A/N: I just wanted to let those of you still reading that this chapter and the rest of this fic will be unedited. I went over it a couple times this morning but grammar is not my strong suit. So I apologize for all the mistakes. Thanks to those of you still following and I hope you enjoy!
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She's leaning against her car, her eyes watching one of the last races of the night as she tries to listen to the guy a few cars away from her.
He's had countless girls coming up to him for a few minutes at a time throughout the night. She's even seen this guy, who she has learned goes by JR slip a couple of these teenage girls drugs. Her mind runs wild with possible scenarios for the victims, the ones she's here for.
She's so lost in thought that she doesn't even notice someone coming to stand next to her.
"I guess the rumors are true." Her voice is familiar and it causes Erin to smile for what feels like the first time tonight. "But I just had to see for myself that you finally came home."
"It's good to see you Hails." Erin tilts her head as she gives her old friend a tight hug. "I heard a congrats is in order? Where's your new bride?" She adds as they pull away.
Her blue eyes look around the large crowd and then shrugs as her gaze lands on Erin again. "She's around here somewhere." Hailey tells her as they lean on the hood of Erin's car. "What about you?"
"What about me?" Erin's confusion evident in both her voice and furrowed brows.
"Don't play dumb Erin. What's going on between you and Jay?"
Then it's Erin's turn to shrug while looking down at the ground. "Would you believe me if I said nothing?"
Hailey just shakes her head. "I know you still love him and judging by the way he keeps glancing over here with that longing look in his eyes, I'm willing to bet he still loves you. So my question is why aren't either of you doing anything about it?"
Erin's mouth opens, a response on the tip of her tongue but she stops herself. She knows she still loves him but can't find it in her to admit it. "It's complicated."
"So un-complicate it." Hailey nudges her shoulder, her statement coming off so matter-of-fact and it causes Erin to chuckle sadly.
Eventually Hailey goes to race but not before she tells Erin that they should hang out sometime.
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"Hey, you ok?" He whispers into her ear, his warm breath causing goosebumps to erupt over her skin.
"Uh…Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She looks at him, her eyebrow knitted together in confusion.
"I saw that far off look in your eyes from across the street – the one that says there's something dark plaguing your mind."
She shrugs, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I'm just tired. The bed at the hotel is warping my back." It's not a total lie, the mattress she's been trying to sleep on has been torture.
"You still haven't found a place?" He asks with so much concern as she shakes her head.
There's a few moments of silence as they both take in the sights around them. He's the one who breaks through first. "They're Nadia's age."
"Who?" She questions as if she hasn't noticed the parade of young girls in front of them.
She follows his eyes before she looks away – not wanting to look too conspicuous. She can see him tense – his jaw clenching tight. "They have their whole lives ahead of them and he has them doing his dirty work." He shakes his head and that's when it clicks for her.
They sit quietly for a few minutes, his words weighing heavily on their minds. Then he looks at her.
"I invited the guys over for a drink back at my place after we're done here if you wanted to join us?"
She nods and gives him a smile. "I'll meet you there."
He nods in return and then goes back to his car. She watches as the crowd of racers part ways in order to let him through before coming back together. She tries to gauge whether they do it out of respect or fear but she can't tell. Her phone buzzing in her pocket takes her mind away from her fellow racers. When she sees the number on her screen she moves to get in her car.
Once she's driven away from the races she dials Voight's number and tells him about JR, the type of car he's driving and how he recently started recruiting girls – same age group as the victims – to deal for him.
A few minutes later there's several cops cars speeding past the parking lot she stopped in and a couple seconds after that there's cars racing off in all different directions.
Once she exits the parking lot she turns down an alley and drives towards Jay's house.
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The door gets pulled open before she even makes it up the stairs of the front porch. Jay's standing there with one of his signature grins and two beers in his hand.
"I was beginning to think you changed your mind."
"Nope."
"Ugghhhh." Kyle dramatically rolls his eyes. "Why is she here?" He mumbles for his spot on the arm of the couch.
Jay smile vanishes and the look that replaces it actually makes Erin a little nervous. "She's here because I invited her. You – on the other hand – I don't remember inviting. And last time I checked I didn't need your permission on who I invite over to my house."
Kyle murmurs something under his breath that Erin is sure no one could understand. But she can see the moment it flips a switch inside Jay – the moment he sees red. Everyone else stays quiet and keeps their heads down – not wanting to get caught in Jay's wrath. Erin looks to Kevin hoping he would intervene. He – of course nods and goes to stop Jay from hurting the smaller man.
Jay pushes Kevin's arm away and continues forward.
"Get the hell out of my house." Jay growls as he grabs Kyle's shirt and pushes him toward the door just before Erin steps in front of him.
One look in her eyes has his breathing slowing down but his heart continues to pound. He's so entranced with her that he doesn't even notice Kyle leaving.
Once everything calms down he leads her to the backyard.
"I'm sorry about that – about him."
She shakes her head before taking a long pull of her beer. "I don't care about him Jay." They just sit there quietly for a few minutes. "At the races, when you walk through a crowd, they form a path for you. I thought it was just out of respect but it was fear too, wasn't it?"
He doesn't say anything as he takes her hand again and walks into the garage. The glass on the ground crunches under their shoes as they take in the old black Camaro parked in the same place it's been in for the last six years.
They had been fixing the car for years – so long they practically grew up fixing it. So many memories with his two favorite women and the old black Camaro. His mom loved the car, so it only felt fitting to drive it to her funeral.
He blinks back tears as he stares at the back of the hearse leading the precession from the church to the cemetery.
When they get to the ceremony he stays in the seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are white. But then he feels a hand on his thigh. He looks over to the side and into Erin's worried eyes.
Five. That's the number of funerals he's been to in the last two months. And she's been by his side for every one. Offering her silent support and he can't help but feel like a burden. He's not sure how to process this so he pushes her away with each one.
The windows are smashed, paint scratched and metal warped. The weapon of choice, a tire iron, covered in dusted is still laying on the hood.
"Jay?" Her voice is broken and sad causing shame to wash over him in waves.
He looks down when she looks at him with a hint of worry and so much sadness in her eyes.
"It was the first race I had been to since we had broken up." He takes a deep breath. "I guess I scared everyone that night."