Author: Moon Roses or Moony
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Feedback: Not necessary but greatly appreciated.
Recap: "We're almost home," she whispered, focusing her attention back on the road ahead. The city loomed out of the darkness, it's thousands of twinkling lights welcoming her home from her legendary journey.
Chapter Thirty Eight
When Shorty finally pulled up to the house and parked in front of her garage, she couldn't believe it was hers. She never thought she'd own her own house. If anything, she figured she'd live with Hector until they were old lunatics that could get along with no one but each other. However, fate had a strange way of changing ones plans. It'd given her the most wonderful child, that she loved more than anything, but fate had also given Hector a long term girlfriend.
He hadn't talked about her much and she assumed it was because he felt guilty for falling for someone when she was stuck without the man she loved. He explained she was beautiful, much too prefect to love him, but that she had stuck by him for two years and she wasn't planning on going anywhere. Shorty was happy for him, she really was, but she didn't deny that she was jealous.
It was extremely late and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep until lunchtime the next day. But having a child made it difficult to just laze around. Shorty unbuckled her seatbelt and slid from the car quietly. If she was gentle enough she could probably get Brer into the house and up into her bed without any issues. If he awoke she knew she'd never get him to back to sleep, he'd be up all night talking with Hector.
As she let Banjo from the back and swiftly unbuckled Brer from his car seat she glanced up when the front door opened. Her brother was illuminated in the doorway for a brief second before he rushed to her side to grab his nephew from her arms. "Hey, baby girl," he whispered, kissing her cheek then turning back towards the house.
Shorty pulled their duffle bags from the trunk of the Escalade and followed her brother into the house. Crossing the threshold into her own living room was a wonderful experience and she was a little sad she'd never feel that exact feeling again. The living room was just how she'd wanted it and she knew she owed Hector and the team huge for arranging everything. It would have been nice to put the house together herself but she wanted to focus her time on Brer and make sure he really was fine with the move. He was such a loveable character, incredibly precocious, and adept at hiding anything he wanted.
Hector led the way up the staircase and before he could veer into Brer's room, Shorty stopped him, "He's gonna sleep in my bed tonight. I don't want him waking up in a strange house and getting scared."
"Ok," he answered, walking into the room opposite Brer's.
Shorty flicked the light on just as he laid Brer on the king size bed. She smiled when the big bear of a man nudged her son closer to the middle of the bed and placed a pillow next to him so he couldn't roll off. "Look at you go," she whispered, while he tugged Brer's shoes off and dropped a kiss on his forehead.
Straightening up to his full height he smiled over his shoulder at her. It was clear how much Hector adored his nephew and Shorty hoped that maybe he'd let up on his protectiveness of her and transfer it to her son. "Usted mira cansado," he said, ushering her into the hallway. (You look tired.)
"Aw, ese es un dulce manera de decir que lucen como mierda," she laughed, following her brother back down the stairs and into the living room. (Aw, that's such a sweet way of saying I look like shit.)
"Siempre eres hermosa, Hermana," he answered, and pulled her into a fierce hug. "I'm so glad you're finally back. Promise me you'll never bounce like that again." (You're always beautiful, sister.)
"I promise. Besides, the kid would never let us leave here. You know you guys mean the world to him. I think he was pretty choked when he found out we weren't going to be moving in with you."
"The kid's got good taste," Hector laughed, releasing her from her grip and wandering into the kitchen.
Shorty stood her ground until he returned with two cold beers. It'd been a long drive but there was something she needed to do before she could even think about drinking with her brother. He handed her the beer and eyed her, the corner of his lip twitching in his effort to stop from smiling. Rolling onto the tips of her toes she bounced impatiently, waiting for him to let her know if her one wish had been granted.
"Oh, for Christ's sake, she's in the garage," he sighed in defeat.
The smile that spread across her face hurt her cheeks but she couldn't stop the excited squeal from spilling over her lips. Turning and rushing to the garage door she swung it open, flicked on the light, and then moaned at the site before her. Her baby was gleaming as if new, the blue as brilliant as the day she was painted. The black rims made her heart ache and before she could find her dignity she was in the garage and lying against the hood of her machine, arms spread wide in the largest hug she could manage.
