Hey guys! As you can see I'm starting a new fic, don't know what's gonna happen in it, just gonna let it evolve and write itself. I've been asked to do a sequel for Without Him but since it took me so long to finish it, I think I'll wait a while to think about what happens next. To all my reviewers thank you so much for the support and praise. It means a lot and gives me the energy to continue writing. Thanks…..Lady LP
We were becoming complacent; we as in me and Dom. It was like we were going through the motions with each other. We slept so far apart in the bed it felt like I was going to fall off of the edge. We rarely spoke to one another. It's been four years together, but we can't seem to keep it together. It was just draining and slowly our relationship was falling apart.
After the heists things were chaotic and hectic. I was banged up pretty bad, V and Jesse almost didn't make it. They fought like soldiers though and stayed with us. Jesse's the same, thinner but the same as before. Vince is the one who changed. He was calmer and keeps to himself even more. For a while he almost got addicted to his pain meds. It was like he was hanging off of that truck all over again. It was just the three of us and Leon back in those days. Dom ran and took Mia with him. They were gone for about four months. Leon held down the fort though, we all did. See we didn't leave like Dom told us to. I wasn't running and I wasn't leaving V there. See, it started like this.
We only had each other; Leon and Jesse came to us together leaving behind a past that they only talked about seldom. V, me, Mia and Dom all grew up together in Echo Park. V and Dom were best friends and I stayed across the street. When I turned 16 my family was killed in a drunk driving accident. We were all close, Mr. Toretto was like my second dad; they took me in. V's mom worked hard to provide for him, his parents divorced when he was young and his dad just stopped calling one day. She died of cancer after he graduated from high school. We were all connected through Dom and we stayed that way. Me and Mia were the same age, three years younger than V and Dom.
When Mr. Toretto died, I was 17. Dom and me had been dancing around each other for a while. I crushed on him for a while and I knew he was checking me out; he was jealous back then always trying to scare off guys. I wasn't ready for Dom then though cause I knew what he was about then; flirting didn't hurt though. After the accident and Dom was sent away V got temporary custody of us until we turned 18. He worked hard to keep us afloat and graduation was somber without Dom. I grew closer to V during that time and turned to him many times afterward for comfort when Dom was just too stubborn. See I was only a hard ass in public, in private I was a huge softy. Being Dom's girl is a full time job and he could be an asshole and I had to check him many times.
Anyway our relationship didn't start really until I was almost 20 and Dom was 23. He had been out for about seven months. I was leaving the house during one of his big parties. He had been mad at me earlier because one of they guys I was currently talking to came to get me from the garage; we were going to hang and then I was going to chill with him instead of the races. Needless to say Dom blew up at him and kicked him out then started in on me. I let him rant at me for what seemed like hours and then I let him have it.
"You hypocritical son of a bitch! There are countless number of girls who come in and out of the house daily, their names you don't remember. I never bring anyone to the house. He is the first guy I have liked in a long time and you get mad because he came to pick me up and I'm gonna miss a race. One fucking race! You don't get to tell me what to do and you don't dictate who I talk to. Be glad I told you where the fuck I was going! Get your head out of your ass and realize that this world does not revolve around you and what you want them to do Dominic!" With that I turned on my heel and dialed Mia to pick me up because Vince was currently fixing my fuel injection system. He made a move to grab me and I stopped him. "Make a move to talk to me or touch me Dominic and you won't be able to fuck for a week."
That night I stayed home; my date no longer felt that we should see each other. So Mia and I had a girl's night. Yea I hang out with Mi, she's my best friend. I may not like a lot of things she does or dress like her; we've been tight since forever. She was enrolled at UCLA and I was going to a technical college to learn more about cars then just what I learned growing up. It was summer break and we were both taking courses to 'better ourselves' as she would say. When the party arrived I didn't want to stay around and Mia was gonna hang out at the house, keep things from getting too crazy.
