Disclaimer: I do not own Fast and the Furious, it's characters or its situations. I'm just writing for fun.

A/N: Because I couldn't leave well enough alone and I wanted to know where Letty went when she left Dom in Coup D'état. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Exclamation Expletive

Ouch!

My head rapped against the wood of the door. The banging on the other side ceased immediately. Or at least I thought it did. I couldn't tell because I was slipping into a surreal moment. I saw Dom's face fall into shock. I rationalized that he didn't mean to push so hard, that our skirmish had escalated evenly by accident. I wasn't surprised by the push at all. I would have pushed him again if I hadn't hit my head. It shocked me out of what we had been doing seconds before. I saw his mouth moving but the silence continued to ring in my ears. My eyes started to tear up. Oh no, not now! I wanted to show Dom that I wasn't weak. The tears would be a glaring admission. I didn't want to win our argument this way. Embarrassed I turned, struggling to open the door and escape. I registered Vince standing in the doorway. Leon, Mia, and Jesse were lined up on the wall looking wigged out. Mia was crying. I didn't mean to make her cry. I needed a second to find my voice to talk to them, to calm Mia and Jesse down. Stupidly I rested my arm against the door jamb.

Wah!

The last time I heard a wail that pitiful I was standing next to Dom at his father's final race. For a moment I was delirious, my mind unable to process that I wasn't there in that moment almost three years previous watching Tony Toretto perish in the black `70 Charger smashed into the wall. I cried wounded as much at the memory as how Mr. T would feel if he could see us now. His nineteen year-old daughter crying in the hallway, scared that her twenty-one year-old ex-con brother was having a brawl with his nineteen year-old girlfriend. Or maybe he would be livid that we were fighting in the first place. I cried for Han who at twenty was across an ocean leaving twenty year-old Vince to straighten us out. Vince's brand of finesse was higher on the physical end as opposed to Han whose calm words may have soothed our hurts. Leon would try in his nineteen year-old way but he wasn't finished assessing the situation to find the solution that would suit all of us best. And poor eighteen year-old Jesse wouldn't be any help to us at all with his nerves on overload. Yet it was the person I least expected that stepped forward to me. Jesse pushed himself away from the wall to approach me, his actions striking me as sharply as the rap of my scull against the wooden door. I stopped crying, embarrassment truly taking over. I was feeling sick so I let me feet rescue me, taking me down the block to a place I hadn't slept in a long time.

Arrg!

I was frustrated. I realized as I stood in front of the door to the house that I left my keys on the dresser in our…in Dom's room. Ringing the doorbell I let myself give in to the nervous energy I felt. Bouncing from foot to foot I decided that I would walk around the house if no one came to the door soon. I did not want to be visible from the street in case he came looking for me. I was grateful the traitorous tears had stopped seconds before the door was opened. My cousin Marisol had to flatten herself against the wall as I rushed past her. I'd heard an engine fire up down the street though my brain couldn't function enough to tell me whose car it was. Marisol shut the door quickly, throwing the deadbolt before turning to look at me with an incredulous expression.

"Ti Ti?" Marisol asked cautiously, the familiar nickname falling from her lips. The name invoked powerful feelings in me. Jesse thought the name was a play on the t's in Letty. It was half true. But Marisol wasn't the only person to call me that in my family, the name implying that I could act like a miniature aunt sometimes. Overbearing, protective, strong just like someone's older wizen aunt.

"Ri Ri," I answered her with her nickname. I felt my throat closing over the knot rising from my heart. I was in danger of breaking down completely right in the hallway.

"You know chica…" she started, her thick accent betraying her Latin roots. She knew something was up. I started peeked through the curtains watching Jesse's car speed past. I breathed a sigh of relief and my body started to shake from the stress I didn't realize I had building up.

"Dónde están?" Where is everyone? Marisol looked at me perplexed.

"Mass. Es Domingo," Mass. It's Sunday she replied shaking her head ruefully before adding, "Bárbaro." Barbarian. I started laughing uncontrollably. I hadn't been to Mass in years; my Sunday's filled with either garage work or after-race recovery. My cousin was looking at me like I had lost my sanity. I struggled to explain.

