Chapter 16
I cough and cover my stinging eyes as the dust left from Dom's car dissipates in the night air. Stunned and clueless to the situation, I walk to my car, where Mia stands equally confused. I walk over to Vince, who is sitting in his car with his legs over the side of the driver's entrance, the door open, and beeping sounds alarming him. He holds a cell phone to his ear and his head is lowered, looking towards the ground.
"What's going on?" I ask him quietly, looking back at Mia, who was standing with her arms folded against my car. He looks up at me and sighs. He hangs up the phone, tossing it into the back of the car, and stands, closing his door.
"Dom got into it with some kid."
"Looks to me, like he damn near killed him......'got into it' my ass," I whisper. I know Vince won't just come out and tell me what I want to know. What on earth could have caused Dom to go ape-shit like that? I've never seen him do something like that, unprovoked. My question is what triggered him.
"What's really going on?.....no, bullshit, V......just tell me," I get closer, begging him to just tell me the truth, and not lie to protect me. Although, I don't know exactly what the deal is, I have a haunting suspicion that I'm involved in some way, shape, or form. He sighs hard again and leans in 'til his mouth is neighboring my ear. He whispers the truth to me, causing my heart to fall. I shut my eyes, then open them, only looking down.
"Take Mia home, Let.......Don't tell her.........let him tell her. I'll see you guys there.......hopefully there won't be a big turnout tonight at the house," he tells me shaking his head, and getting into his car. I nod, and turn on my heel. I walk back over to my car. Mia and I get in. I crank the car and pull onto the road.
"So?............what's going on?..........what happen to Dom?" Mia asks suddenly and frantically. I shake my head, hoping that's enough, but knowing that it won't be.
"Letty?......come on, tell me," she turns all the way around to face me as I take a sharp curve to the right. I look straight ahead.
"Mia.........I can't.............It's not my place," I tell her softly. I feel horrible. She has every right to know, just not at my hands. I can feel her turn away. We sit silent for at least a half a mile before she whispers to me, still looking away.
"Just tell me that he's okay."
"He's okay," I whisper back. We're silent for the remainder of the ride home. We pull up in front of the Toretto house. The streets are lined with imports for over a block down. I guess no one gives a shit about what happen, as long as they can party. We get out of the car quietly and walk into the packed house, instantly hit with the thump of the stereo and the stench of alcohol. Mia goes straight up the stairs and to her room. I hope he talks to her tomorrow. She'll kill herself worrying about him, if he doesn't. I sigh and look around for the guys. I spot Carlito and walk over to him. He asks why I left so suddenly and when I'm gonna take delivery on the ride. I ask him to bring it to the shop Monday, and he nods, as I begin my eye scan for the team again. I walk into the kitchen, still not seeing them until I can catch a whiff of Leon's Adidas' cologne over the smell of beer and skanks. I follow my nose and find the guys sitting quietly on the back lawn in chairs around an open cooler of beer with their backs to the house. I begin to walk out to them, but stop myself when I hear them begin talking.
"So, is he okay?" Jess asks sipping his beer.
"Yeah, he's alright................it's just all this shit with Letty, and stuff, I guess something just finally snapped," Vince tells him, shaking his head.
"Well, what did he expect?..........he won't talk to anyone about it........I know it's killing him, hell, you know how much he loves Letty," Leon cuts in. They all nod slowly, not once looking at each other.
"....kept all that shit inside...........I knew it was gonna come out soon, I just hoped not like this.........he saw that kid with her and then that punk......." Vince trails off. So, that's what sent him into flip mode.....me. Troy. I didn't even know he was around us, when Troy came up. Christ, we only hugged. I walk up behind them, almost ready to burst into tears.
"So, I'M the real reason that kid is laying in the ER right now?" I startle them all, my voice shaking. They all jump up out of their seats and face me with looks of absolute horror, shaking their heads.
"Let, it's not....." Vince starts, reaching out for my arm. I jerk away from him.
"No!..........I'm so fucking tired of everyone blaming Dom's actions on me!........he's always tired...it's my fault.....he looks like shit.....it's my fault.....he nearly killed a guy........it's my fault!" I yell at them, not realizing the tears welling up in my eyes.
"He fucks other girls behind my back......it's my fault.......he swear that he loves me then he goes and hurts me the best way he knows how.......it's my fault........I'm tired of every fucking thing being my fault!!" I yell at them crying. They all just stand silent, wishing they knew what to say. I know they didn't think it was my fault, but I don't know what came over me. Everything was just building up and I wanted to scream when I heard the reason why Dom had done that tonight, so I screamed at the closest thing at the time............my friends. I start to feel ashamed for being such a bitch to them for no reason, causing me to cry harder.
"Let....." Leon walks closer to me, but I step back.
"No....no......I'm sorry.........I didn't mean that," I begin to sob, as they all try to walk closer to me. I begin to feel embarrassed and a knot forms in my stomach.
"No.....no...no.....I'm sorry......I have to go," I sob through tear clouded eyes, beginning to run into the house, as they yell for me to come back. I push and shove through drunken bastards trying desperately to reach the front door before anyone can notice my state of dismay. I reach the door an put my hand on the knob, but something stops me from opening the door. I turn and look up the stairs. I release the knob and turn to the stairs. Looking up and wiping my face, I start to climb them slowly, until the thump of the music is muffled below my feet. I walk down the hall to a cracked door with two 'L' shaped lines of light searing into my already burning eyes. The Toretto's room. The light is dim, but brilliant in the dark hall. I slowly walk to the door again, not knowing, and almost not wanting to know what lays behind it this time. I place a hand on the wooden entrance letting my fingers trace the carved designs out of procrastination. I push the door slightly and walk in.
