A/N: Quick update, huh? Well I've got a lot of pages stored on my laptop, went a little crazy with writing the other night. Special thanks to my hubby for the car info. Please let me know what you think of OMC, and reviews are a must! As usual I own nothing and mean no harm.
Letty
Closing her eyes she leaned back in his embrace. Strong enough to hold her or break her. He had always held that power over her.
Things were different now. They were not the same people they had been. She knew it in her gut.
Did he deserve another chance? Another chance to hold her trust and not break it. She had always gone with her gut before, so she spoke.
"I was just imagining you not here, is all."
She took his silence as a prompt to continue.
"Having you here, it changes so much. I just don't want to let it go yet."
Dom
Straining to hear the last of what she'd said he felt the weight lifting off his heart.
So she was worried he was going to leave. Everything he wanted was here.
"There's nothing for you to imagine Letty girl."
Turning her in his arms he pressed her against the counter, kissing her cheeks as he did.
"I searched every day for you. Paid fuckers to find you. Every breath in me was reaching for you."
Were those tears?
"I found you, Letty. Whether you want me or not. I'm not going anywhere. There is no place else for me, but with you."
Pulling her against him he wrapped her in his arms. Face pressed in her hair, he breathed in. She smelled like the ocean.
Having buried her face into his neck he felt tears on his skin.
"Letty, I told Brian once that I lived my life a quarter mile at a time. That the only time I was free, really free was for those ten seconds."
Would she understand?
"After you left and I finally raced again I had lost that feeling, that freedom. It wasn't the race that set me free. It was finding you at the finish line, in the crowds, that proud smile on your face."
Squeezing a little harder he continued.
"I didn't understand before, but I do now. I'm sorry, baby, so sorry."
Letty
Tears were falling and she couldn't stop them. To hear those words, it was overwhelming her. Her heart felt as though it could finally beat properly.
He understood. Finally understood what her love could mean. There is no way to make someone understand that. Leaving had taught him a lesson she'd not been able to teach all the time they'd been together.
"God, Dom I didn't want to leave, but I had too. It was killing me you know. The lies, the shame. It hurt so much. So much.
Crushed against him as she was she didn't know if he had even heard her.
"Give me a chance , Let. A chance to make up for all the pain I caused. You done good here girl. I'm so proud of you."
Somebody upstairs must like her, only that could explain it. Kissing him she tried to pour everything she had no words for into it.
Dom
Thank God. Her kiss, so much more than just a kiss, said everything he needed to know. He had another chance, he wasn't going to screw it up this time. Sure, he wasn't perfect, but he could be tenacious when he wanted something. And damn if he didn't want her.
Pulling back he looked down at her. Pushing a stray hair away, he kissed her fore head. Wiping at her tears he smiled at her.
"You sit I'll finish these."
Letty
Giving her a chance to recover she gratefully took a seat. Crying sucked. Wiping at the last of her tears, she watched him as he confidently finished at the counter.
Pulling a big drink of her open Corona, she patted Boots when he rubbed against her leg. Feeling sure she had a voice, she spoke.
"Mia got you pulling shifts now? You look pretty sure of yourself there."
His laughter was still unsettling, but it made her smile. Thunder rumbled overhead as he turned with two plates in his hand.
"Eating here?"
Thinking, she shook her head no.
'Let's go in the living room. I'll build a fire."
Grabbing his drink she made it to the entry just as he did. Bumping into each other, she laughed. Juggling the plates he managed not to drop them.
"You first."
Raising his long arms, she walked under the plates and made her way to the fireplace. Having someone in her space was going to take some getting used to.
Walking to the fireplace she concentrated on building a fire. Tossing in the logs and primer paper she grabbed a longs match from the mantle and lit it.
Dom was sitting on the sofa, having already devoured half his sandwich. She sat next to him and realized just how hungry she was. Picking up her plate they ate in comfortable silence.
Dom
Watching the fire and sipping his beer, he thought about all the nights beer he'd drunk alone. Wondering, wishing.
From the window he could see waves crashing on the beach.
"It's peaceful here."
He saw her eyes follow his.
"Yeah, it's why I picked it. The ocean, it's soothing you know."
Silent again he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and stroked her arm slowly. Sunday night was fading fast. Tomorrow would be here soon.
"You gotta work tomorrow?"
"I have a morning shift at the diner. But I think Carlotta knew something was up, so she probably called in Javier."
It was still amazing that she worked in a kitchen.
"Hard to imagine you working in a real kitchen."
Her laughter was deep and warm and he pulled her just a little closer to him.
"Yeah, it wasn't easy, but I learned. Then I head to the school."
School. The place that had lead him here.
Letty
There was a lot she wanted to share and he was interested. Really listening. She had questions too. About the team, his time away from her. But they were going slow.
"You a teacher now?"
Smiling she curled up in his arm resting her head on his chest.
"Something like that. I had been here a few months, working at the diner when I met Cobb."
Letty Flashback
Another hectic day in the kitchen and all she wanted was a beer and a bath. Sitting in one of the booths she bit into the sub Carlotta had whipped up for her.
Across from her an enormous man. His skin was dark and weathered. Like old leather. He caught her eye and smiled big.
"Nice day."
"Yeah."
He seemed nice enough. Some of the old pervs were always cracking some comment at her until Carlotta shooed them out.
"Carlotta makes the best quesadillas."
"That she does."
Glancing out the window she saw a beautiful '69 Impala out front. Someone loved that beast.
"You like cars?"
He must have seen her appraising the car and she looked over at him.
"Yeah."
"That's my baby. Did all the restoration myself. Well me and the boys. You a mechanic?"
Was she a mechanic. With every breath she took she was.
"That I am."
They ate in silence, but her eyes kept going back to that car. Her fingers ached to flip up the hood.
"Name's Cobb."
Looking up she saw he had been studying her. What the hell.
"Letty."
"Nice to meet you Letty."
"You too, Cobb."
Finished she rose, it felt weird to introduce herself. For so long the people she knew she had always known. Introductions hadn't been necessary. Putting the plate in the bin for Javier to wash later she headed to the door.
"See you tomorrow Lotta."
Cobb was already outside, having finished and paid for his lunch. He was waiting for her it seemed.
"Cars are like women. You get a taste and you're hooked."
Smiling at the image she laughed.
"Yeah, I get that."
"Well if you ever want another taste you come here. I own a shop on the West side, but I volunteer 3 days a week at Henry."
Henry? What the hell was that? Her confusion must have showed.
"Local high school. Damn board cut funding for paid teachers. My boys went there and loved that class. We could also use an extra pair of hands."
Had he seen something in her? Did he know how lost she was?
"Maybe I'll do that."
"Good. That's good."
As she waved goodbye she knew she'd go. It had been to long. Oil and metal, it was in her blood. A garage wouldn't work. Too many memories. But a school, she could do that. Although she'd never admit it out loud she'd loved school.
Turning she headed home, her step lighter than she had in weeks.