"Dejé Dom. I no lo sé. No tengo ningún lugar a done ir." I left Dom. I don't know…I have no place to go.

"What do you mean, you left him and you don't have no place to go?" Marisol asked me taking me by the hand to steer me into the kitchen. She thrust me towards a chair before rustling in the cabinets, unearthing a bottle of Patron and two shot glasses. Trust Marisol to need libations before processing my news.

"Hemos luchado y me fui. Pero él es un idiota. Me niego a estar junto a él y ver ponerse en peligro." We fought and I left. But he is an idiot. I refuse to stand by and see him put at risk. Why couldn't I process anything in English? I took the shot, the fire burning my throat and settling in my empty stomach.

Marisol pushed another shot towards me, "Beberla." Drink it. I drank again, this time swifter. The second shot seemed to take the fight out of me. I started to calm so Marisol put the liquor back in its hiding place and washed the glasses. "Ti Ti, what kind of trouble is Dom getting in to that would make you run home?"

"The Kenny Linder kind," I said. Well this was progress in the speech department at least. Idly I wondered if Dom had understood any of the final moments of our shouting match. I know I must have made the switch to Spanish somewhere during the shaking and the yelling.

"Huh. Well look, Tia Linda and the rest of them will be home soon and if they see you like that it is going to be on and poppin' at casa Toretto tonight ok? So let's get you fixed up and our story straight before then alright?"

I nodded before following her upstairs to her room. It hadn't changed much since we'd shared it three years ago. The full bed rested in the middle of the tiny room, Marisol bypassing it easily to stand in front of the closet filled to the brim with three times as many clothes as I owned. I looked down at the t-shirt I was wearing, pulling it out for a cursory sniff. At least it smelled clean. I recognized it as one of my work shirts because it was permanently stained with grease marks. I took a shower then returned to find an outfit waiting for me. The jeans were slightly tighter than I liked to wear mine but the shirt was completely me, a hoodie with long sleeves. It was light enough to not seem out of place to wear in this warm fall weather.

"Mari," I called descending the stairs. I smelled food cooking and met my family milling around in the kitchen.

"Ti Ti!" my mother called out to me, scooping me into a hug. I missed her. My hug was a little longer and deeper than I meant to give her. She pushed me back to stare at me, cataloging my strong arms and carefully scowling face. I would not let her see the pain she was putting me in by touching my covered up bruises. "You look hungry."

"I am hungry."

"You'd look less hungry if you stopped working on cars," she scolded lightly.

I rolled my eyes, "Ma."

My mother went to open her mouth but my father beat her to it, "Linda, let it go." I shot him a grateful glance. He shrugged then motioned to the table. I sat next to him. No matter how long I would space these visits I always came to sit beside him at mealtimes, the ritual understood by the whole family. He sat at the head now, waiting for my mother to bring the last dish to the table and sit facing him. Marisol sat next to me, her sister Lorraine sitting across from us. The only person missing was my brother Daniel. Mami blessed the food and then we started to eat, the conversation flowing pleasantly over clothes and the latest happenings in the church community. I was startled when the conversation turned to me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my mouth open in the act of taking another bite of the plantains.

"Babies, Letty. You know, babies?" Lorraine said slowly, teasing me a little.

"Yeah, what about 'em?" My voice was gruffer that I planned trying to get a grasp on what she was talking about.

"Hector's cousin Carmen has a sister, Lita, who's having a baby," Lorraine supplied, clearly enjoying the interplay of confusion on my face.

"Yeah."

"And Tia Linda said it was sad because she's unmarried. But I think it could happen to anyone," Lorraine said conversationally.

"I guess."

"And then Mari asked if Tia Linda mean she was sad because of the baby or the fact that Lita's unmarried."

I caught on staring directly into my mother's eyes, "I'm not pregnant Ma."

"Of course not," she said quickly.

"I'm not married either," I gave her a ghost grin.

"But you are livin' in sin with Dominic Toretto, Ti Ti," Lorraine chirped, "and neither of those statements may last long."

"Well I hope Dominic would make an honest woman of you soon Leticia," my mother piped up in a tone that clearly said she was hoping soon would show up faster than it was currently doing. I found the irony of the statement pretty amusing though. She expected Dom to make me honest when he himself was getting ready to start part-time dishonest work.

