Chapter 3

"Dom?..Dom is that you?" Mia called from the kitchen when she heard the front door close. She walked through the living room to the foyer, only seeing Dom's shadow on the wall as he jogged up the stairs. Moments later, she heard his bedroom door shut. "Hmmm..." she thought.

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"Ok Harry...we're done. Can I get out of here now?" Ashley called out.

"Go ahead. Thanks for staying to help me out. I really appreciate it." Harry replied.

"No problem big daddy..anything for you." Ashley said with a tiny smile on her face. "Harry?"

"Yeah darlin'?"

"Has Dom said anything to you lately? Maybe about something that is bothering him?"

Harry scratched his head in thought, "Nope. Not that I can recall. Sorry...why?" Harry asked with a tone of concern.

"He just kind of busted out of here on me earlier today. No explanation..."

"I'm sure he's fine hon. The boy's got lots of responsibilities for his age...you can never tell what's bothering him." Harry told her.

"Thanks big daddy." Ashley hugged Harry tightly and  walked out the front door, Harry locking it behind her and giving her a wave through the glass as she left.

Turning her attention away from the shop, she noticed that Seth was sitting on his car hood in the parking lot. "Hey." he called to her.

"Hey..Seth. Why are you still out here? You're a good-looking man, shouldn't you be out at a party trying to get some pussy or something?" Ashley teased.

"Ah, I was just hoping I'd catch you before you left. I was just..uh..wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out? Ya know, if you didn't have any other plans." Seth asked.

Ashley thought a minute... "I want to go out...I want to have fun. That'd give Dom time to cool down from whatever it was that was bothering him..." She finally answered, "Sounds fun...I just need to make a quick call first. Can I maybe meet you somewhere?"

"How about The Sky Barr?"

Ashley smiled. "Ok..sounds good. I'll meet you there in about an hour?"

"Great." Seth smiled and slid off the hood of his car. "I'll see you there." He got in his car and reved it up as loud music began to play...and he was gone.

Ashley peeled out of Harry's around 11:30p.m. The tires screeched on the asphalt leaving two smoking black trails, music blairing. She always drove more aggressively when she was upset...and when Dom is upset, she is upset. "What in the hell caused him to react like that?" she thought to herself. Almost 5 minutes later, her car glided into the driveway of her small, humble house. It was old...small....but cozy...and it was "home"...her home.

Walking through the door, she tossed her keys on the small table that sat by the front door. She casually glanced at her answering machine across the room, almost by habit, and saw the message light flashing. She walked over and pressed the play button. "You have 3 new messages." said the computerized voice.  Pacing around the living room and thumbing through her mail, she barely paid any attention to the messages, just enough to catch a vague jist. Blah blah blah...I called to remind you of your appointment....blah blah blah...Call me! I'm worried about you. Is Harry taking good care of our baby?...blah blah. "Ashley, it's me." Ashley stopped when she recognized Mia's voice. "Dom just came home and seemed really out of sorts. He didn't say a word to me...just went straight to his room. What's going on? Call me!"

Ashley immediately picked up the phone and dialed the Toretto house.  "Hello?" a man's voice said coming through the receiver.

"Hey V. It's Ashley. Is Mia around?"

"Nah. She and Brian just left. Nobody's here but me and Jess."

"Shit. Well, let her know that I called, will ya?"

"Sure thing. Bye."

"Bye.."

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Seth stood outside of the Sky Barr with his hands in his pockets nervously trotting around in circles. He finally squatted down, relaxing against the wall. He heard a pair of clunking boots approach him and he slowly scanned his eyes upward. It was Ashley. She had on low cut jeans that sat inches below her belly button and a silky, black tank top that clung to her breasts like a second skin. Her perky nipples the focal point. He quickly jumped up and smiled at her. "Hey girl. Glad you showed."

Ashley grinned. "Well hey, I've had a hell of a day...so lets get buck wild."

The two disappeared into the entrance of the club. Ashley noticed that Seth was glancing up at the balcony inside. He lifted his arm in the air and smiled. Ashley couldn't help but wonder who he was signalling to, and she couldn't really care. She pushed her way through the crowd and went straight for the bar. "Lets do this." she said. And with that, the drinking commenced.