Letty's POV
New Year's Eve. Every year Mr Toretto had a big party for everyone on the block, every single person was invited. All were welcome in the Toretto household. It was chill. Relaxed. People brought their own alcohol or non alcoholic alternative and Mr Toretto supplied a little. The dining room table was pulled out and the chairs stacked up in the corner and dishes of food were lined up in near rows until it was practically groaning with food. People brought what they liked and shared. No huge preparation went into New Year's at Mr Toretto's it was one of those events which just seemed to fall into place.
Upstairs Mia and I got ready. Whilst I had been content to wear jeans and a hoodie, Mia refused to let such a thing happen. Instead, because it was New Years, we were to dress up. For what reason I couldn't understand. We weren't leaving the house.
"It's a party Let, just put the damn skirt on, you'll look good in it," Mia said, her voice cajoling. Her eyes danced as she waved the short leather skirt at me.
Inside I buckled. I did like the skirt. It was leather and had a bad ass vibe about it. It was the sort of thing that I liked to wear.
"Oh you're hesitating. I win. Get it on," Mia ordered. At fifteen she had a real motherly vibe about her and when she used that tone I knew there was no arguing with my best friend.
I pulled the skirt on and Mia tossed me a deep red jumper with three quarter length sleeves. I wasn't totally out of my comfort zone but I didn't feel entirely secure in my outfit. It wasn't something that I would have chosen.
Mia had pulled on a black bodycon dress and she had dressed it up jewellery. She had her makeup done immaculately and her hair straightened impeccably. She looked stunning.
"Okay, makeup?" Mia said prompting me in her sort of direction.
I shook my head. "No chica. Not my scene."
"Yep and my name ain't Mia Toretto. Sit!" She folded her arms and nodded towards the chair. Once Mia made her mind up she was unmoving. She didn't flinch until the last second but tonight she wasn't budging. There was no arguing.
I sat as obediently as the disobediently knew how to and closed my eyes. Twenty minutes later I opened them and was pleased when all she had applied was foundation and eyeliner followed by mascara and a hint of blusher and bronzer and a deep red lipstick. It was better than I could have hoped for. Mia had even fixed my wavy hair into a half up half down style. In many ways I barely recognised myself. I looked older. Prettier. It was actually shocking what a little makeup could do. I smiled in the mirror, a proper lipsticky smile. I did look good.
"Right shoes on and downstairs we go," Mia said. She was practically bouncing with excitement. The boy she liked was coming tonight and as much as I didn't like the blonde brat she was with I wouldn't say any more than I already had on the subject.
I pulled on the cripplingly high heels. Black paten, they were beautiful. Typically they were Mia's. I usually wore combat boots so this was s nice change.
We slipped downstairs where the party had already begun. Half ten and it was buzzing. Mia dragged me to the make shift dance floor in the living room and we danced for a little bit. The music a good mix of old and new. It appealed to all ages.
Mia was eventually pulled away to join the blonde haired brat, as I came to realise he was called Cormac. They slipped off into a darkened corner where he would no doubt try to make her blush. So I left the dance floor and went off in search of a drink. Anything at this point.
In the dining room I bumped into Dom and Vince. Vince had his arm slipped around some red heads waist and she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. She wasn't in to him at all but Vince wasn't getting the message. He was quite far on, a little too drunk to take no for an answer. Yet the red head obviously had a bit of fight in her. Something stirred inside her making her want to fight him as his hand slid down onto her ass and he pulled her in.
"I said no alright. Get off of me!" She snapped. Her blue eyes flashing in anger and her foot coming down on top of Vince's.
He groaned in pain and let her go. The red head took off, her heels clicking as she strutted calmly and with complete composure into the next room.
Dom roared with laughter. "I told you she wasn't interested man."
In reply Vince grunted and hobbled away a little wounded into the living room. No doubt searching for his next conquest.
I picked up a beer deciding I could handle one at least. Dom leant against the wall and watched me thoughtfully with his piercing dark eyes. Under his intense gaze I could feel myself becoming clumsy, fumbling with the bottle opened and biting my lip. He had this weird effect on me and my insides always melted slightly.
Dom's POV
Vince's arm tightened around the red head and she pulled another face. Her bottom lip curled with disgust. In a gesture of good will and a sign I wasn't far enough along yet, I leant in to Vince but loud enough so the red head could hear and decide to tell him to back off a little.