"Actually I'm not living with Dom anymore," I said quietly. It took a few seconds for that to sink in. Marisol had the grace to look down at her plate.

"Mari, you knew and you didn't tell right away?" Lorraine asked shocked. "I'm impressed."

I laughed. My father looked at me with a strange expression on his face. "Do I need to have a talk with him?"

"No Papi. We just…" I tapered off trying to get the subject to drop. I wasn't able to stand by like Daphne had stood by for Han. I didn't want him to risk his freedom or his life this way for our team, our family. It bothered me that he, like Han, wanted to do these things alone. Couldn't he see that his decision to act alone still affected us all?

"Oh Ti Ti, but you have fought before. This will blow over and you will go back right away, you'll see." My mother said this with such finality that no one was left in question. The conversation was finished. After clearing the dishes, my cousins and I popped in a movie. We were about ten minutes into it when the doorbell rang. I stared at them. Had Dom come to get me already? Lorraine was quick to jump up and get the door when it rang again. She was as anxious looking as I felt.

"Um, hey is Letty here?" The voice was familiar but not Dom's. I sprung up from the couch and made it to the door before Lorraine could lie and say that I wasn't. Leon's face broke into a relieved smile. He was holding my duffel bag with the keys to my car attached. "Hey baby girl," he said sheepishly. Lorraine gave Leon an appraising look before moving into the living room to give us more privacy.

"Thanks for bringing this man," I told him trying to keep the conversation light. He thrust the bag into my outstretched hands then looked at me searching for whether I was going to break down. Finally he gave a soul weary sigh.

"No problem. I'm here, no questions asked, for whatever baby girl," he told me. I nodded my understanding. He wouldn't choose me over Dom or Dom over me. He would work to remain friends with both of us. He turned to lightly jog across the grass, getting into Jesse's Jetta. The two of them sped off. I grinned. They would try to throw Dom off by being gone longer than necessary. But just in case I would retrieve my car much later, when I knew he would be sleeping.

Bang!

The following morning I was awakened by the persistent banging on the front door. I guess Dom had finally decided to come and get me. I trudged downstairs grumpily trying to figure out how Dom knew I was here. I didn't think Leon would tell him. Then again, he knew me better than anyone else did. I noticed that everyone else was already at work so I threw the deadbolt in response to his banging. Then I sat on the stairs, yawning as I listened to him yell. I wasn't ready to forgive just yet. I didn't know what to say. A night of rest had let me really consider how I felt about my relationship with Dom. I'd missed him terribly when he was away in prison. But I'd lived with the man who'd returned for a year now. We knew how to tick each other off but neither had mastered sharing our less volatile feelings with each other. We both chose anger and nonchalance, never letting our guard down to discuss issues. Instead Dom felt he had to parent all of us. He made the decisions and the rest of us were supposed to magically go along with whatever he wanted. It was frustrating. I thought I would be happy to have Dom back but I missed having a say in how our family would work.

Dom kept banging on the door and my head started to pound. I decided to shelve my pride and call Vince. Vince showed up within moments to escort Dom home. I heard them shouting on the lawn so I walked upstairs to Daniel's old room to peek at the front lawn. Vince was punching Dom. Dom didn't fight back. Crazily I wanted to call out of the window, to tell them to stop but I refrained. I'd given Vince authority to come and drag Dom away by any means necessary so I couldn't balk at those means now. Finally Dom fell to the ground. I was going to intervene if Vince started kicking him, I wasn't that cruel. But thankfully the violence stopped. Vince left and so did Dom.

But Dom's campaign had just begun. For the following three weeks he began contacting me in a variety of ways, trying to apologize. I still didn't know what to say so I didn't respond. I wasn't angry with Dom anymore. I missed him but I couldn't figure out a way to respond that wouldn't condone his decision to work for Johnny Tran. I quit working at the garage, going to races, or hanging out anywhere I thought he might pop up. This pretty much meant that I hung around the house a lot for the first two weeks, driving my parents insane. Finally Marisol suggested that I look for work at a garage across town to take my mind off things. She really meant so I would stop driving them nuts. The following day I finally needled Hector into giving me a job in his garage. He really didn't want to get the gossip mill started so I spent most of my time ordering and picking up parts, which meant I was in the office or out of the garage most of the time.