"Oh baby, I missed you. I'm sosorry for leaving you. I swear I'll never do it again. Can I make it up to you with a nice paint job? Maybe a lower kit? An extra bottle of nitrous?" she cooed, stroking the hood.
"I can leave you two alone if you need?"
"Shut up," Shorty laughed, stepping away from the car to admire it again.
Certainly she'd missed her car. Before Brer, racing was her life. Just the site of her baby forced the realization that it wasn't exactly the car she missed but the freedom that came with it. The Escalade she owned now was the closest thing to a 'soccer mom van' that she ever planned on getting. It was a trusty vehicle, it got her and Brer from point A to point B and they looked awesome getting there, but it just didn't feel like her car did. The speed, the vibrations, just couldn't be matched by a tricked out luxury SUV.
Blowing a kiss to her baby, Shorty turned and followed Hector back into the house. He collapsed on the couch and she fell down beside him, tucking her feet under his leg and laying back. "You did good, this place looks amazing. Thank you so much for getting everything ready for us," she said.
"We'd do anything for you," answered Hector, as he raised his beer to his lips. "The boys will be here first thing after work tomorrow."
"Brer will love that."
"The boys will love that."
"It feels so good to be back, Hec. You have no idea," Shorty said, sitting up and looking at her brother. "We're having a barbeque here tomorrow, right?"
Hector nodded, "That's the plan. I'm bringing my girl, if you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind. It's about time I meet her!"
Shorty watched her brother smile absently, his eyes losing focus as he thought of the woman he loved. She hoped the girl could live up to the expectations she had. Her brother was an awesome catch, handsome, strong, and exciting. He deserved the best and she really didn't want to disapprove. Hector hadn't liked Leon when she'd first started dating him but eventually he'd gotten over it. If this girl didn't meet her expectations she swore to herself she'd give her two chances instead of just the one. After all, any woman who could get her brother to settle down must be good shit.
Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he glanced up at her and then away. She noticed the change in his body language instantly and just as quickly she was on the defensive. There were things that needed to be discussed but she'd hoped they wouldn't need to broach those subjects for a couple weeks.
"I haven't told Toretto you're back, but it's only a matter of time before he finds out," Hector sighed.
"Do we have to talk about this now?"
"Yeah, Michael, we do. You ran out on a lot of people. And some of those people don't want you back here."
The use of "some of those people" led her in the direction he intended and Shorty blinked back the heartache that welled up. Maybe she should be scared of Dominic Toretto but it wasn't him she was worried about. Vince and Leon were the two people that she was desperate to avoid. The pull to just drive past their house was overwhelming but she knew she couldn't do that. She so desperately wanted to see them, and eventually she'd have no choice but to face the music. It was that fear of seeing with her own eyes the hatred they held for her now, that kept her from hopping in her car and confronting them. And she couldn't blame them really, if she'd been left behind by either of them she'd never be able to forgive and forget.
"How are they?" she choked.
"They're," he said, pausing when he saw the anguish cross her face. "They're different, Michael. Things are a lot different now. Leon's with someone."
Her heart burned in pain at his words and she struggled to breathe as her worst fears were confirmed. She was hung up on a man who had long since moved on. Unable to get away from the conversation she had to have, she lowered her eyes and picked at the frayed bottoms on her one jean leg. He was going to tell her regardless of if she wanted to hear it or not. She mused to herself that finding out about Leon and Vince was like a band aid that needed to come off, rip it off quickly instead of drawing it out. Get the despair and hurt over with, then pick up the pieces as she went. That was really her only option now.
"Vince is happy too. They've moved on."
"I'm glad," she answered automatically. He grunted his disbelief and she raised her dry eyes to his, "No, really. I'm glad. They're better off without me."
"Go easy on yourself. We all make mistakes," he answered, pulling her into his arms again.
The warmth of his embrace broke the last of her wall, and the tears came flooding out like the waters of a dam. She hadn't meant to cry, in fact, she still felt weak whenever she cried but it was impossible to hold it back. She wanted them. She wanted Vince. She wanted Leon. She thought of both of them as hers. They were the two people who would never leave her. And hearing that was exactly what happened felt like a hammer slamming into her sternum.
