Standing in his kitchen, mentally checking off everything on his list, Brian felt pretty confident that he had remembered everything for later that night. The lasagne was ready to go in the oven, the salad was already sitting in the fridge, red wine was waiting to be corked. All in all he was pretty proud of himself. Leana had tried to tell him he should cook something a little more original, but for the sake of avoiding any fuck ups, Brian had decided to stick with what he knew.

Just as he thought about having a few moments to relax before heading upstairs to shower and make sure the bed had fresh linen on it, it suddenly struck Brian he had forgotten candles. Cursing under his breath, he grabbed his keys and knew who would be able to help instead of another trip to the store.

Ten minutes later, Brian was walking up the path to Jimmy's front door. Knocking, he stood whistling to himself, waiting for someone to let him in.

"Aren't you supposed to be at home making yourself look pretty for your woman?" Jimmy questioned as he opened the door, stepping aside to let Brian in.

"I would be, but I need to borrow some candles," Brian admitted.

"Oh right...I think I know where we have some," Jimmy answered, wandering off towards his kitchen.

Leana sat at the dining table, her laptop in front of her, completely engrossed in whatever it was she was looking at.

"Hey Lea," Brian greeted, getting nothing except a brief wave back.

Brian followed Jimmy and rested against the work station.

"She ok in there?" he asked, nodding back in Leana's general direction.

"Internet gossip columns...I swear they get more attention than me!" Jimmy explained, getting louder so Leana would hear him.

"Hey...you got plenty of attention last night...and this morning!" Leana yelled back, causing Brian to shudder at the mere thought of just what his friends had been up to.

Brian watched as Jimmy searched through cabinets, no doubt making a mess as he went along. Just as Brian was about to tell him to forget it, Leana's voice drifted through from the other room again.

"Brian....could you come here a minute?" she called, sounding a little nervous.

Jimmy looked over at Brian and shrugged, obviously with no idea as to what his girlfriend could want.

"What's the matter Lea?" Brian asked.

Leana looked up at Brian, looking a little unsure about something.

"How much do you know about Izzy's background?" she enquired.

Brian frowned, wondering why Leana had a sudden interest in Izzy's life.

"Not a lot right now, she was born in England, but moved over here with her mom when her parents divorced about 10 years ago. She doesn't talk about her father at all, I'm guessing there's bad blood between them. Why?"

"I think you need to look at this," Leana stated quietly, turning the laptop round for Brian to see what she was getting at.

Brian's eyes widened at the photograph of Izzy, obviously taken the day before judging by what she wore, that graced the screen.

"What the fuck?" he whispered, scratching the back of his head in confusion.

His eyes drifted down to the words underneath the photograph, not knowing if he was going to like what he was about to read.

Known for his generosity to institutions the world over, English benefactor Charles Hamilton-Forsythe, the Earl of Richmond, is in Los Angeles this week preparing for yet another spectacular charity event. Currently staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Earl was yesterday visited by his youngest daughter, Lady Isabella. Sources say the visit was filled with tension, and harsh words could be heard between father and daughter. Lady Isabella has been spotted stepping out with Avenged Sevenfold's Synyster Gates in recent weeks. Has the guitarist, known for his womanising ways in recent months finally found his princess? And is he the reason for tension between Lady Isabella and her father? Watch this space for updates!

Brian read through the paragraph again, needing to know that he had read it correctly. Running a hand through his black hair, Brian felt as though he had recieved a blow to the stomach. All this time he'd been lying to her, Izzy had been doing the same to him.

"Earl? That's like royalty right?" he questioned softly.

"I guess, maybe," Leana answered.

"I can't believe she would keep this from me," he stated, sounding confused.

Jimmy rested a hand on Brian's shoulder.

"Brian, you've not exactly been truthful yourself these past few weeks. And you said yourself, you think there's bad blood between Izzy and her dad.....and reading that, that seems to be the case."

Brian shrugged Jimmy's hand away, took his keys from his pocket and made for the door.

"Gates! Candles!" Jimmy yelled after him.

Brian slammed the door shut, ignoring Jimmy's words. He didn't think candles were going to be needed tonight after all.

***********

Izzy placed her overnight bag down by her bedroom door, giving the room one last look to make sure there wasn't anything she had forgotten to pack. Satisfied that she had everything, she smiled at the bubble of excitement she felt at seeing Brian later. She had decided that tonight was the time for her to be honest with him about who she was, and she knew that once it was in the open, it would be like a weight lifted from her shoulders. Just as she thought about heading for the shower, a heavy pounding on the front door stopped her. Izzy ran down the stairs, wanting to know just what the urgency was.

Opening the door, Izzy smiled when she saw Brian standing there, only to frown as he barged past her, the stern expression he wore telling her this was not a social call.

"Brian? What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"How about you tell me...Lady Isabella," Brian spat.

Izzy felt the color drain from her face as she swallowed hard at Brian's words. She raised her eyes to meet Brian's. The brown orbs normally so full of laughter lacked the playful glint she loved so much, anger replacing the softness of them.

"Brian...please don't call me that," she whispered.

"But that's who you are right...Lady Isabella Hamilton-Forsythe, youngest daughter to the Earl of Richmond? Or was the gossip site Leana was reading just making it all up?"

Izzy closed her eyes and shook her head, realising that she must have been spotted leaving the hotel yesterday.

"No, it's all true," she answered, her tone unchanged. "But this wasn't how I wanted you to find out."

"Really now? Well, tell me sweetheart, just when did you intend on letting me know, because as far as I see, you've had the past few weeks to have let me in on your little secret!" Brian yelled.

Izzy opened her eyes and looked at Brian, hating the look of contempt on his handsome face.

"I was going to tell you tonight. I just needed to get yesterday out of the way. My father and I don't get along, I despise him, and that's why I don't tell people about him or that part of my life.....because I'd rather just forget it all existed."

Brian shook his head and laughed, the bitterness so evident.

"My heart bleeds for you Izzy, it really fucking does. Poor little rich girl just trying to lead a normal life...it must be so damn fucking hard for you."

Something snapped inside Izzy then. She was not going to allow Brian make her feel guilty when he had been lying to her all along too.

"Don't stand there and bloody judge me when I'm not the only one that's been lenient with the truth Syn!" she yelled back.

Brian's eyes widened.

"What?" he murmured.

"Not so nice when the boot's on the other foot is it?" Izzy questioned, wanting him to know exactly how he had made her feel only minutes earlier.

"How long have you known?" Brian asked, his voice shaky.

"Since we first met, but I never thought to question it when you told me otherwise, I figured you had your reasons," Izzy told him.

"You've known all along who I was? And you never said anything?" Brian whispered. "Wow. Just shows how wrong a guy can be."

Brian looked at Izzy for a moment, the anger in his eyes replaced with hurt and disbelief.

"I really thought I'd found someone who wanted to be with me, Brian...and not who everyone else knows me as. You sure had me fooled Izzy Hamilton" he stated quietly, walking away and out the door, leaving Izzy unable to do anything but stare at the empty spot where he had stood.