I cough and cover my stinging eyes as the dust left from Dom's car dissipates in the night air. Stunned and clueless to the situation, I walk to my car, where Mia stands equally confused. I walk over to Vince, who is sitting in his car with his legs over the side of the driver's entrance, the door open, and beeping sounds alarming him. He holds a cell phone to his ear and his head is lowered, looking towards the ground.
"What's going on?" I ask him quietly, looking back at Mia, who was standing with her arms folded against my car. He looks up at me and sighs. He hangs up the phone, tossing it into the back of the car, and stands, closing his door.
"Dom got into it with some kid."
"Looks to me, like he damn near killed him......'got into it' my ass," I whisper. I know Vince won't just come out and tell me what I want to know. What on earth could have caused Dom to go ape-shit like that? I've never seen him do something like that, unprovoked. My question is what triggered him.
"What's really going on?.....no, bullshit, V......just tell me," I get closer, begging him to just tell me the truth, and not lie to protect me. Although, I don't know exactly what the deal is, I have a haunting suspicion that I'm involved in some way, shape, or form. He sighs hard again and leans in 'til his mouth is neighboring my ear. He whispers the truth to me, causing my heart to fall. I shut my eyes, then open them, only looking down.
"Take Mia home, Let.......Don't tell her.........let him tell her. I'll see you guys there.......hopefully there won't be a big turnout tonight at the house," he tells me shaking his head, and getting into his car. I nod, and turn on my heel. I walk back over to my car. Mia and I get in. I crank the car and pull onto the road.
"So?............what's going on?..........what happen to Dom?" Mia asks suddenly and frantically. I shake my head, hoping that's enough, but knowing that it won't be.
"Letty?......come on, tell me," she turns all the way around to face me as I take a sharp curve to the right. I look straight ahead.
"Mia.........I can't.............It's not my place," I tell her softly. I feel horrible. She has every right to know, just not at my hands. I can feel her turn away. We sit silent for at least a half a mile before she whispers to me, still looking away.
"Just tell me that he's okay."
"He's okay," I whisper back. We're silent for the remainder of the ride home. We pull up in front of the Toretto house. The streets are lined with imports for over a block down. I guess no one gives a shit about what happen, as long as they can party. We get out of the car quietly and walk into the packed house, instantly hit with the thump of the stereo and the stench of alcohol. Mia goes straight up the stairs and to her room. I hope he talks to her tomorrow. She'll kill herself worrying about him, if he doesn't. I sigh and look around for the guys. I spot Carlito and walk over to him. He asks why I left so suddenly and when I'm gonna take delivery on the ride. I ask him to bring it to the shop Monday, and he nods, as I begin my eye scan for the team again. I walk into the kitchen, still not seeing them until I can catch a whiff of Leon's Adidas' cologne over the smell of beer and skanks. I follow my nose and find the guys sitting quietly on the back lawn in chairs around an open cooler of beer with their backs to the house. I begin to walk out to them, but stop myself when I hear them begin talking.
"So, is he okay?" Jess asks sipping his beer.
"Yeah, he's alright................it's just all this shit with Letty, and stuff, I guess something just finally snapped," Vince tells him, shaking his head.
"Well, what did he expect?..........he won't talk to anyone about it........I know it's killing him, hell, you know how much he loves Letty," Leon cuts in. They all nod slowly, not once looking at each other.
"....kept all that shit inside...........I knew it was gonna come out soon, I just hoped not like this.........he saw that kid with her and then that punk......." Vince trails off. So, that's what sent him into flip mode.....me. Troy. I didn't even know he was around us, when Troy came up. Christ, we only hugged. I walk up behind them, almost ready to burst into tears.
"So, I'M the real reason that kid is laying in the ER right now?" I startle them all, my voice shaking. They all jump up out of their seats and face me with looks of absolute horror, shaking their heads.
"Let, it's not....." Vince starts, reaching out for my arm. I jerk away from him.
"No!..........I'm so fucking tired of everyone blaming Dom's actions on me!........he's always tired...it's my fault.....he looks like shit.....it's my fault.....he nearly killed a guy........it's my fault!" I yell at them, not realizing the tears welling up in my eyes.
"He fucks other girls behind my back......it's my fault.......he swear that he loves me then he goes and hurts me the best way he knows how.......it's my fault........I'm tired of every fucking thing being my fault!!" I yell at them crying. They all just stand silent, wishing they knew what to say. I know they didn't think it was my fault, but I don't know what came over me. Everything was just building up and I wanted to scream when I heard the reason why Dom had done that tonight, so I screamed at the closest thing at the time............my friends. I start to feel ashamed for being such a bitch to them for no reason, causing me to cry harder.
"Let....." Leon walks closer to me, but I step back.
"No....no......I'm sorry.........I didn't mean that," I begin to sob, as they all try to walk closer to me. I begin to feel embarrassed and a knot forms in my stomach.
"No.....no...no.....I'm sorry......I have to go," I sob through tear clouded eyes, beginning to run into the house, as they yell for me to come back. I push and shove through drunken bastards trying desperately to reach the front door before anyone can notice my state of dismay. I reach the door an put my hand on the knob, but something stops me from opening the door. I turn and look up the stairs. I release the knob and turn to the stairs. Looking up and wiping my face, I start to climb them slowly, until the thump of the music is muffled below my feet. I walk down the hall to a cracked door with two 'L' shaped lines of light searing into my already burning eyes. The Toretto's room. The light is dim, but brilliant in the dark hall. I slowly walk to the door again, not knowing, and almost not wanting to know what lays behind it this time. I place a hand on the wooden entrance letting my fingers trace the carved designs out of procrastination. I push the door slightly and walk in.