"I miss them so much, Hector," she whimpered. Even to her own ears her voice sounded fragile and lost, when usually it was ringing with sarcasm. His arms tightened around her and he didn't say a word as he let her cry into his chest. "It hurts to breathe," she choked out, clutching at his shirt desperately.
Obviously they'd moved on. What did she expect? They were both wonderful men who deserved the world, and that was just one other thing she couldn't give them. But that didn't stop her from wanting things back the way they'd been.
"I know, baby girl. I know," was all her brother could muster.
Shorty was grateful that Hector hadn't lied to her and said Vince and Leon were stuck in the past. She needed the truth, no matter how painful it was. It was no less than she deserved. In fact, if she was completely truthful with herself she deserved much more. Hector held back whom Leon and Vince were happy with, for her sake. It was only a matter of time before she saw them out and she'd have to face that alone. Not even Hector could protect her from herself.
Without meaning to, she cried herself to sleep in her brother's embrace. A small hand caressing her face woke her the next morning, and she blinked the sleep from her eyes. Green gems shone back at her and she was happy she had someone who loved her regardless of all the bad decisions she made.
Brer left his hand against her cheek and smiled at her, "We're home, Mami. Can I go see uncle Hector now?"
"You don't waste any time, do you, kid?"
"Nope," he answered proudly, moving his tiny hands to her armpits and tickling her until she rolled off the bed. He peered over the edge of the bed at her, his high pitched giggles warming her heart. Every morning he woke her by crawling in bed and tickling her awake, and he never tired of it. "Mami!" he laughed, "Get off the floor!"
"You pushed me off the bed, you little monster!" she cried, reaching up and grabbing him around the waist. She pulled him down onto the floor and lifted his shirt off his stomach, blowing a loud raspberry against the skin. He shrieked in mirth and Banjo nosed his way in to make sure his favorite person was all right. "How does a barbeque and pool party sound? The boys are all coming over this afternoon," she said, letting Brer straddle her waist and bury his small hands in her armpits again.
"Well, I don't know," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "They're bringing their cars?"
"Baby, this is L.A. No one walks anywhere. But I'll do you one better, you can see my car. It's parked in the garage," said Shorty, as she wrapped her arms around her son and stood up.
Brer squirmed in her arms until she placed him on his feet. He was out the door a second later and scrambling down the stairs before she turned into the hallway. "I bet your car is better than uncle Hector's."
"You got that right. Hector's got a Honda and what have I told you about that?"
He tugged on the garage door, throwing "It's all about the Nissans!" over his shoulder.
She laughed at the absurdity of such a young child already claiming favorites. Of course; he'd grown up with her talking about her love for Nissans so he was bound to have biased view points. As soon as he was strong enough to start fixing up his own car she planned to buy him his own Nissan. He would carry on his parent's traditions; though he had no idea his father was a Nissan fanatic too. It was just another fact that she'd eventually have to come clean with, as soon as she found the right way to tell Leon about Brer.
Flicking the light on, Shorty held back her desire to hug her car again and asked Brer, "So what you think of the old girl?"
"Can I drive it?"
"Not for about thirteen years, kid."
"Oh, Mami. Per favore?" begged Brer, clasping his hands together and turning his green eyes up at her. (Please?)
"Eleven years. That's all your getting," she laughed.
Brer climbed in the drivers seat and Shorty slid into the passenger side. It was odd sitting in her own guest seat but it wasn't a bad feeling. Even though she wanted her child to stay young and innocent forever, in truth she really couldn't wait for him to chauffeur her around. Teaching him to drive was bound to be one of her proudest moments.
"Estoy gonna get todas las putas con este coche," he quipped, reaching forward to grip the steering wheel. (I'm gonna get all the bitches with this car.)
Shorty sputtered in shock but couldn't help but laugh, even though it was incredibly inappropriate. "Donde el infierno aprender a hablar asÃ?" (Where the hell did you learn to talk like that?)
"Levi."
"Poco de mierda! Si nunca escucho le pide a una mujer una perra que vas eructar burbujas hasta cuarenta eres. Entiendes?" (That little shit! If I ever hear you calling a woman a bitch, you'll be burping bubbles until you're forty. Do you understand?)
He pouted but nodded his understanding. She hated to scold him but she didn't plan on raising a woman hater. She would do her best to bring up a strong willed, confident, and passionate man. She couldn't force him to treat women properly but she could instill in him a belief in equality and hope for the best.
