Nothing Left To Break

25

Lani hated being pitied. She wanted people to think she was strong, to be afraid of her. Well, she did achieve that most of the time. But she didn't want anyone, especially Thomas to pity her. She could do this alone. She didn't need him. She didn't need him, she repeats to herself in her head.

Now, she is sat in a booth in the Garrison with her siblings, nursing her third glass of whiskey. She had done it differently this time. She had shot down the first two and chose to sip on the third. She needed calming down. Explaining why she had pulled out a cigarette aswel.

"We just care about you, Leilani. We want what's best for you" Dot explains, leaning forward. In contrast to her sister she has a glass of water sat in front of her. Vin sits and stares at his sister. He hadn't said a single word since arriving.

"You kept my Father from me. Is that's what's best for me? Or is that what is best for you?" She quizes, leaning back in her chair and taking a puff of her cigarette.

Dot also leans back. Unsurprisingly, Vin hadn't told her. She didn't know that Lani knew. Her face falls.

How could she sit there and argue with her sister about what's right after doing that. After keeping that from her. She didn't even have a good reason.

This was when Vin chose to speak.

"We're sorry" he says softly, looking at his sister directly in the eyes. He was being sincere. She knew that. She knew that he was sorry. But that wouldn't cut it. Sorry. Can't fix everything. Can't fix years of lying. Manipulation. Control. Her family had lied. Her whole world was crumbling. Everything that she knew was a lie. And yet they still tried to control her.

"But it's not that easy, Vin. I thought my Father abandoned me. That he didn't want anything to do with me, my whole life" she says, beginning to get emotional. She breath and tries to stop the tears fighting to be seen on her skin. "You lied to me. And yet you still try to have a say in my love life. There is nothing that you can do that will stop me from seeing him. This is my life. You can't control everything that I do. That's not love, Vin, Dot. That's manipulation and is just plain, cruel" she says, barely above a whisper as she feels tears begin to well in her eyes.

She couldn't bare to look at them anymore. She shot down her whiskey and slammed it back down on the table, looking to her side and observing the drunkards in the pub. Drinking away their worries and troubles of the day. Carefree. She gestures

"Leilani..." Dot manages to speak, tears streaming down her face.

"I need some time away" she speaks.

Right at the right moment, Thomas walks through the door.

"Lani you need to know that he betrayed us. He hurt us. He hurt our family, you can't stay with him" Vin argues one more time, pointing at the man who just entered. He spotted them instantly. The bartender had reached their table and placed down Lani's drink, at this point, Harry could take a pretty easy guess as to what she wanted. He placed two glasses of Irish whiskey in front of her.

Tommy chose not to go over there until she was ready to leave. Instead he walked over to the bar and ordered his drink, looking back at Lani and her siblings. She looked like she was going to break at any moment. She wouldn't though, not in front of them. She was fighting so hard to not show her weakness. To keep her walls up. His gaze went to her sister.

Dot sat there crying, leaned forward in her chair, trying to reach out to Lani. She refused and shook her head, averting her gaze. Her brother on the other hand was staring right at her and pointing straight at Thomas. Obviously still fighting their relationship, whatever that was. They hadn't necessarily spoke about it. They knew they were together. They didn't need to communicate that. But maybe it was time to communicate. Lani needed that at this time. She needed a rock, they both did. Some certainty in their life.

As he was watching her he got pulled aside by one of his old comrades, instantly sparking a new conversation, although his mind was always subconsciously on Lani. Always.

"You hurt me, Vin. You hurt this family, too. Thomas showed me that he was sorry. He was there for me. He is there for me. And he's not going anywhere, you're just going to have to accept that" she states. Slightly amused at her brothers weak argument.

They sit in silence. She couldn't deal with it anymore. They needed to go. Leave. They were suffocating her. She felt herself begin to panic. No, she couldn't have a panic attack in front of them.

"I want you to leave. Now. And don't try to contact me" she orders, snapping a bit, taking the last puff of her cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray in front of her. Dot uses this opportunity to reach for her hand once more. Lani slaps it away and shakes her head again, not looking at her sisters tearful face. She couldn't bare it.

"Lani, no" Vin says.

She can't stay there a second more with them. She gets up and quickly shots down her drink, slamming it down on the table, then grabs her coat from beside her. And with that, she leaves.

Leaving her two siblings in the booth, contemplating their entire relationship with their sister.

Vin drapes his arm around his sisters shoulders, trying to console her trembling body.

"You didn't tell me" she sobs into her brothers chest. This just stung more. He had fucked up royaly. And now he had gone and lost a sister.

Thomas Shelby takes a brief break from his conversation to check on Lani, who is nowhere to be seen. Instead is her empty glass in front of her siblings, who look absolutely ruined. He says goodbye to his old comrade and walks over there quickly.

"Where is she?" He demands, standing over the table.

"Fuck off Tommy or I swear to god I'm going to kill you" Vin voices angrily, causing his sobbing sister to look up from his chest.

"I don't give a fuck. Tell me where she is" he instructs one more time.
Vincent wasn't showing any indication of communicating with the Shelby, without punching him.

"She left, she didn't say where she was going" Dot stifles out. She wanted her sister to be safe. She wanted her to be consoled at this time. She didn't want her to be alone.

Without another word, Thomas storms out of the bar.