"Hey man, leave her be. She ain't interested."
Vince brushed me off and that was when Letty walked in. She always looked good but tonight she looked better than usual with a little makeup. My attention shifted as she stood idly before the drinks table but kept her gaze fixed on Vince and his, friend is too strong a description for the obvious dislike the girl had for him.
As Vince made his move the redhead snapped and pulled away. Her words which I didn't pay proper attention to were sharp and carried the intended sting. Vince wounded by her high heels back away.
I laughed at my friend. His wounded face and the tears forming in his eyes as he gingerly moved his foot obviously hoping none of the toes were damaged or broken.
"I told you she wasn't interested man." I slapped him on the back and he grimaced at me and hobbled into the living room. Away from the red head who'd headed outside.
I fixed my attention back on the enchanting brunette who I'd known now for eight years. Her legs seemed to go on for miles beneath her shirt skirt. I watched her as she chose a Corona. Letty was a casual drinker. I'd seen her have a couple before. At fifteen she shouldn't have been drinking but she did. She didn't hide it so I suppose there was nothing wrong with it, she just never passed her limit. She fumbled with the bottle opener. Becoming uncomfortable under my watchful gaze. I smirked as she bit her lip. I obviously had an effect on her. As she nipped her lip beneath her teeth I couldn't help but be enthralled by her nervousness. She was nervous around me and for what reason I couldn't tell. She was beautiful. Couldn't she tell that I liked her too?
Letty's POV
A flush rose from my chest to my cheeks but I purposefully turned my face away from him. How the hell could one boy mean so much to me? I'd liked him for the past five years and he hadn't noticed me so why would he start now?
"There was no arguing with that red head," Dom remarked as he peeled himself away from the wall.
"Definitely not. Vince was over the line though. Anyone could see she wasn't interested."
Dom nodded. He reached for another Corona and smiled at me. He gestured for us to clink bottles and we did. We stood in the easy silence of old friends.
"You weren't at the races last night," Dom said slowly. His tone careful as if he were afraid he'd say something he'd regret.
"Nah man, didn't feel up to it," I replied lightly. My Father's anniversary was December 29th so in a way it felt disrespectful to be out enjoying myself at the races and to follow it with this party tonight. I'd picked the party for the sake of my surrogate family, the Toretto's, but there's always be more nights at the races. I had a whole year to go to the races but I only allowed myself two days to grieve otherwise I'd wallow.
Dom grimaced sympathetically. "You really miss him, don't you?"
He slung his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. For a second I was drawn into the close comfort of having someone to lean on. My own mother had relocated back to the DR whilst I fought hard to stay in LA.
"Yeh..." I was trying to detach myself from this situation. Otherwise I'd lose myself in grief. He'd been dead a year but it had been a rough year. I had to get used to him not being there every time I needed him.
"Okay, let's go dance. I hate seeing you look so down." Dom was pleading. He was trying to get me to do this his way.
I laughed. Dominic Toretto didn't dance with girls. It was one of his rules. Especially when his strategy was get laid and drop them.
"Come on. This song is good."
Dom pulled me by the hand into the living room and it's makeshift dance floor. The song had a good strong beat and was a favourite of mine.
"...standin on your mamma's porch,
You told me that you'd wait forever,
Oh and when you held my hand,
I knew that it was now or never...
Those were the best days of my life..."
Dom pulled me close as we danced. It was suddenly becoming a slow dance to a fast song. Contradictory.
The song swift,y changed without warning to a slower one. A quieter one.
"Stat with me, baby stay witty me,
Tonight don't leave me alone,
Walk with me, come and walk with me,
To the edge of all we've ever known..."
His forehead met mines, closing the distance. His dark eyes met mines. His were on,y a shade of two darker than mine. Flaked with darker strands. They were incredible. I never wanted this moment to end. For the first time in my life I had his undivided attention. Yet there was a part of me who knew he was only doing this to make me feel better. Despite knowing that o also knew that I really liked him I never wanted to be without him.
"Don't run away..."
Dom sang along with the words. His eyes locked on mine.
"If it's something that you want,
Darlin, you don't have to run..."