I made it down the stairs in some cut-offs and a tank content to chilling at the beach for a few hours. Dom was in the corner with a Corona in one hand and a chick in the other. She was rubbing against him talking in his ear and he loved it. I can't lie, I was semi – jealous but not crazy jealous like him. Yeah I wanted him, who wouldn't. At the same time though I wasn't going to chase him, and I sure as hell wasn't going to act all bitchy at him whenever he brought a girl home. As I was headed out I glanced his way and he looked up to see me at the same time. Hi jaw muscle twitched and his eyes went up and down the length of my body. I had my keys in one hand, V had brought my car home, and the door knob in the other. Mouthing at him "Have Fun", I turned it and was out the door.
How he moved so quick I'll never know. One second I'm sitting in my car about to start it and the next thing I know he's sitting in my passenger seat with my keys in his hands. "Where do you think you're going?" I hate it when he talks in that tone where he's thinks all powerful and full of control. Technically I love it, its deep and rumbling, but now I hate it. Where do I think? Like it was just my imagination that I was leaving the house. Asshole.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "I am about to leave the house. Where I have not concluded yet. Is that enough information for you Dominic?" He knows I'm pissed; I've used his full name at least three times today and had no intention of shortening it any time soon. His jaw muscle twitches again and I know he's getting angry and refraining from yelling at me. Right now I couldn't care less. "Are you going to give me back my keys anytime soon?" To this he gets out of the car and slams my door stalking to the front of the car waiting for me to do the same. Now we are both unbelievably mad at each other and I will not relent this time. I hold my hand out for my keys and he snaps. "What the fuck is wrong with you! It's almost two in the morning and you're going to leave and not tell anyone where you're going! It's too late for you to go anywhere so get in the house."
I was fuming and as calmly as I could I walked up to him. Seeing me come closer he backup a little. By now a few people had come outside to see what was going on, including Mia. Pushing my finger into his chest I spoke as calmly as possible.
"You didn't give a fuck about me five minutes ago Dominic. You didn't even know I was home. You didn't even come and check on me and Mia when you got in. You know what you were doing? You had your hand on the ass of some chick ready to fuck your brains out and leave in the morning. You won't remember her name and she'll be able to say that she fucked the great Dominic Toretto. If I had not come down stairs you would not have seen me until noon tomorrow. So what are you really mad at Dominic? What is so stuck up your ass that you keep picking fights? Because I am sick of your shit, I've had it. You are not my father, if you can remember he's dead. My entire family is dead. Five minutes ago it was the 4 year anniversary. Remember I didn't want to go see my abuelo cause me and Mia had plans. So they let me spend the weekend here. They were coming home and got hit. Remember the police cars Dominic? I do, I remember just sitting there while they were talking to your dad. I remember when you came and slept in my bed because I couldn't stop crying. Do you remember? Cause I do Dominic. I do."
We didn't talk about that night or the weeks after. I was inconsolable and had let few people around me. They tried to send me away to relatives, but Mr. T made sure I was safe with them; they were my family now.
He was silent, as I had expected him to be. Making a quick move I grab my keys out of his hand and hop into my car. By the time he had realized what happened I was down the street.
The beach had always been my sanctuary. The ocean was calming and it was the first place that me and my father went alone, just the two of us; Father and Daughter day. I was a daddy's girl, always underneath him. That night changed my whole life. I remember standing at the foot of the stairs when the police cars pulled up. Mr. T thought they were for Dom and became furious with him. But I knew; I knew as soon as the door opened. They just looked sad to me; when they asked for me my whole body went numb. I sat on the steps, no tears, no crying. I didn't cry until that night in Dom's room. I broke down and let it all out. He was supposed to be sleeping on the couch but he stayed with me and held me close. We never fell asleep that night or the night afterward. He would read to me or talk to me about anything, but we never slept because every time I closed my eyes; I saw them.
I don't know how long I was out there just sitting and daydreaming. When I looked up the sun was peaking out over the horizon. It was so beautiful, captivating. This is also where I first learned that I could draw. One day I wanted to get a picture of the ocean, and we didn't have a camera so my daddy went to a local store and got me some paper and pencils. "Just put the pencil to the paper and see what you end up with Leticia. No picture will be able to rival that because that is pure beauty." My dad was the only person to call me Leticia; any other person would have been sentencing their own death.
