lying, constant pretending.
Author's POV
The next morning everything seemed surprisingly much worst. Letty couldn't concentrate on anything else but Dom's cheating. She went downstairs into the kitchen and found Brian and Mia talking and laughing. Their faces were lighted and joyful, Letty on the other side, was bitter and jumpy. Letty opened the refrigerator, looked inside and closed it. "Something's wrong ,Lett?" Mia asked nicely. She looked at her, concerned. "You don't look so good." She added after Letty just gave her a blank look.
"I'm fine." Letty finally answered, sitting to the table. "So what's up?" she added after both Brian and Mia looked down on her for a moment of silence. "Nothing." Mia shook her head innocently, "Brian's gonna help me at the shop, while you guys, I assume, gonna work out at the garage." Mia explained. "Hey you know what, Mia…I think I might come with you and give you a hand at the grocery store today…" Letty offered, hoping she doesn't sound weird. "If you don't mind, Brian." She added, looking into Brian's eyes. Both of them were getting the impression that something's weird.
"No, it's cool, I'll go check on the guys at the garage." Brian said and took out his car keys from his pocket. He planted a small kiss on Mia's lips and walked out of there. "Alright Letty, what's up?" Mia asked decisively as she heard the front door slamming shut.
"What do you mean?" Letty shrugged, pretending that everything's normal, she didn't think it would be that hard. "You think I haven't noticed? You look like hell, from the very first moment you entered into the kitchen you seemed down…and I bet you barely slept last night, am I wrong?" Mia stared down at her, Letty was looking up to her fearfully - afraid she might read her like an open book. "Besides," Mia said after a long silence: "You love to work at the garage, and you always hate it when Dom asks you to keep an eye on me at the shop while he's working on something with the boys, why would you wanna help me there all of a sudden?" Mia wondered.
"It's nothing, okay? I just don't feel like doing anything physical today, I'd rather sell Tuna sandwiches than crawl under some fucking random car." Letty mumbled. "Alright." Mia raised her hands defensively and then loosened them down. "I'll go change my clothes and were out in 10 minutes." Mia said, diverting her look on the clock. Letty nodded as she just noticed that Mia was still in her night dress.
Mia walked out of the kitchen and climbed up to her bedroom. Letty searched the living room for her boots. When she couldn't find them she slipped on the sneakers that were under her bed and went downstairs to wait for Mia.
-
The day seemed endless, it wasn't very busy at the Torreto's grocery shop, but Letty was exhausted, her mind was wearing her out. She sat on the inner side of the encounter and gazed upon the clock that was lying there. The hour was 5 pm and nobody was around. Mia was reading some book at the office and the street was silent, except for random cars that were passing by from time to time.
A few minutes later, as Letty was sinking deeper and deeper into her thoughts, Dom stepped into the store. "You seem very thoughtful." He said, she turned her gaze on him, hoping she might fool him. "Nah, just tired." She blinked. "Where's Mia?" he looked around, then saw her brown haired head bursting out of the window. "Reading." Letty said quietly as she figured he already seen her.
"So what's up? Why did you send Brian instead today?" he said, coming closer to the counter, leaning forward, so close to her face. He looked down at her lips, inviting. But it wasn't like before, she couldn't just kiss him and forget about the rest of the world, because something was damaged in her perfect person. Each day that passed by seemed to hurt Letty more and more. She was forced to lie, and it wasn't becoming easier.
The weekend
Letty stared at the clock that was hanging on the garage wall, Dom was doing last fixings on some car, and Vince helped him. Leon was wiping his yellow Nissan after doing some improvements to the engine and painting the hood.
She wished that after the half-day of work will be over she could take a nice shower and sit infront of the TV. It was Friday afternoon and she didn't really feel like the usual family lunch. "Alright, were done." Dom said, tapping on Vince's shoulder and they walked towards Letty. Leon tossed aside the rag he used and stood next to them. "Vince, go get the meat outta the fridge, Leon you take care of the barbecue, call Mia and Brian." Dom ordered, looking on both of them. "Okay." Vince said, Leon nodded and they both walked off.
Dom sat next to Letty, he held her hand and looked into her dark brown eyes. "Letty what's going on?" he asked concerned. "Did Mia talk to you?" Letty asked immediately, she was too tired to have this conversation and she didn't feel like it was the right time anyway.