But by that third week at home, I decided that I no longer needed to deny myself the activities I had grown accustomed to. I broke down and asked Marisol to dress me, then hurried to the 240sx. When I arrived at the races I was glad I'd let her put the shimmery low-cut purple top on me and the low-rise leather pants. The crowd was staring unabashedly at me. I brazened it out, going to greet Hector. Sam saw me and snapped me into a bear hug. I laughed. I refused to seek out Dom but I knew enough about him that Sam's gesture would rankle.

"Hey Letty, now you can beat these wenches off me," Sam whispered in my ear. I laughed again. Sam could be such a clown. I noticed that the crowd around us swelled. No one bothered to mask their surprise that I was here. I tried to keep my mind on my friends, listening to Hector set up the main event, but the comments got to me all the same.

"She doesn't look pregnant but still…"

"…wonder if it's Vince's baby."

"How long does it take to fix a broken leg?"

"Toretto know she's here?"

"First Vince, now Sam."

Sam rubbed my arm absentmindedly, probably trying to do his best unconsciously to protect me from the speculation but it wasn't working. I was getting ready to move back to my car when I turned and saw him. Dom was laughing at something Joi Tran had told him. I felt my shoulders tense then relax. Easy Letty, you can't get mad that he's talking to another girl. You're not together remember? And then I saw her sashay away from him. But she didn't get far. He grabbed her from behind, pulling her into the cradle of his arms to whisper in her ears. I recognized the move. He'd done it to me numerous times. The move had its intended effect. The two of them got into the Mazda and I didn't need a play-by-play to know that he was going to be very Joi-ful tonight. I forced myself to stay till the end of the race and then proceeded to crumple into fitful tears when my head finally met my pillow.

Groan.

"I think you should start the New Year off free of regrets chica," my father told me as I curled up on the floor, my head resting on his knees. It was Christmas Eve and we were all waiting for Daniel to come home. My brother hadn't come home since he'd joined the Navy four years ago so we were all eager to welcome him back even if it was starting to get late. I tore my face away from the TV to look him in the eyes. He never looked at me but the wink and smile he gave told me he knew I was looking.

I sighed, "Whatever."

"I'm serious. You're going to have a rotten year if you take old hurts into the new one." I pondered this for a few minutes. Then the door sprung open. I was glad to know that Daniel still kept his key to the house.

My mother ran to the doorway to hug Daniel, kissing him over and over again on the cheeks.

"Ma," he grumbled out. The moment she pulled back he swept her into a long hug, rocking her back and forth. "Don't cry Ma." I could hear the exasperation roll off him. She pulled herself together before grabbing his hand and dragging him into the living room. Everyone stood up to embrace him. First Lorraine, then Marisol, followed by our father, and finally me.

"Maybe we should get the locks changed," I said wryly. He poked me in the stomach.

"What? And leave them alone to fend you off? No se puede." I can't. We all laughed. Daniel's arrival finally made Christmas complete.

I guess I was feeling the after effects of having my brother home with us. I lay in bed Christmas morning thinking about Casa Toretto and how it related to what my father had said. I wasn't ultra religious or superstitious but I didn't want to bring on more hurts if I could help it. Besides I wanted to have my friends back. I missed Vince, Leon, Jesse and Mia even if I was feeling hurt by Dom. I decided that I would take my father's advice and patch things up on that front. I didn't want to start the New Year off still avoiding face-to-face contact with my extended family.

So after we opened presents at my house I made the trek down the block. Daniel offered to walk me down there for moral support but I scowled. I was old enough to take care of this myself. Or at least I needed to prove to myself that I had enough courage to face my own family. I idly wondered if Dom would slam the door in my face but I was saved the agony. Everyone was standing outside the Toretto house. Every step brought me closer to the car they were examining, their conversation becoming clearer. I saw Dom toss a set of keys to a squealing Mia. I heard Jesse ask if they could paint the car, at least. I guess they weren't going to budge on modifying Mia's car to go faster. Mia hugged Vince then Dom hit him lightly. Those two were always horsing around. The conversation moved back to tune ups and paint colors. I hadn't been noticed yet so I decided to play it cool and insert myself into the conversation.

