“Yeah, yeah.” She tosses her head like an annoyed teenager. “Or rehab, right?”
“Or rehab.” I nod. The fact that she even broached the topic herself is promising. “Within the next three months,” I say, firmly.
Deanna pauses for a moment. From the corner of my eye, I see Lilly holding her breath, her hands clasped tightly. She’s smart enough not to say anything or exert any pressure in this moment.
“I don’t have the money for that shit,” Deanna shrugs, “So I guess I’ll find a way to get you that hundred grand.” Her voice has less resolve than it did in the past. Without the bravado the booze gives her, the insecurities are showing.
“I can help,” Lilly steps forward eagerly, taking her sister by the hand. “You can have my savings, Deanna.”
I raise a hand. “That won’t be necessary.”
The girls both stare at me. I have to suppress a smile when I see their twin faces, Deanna’s mouth also making that surprised “O” shape that I’ve seen on Lilly’s face so many times.
“What do you mean?” Deanna eyes me with mistrust. “You wanna pay it?”
“I could.” I avoid eye contact with Lilly but I can feel her piercing gaze on me. “If you really committed to it. I mean a serious, live-in treatment center.”
“I don’t know. No strings attached?” Deanna looks at Lilly, her eyebrows raised. “You’re not gonna try to swoop in and take Lilly for a year or something?”
I chuckle slightly. “No.”
“But why?” Lilly steps forward. “Why would you do that?”
“I enjoyed our time together this week,” I say, keeping my voice even and professional. “Consider it a thank you.”
“Jesus, must have been a hell of a good week,” Deanna says under her breath. But her face is thoughtful. Is she finally ready to do this? I can feel Lilly still staring at me and feel an urgent need to get away from her probing eyes.
“Look.” I reach into the pocket of my suit jacket and pull out one of my private cards. “Take my information. That’s my direct line. Don’t share it.” I hand the card to Deanna, who looks—despite her sarcastic gripes—slightly shell-shocked. “You can call me if you decide to go for it. There are places here in Vegas. Or I’m sure there are facilities closer to home, if you want to be near your family.”
Deanna takes the card gingerly in her hand. “Well… Shit. Okay. This doesn’t mean I’m committing to anything though,” she adds fiercely, jutting her chin at me and cocking her hip to one side. “I’m just gonna take this just in case. That’s not a yes.”
Lilly stares at her sister and then back at me. She seems to recover from her shock and steps forward, standing on tiptoe and throwing her arms around my neck. “Thank you,” she says, her voice cracking slightly.
I give her a gentle squeeze and take a last whiff of her hair. It smells slightly tropical thanks to a hint of coconut. And then I carefully take her arms and remove myself from her grasp. It’s time to say goodbye, for good.
“Here’s your phone.” I dig it out of my pocket and hand it over. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lilly.” I nod firmly. A wave of disappointment and confusion crosses her face but she recovers quickly and stretches out a slim hand to me.
“Likewise.” She says, but I can hear the quiver in her voice as she takes the phone from me, and I get this sinking feeling in my stomach that I wasn’t expecting. “Thank you for everything, David.”
“Of course. Look after your sister. She’s going to need you.” I release my grip on her hand and turn to Deanna. “And you. Let me know what you decide. Three months.”
“Yeah, yeah. Three months.” Deanna rolls her eyes but there’s a spark of something new in her face. It’s something I might define as hope. Maybe that other night was her rock bottom. Maybe she’s ready for rehab. Only time will tell. “Come on, car’s waiting.” Deanna turns to Lilly.
“Did you drive?” Lilly asks, her brow instantly crinkling with worry.
“Of course not, still gonna be a year until I get my license back since the DUI. Stacy’s waiting with the car.” Deanna turns to me and gives a casual wave. “Later, Mr. Millionaire!”
Lilly pauses, looking at me as if she wants to say something. But there’s nothing left to say. We both knew this was coming. “Goodbye, Lilly,” I say. Then I square my