"I'm sorry, Mami. Are you mad at me?"
"Never," she answered, as she opened her arms for him to crawl onto her lap.
Sometimes she wondered if she babied him too much but she relished the chance to hold him whenever she could. Shorty knew eventually that once his teenage years rolled around he wouldn't want anything to do with her and she wanted to get her fill of loving son before he became a hormone driven monster.
He smiled up at her and rubbed her cheek affectionately, "I love you, Mami."
"I love you too, little man," answered Shorty, climbing from the car and hitching him higher on her hip. "How about we make pancakes for breakfast?"
"Yeah!" he cried, and took off for the kitchen as soon as she set him on his feet.
The rest of the day was spent unpacking his room and hanging his clothes in the closet or placing them in drawers. Clothing was one thing she never skimped on and she loved to be able to give Brer the freshest threads. Her favorite part of having a child, besides the unconditional love she received, was the ability to dress him up like a younger version of her brother. He was always the most pimped out child on the playground and perhaps that was leading him down a materialistic path but she couldn't help but want her son to have as many opportunities as possible.
When they finally finished his room, they moved into her room and while she hung clothes he played on the bed with Banjo. She watched him from the corner of her eye and wondered how Leon would react to seeing him. It was obvious Brer belonged to him, the eyes were a given but every day his features seemed to resemble Leon's a little more. Shorty was positive he was going to be a ladies man just like his father and growing up around her team would only push him farther towards that lifestyle.
"HOLA!" broke into her thoughts and she looked towards the bed where Brer's was pushing to his feet. "Where's my nephew?"
"Here!" he screamed, running across the king size mattress. His foot tangled in the duvet and he tumbled back to the bed face first. Rising onto his elbows he screamed louder, "I'm here, Pedro! Here!"
Shorty heard the team stomping up the stairs quickly and watched as Brer climbed back to his feet and launched himself into the air just as Pedro burst through the door. He sprinted forward to catch her flying son and hugged him before tossing him through the air to Miguel.
"You guys are off early?" she asked, accepting a tight hug from Pedro.
"Hector's in love now, he closes shop to spend time with the lady," answered Beto, picking her up and swinging her around. "It's about damn time you moved back. The races tomorrow are gonna be a shit show!"
"We're goin' to the races, Mami?" Brer asked, his steady gaze peering at her over Miguel's shoulder.
"Oh, I was thinking about it," laughed Shorty, "So, what's my brother's woman like?"
"She's hot," Miguel answered.
"Smoking hot!" added Marvin, whistling loudly. "I think you're gonna like her. She's your kind of girl."
The four men looked at each other and laughed. She'd never approved of any of the women her boys had dated, especially Hector. It was obvious they were getting a kick out of the fact that she'd never met her and they'd known her for two years. It just went to prove how much she'd missed the last few years and how much she had to catch up on.
She rolled her eyes and ushered the men out of her room so she could change into a bathing suit, "Just cause she's "smoking hot" doesn't mean I'm gonna like her. Brer, go change into some swim trunks."
Shorty changed quickly and grabbed towels from the hall closet for everyone. By the time she made it back downstairs all the men were in the pool and Brer was laughing hysterically as they tossed him through the air. She remembered when they used to do that with her and absently missed it. They had some of their best moments lounging around the pool. It almost felt like old times, except it was missing an integral part. The Toretto team would never set foot in this house after she'd abandoned them. In fact, from what she could gather, her team didn't spend a lot of time with the Toretto team anymore. They still mingled at the races but there were no more combined family barbeques and she hated to think that was due to her selfishness.
Collapsing on lawn chair beside the pool Shorty allowed Banjo to climb up and settled between her feet. He watched the scene in front of him, ready to step in if any of the men got too rough with Brer. Stroking his head she mused that she'd really scored when she picked him. He was like a babysitter and absolutely adored being around people other than just her and Brer, which made him a wonderful pet. Yet she had no doubts he'd make his presence known if something shady happened around her or her son, but most of the time he was pretty mellow.