Around 7am I pulled myself up and headed back to the fort. It was Friday morning so nobody was awake yet, except maybe Mia. I didn't want to go in yet, so I headed to the back and just sat on the picnic table basking in the morning sun not minding the early morning breeze even with the goosebumps. I was at peace for about 20 minutes before I heard the back door open and close and feet padding down the stairs.
He sat next to me and draped a blanket across my shoulders. "I know….Let I'm sorry." He would never understand that it was never about him apologizing. I didn't care about that all I wanted was for him to understand. "I don't care about apologies Dom. It was never about that. Stop taking everything for granted will you. It's not about you all the time. When you're mad the world has to react. It's not fair and I'm tired of it. I'm so tired of it. All you do is take and take, sometimes you got to give a little Dom. That's all I'm asking." He nodded his head and draped his arm around me.
That night he tried. Mia had a date with some new guy and Dom didn't give her any crap. He just looked at the guy and threatened him only a little and told him to have her home by midnight. It was nothing like usual so I could tell that he tried…..a little. Things went back to normal after that minus the huge fights. He still brought around random girls but never home. They would meet at the garage and take off after that but he never brought any girls home. He didn't get busy on race nights anymore either; he would just hang out with me and the guys. We talked more, flirted a whole lot more too. Then one day about a month and a half later right before school was to start the girls stopped coming. He didn't let them mess with him at races or at the parties. If they walked towards him he would go the other way. That's when he started hanging with me a whole lot more; you could say we talked more. At the races he would stand beside me and just chill no words needed. At work it was easy; we worked side by side in silence. It was peaceful and calming. Soon the peace had to end. He started in on me about something stupid, I think it was about me forgetting to do inventory on some new office supplies; Mia's job, not mine. Mostly everyone was gone except for us and Vince, but he hightailed it out as soon as we started to raise our voices. We hadn't fought in over a month so whatever tension had built by then was bound to come out; sexual tension. I had been underneath a 99' Toyota Celica and he dragged me out by me feet and held a piece of paper in my face; a memo about inventory. From there it escalated to the point where I was gripping a wrench until my knuckles turned white itching to throw it at his head; I have great aim.
"I'm done Dominic. I'm so sick of this shit. It's always about you, you, and you! Fuck you! You need inventory on office supplies; you do it. You need a tune up on this Celica; you do it. You need to eat dinner; you cook your own damn food! I am done!" With that I strip out of my cover all's wrapping the upper half around my waist and undoing my ponytail freeing my hair. I grab my keys out of my locker with a fresh shirt and turn to book it out of there. Instead I run into a rock hard chest which pushes me back into the wall of the locker room and traps me with both arms on the side of my head. He looks menacing and ready to strangle me but I don't care.
"I'm tired of this Dominic, so tired of this and you. You win." His eyes softened but his arms never left the side of my head. He bent his head until his forehead was touching mine and sighed. "I'm sorry Let, I tried dammit. I'm sorry." I pushed him away again. "We had this discussion already Dominic. I don't care how sorry you are. I don't…" I was cut off by his lips crushing down on my own. I didn't know what to do until his body pressed up against mine, and then I responded wrapping my arms around his neck pressing my body against his. He tasted so good, like heaven and all too soon it was gone. He pulled away from me but I was still wrapped in his arms. "I'm tired of holding my tongue; I'm tired of looking at you and not touching you. I get so close to you but I'm so far at the same time. I want all of you Let but I'm afraid that I'll hurt you like I did last time. I don't want to hurt you Let, it would kill me if I hurt you."
I searched his eyes and they were sincere. All this time we were fighting seemed dumb now. It was waste of time and energy. Still pressed up against each other we couldn't tear our eyes away from each other. I was still trying to catch my breath but I made the mistake of licking my lips. He captured my mouth again and lets just say that is day we became one. We are passionate people, everyone knew it. One day we were fighting and the next we made up. He never cheated on me, never hit me. We had a tendency to neglect one another and yell. I would yell and hit him with something and he would yell back. It was our way and God did I love that. There was never a dull moment until now.
I don't know what to do and I'm tired of not knowing. What I do know is that I love him; without him I might not make it. I can't stand this tip toeing around one another. If its space we need, then I'll take it, I just want him back, us back.