"What about baby blue?" Dom's head whipped around to stare at me. The rest of them were looking at me with awe too. I guess I'd been unfair to abandon them all. I was glad my eyes were hidden behind my sunglasses. I felt my eyes tearing up.

Mia came to hug me first, "Baby blue is cool."

Leon came next, a kiss ready for me and placed in my hair as he hugged me, "Yeah, that's girly enough for baby girl."

"Could we add some lights underneath to liven things up?" Jesse asked. I was thankful for his one track mind. I crossed over to look under the hood, taking a moment to ruffle his hair. I saw his slight grin. Huh, maybe he wasn't as unaware as I thought.

Vince gave my hair a small tug as he joked, "It couldn't hurt to be all show and no go."

I called out to Mia, glad to see that they were going to let me back in, no questions asked. "Wait him out chica. He won't stand for anything that slow around here for long." I heard Dom huff at my assessment.

"I think I'll live in this case." I didn't think his voice could get that dry. Apparently I struck a nerve. I turned to look at him, my eyebrow slightly raised, a lopsided smile playing over my mouth. I missed him so much. I wanted to be closer to him, even though I knew he was with Joi Tran now. I pushed the stirrings of jealousy behind me. We stared at each other.

"Yeah Dom, you'll change your mind in time," Jesse said with finality. I heard the hood slam and then the rest of the team went into the house. I turned so Dom and I stood beside the Acura, glancing at it rather than at each other. And then we were back on the discussion of us, of our broken relationship. I didn't want to deal with this. His inability to take my feelings into account was raising my temper. I didn't want to fight so I turned to stalk back down the street.

"You're not going to stay for lunch?" What? We'd just finished raising our blood pressure and he was going to invite me to Christmas lunch? Instinctively I paused to think about it. It would be a spread of all of the wonderful cookies, cakes, and pies that Mia would whip up in her Holiday spirit frenzy. It would be churlish not to at least help distribute the diabetic shock amongst more bodies, erm for their sake of course.

"On one condition."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Come up with a story for why we broke up. I'm tired of people thinking I slept with Vince. It's ruining my street cred." The ridiculous statement made us both laugh. Here was my friend. My Dominic. The guy I knew before prison had returned the hardened man. He waited for me to return and I walked beside him into the house, careful to keep things light and fun. I ate more dessert than I should have then happily accepted a platter of sweets to take to my family. And I went home that night with no regrets to carry into the New Year.

Damn.

"Ti Ti, at least try wearing a dress," my mother pleaded with me. This was an old argument between the two of us.

"But I like pants! I like them ma," I said, emphasizing my statement by pointing out my jeans. It was bad enough she asked me to help out in the kitchen to cook. I couldn't cook worth a damn. But now she was harping on my clothing choices again.

"But boys like seeing a pretty girl in a pretty dress," she insisted. I handed her the plate of raw seasoned chicken to brown in the frying pan.

I took a deep breath before speaking to keep the edge out of my voice, "I get plenty of offers while wearing my pants too."

"Yes," she said in a long suffering way, "but can you keep them Ti Ti?"

"Ma!" That was way below the belt. She was always dragging the conversation around to Dom lately. Huh. Guess she'd rather I live in sin than lose the man I clearly wanted.

"Boys want to marry girls, Ti Ti. Girls!"

"It's exactly that attitude that I have to fight at the shop," I said heatedly.

"I'm not saying that you can't work with the boys," she said quickly to assuage me. She turned the chicken over to brown on the other side. "I'm just saying that you have to play like the girls."

"And you think wearing a dress will fix that?"

"It helps." My mother looked around to check that my father was not anywhere near before she added, "Young men need extra clues to see so they remember that you're a young woman."

Oh jeez. I prayed someone would come in and save me. If she started to talk about sex I was going to run out of here screaming. In desperation I fought against my natural inclination to continue the argument, keeping my lips sealed together. I would make an effort to get along for the next couple of hours. She was going to be angry with me when she woke up tomorrow anyway.

"I've seen that one Dominick chauffeurs around. She wears dresses."