Just after five o'clock Shorty excused herself to make a phone call to her surrogate family back in Mexico. She had promised that she would call to let them know they'd got settled and Toretto hadn't killed her yet. When Jamie answered the phone Shorty assured her they had everything they needed and a housewarming gift wasn't necessary. It hurt to admit that she missed them already and Jamie's thoughtfulness reminded her she wouldn't be receiving that here. And if she tried not to worry about it, Jamie made sure she brought it up.
"Have you seen Leon yet?" she questioned.
Shorty could almost feel the nervous anticipation through the phone line, "We haven't even been back for twenty four hours yet. Soon though,"
"I bet Letty will be excited to see you."
Unsure if that was likely going to be the situation she groaned softly, "I hope so. It'll be impossible to get her away from Dom though."
"You can always come back here," she joked, laughing quietly into the phone.
"I think we better stick it out. I gotta bounce though, you think you can tell that punk Levi if I hear any more cuss words out of my kids mouth I'm coming back to castrate that asshole."
"So we should expect you in a few days?"
Jamie giggled for a minute before she hung up the phone. Even though Shorty loved living in Mexico the fact that she left didn't hurt the way she had expected. She wondered if maybe her emotions had been locked up tight after leaving L.A. Because when she'd motored out of the City of Angels she'd felt like she was in two places at once. Truthfully, she'd felt that way for almost five years. When she'd pulled to a stop on her parking pad the night before everything seemed to make sense again, even though in reality she was still as lost as she'd always been.
Descending the stairs two at a time Shorty quickly made her way through the house and out to the backyard again. The team wasn't in the pool anymore but lying on the grass while Brer pointed out animals in the clouds. With no activity in the pool she dived in and swam the length before surfacing next to the diving board.
"Cannon ball!" Brer shouted, leaping off the board and landing beside her.
He surfaced among mad giggles while Shorty rubbed the chlorine water from her eyes. "You little monster!" she teased, grabbing him before he could swim away and chucking him as far as she could.
He was squealing in delight just as Hector shouted, "The party's finally here!" from the patio doors.
She swam towards Brer and grabbed him around the middle again, lugging him to the edge of the pool so he could climb out and greet Hector. As soon as he was on solid ground again he sprinted towards the patio doors but slid to a stop and gazed uncertainly at his uncle. Shorty hauled herself out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her body before turning to face the newcomers. She knew Brer was probably a little intimidated by her brother's girlfriend; having never met her before.
Turning to face the music, so to speak, her mouth dropped open as she caught sight of the woman her brother had brought to the family barbeque. The team had been right, she was breathtakingly beautiful, all mocha skin and long shimmering brown hair. Her mouth was gaping open like her own and Shorty fought to spit out some sort of greeting.
"Shorty?"
Still unable to speak, she nodded at the other girl and took a few steps toward her to get a better look.
"When did you get back?" she asked, her voice breaking a little.
"When did you start dating my brother?" questioned Shorty, taking a step closer to the beautiful Goddess.
"Aunty Mia!" Brer cried, tugging on her skirt gently to get her attention.
During their staring match Brer had moved closer to the woman he recognized from so many of the photos around the house. His small hand was wound into the flowing fabric of her skirt and his head was tipped back so he could see straight up at her. Mia looked down at Brer and blinked in surprise. She didn't answer him but looked back up at Shorty and then back to the small child before her.
"I. Aunty?" Mia asked, gazing into the serene green eyes she knew so well.
It was obvious that the child before her was Leon's. No one could mistake those eyes or the golden streaks through his hair. But this wasn't how Shorty wanted someone from the Toretto team to find out. Especially not Toretto's baby sister.
"Would I lie to you?" he asked immediately, and Shorty saw Mia's eyes widen at the familiar question. Shorty hadn't meant for Brer to learn that habit, but she found it cute and endearing that he was so much like her. "I seen you in all the pictures. You're my aunty Mia. Mami told me," he answered, turning and looking at Shorty as he mentioned his mother.
For whatever it was worth, Shorty was thankful Mia hadn't instantly turned and hightailed it back to the fort. Although, now that her secret was out it she felt a little frightened for the first time in years. Sure, Dom wouldn't physically hurt her, but even his silence was disheartening. After all these years, she still wanted his approval. Not that it mattered anymore. Both Vince and Leon had moved on and she would never be welcome in their lives again. Still though, she wanted Brer to eventually see his father.