"No, nobody talked to me, I don't need someone to tell me when there's something wrong with my Lett." He said and smiled weakly. He had this kind and playful smile that he was giving only to the people he really loved, this tender smile that she once loved to look at, seemed to lose from its meaning. He all of a sudden seemed so hypocrite.
"Its nothing, I just don't feel so good lately." Letty mumbled. "– noticed." Dom confessed, lowering his look. He suddenly seemed as if he was feeling a little guilty. Letty's heart skipped a beat, she was afraid he might have figured her out, so soon, catching her so unprepared.
Dom bent over and pressed his lips against Letty'e neck, he buried his head deeper and went down to kiss her collarbone. Letty drew back a little and raised her head high, she was freaking out. His scent was so right, and it was her Dom, the Dom she knew for so long…but she couldn't take the image of him cheating on her off her mind. She couldn't let it go. Letty laid her left hand on Dom's shoulder and pushed him gently. "I'm sorry, Dom, I just really don't feel good." She said as her stomach really started to twitch.
Dom retreated and wiped his lips, he looked at her surprised and then became serious. He nodded and got up, offering his hand. Letty looked up to him for a few seconds, hesitating. Then she took his hand and they both walked into the house. Letty walked into the kitchen, Dom grabbed a few soda bottles and went outside. "You need some help, Girl?" Letty asked, seeing Mia's back and hearing the knife cutting the salad. "Not really, just get those plates outside, I'll bring the cutlery and the salad." Mia said and started to stir the salad. "Alright." Letty said and grabbed the white plates that were on the kitchen table.
Letty placed them one by one on the table and Mia came by to drop some forks and knives. "I'm off to take a quick shower and give Han a call." Dom said to Mia and Letty while Leon was playing basketball with Vince. "What for?" Letty frowned, Mia wondered as well. "He's coming over, with his girlfriend. Hector might come along too, we'll see…" Dom said apathetically and entered into the house.
Letty greeted Mio, Han and Hector as they walked out of their cars and towards the table. She wanted to rip Mio's skanky head off, but she somehow managed to hold back and keep her rage inside. She pressed her lips and sat next to Dom, who was obviously sitting at the head table while Mio was sitting next to him on the other side, infront of Letty, at that moment Letty lost her appetite and played with her salad.
"Letty, aren't you gonna try a piece of that stake?" Vince offered her the plate, she shook her head. "No, not today, V." Letty said, her eyes meeting Mio's bright brown ones, burning with envy and hate. All of a sudden, each devious look that Mio and Dom shared seemed suspicious to Letty. She was overwhelmed by Dom's daring invitation, to bring his affair into their perfect family table. Vince was giving Mio a few hostile looks as well, by now Mio already figured that they probably know.
Letty was quiet all through the meal, when they finished they sat and talked for a little while, about races and plans for tonight, everybody agreed to meet tonight at the usual place, burn some cash. Dom bended to his right side and whispered in Letty's ear: "He's gonna be there tonight, I'm almost positive. The police arrested him two days ago but they didn't have enough evidence so they had to let him go." Letty's eyes widened as she heard that, she assumed Dom had a plan.
The visitors took off and all the crew went to get some rest before the nightly race.
"So what do we do?" Letty asked Dom as they were lying next to each other. "Nothing, we wait and see what he does." Dom said peacefully and turned his back, he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. Letty on the other hand, was everything but peaceful. She was so mad at Dom, she couldn't believe this was happening. And on top of all – Cole was back in the scene, just when she thought they got rid of him.
A Few Hours Later
Letty woke up and went downstairs, Vince and Leon were sitting in the kitchen. "Look who has woke up!" Leon said gruffly. Vince just smiled at her, seeing the frown on her face. "Where's Dom?" she asked coldly. "He went out a few minutes ago." Leon recalled. "He didn't say where to?" Letty twitched her brows. "No." Leon frowned as well. Vince remained quiet the whole time, maybe because he knew.
Letty went upstairs and started to prepare for tonight's race. She picked a leather mini skirt with net pantyhose underneath, for the top she slipped on a red tight T-shirt with a white logo on it. She sat on the bed and put on her flamed New Rock boots. As she bent over to zip them Dom stepped into the room. "Where were you?" Letty asked immediately, Dom seemed a little distracted. He scratched the abs through his white tank top and looked a little confused. "Nowhere…" he mumbled and stepped towards the closet, turning his back on her.