See! This is why I'd decided to leave L.A. I hadn't told anyone besides my brother. I didn't want anyone trying to stop me from going. From escaping Dom and his complete infiltration of my whole life. My mother couldn't see how her comparison rankled. I really fought the urge to set her straight. It wouldn't do for her last memories of me to be of us fighting.

"Yes but she doesn't mind letting anyone with eyes see her panties," Marisol said, breezing into the kitchen and sticking her hand out for the plate before crossing to the sink to wash it. I laughed.

"Mari, that's not nice," my mother scolded.

"But it's true Ma." I thought about me working under cars all day in a skirt and shuddered. Dom had been the only guy I'd ever shown my completely naked body. I definitely was not willing to put my "engine" on display for just anyone. I saw my mother trying to hold onto her composure. She wanted to grin too.

"And Tia Linda, you said good girls don't show their stuff to just anyone," Marisol added innocently.

"Well they don't have sex when they're not married either," I added to be fair. I couldn't help goad my mother. She frowned.

"Oye! No more nasty talk in the kitchen. I'm cooking." Bingo! Marisol met my gaze and we grinned at each other quickly. Nice save. I checked the time and debated whether I wanted to take this last ride out to the races. I contemplated sitting at home and yet something compelled me to go anyway.

So at ten I rode out to the warehouse district and played up my role. I greeted Hector and Sam. I talked trash to Edwin. I even checked out a supercharged Supra. Vince found me and dragged me over to where Dom was making a scene. Our approach explained why. I looked at the glossy black body of Mr. Toretto's Charger. For a moment I felt I had seen a ghost. I barely registered Vince's statement that he was going to race. I eked out a greeting to the rest of the team then let Jesse lead me over to the Charger. It was a masterpiece. Dom had really spared no expense or time on the rebuild. I know that he could have done it much quicker than it had taken him but he'd wanted to lovingly piece back together the strongest memory of his father. Carefully I made a circuit of the car, lightly tracing the surface. I used to do this as a kid. I felt a twinge of left over sadness at how things had changed so drastically that day at the tracks. I'd almost finished inspecting the exterior when I noticed the lug nuts had something scratched onto them. Bending I gingerly traced the engraved "T T", my heart breaking just a bit. Here was the Dom I remembered. My Dom. The boy who hero worshipped his father. That Dom was right here on these custom lug nuts. Painfully I stood twisting my face into what I hoped was an expression of indifference, as if I hadn't been touched by Dom's sentimentality.

Hector called for the race to begin, getting the crowd organized to block off a street for the main event. I couldn't stomach it though so I went home to pack. My mind was so full though that I took an extremely indirect route home, arriving near one am. As I exited the car I could hear the roar of the Charger's engine as Dom brought it home. I felt the ghost of Tony Toretto haunting me. The car sounded the same as it had all those years ago. I toyed with indecision. I really wanted to get a better look at the car, but I didn't know if Dom brought Joi with him. I decided to compromise by waiting ten minutes then sneaking into the garage to take a peek. I was surprised to find Dom still in the garage when I made it up the drive. Quietly I propped myself against the wall and struck a pose of nonchalance while I continued to watch him search the car over near where I had stopped earlier in the evening.

"Huh," he grunted. He sounded genuinely confused, as if he'd missed something in his inspection. I decided to make my presence known.

"Find what you're looking for?" His head snapped up. He looked stunned to see me but he recovered quickly.

"Depends. What did you see earlier?"

I felt sad. So that's what he was searching for. "Tony Toretto." It was all that I could force out of my rapidly closing throat. We each took a moment to let the meaning of my statement sink in.

"Did Jesse convince you to upgrade your nitrous injection system yet?" he asked me. I grinned. "Guess the kid couldn't help himself."

I noticed frilly chick magazines on his garage stool. Must be Joi's. Shit he never let anyone just sit in his workspace before. I guess their relationship was much stronger than I could have expected. My heart started to hurt again but I covered it with a cool, "Apparently he's not the only one." I was thrown by his eye roll.

"Mia's having an end of semester thing week after next," he replied changing the subject. Unfortunately it hinted at me being around beyond tomorrow. Suddenly the weight of what I was doing came crashing on me. I thought of Mr. Toretto and then about how lost and confused my parents would be when they woke up and I was gone tomorrow.

