It was one of the many reasons Gwen had left Greenwich in the guise of studying abroad, much like Luke's little sister had did, though she was at boarding school in France still.

She may have seemed like an emotionless girl, but Gwen loathed the secrets and lies that filled the village. Especially since everything that affected Luke and Heather eventually affected her.

It always did.

"Goodnight...Luke." Gwen sighed.

oOo

A/N II: Hopefully the story line is becoming slightly more clear. Gwen and this new Luke character are both going through some trauma. I really don't want them to be 'relatable' yet so their scene was short.

Eventually you'll see how Naomi fits in this. ^^

Till next time.