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"So what happened back there?" Roman asked Letty as they sped down the coastline, wanting to get far away from the party as possible.
"I don't wanna talk about it," Letty said, staring out the window. She was not only heartbroken, but angry.
Angry that she had been so blind to see it all before. Angry because she knew what Dom was doing, and didn't have the heart or the guts to do something about it. Angry because she allowed him to hurt her. Angry because he wanted to hurt her.
"Come on, it'll help," Roman pushed again, his voice soft and gentle.
"Drop it please. I don't wanna talk about it," she repeated, her pitch high as she battled with her emotions.
"Ok, that's fine. So where are we going?" he asked as they began approaching the city.
Letty thought for a second. Where can I go and not have to worry about Dom finding me? She thought to herself. "Take a right here," she directed as Roman pulled off the coastline and back onto the streets.
After nothing but directions being given, the twenty-minute silent ride led to a huge, beige three-story house. It looked to be abandoned, but well taken care of.
"Ok, so where are we?" Roman asked as he opened Letty's door for her, letting her out. She was taken aback by his manners, but smiled inwardly. Dom didn't open doors for me.
"This is where my abuelita used to live," she looked at Roman, who had no idea what she said. "My grandma, this was her place. She left it to me in her will," Letty fished for the keys to the house.
"Well, why don't you just live here?" Rome asked, curious as to why she lived with that jerk Dominic.
"Something about the Toretto house that I can't stay away from," she said as they walked through the foyer. "But I know I definitely ain't going back," she mumbled as flashbacks of the blond's head in Dom's lap ran through her mind.
Rome eyed the living room, instantly loving the 'Letty vibe' it gave off. The walls were a deep maroon, which he found out was Letty's favorite color. There were two recliners next to a large wrap-around leather-plush couch. In the middle of the room was a large round coffee table that had the latest import magazines sprawled over it. An entertainment system with the works (PS2, CD player, big screen TV) sat against the wall. There were pictures of Letty and Mia, the boys, and surprisingly only one of her and Dom on the walls.
"Wow, this sure is the bachelor's pad," Roman joked, eying the video games sprawled on the floor.
"Vince, Leon, and Jesse helped me decorate. After we split that big bundle of cash we got from the four heists, I decided I'd finally put this place to use," she sat the keys on the coffee table. "Want a beer?" she asked as she made her way to the kitchen. She took her off jacket on the way, tossing it in a closet.
She didn't wait for an answer as she reached into her fridge, which didn't have much food in it. There were two shelves stocked with Corona's, some strawberries, water, and a box of pizza. She looked in the freezer, finding it full of frozen dinners. Gotta go shopping soon, she thought. She grabbed two beers and made her way to the living room, where Roman was on her sofa, flipping through the channels on her TV.
"Sure Rome, make yourself at home," she smiled, flopping down next to him. She popped open one beer, and gulped it, while nursing the other on her lap.
"Where's mine?" he asked.
"In the fridge. I've known you for probably a few days and we've already made out, don't expect me to be polite now," Letty smiled, drinking her beer as he went to get one for himself. He returned next to her, watching her stare absently at television.
"He hurt you again, didn't he?" At that moment, Letty couldn't keep the tears away as they blinded her, slowly sliding down her cheek. What began as a silent cry turned into a hysterical sob as Roman held her. "Shh, it's okay baby. Romey-Rome's here now. I won't let anything hurt you girl."
Mia and Deacon were in his apartment, both lying back on his bed, thinking over everything that happened that night. They laid like that for what seemed eternity, the silence a comfortable one. Deacon couldn't help but become nervous. Monday was approaching and he would soon have to face reality. Reality that Emma might very well be Vince's daughter, not his. Reality that his whole world could come crashing down on him in the next 48 hours. Reality that he'd be left alone with no one to admire him, no one to take care of. No one to take care of him.
Deke took a deep breath and closed his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again, he was staring at big brown eyes and a smile he had come to fall in love with. Mia's hair had fallen down in front of her eyes as she looked down on her man. He pushed her hair behind her ear and cupped her chiseled cheeks.
"So I was persuaded by a beautiful young woman not to buy into a street race tonight under some pretty sweet circumstances," he smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at her.
Mia laughed, loving how easily Deke could make her smile. After staring into each other's eyes so lovingly, Deacon finally kissed her. It was the most passionate kiss Mia had ever had. She crawled on top of him to get better access to his mouth. Deacon welcomed her body, placing his hands up the back of her shirt. After an eternity of licking, sucking, biting, and kissing, Deacon prepared to finally make love to the woman he was falling in love with. They laid there, both nude, Mia underneath Deacon. Deacon somehow managed to pull his fluffy white satin comforter over their bodies.
"Are you sure about this Mi?" he asked her.
"Deacon, make love to me," Deacon needed no more instruction as he leaned down and kissed Mia again.
(Dom)
I cringed in my sleep as the pain from my headache woke me from my slumber. I instantly felt a horrific itching in my crotch. After scratching it for what seemed like eternity, I kicked my legs over the side of the bed, the cool breeze running over my nude body. My stomach punished me for my quick actions as it immediately ran for my throat. I made it to the toilet in record time as I threw up.
After regurgitating my guts, I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I looked threw the medicine cabinet for some cream for that itch that just wouldn't stop. Instead, I found a few aspirin that would relax my headache for a while.
I walked back into my room, but stopped in my tracks at the blond in my bed. She turned over and rubbed the empty spot where I was lying, feeling it empty, she sat up.
"Dommy, come back to bed," she smiled, pulling the covers back, revealing her naked body.
"Get dressed. It's time for you to go," I said, again scratching my dick.
"But baby, let's re-do last night again," she crawled to the edge of the bed near my burning buddy.
"No, really, you've done enough. Get your clothes and go," I told her, yanking her off my bed. I tossed her clothes at her.
"I don't know what your problem is. You didn't seem made last night when you were screaming my name," she replied, picking her clothes up from the floor.
I sat on the edge of the bed, listening to another ten minutes of her bitching and insults while she got dressed.
"You know Dom, I could find a better fuck than you. Way better. I don't know why I waited so long for you," she rambled.
"Yeah, well, make sure you warn him about the morning after itches," I replied sarcastically, fanning my nuts.
Finally, with a huff, she was out of my room. What the hell happened last night? I asked myself. I couldn't remember why another woman was in my bed. Why my beautiful Latina girlfriend wasn't here, but an infected skank was leaving my room. No more alcohol, Dom.
I took a shower and got dressed, decided it was best to put on only sweats. I walked downstairs, hoping to find Letty on the couch in front of cartoons with a bowl of cereal in her hands. Instead, Vince sat with a cup of a coffee watching the SPEED channel. I said morning to him, receiving a grunt in reply. I smirked, walking into the kitchen. Katie was standing over the stove, fixing breakfast. I frowned. Mia never let anyone cook in her kitchen, not since Ma died.
"Where's Mia?" I asked, pouring me coffee in a mug.
"Oh, she hasn't been home yet. She spent the night with Deke. He's taking her and Emma out to breakfast, she gave me permission to cook," she smiled, reading my mind. I smiled and nodded. Katie seemed like the perfect girl for Vince. She was a sweetheart and she could cook. Just Vince's type. Now he'll leave Mi alone.
I walked into the living room and sat in my recliner, kicking my feet up.
"Where is everyone?"
"Leon and Jesse are still sleeping. Buster's in the shower," Vince said, sipping his coffee.
"Where's Letty?" At this question, Vince paused, finding the inside of his cup particularly interesting. "Where is she V?"
"With Roman. They left last night," My mind instantly swirling with assumptions.
"Why is she with Roman? Where are they V?" I stood up, racing to the door. I shoved my foot in sandals and grabbed my keys.
"Dominic, sit down, brother," I didn't budge, but I leaned against the door. "Look, I don't know the whole situation, but what I and the whole party saw was that something bad happened last night. She came in from outside, spilled beer on her shirt, then ran upstairs. She came back with tears in her eyes, grabbed beers and left. A few minutes later you came down and kicked everyone out."
My heart dropped as I began remembering last night. I remembered going to my room with Monica. I remembered seeing Letty walk in, pure hatred in her eyes as she watched Monica give me oral sex. I remembered the smug look I gave, so drunk that I couldn't care if she hated me. My eyes watered as I remembered watching the love of my life walk out the room.
"V, what have I done?"
"I can't believe I'm cooking," Roman said out loud as he flipped the omelet.
Roman had woken early that morning, disgruntled and hungry. After remembering Letty hadn't had any food in her fridge, he decided to make a food run. He didn't buy much, only things for breakfast. He checked on Letty when he got back and figured he'd have to cook if he wanted to be fed that morning.
Upstairs, Letty was coming out of her slumber as she turned over in the comfortable bed. Feeling the silky comforter beneath her fingers, she opened her eyes. She didn't recognize the room, she knew it definitely wasn't her and Dom's room. She looked around the bedroom. It was her grandmother's old room.
The walls were painted a brighter red than the living room. On the walls were pictures of Letty and her family: Carmen, her mother; Lorenzo, her father, and her little brother, Cameron. She missed them dearly. They died in a car accident, caused by a eighteen-wheeler. The driver was drunk on the job and ran stop sign, crashing into the family car. They all died on impact. I miss you guys, she said to herself. She was at the Toretto's house that day, meeting Mia and Dom for the first time. That day, Mr. Toretto took her in, and made her an honorary daughter.
She looked at other pictures of her grandparents. She smiled at them. Gia Lucielle Mendez and Sergio Lee Rodriguez. She admired her grandmother and her granddad spoiled her. After her grandparents died, they left Letty the house and a hefty amount in their will, three-hundred thousand dollars. She decided to use that money to renovate her new home and upgrade the 240 SX Never did go to the impound to reclaim it, she thought. She put the rest away for when she really needed it.
Letty rolled over, emotions overwhelming her as she felt her eyes water. Cut it out Let, she told herself. She relaxed in the bed, which was king size with black silky sheets to match the comforters and pillows. The smell of bacon nearly lifted her body and carried her down the stairs. She fixed her t-shirt and Cool Joe boxers as she walked down the wrap-around stairs and into the kitchen, where Roman was cooking. She stood there for a few seconds, admiring the beauty that was Roman. He was topless, his tattoos and muscles glistening in the morning sun. He wore his jeans from the previous night, and they were riding dangerously low. I could get use to this.
"Funny, I didn't take you as the cooking type," she said sarcastically, walking into the room. Roman laughed, handing her a cup of coffee.
"I'm not. I was just too tired of waiting for you to get up," he replied, sitting a bacon, ham, and cheese omelet with toast in front of her. She nodded a thanks to him and dug in.
"So what happened last night? Last thing I remember is watching Family Guy, then it goes blank," she asked.
"Well at that moment you were drinking your sorrows away. I carried you upstairs, changed you, put you to bed," he answered, shoveling food into his mouth. She wasn't sure if he was lying, but then again, he hadn't lied to her yet.
"And nothing happened right? I mean, we didn't fuck or anything, did we?" her bluntness caught him off guard. He had to laugh.
"No, I wouldn't do that to you. Now, if it was some girl I met at the races, I wouldn't have thought twice about it," he laughed. She smiled. At least he was honest.
After breakfast and showers, Letty and Roman were ready to go. She was dressed in the same clothes as the previous night, simply to piss Dom off and make him think. Letty locked the house up and got in her car, speeding off towards Echo Park.
When they pulled up to the house, neither of them exited the car just then. They sat there, not wanting to abandon the comfortable company that came with them being alone together. Letty just stared ahead, knowing once she entered that house, the atmosphere would change. She wanted to break away from that life, get away from the fights and the pain. She needed to do that now. Roman stared at her, unsure whether he should speak or leave her alone.
Roman took a deep breath. "You all right?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Ro, whatever happens in here, happens. I – I don't know how I feel just yet about you, about us. But I know I don't want it to end so soon. I know I'm a little messed up, but I need just a little more time to figure myself out."
"That's fine. I'm not going anywhere. Handle ya business, girl," he replied, kissing her lips softly.
When they walked into the house, the happiness was out the window. Dom sat on the recliner, hands under his chin, in deep thought. Vince, Leon, and Jesse were sitting on the sofa, too interested in the video game. Katie sat on Vince's lap, nuzzling his ear affectionately. Brian stood anxiously at the kitchen door, waiting for them to get home. Dom jumped up when the door opened.
"Get the fuck out of my house. This is how you fucking repay me, fucking my girlfriend?!" Dominic lunged at Roman. Brian, Vince and Leon all tried to help break the two up, but it was barely any hope. Vince managed to pull Dom off Roman for a second, while Brian held Rome back.
"If you knew how to treat a fucking woman, you wouldn't have to worry about her coming to me!" Roman replied, fighting to get out of Brian's grasp.
"Both of you, shut the hell up. Brian, you okay to drive?" he nodded, frustrated with the trouble Roman had caused. "You two pack your stuff. Roman, go home and I'll call you later," she tossed the key to her secret home to Roman. Brian let him go, watching him closely as he walked by Dom to the basement. Rome gave Dom a once over, murmuring 'punk' as he passed, purposely bumping shoulders with him.
"What the fuck is going on, Letty? What, you sneaking around with the guests now?" Dom asked sarcastically, as Katie patched up his busted lip.
"Fuck you Dom, you don't know shit!" Letty exclaimed.
"Boys, out, now!" Dom bellowed.
"No need guys, this isn't gonna take very long," Letty smirked, crossing her arms in front of her. "Dom, I'm done with you. I'm done with your lying, cheating, selfish ass. For so long, I let you control my life and what I wanted. I let you hurt me for so long, simply because I was too fucking stupid to see who you really are," Dom rolled his eyes, not wanting to listen. "Dominic Toretto, you're a fucking coward," Letty finished, not taking her eyes off Dom. She could tell by the look in his eyes, that it hit him hard. Good.
"Excuse me?" Dom stepped forward, now towering over Letty. She didn't budge or flinch, but stared back with hateful eyes.
"You are a fucking coward Dominic. You push everyone else around, scaring them into doing what you want, because your too much of a puss to do it yourself. Why weren't you the one on that fucking truck? Why was Vince lying in a hospital for months, while you fucking ran to Baja with your tail between your legs? Why are you so afraid to man up and take responsibility for your actions? You are a coward. You don't care about anyone's feelings except your own. When Mia was struggling to keep both the store and the shop running, why didn't you come back to help? Why did you send Leon and I to help? We have all risked our asses more than once to protect you, to honor you, and what did we get in return? Not even a fucking thanks! I love you Dominic, but I refuse to stand around and watch you take this family under with you. I'm leaving."
The whole room was silent, all watching what had just happened between the ex-lovers. Vince couldn't help but smirk at Dom, who's mouth was open, gaping like a fish. He wanted to speak but no words could reply to what was just said. Jesse felt extremely uncomfortable and couldn't dare stay still any longer. He quickly walked to the kitchen for a beer, followed by Leon and Vince. Leon kissed Letty's cheek as he passed, Vince patted her head affectionately. Dom sauntered past Letty slowly and stormed out of the house. Letty let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, then walked upstairs to her room.
She grabbed her three suitcases, tossing everything she owned inside them. She grabbed all her pictures and jewelry and tossed them into a backpack. She came across a photo of her and Dom when they were younger. Dom was leaning on his brand new Mazda Rx-7, holding Letty in his arms. They were laughing because of something stupid Vince said, but she could see the love in their smiles. She kissed the picture and sat it on the end table next to the bed.
As she was leaving, there was a knock at the door.
"Hey, I heard what happened," Mia said softly.
"Yeah, I figured the boys wouldn't keep quiet for long," she replied, smiling a fake smile. Mia always was the one to understand how a person was feeling without being told. She knew Letty was hurting deeply. She didn't speak, but pulled Letty into a tight hug.
She whispered in Letty's ear, "You did the right thing. He was a dog and I'm glad you've done what's best for you. I still love you like my sister, Leticia."
Letty fought away the tears and smiled, playfully hitting Mia. Mia followed down the stairs just as Roman and Brian were leaving. Letty gave Vince, Jesse, and Leon hugs, telling them not to worry. She hugged Katie, which took everyone by surprise, threatening her to take care of her boys for her.
"Don't be a stranger," Mia yelled from the porch as Roman loaded Letty's bags in her trunk.
"You guys know where I live. Next race party at my place, eh?" she smiled as the tears began coming down slowly. She quickly pulled her shades down and slid in her car. She knew if they saw her crying, Vince would end up carrying her back in the house to stay. "See ya boys," she said in her rear view mirror, only audible to herself.
"Where the fuck is Dominic?" Mia's growl was only half as scary as her bite.