"I think you two have some catching up to do," Hector cut in, scooping Brer off the ground and taking a running leap into the pool.
Hector was the head of the team and although Shorty could think for herself pretty well, she knew there was no discussion. He had decided to keep the fact that he'd been dating Mia from her for two years. And it was obvious from the shock on Mia's face that she had no idea about Brer or that they were moving back to the city. It was clear keeping secrets was one of Hector's greatest skills. The most important ladies in his life had no idea about the other.
"So, you're the one that got my brother to settle down?"
Mia smiled at her but her eyes followed Hector as he splashed around with Brer. The look on her face spoke volumes. It was obvious she was head over heels in love with her brother and Shorty could almost read the emotions as they crossed Mia's face. She wanted to tell her that having a child wasn't an easy job but she knew it was useless. Mia had always wanted children and without a doubt she now wanted them with Hector.
Cringing at the thought, Shorty waved her hand in front of Mia's face, "Down girl!"
Shorty led Mia into the kitchen and jumped up on the counter while her long lost friend leaned against it. "He's beautiful," she said, still watching her man and nephew frolicking.
"Thank you," Shorty answered. They'd never had a hard time talking but after so many years the awkward tension stopped Shorty from saying the things she really wanted to. She wanted to know how Mia had fallen for her hood rat brother, but more than that she needed to know what had become of Leon and Vince.
"I really don't know what to say, Shorty."
"How about we start with the obvious?" questioned Shorty.
"I was so confused when you left us," Mia said, turning from the window and hopping on the counter to face Shorty. "I wondered what we did so wrong to make you leave. I thought you loved us."
"Oh God, Mia. I did love you all. I do love you," Shorty sighed, struggling to maintain her composure. She had no idea how to explain the real reason she left without making Leon out to be a heartless bastard. Because that wasn't what he was, far from it. He was just a man who got mixed up with the wrong kind of girl and she couldn't blame him for that. All the bad things that happened had been completely her fault.
"He looks just like him. His eyes are astonishing," she paused, holding Shorty's gaze with her own. She reached forward and clasped Shorty's hand in her own, locking their fingers together. The gesture was so simple, yet, meant much more to Shorty than she could ever explain. "I know why you left now. It must have been so hard for you," she finished.
Squeezing Mia's hand gently Shorty thought back over the last few years. Of course it'd been hard, but not because she'd had to raise her son alone. The most difficult part had been leaving the people she loved behind. "It was, but it got easier. And when Brer was born I didn't have a choice but to stop feeling sorry for myself."
"I can't imagine raising a child on my own. You're a brave woman. And by the looks of it, you've done a wonderful job."
"I'm not brave, Mia. I did what had to be done."
"Maybe you did, but it takes a brave person to leave everyone and everything you know," she pushed.
The wonderful thing about Mia was she put everything into perspective so easily. If she hadn't chosen the medical field, Shorty was positive she would've made an excellent life coach. "I'm sorry I just left without an explanation."
"You don't need to apologize," Mia assured. "Though, you know I have to ask, do you plan on telling Leon?"
A somewhat bitter smile must have crossed her face unbidden because Mia squeezed her hand again in comfort. "I will," she replied softly. She still wasn't sure how she planned to do it but she'd have to figure it out soon. Her secret was out in the open now with one of the integral members of the Toretto clan, and Mia now had an obligation to tell her loved ones.
"He's not going to be happy."
"Yeah, I kind of got that feeling too."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, each deep in their own thoughts about the coming weeks. It life had been difficult for either of them before, it was about to get explosive. Suddenly Mia brightened and shoved Shorty's shoulder, "You're a mom! Letty is going to flip her shit!"
Her giddiness was contagious and Shorty found herself beaming from ear to ear. Her greatest wish had been to share her experience of motherhood with her closest girlfriend and she'd never lost hope that one day that would be the case. She'd already decided her best course of action for telling Letty about Brer was to do what had always seemed to work so well. Showing then telling had a habit of breaking the awkward tension quickest. And Letty wasn't the kind of girl to beat around the bush so the most straightforward approach was always best.
"I can't wait to meet Lalia," Shorty remarked.
"You'll love her. She's just like Letty and Dom, already under a car."