I felt like he was telling me to stay. To not doubt him. To not be afraid of him. To not be afraid of what we could be. His fingers tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear and despite being the type who usually scorned girls who swooned at such gestures I couldn't help but swoon and be drawn into the familiarity. How good it felt especially as his hand went to cup my cheek.
"When the time comes,
Baby don't run,
Just kiss me slowly..."
His lips inched closer to mine and I knew in that split second that I'd kiss him in a heartbeat and it would be a great kiss and I'd love every single stolen second of it. I felt like I were living another girls life. Things like this never happened to me.
"Hey Dom," Vince's drunken voice pierced through our stolen moment.
"Yeh?" Dom murmured, dragging his eyes away from mine with a lot of hesitation.
"I need a wingman," Vince told him, giving his arm a gently tug.
Dom groaned and muttered an apology under his breath. It had been too good to be true. I had known it. In that second I decided to bring in the new year with a good few drinks.
Unfortunately I got waylaid on my way to the drinks table by an elderly neighbour who was stunned by my more feminine appearance.
I eventually grabbed another beer and was halfway through it when Dom rejoined me.
"Sorry Let, he's an asshole."
I shrugged, trying hard to pretend that I didn't care.
"Now where were we?" Dom pretended to think. Then he smiled gently. "I think I was standing like this." He slipped one arm around my waist and placed his other hand on my cheek. "And your arms were around my neck," he prompted. I did as I was told. He rested his forehead against mine and we both moved to close the distance as this time I felt more confident.
"Letty! Dom!" Mia's voice sounded. She sounded angry. We sprang apart for some unknown reason.
"What?" I asked. I probably looked irritated and flustered. Damn people.
Mia launched into a tale about Cormac and her's supposedly magical night and how he had ruined it by taking it too far when they'd been kidding.
"Right where is he?" Dom asked rolling up his shirt sleeves.
"With some other girl."
I closed my eyes. I'd known this would happen. Suddenly I felt older than fifteen. Dom nodded stiffly and headed off into the living room.
"I didn't want him to hit him," Mia explained to me as she paled knowing what hell she had just unleashed on the world most particularly that boy.
"I'll talk to him. Back him up a few feet," I said. Though I had no idea how I was to accomplish such a feat.
I took off after Dom and found him in the living room, holding the boy by the scruff of the neck. He was talking in a low, no doubt threatening voice.
All I heard was the conclusion. "If you don't leave right now, I promise you you won't be walking anywhere for a while."
With that Dom released the boy and let him go on his way.
"Mia thought you were going to hit him," I commented from behind Dom.
When he turned around the look on his face told me he would have hit the boy had he not thought the better of it.
"I planned on it but he was scared before I laid a finger on him."
I laughed.
"Countdown to midnight!" Someone called over the music.
"Ten..."
Dom glanced at me. "Kiss me at midnight?"
"Okay."
"Eight..."
"Seven..."
"Six..."
Dom pulled me close and I smiled. I felt safe with him.
"Four..."
I draped my arms around his neck. His forehead touched mines.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One..."
"Happy new year Let," Dom murmured before he closed the distance.
His lips touched mine in a gentle kiss. It built quickly, both of us seizing the opportunity to let lose. I deepened the kiss deciding not to care what he thought of me. We were equals, both fighting for dominance before sinking into it completely. We seemed to mutually decide there was no need to make one dominant and the other submissive. We could be equals.
When we broke the kiss we stared at each other in breathless silence for a second. His eyes were shining.
"Let, want to go out with me?" Dom asked.
I raised one eyebrow doubtfully. "Like as a girlfriend?"
"Yeh. Like a girlfriend. What do you say?" He asked lightly.
For a second I couldn't help but hesitate just to annoy him. To make him appreciate that I wasn't easy. It wasn't everyday Dominic Toretto asked a girl to go steady. It was time to let him sweat it out a little.
"Okay Toretto."
"I think this year is gonna be a good one," he murmured.
"You're confident we'll still be together this time next year?"
"Yeh. I'm confident. Why want to bet on it?"
"Nah," I replied.
He bent down and kissed me lightly again. Here's to the new year ending the way it started... With the man I loved.
A/N it's a bit sappy. Happy new year guys! Best wishes for 2017 and as always thanks for reading xx