"No where? I thought you weren't gonna go with us tonight. I woke up and asked Leon and Vince, they didn't know." Letty said firmly. Dom lowered his head, still not looking at her, his muscled hand clinging to the closet's door. "I went to check on Brian and Mia, if you must know." He said, his gruff voice trembling a little. She had the sense that he was lying, but she wasn't excited – it wouldn't be the first time.
"I'm going to take a shower." He said and entered into the bathroom.
They almost didn't speak until the team went out of the house together. Each one of them drove his own car. Letty entered into her purple Silvia and started the engine. Leon and Vince parked right behind her, in each side of the pavement, Dom was right on the front. "Were gonna meet Mia and Brian there!" Dom yelled to them out of the window and started the engine, the crew followed.
As they arrived, the street seemed crowded than ever, so many new faces…but also some good old ones. Hector approached Dom as he went out of his red Mazda and greeted him. Letty came along and Vince and Leon followed. "You gonna race tonight?" Letty whispered to Dom over his shoulder. "No, I don't think so. But I think Brian might, so we better wait for him." Dom decided, Hector heard that and nodded.
All music finally stopped at once, all the young racers turned their looks on the entrance, "The Demons" were there. Brian rushed towards Dom, holding Mia's hand. Dom tapped on Brian's shoulder and hugged Mia without even taking his eyes off of the cars that were heading forward. "How the hell did he get a new car that fast? I heard the police confiscated the one he had." Brian thought out loud, Mia just hugged him, feeling scared. Letty stretched her back, getting ready for anything that might come up.
Cole went out of his silvered corvette GT2, a younger man was bursting out of the passenger seat, he seemed a little hesitative, and as soon as Letty's sight collided with his, something hit her in the chest. Her heart started to beat faster. "Dom, I think that's him." She spat as she looked at his direction. Dom looked at her, and then on the stranger. "What?" Dom furrowed.
"That's the guy that broke into the garage, I know. I can recognize him only by the look on his face, I know those eyes - I've seen them before." She said firmly, Brian was listening the whole time and was checking on that guy too, he tried to pick all the pieces together in his mind and solve this for once, but it seemed to be impossible without knowing who that young man was.
He seemed a lot like Cole when they stood next to each other and talked quietly. Only that Cole was taller and more muscled. They ignored the whole world for a moment, looking as if they were sharing a secret, the younger man was wearing dark blue jeans and a short sleeved dickie shirt. He broke eye contact with Cole and diverted his sight on Letty, as she felt his eyes on her – something within her twitched. The rest of Cole's gang gathered around behind them, waiting for Cole.
"Dom, they are clearly delinquents, there's no way they managed to get those great cars that fast…" Brian reflected quietly, trying to convince him. Letty on the other hand – was already convinced. "We want to make peace." Cole suddenly declared, raising his voice. "Very good." Dom nodded, testing him with his look as he got closer, the younger man right behind him.
"This is my younger brother – Michael, he's new to the races world, but he's got it in his blood." Cole said, gesturing with his hand, then he turned and winked at his brother that just released a weak and nervous smile. Letty couldn't take her eyes off of that young man the whole time. They did had similarities though, same nose, same skin color, same eye color. "I say we decide that." Dom smiled cunningly. "Are you challenging him?" Cole asked playfully, not even looking on his brother.
"One on one, the usual track, with my man here, Brian O'Conner." Dom offered, tapping on Brian's shoulder as he stepped forward. "How much?" Cole asked directly. "10,000$" Dom mouthed. Michael's eyes widened, Cole swallowed hard and cleared his throat. "We ain't playing here with dimes." Dom said as a smile of satisfaction was spreading on his face. "Very well then." Cole agreed and took out a fat grey envelope. He counted the money that was in there and gave it money to Hector, Dom gave Hector a pack of bills as well and the racers entered into their cars.
Two chicks were standing from each side of the road, and sprayed the pavement with glowing green spray paint, the racers parked their cars right on it, Hector stepped forward and sent them out on the count of three.
I just re-edited and re-uploaded this chapter. (: