Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: Surprisingly, Vince shook his head slowly then left her standing in the kitchen by herself. Although she'd avoided the confrontation again, this ridiculous skirting they were doing couldn't last forever. In fact, it was more tiring to avoid the situation than to just deal with it like adults. But if there was one thing she or Vince weren't, it was adults.
Chapter Fifty Two
Cornering Vince at the party had been harder than Shorty had expected it to be. After she'd so stupidly asked if she would lie to him, he'd avoided her unceremoniously. At times the tension between them would build up until it was blatantly obvious, even to the most spaced out observer. She tried to find him alone, but in an effort to keep Brer's birthday party drama free, someone was by both his or her sides so they couldn't speak.
By the end of the party she was aggravated, flustered, and frustrated. The time to deal with her Vince issues had come and gone. She had sat on her ass for too long; far too long to be healthy. What kind of person left things unsaid for extended periods of time? Only a total coward would shy away from confrontation. And the longer she waited, the more disgusted she became with herself.
Once she'd come to the decision to finally face down her demons she felt infinitely better. She snapped out of the daze she'd settled in, only to find Vince watching her with a curious expression. Undoubtedly he knew what she was thinking. Even after years apart he seemed to instinctively read her thoughts. However, as much as she would love to deal with it right away, ruining Brer's birthday party was not an option. Not only that, but it was obvious no one was going to let their situation disturb Brer either. Though she was upset that she couldn't be trusted, she was also thankful they were looking out for her son when she was acting selfish.
What needed to be done would be, but it would have to wait, yet again. Shorty instead focused her attention on her son's happiness and pushed Vince to the back of her mind. She made the remainder of the party as special as she could but wasn't disappointed when it ended.
Unsurprisingly, every member of her team disappeared before they could be roped into helping with the clean up. Once the DT team realized they were the last to leave they quickly packed up Lalia and made their way into the house. Normally she would've hoped they'd offer to help clean up, but all she wanted was for them to disappear as well.
"Well, I got somewhere to be," Jesse stated smugly, leaving before she could send him a fake scowl.
Vince followed the younger man, casting one last furtive glance her way before slipping out the door. She'd hoped he would make an excuse to stick around but wasn't surprised when he didn't. She knew he was ready to fix what needed to be fixed but he certainly didn't want to do it in front of an audience.
"Thanks for the party, Shorty," Dom said, as he hauled Lalia into his big arms.
After hours of chasing Brer around the backyard she put up no resistance, settling against his chest and smiling faintly at Shorty. "No worries. Glad you could make it," she answered.
Dom nodded at Leon, who was already hauling a garbage bag around the kitchen, throwing in paper plates and napkins. "Yeah man, thanks for coming. Brer definitely had a good time," he replied, nodding at his son who had already passed out under the kitchen table curled around Banjo.
"We wouldn't miss it," Dom answered. "You got a great kid there, Le."
Leon beamed down at his sleeping son, "Yeah I really do."
"Come on, baby."
Letty made her way around Leon and kissed her daughter's head gently, before tiptoeing up to kiss Dom on the lips. She rubbed her hand down the side of his face and smiled, "I'm gonna help Boo clean up. I'll be home in a while."
"Don't worry about it girl, I'll help Shorty," Leon said, dropping another plate into the bag in his hand.
Letty turned slowly from her family to face Leon. Shorty could see the determination in her eyes and smiled as her friend scowled at him, "I said, I'll help Boo clean up. Go home."
"Three will be faster than two."
"Leon, go home. I got this," she said, tearing the bag from his hand and smiling serenely.
Shorty snickered as the smile fell from Leon's lips and he looked between her, Letty, and Dom. If he hadn't caught on yet that Letty wanted to talk privately with her, than the shove towards the front door must have given him the idea. "I'm going, I'm going," he grinned, as Dom and Lalia followed close behind. "Your woman's crazy man."
The deep baritone laughter tumbled from Dom's lips and he replied, "Don't I know it."
The screen door shut behind them as they left the house. They watched the men until they were out of sight before Shorty turned to Letty. "What was that about?"
"I think you know."
Shorty rolled her eyes and made her way to the kitchen island laden with left over food. With everything she'd prepared, combined with what everyone else had brought, she and Brer would have left overs for at least a week. Taking out a bunch of Tupperware dishes she began packing up the food before it sat out to long to be edible. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
A snort followed as soon as the words were out of her mouth, "Spare me, Boo."
She looked up at Letty and wondered if maybe she'd been able to discern that Shorty was finally ready to settle her issues with Vince. She wasn't surprised that Letty had been able to feel the tension. She was, however, a little surprised that Letty was acting a bit hostile towards her; she hadn't experienced that since the night they met. "Spit it out, Lett, cause I'm lost."
"I saw the googly eyes you and V were making at each other all day," she accused.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Shorty asked, completely forgetting the food to listen to her friend.
"Oh come on, Shorty," Letty snapped, roughly tossing some cups and plates into the bag.
Shorty was completely mystified. Letty was obviously rattled about something, but for the life of her she couldn't figure it out. Whatever Letty was thinking was completely ridiculous. She was alluding to something unheard of with her "googly eyes". With an uncomfortable shake of her head she stared back at her best friend, "I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."
"Shorty, you can't be this clueless."
Enough was enough. Whatever was bothering Letty was taking on a life of it's own and Shorty really didn't want to deal with that when there was already so much on her mind. What she really wanted was for Letty to just spit it out, so she could concentrate on finally seeing Vince to discuss her desertion. That combined with the open hostility directed towards her put her on edge and against her will she reacted rather brusquely, "Say what you need to say, damn it. You're in my head."
"Boo, you're in love with Vince."
The world stood still as the words sunk in. Aghast, Shorty blinked and stared at Letty. Her best friend not only thought she was "in love with Vince" but she actually believed it. She could see that with the determined set of her lips and the irritatingly calm eyes. The woman who she'd come to think knew her almost better than Hector really had no idea what she was about. In love with Vince? Why, it was absolutely absurd. Not to mention completely and utterly off the mark. All she wanted was to settle the drama and move on, live a happy life with her kid and team.
The idea that she was actually in love with Vince was hilarious and she was unable to contain her mirth. The straight line of her lips cracked and the corners of her mouth turned up impossibly slow until she was beaming. And then she giggled. Giggled until it turned into full bellied laughter, with her eyes welling up. She laughed until her abdominal muscles ached.
"You're crazy, Lett," Shorty managed as the laughter faded.
She wiped her eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. The idea that Letty could have read her so wrong was a little disheartening, but she had to admit the woman's imagination was working over time. After all, Vince was Vince.
"No I'm not. You're in love with Vince."
Though she wanted to laugh again, she'd lost the sense of hilarity. It was easier to laugh when she thought Letty was making a joke, but the idea that Letty really truly believed it she only felt abject horror. What the hell had given her such a crazy idea? And had she told Vince? That was all she needed, for her to tell Vince her thoughts. If he knew what Letty thought, would he believe it too? And if he did, how in the world would that affect any possible friendship they could have built again?
"I don't know what you've been smokin' but I'm gonna need a hit of that," Shorty joked, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.
The determination was back in Letty's eyes as she sat down at the kitchen table and pointedly eyed the seat across from her. "Get yourself a beer and come sit down," she said, leaving no room for argument.
Shorty did as she was told. She grabbed a beer for herself and one for Letty before sitting across from her. They stared at each other in silence, maybe willing each other to believe what the other was saying. The silence stretched on until finally Letty sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly.
"Boo, you are in love with him."
"No. I'm not."
"You are."
"You're wrong. All I want is my best friend back."
And she did. She wanted to relax with Vince without anger and distrust between them. She wanted to sleep beside him and experience the ultimate comfort he used to provide. She wanted for Vince and Brer to have a wonderful relationship. She wanted everything she'd had with him before.
"I love you, but you're an idiot. You've been in love with Vince for years."
Shorty laughed again, then said, "No I haven't."
"You have your head so far up your ass you can't think straight."
"V and I are just friends."
Shorty tried to find more words to express herself but found there was really nothing else left to say. How could she convince someone who whole heartedly believed she was in love with her best friend, that she wasn't? It was impossible. Both she and Letty were very opinionated and changing the other's mind wasn't an easy obstacle to overcome.
"Who did you miss most when you were gone?"
"You."
Letty smiled grimly and shook her head. It was an out and out lie and both of them knew it. But why did it matter who she missed most? The fact that she missed Vince more than her own family and team meant nothing. They'd always had a special relationship, soul mates. Of course she was going to miss the one person she felt she could truly be open and free with. How Letty added their intense friendship up to being in love with him was beyond reasoning. As far as Shorty was concerned Letty had lost her mind.
"We both know you missed Vince most."
"So?" Shorty snapped, expelling a rush of angry air. "What does that matter? I missed everyone. Does that mean I've got a thing for all of you?"
"Hey, Boo, calm down. I'm not attacking you here, I'm just trying to get you to see what's right in front of you."
Shorty shook here head against the accusation. Regardless of what she said she knew there was no convincing Letty of anything. Once an idea was in her head it was like wildfire, running amuck until someone could settle her. And that was something she just couldn't do. It was clear she was as worked up as Shorty had ever seen her and from the looks of it, she was bound and determined to remain that way. In fact, she was unsure whether even Dominic would be able to squash this issue.
"I don't understand why you think that," she answered softly, trying to sooth the waking tiger.
"I don't think it, I know it. You've been in love with him for years."
"No, I really haven't, Lett. I was hopelessly in love with Leon."
Letty shook her head sadly, remaining silent while she tried to come up with a response. She dipped her head and swallowed roughly, then looked back at her, "You were in love with him, yeah. But never the way you love Vince."
Hearing those words straight from Letty's mouth was a slap in the face. Actually, it felt more like a hard right hook as opposed to a slap. How could she think Shorty would do something like that to Leon? To the man who'd loved her so completely, to the man who'd done everything in his power to make her happy while they were together. She was selfish but she wasn't a down right cold hearted bitch. Or was she?
"I'm not in love with Vince," was all she could muster.
"You have got to stop lying to yourself."
"I'm not."
"God damn it, Shorty! You're so frustrating. Just listen to me," Letty snapped.
Shorty could both see and feel Letty losing her composure, but there wasn't anything she could do to settle it. She wasn't in love with Vince, and she'd never been. Why Letty was so convinced of this was far beyond her understanding and she wasn't going to admit to something that wasn't true just to drop it.
"The night we met, that was the moment it started. You took one look at him and you were a goner. It's been building every since. I see the way you look at him, it's like the sun shines out of his butt. You guys have this special thing that no one understands, not even Dom. And they've been friends since the third grade," she said, gesturing at nothing.
Shorty opened her mouth to assure her that she'd only had eyes for Leon. As if Letty knew what was coming she slapped a hand over her mouth to silence her. "I know you loved Leon, a lot even. But that doesn't change the fact that Vince was always you're number one. You spent more time with Vince than Leon, even when you two were deep in a relationship."
"Vince and I were best friends, that's what friends do."
"Do you remember Christmas Eve when you fell asleep at Church and Dom drove you home?"
"Yeah, of course," Shorty shrugged nonchalantly.
"Who did you go to?"
"Vince. So?"
"The next morning when you came up from downstairs and Leon saw you, that was the moment he realized he would never mean as much to you as Vince did. I saw it dawn on him like a ton of bricks."
Denial was her first reaction but Letty continued before she could interrupt her again. But instead of speaking, she reached forward again and dipped her hand into the neckline of Shorty's t-shirt. When she withdrew her hand, a gold number two rested in her palm, sparkling as brightly as the day she received it. "You still wear this, after all your time apart. You can't keep your eyes off him when he's around. You walk on eggshells around him. You try your hardest not to mention anything to do with Mexico," she said, trailing off slowly.
Although Shorty was sure Letty was putting her on, the things she said seemed to ricochet around her brain. So what if she went to Vince first? She trusted him with her life, even now, after all she'd done to him. And of course she walked on eggshells around him. Did Letty think she was rotten enough to throw it in his face on purpose, constantly? The necklace was a gift, so there was no reason for her to take it off. It reminded her of all the good times they'd spent together. But she'd been so head over hells in love with Leon, how could Letty possibly think she was in love with two men at once? It was literally impossible.
"I know you're thinking of Leon right now."
"Yeah," Shorty answered.
"You were in love with him too, I saw that the moment you met him too. It just wasn't the game changer Vince was."
"You can't be in love with two people at once, Lett."
"You can, and you were."
Smacking her lips loudly, Shorty tried to let all the information she'd received bounce around until it settled enough to digest. "It's not possible."
It was possible to love more than one person at a time, but being in love with two people at once wasn't. How could you feel so deeply for two people and choose one over the other? If what Letty said was real, why couldn't she see it? Why couldn't she feel it? Why'd she choose Leon over Vince then?
"Anything is possible."
Shorty stared at Letty before bursting into laughter again, "When did you become so philosophical?" Even at a time like this, she needed to be able to make light of the situation or she'd lose her mind.
"When my best friend left me and didn't tell me where she was going."
That comment shut her up fast. Shorty was already feeling plenty of emotions for Vince and she didn't want to rehash how she'd abandoned Letty at the same time. She knew deep in her heart that nothing she did would ever make up for it. The only thing she could do was continually try to appease karma and hope for the best.
"Ouch."
Letty stared at her as if willing her to just conform to the point of view she'd presented. Shorty should have been used to awkward situations by now, but this one really took the cake. She couldn't see herself being in love with the man that'd been her best friend for years. She counted on him to be there for her; knew that even now he'd still be there for her if she really truly needed it. She would never risk their friendship by adding romantic feelings. He was too big a loss for her to survive. She'd die without him.
And that was it.
How could she be in love with him? And if she was, not that she was agreeing with Letty, but if she was, why hadn't she chosen him over Leon? She'd known she loved Vince from the moment he grabbed her boobs and explained to the rest of the Toretto team that they were unnamed. She'd loved him for everything he was, and everything he wasn't. She'd appreciated his confidence and his Ol' Coyote personality traits. But none of that meant she was in love with him, right?
He was exactly what a best friend should be. He accepted her for who she was; never trying to change her. He was her soul mate, the one person beside Brer she couldn't live without. The death of anyone she loved would hurt, but she'd be unable to survive if he was gone.
While the thought's bounced around her brain, she fingered the necklace around her neck. Why couldn't she see herself without Vince in her life? Was it because she did love him, or simply what she said, they were friends and nothing more? Though she didn't want to contemplate the idea she tried to distance herself from what her head said, and try and understand what her heart said.
Shorty knew he was an amazing man. She also knew that from the beginning she always said he'd be a catch for any girl lucky enough to get him to settle down. Her love for him was unconditional. But what if she realized after the fact that she only loved him as a friend and not a lover? There was no way she could hurt him like that. And what if he didn't feel how she felt? Or what if she fells so madly in love with him she couldn't breathe without him? What if she became clingy, and jealous, and anxious?
What if, what if, what it? That was all she could think about even when she was trying to feel the answer. She sighed loudly and laid her head against her folded arms. Her eyes slid shut and she tried to calm her mind long enough to discover the truth. She remembered little moments from the years past until she settled on a memory from the Christmas Eve she'd spent with the DT team. She could almost feel herself back there, sitting on Vince's lap, his face burrowed in her neck, talking about how he knew her better than anyone. And that's when she knew. Knew it without a doubt. Knew what she really felt. And knew that he'd known all along too. He'd said it straight up, as truthful as he'd always been with her. "I know the moon is your solace. You lip crinkles up on the left side when you need to sneeze. You get this dazed look in your eyes whenever you see the Ocean. You have this weird breathless giggle that only appears when you're nervous. You sleep on the left side because your pops used to. You use sarcasm as a way to beat around the bush. And finally you love me."
Shorty knew it. She could feel it blossoming up. The fire of her discovery left her exhilarated and content. She was in love with Vince. She'd always been in love with Vince. Vince had always known. Leon realized it that Christmas. And Letty'd known all along as well.
Her head snapped up faster than it'd ever moved and she pushed away roughly from the table. She pointed an accusing finger at her long time friend, "You knew! You knew all along! And you didn't tell me?" She stormed into the front room and searched for her purse frantically. She could feel Letty follow her into the living room and once she found her purse under a large pillow she faced the other woman again.
"Where you going?"
"I'm in love with Vince," she answered.
"I know you are, but where are you going?"
She looked at Letty like the other woman was insane. For someone who seemed to see things so easily, she was coming across as rather clueless. "Um. To tell V." She rushed to the door and called over her shoulder, "Since you've lit a fire under my ass, you're on babysitter duty tonight. Brer's sleeping at your house," as she left.
She sprinted to her Escalade, jumped in and peeled off the driveway. She'd have taken her car instead if she had enough patience to wait for the garage door to open to get it out. Now that she knew, really understood how she'd been feeling for the last five years she couldn't wait to tell Vince. Even though he didn't feel the same way, she had to tell him. She had to make him understand. And if he wanted to give her a shot, well that would only make her the luckiest woman in the world. She felt her smiled widen as she turned onto the street she'd spent her childhood on. The sight of Vince's Maxima turned her stomach into a nest of angry bee's and her heart fluttered frantically. The time had finally come for them to discuss everything about the last few years.
A/N: Thanks to Teleliniel, , Villana Del Amor, 0netflixme0, demonpixie1, Leon's Angel, ILoveAnime89, MissLuLu2012, lalahawaii, EricandGodric, wrestlenascargirl, Summerthunder2004, and nothingsnobody for the reviews! Shout out's to Random2Friends, SeSeYlOvEr2956, EricandGodric, SummerThunder2004, and peacewithinchaos for the alerts and favorites.
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