"Yeah, Letty told me," she mused quietly, forgetting for a moment that Mia had no idea about their communication.
"I knew it!" she screamed.
Shorty had forgotten how loud and excitable Mia was, but she'd been reminded in a moment's notice. "Knew what?"
"Knew you two were talking! She was furious when you left, and then one day she was way too mellow. Like it didn't matter that you left cause she knew you'd be coming home eventually."
"We've been emailing since I left, but somehow she forgot to mention you were bopping my bro," Shorty laughed.
A crimson blush spread across Mia's cheeks and she looked absolutely mortified to hear it referred to as "bopping". "I don't know when it happened, but he's amazing. I don't know why I didn't see it earlier."
"What happened to the buster?"
She shrugged without any remorse. "I heard he ended up in Miami."
"Well, you break my brother's heart and I'll break your neck," Shorty stated calmly.
Mia's girlish giggles spilled forth and she shook her head at Shorty, "You and Dom are like the same person."
"Oh yeah, like two pea's in a pod," Shorty joked, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
If any two people were complete opposites, it was she and Dom. In fact, besides their love of cars they had nothing in common. Except maybe their love for their own and each other's teams. And maybe their hot headed temper. Or their protectiveness for siblings. Or even their refusal to back down from an argument. Unfortunately for Shorty, she now saw what Mia saw. She was in fact a lot like Dominic Toretto and maybe that was the reason behind her never ending desire for his approval.
A fierce need to avoid the topic of Dominic Toretto pushed Shorty to ask what she really wanted to know. "I heard Leon's pretty serious with a new girl."
Clearing her throat, Mia nodded a little stiffly, "He's been dating Kim for about eight months."
"She good to him?"
"She's so in love with him, and he likes her," she answered honestly. "It took him a long time to get over you. I think he's scared to be left behind again."
"She'd be stupid to leave him."
"You did it," Mia simply said.
Although it was hard to hear, it was perfectly true. She'd had the perfect man and she'd left him without a backwards glance. "I know."
"Well, go on. Ask and get it off your chest."
Unable to believe that Mia had read her thoughts she asked anyways, "How's V?"
She took her time to formulate a response and Shorty was disheartened by the pause. Whenever someone paused before answering it usually meant the worst. "It took him longer to get over you. It was like he disappeared when you did."
And there it was.
Sure, she'd hoped he'd be longing for her but she never wanted him to check out. In fact, although she'd never given thought to it, she now knew she'd hoped he'd throw himself into his team to forget about her. In the end, she'd been right all along and he'd missed her desperately.
Disgust welled in her throat and she felt sickened by her actions. Her selfishness had stolen years off someone's life. She deserved to rot in hell for what she'd done to the man she claimed was her best friend. How could she claim she loved any of them when she'd hightailed it out of L.A. when things got a little tough? And how fucking selfish was she that she so fiercely wanted him to forgive her and love her like he used to?
"Leaving Leon was hard. So hard, Mia. But leaving Vince, God, it fucking hurt."
"Don't let him turn you away."
"Huh?"
"You heard me," she said, sliding off the counter and motioning for them to rejoin the rest of the group. "Let's go meet my nephew."
Her family spent the rest of the evening playing around the pool before moving inside to watch a movie. Mia was taken aback at how alike Brer was to both his parents but she never outright mentioned Leon. If a small quirk of Leon's showed itself, she simply raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shorty.
When it came time for everyone to leave Shorty let Mia put Brer to bed and assured her they would be at the races the next night. She also promised to keep her secret until the weekend was over. But if Shorty hadn't told the Toretto team about being home she'd have to do it for her. And she'd have to let the cat out of the bag. Leon had every right to know about his son, but still Shorty found her heart rate pick up every time she thought about telling him.
It had seemed like an easy transition to move back home, but now reality was settling in and she couldn't fight it. Sooner or later she'd have to confront her past, and she was worried it could get a little verbally abrasive and perhaps even a little violent.
A/N: Thanks to Bindie, ILoveAnime89, Holliday Girl, and Ashes2Dust18 for the wonderful reviews! Also special thanks to Idoneous for the mountain of reviews! You're my own personal review fairy! Shout outs to raut1903 and littlebirdy141 for the story alerts!
Cheers!