"Can we sit in the car? I wanna ask you something." Dom looked me over for a moment then motioned for me to sit in the driver's seat.

"Let's see if you can still handle her," he teased. He eased the key into the ignition and turned the engine over. Carefully I adjusted the seat and mirrors to suit me then raised my eyebrow at his lack of motion.

"Seat belt." He complied and I sped off, driving aimlessly to gather my thoughts. "I'm leaving."

"That's not a question."

"And you only got a 'C' in English?"

"Jerk." I laughed. He was still smarting about that one. I recognized that we were close to the oceanfront so I steered us to the beach to watch the waves crash. I loved the beach. It calmed me down in the same way engines calmed Jesse down.

"I need you to do something for me."

"Still not a question." I turned to face him with a slight grin on my face.

"Don't be obtuse when my parents ask about me."

"And why would they ask me about you?"

"They don't know that I'm leaving."

"So you're sneaking off?" I wouldn't have phrased it quite that way but I nodded just the same. His next question was filled with venom. "Are you knocked up?"

"Are you high?" I didn't mean to say it but I was losing my temper. What a ludicrous assumption.

"Are you?" His voice was edgy.

"No. What is your problem?"

"It's not like you to skulk away Letty."

I felt heat on my face, my temper fraying. "It's not like you to…" I broke off then took a deep breath. I did not want our last meeting to be filled with angry words. I would try to contain myself the same way I had done with my mother.

"Letty, I never meant to hurt you," he said quietly, his tone changing to the pleading one I'd heard back at the beginning of our break-up. I was starting to crack up. I flung myself out of the car then began to pace. Hood then trunk. Trunk then hood. I stiffened when Dom put his hands on my shoulders. He sighed into my hair and I felt myself get weak, "Letty…"

My control slipped and I started to ramble. At least it was in English. "I forgave you at Christmas you know. That's why I came back. I forgave you then and yet I am still so angry. I need space to be my own person. Right now, you're part of all the fabric of my life in LA."

"Letty…"

"Dom, you can't say that you aren't. You're King Dom of the LA race scene. I'm just Dom's ex." I felt disgusted at the admission.

"But why me? Why would your parents ask me?"

"Because they know I still have strong feelings for you." I couldn't tell who was more shocked by my words, him or me.

He whispered as much as a man with his deep voice could whisper, "Letty you don't have to leave."

"Yeah I do."

He rephrased, "I don't want you to leave."

Bitterly I thought of how he'd moved on to Joi Tran and I stiffened my resolve, "Trust me in a few weeks you won't even remember I exist."

"That's crap and you know it." It was at this point that I realized that he was angry with me too. He gripped my arms tightly and stared into my eyes. I'd forgotten that I wanted to de-escalate our fight, choosing to stare him back instead. I poured out the betrayal I had been feeling ever since he'd moved on. I brought up his quick recovery into the arms of Joi. I scoffed at his admonitions. Waiting for me, my ass. He hadn't changed. He wasn't willing to change, to do the right thing. He was willing to take someone who wouldn't call him on his shit. Our tempers raged out of control. I was tired of fighting it. I decided to brazenly let my curiosity take over. Could I move on and still stay in LA the same as he had done?

"Do you won't mind if I stay in LA and find a guy to fu…"I started to ask but Dom shook me. I was stunned. How did we let things get this far again? I struggled to gain some composure. "I guess you can't handle me moving on after all."

"Why are you torturing me?" he asked almost childishly.

"I'm not." I was feeling defiant not torturous.

"Then what do you want?"

Harshly I spat out, "I wanted to know if you still love me." And then I said softly, "Do you? Do you still love me Dom?"

It was now or never time. Here it was in plain view for him to reject me or confirm my wildest hopes. Dom never told me in words that he loved me. Instead he showed me there in the moonlight. And I showed him that I loved him back right there in the parking lot. I trusted him enough to let him strip me down, pants and all, and make love with him on the trunk of the charger. I forgot to care that anyone could come and see us, see my bared form at any time. I let that love keep me in a haze as he took me to my house an hour later and kissed me goodnight. I felt in his kiss his belief that I would still be in LA in the morning, that he had convinced me to stay. And until I caught my flight a few hours later I wrestled with the sadness that I was leaving the greatest love of my life behind.