Author's Note: Dom is Dom. Letty is Letty. A little bit of racy talk here. A little (or a lot) of Dom being a dumbass.

Chapter 24

The visitation room at Lompoc wasn't what anyone would have called romantic. After being forced to turn over most items and sent through a metal detector and searched, they'd take you through to a large room. There were several tables with chairs placed around the room. Prisoners sat to visit with family or friends or whomever, all under the watchful gaze of several prison guards.

The bonus was, at least she could visit Dom like this and not have to talk to him through a plastic wall. That was reserved for the more dangerous felons.

Today she came alone, as Mia was taking care of the store. It was just as well, after all they didn't get to stay very long and the drive had been miserable.

Once she was brought into the room a guard went to get Dom and escorted him to her. He looked tired, but mostly the same, and he leaned down to greet her with a kiss that was more chaste than either one of them would have liked.

But she would get used to that, she thought. He was stuck in here for at least a couple years.

He sat across from her at the table and waited for the guard to leave, give them at least some small amount of privacy. She reached across for his hand and he let it take it, turning his palm against her's.

"Things still busy at the shop?" he asked, and she let him steer the conversation.

She shrugged one shoulder. "Yeah. You know how much business we usually do. Now we're down a couple skilled mechanics. But we're keeping things together." She gave him a reassuring smile. She didn't want him to be in here worrying about them when he should be worrying about himself. "Took your advice and switched Mia over to the shop. Hired some girl she knows from school for the store. She does okay."

"How's Vince? He's not making any trouble for you?"

"Drinks too much," Letty sighed. "Usually Mia can boss him into behaving though." They both knew the power the younger Toretto had over Dom's friend.

Dom smiled a bit, then squeezed her hand. "And how are you holding up?" he asked, his gaze going serious.

She looked down at their hands. She wanted to shrug it off and tell him she was fine. That she could handle all of it because she was the strong, bad ass woman he knew she was, but she couldn't find the words. And what would their relationship be if she wasn't truthful with him anyway.

"It's not easy," she admitted. "I miss you like crazy." He squeezed her hand again, echoing the sentiment perhaps. "And there's a lot. The house, the shop, the store… all the debt your dad had and never told any of us about. We work ourselves ragged but we seem to just be treading water, you know?"

"Yeah," he said, looking guilty. "I should be there helping you."

"I don't blame you," she told him, looking him right in the eye. "What's done is done, Dom. We'll get through the shit like we always do."

"Maybe I can find a way to send you some more money," he said. Inmates could have jobs inside, but the kicker of it was that they were paid next to nothing to do them. The bit of money Dom earned helped him buy little things from the prison shop. A book, a pack of cards, cigarettes or snacks. But he still sent at least half of what he earned home to them.

"Don't do that," she said. "We're managing. Just focus on doing what you need to do so you can get out sooner."

He frowned, but didn't protest. They knew the system was stacked against them.

"I miss you too, you know?" he said softly. "And Mia. Vince… just everything."

"I know," she nodded. She didn't really know, but she could imagine, being locked away from everything and everyone you'd ever known. "I heard Linder got out of the hospital, by the way," she added, dropping her voice. "He's recovering…"

"Recovering? He'll probably need a wheelchair or something the rest of his life. I… I messed him up." He sounded ashamed of it. She knew he was. He'd lost control in that moment. And he'd seen the kind of damage he could do.

He sighed, releasing her hand to scrub his own across his face.

"Letty…" he began. "I've been thinking."

She tensed up a bit when he said that. It was the tone that got her. She hated when he had that tone in his voice. Like he was about to tell her something she wouldn't like. Something that he thought he knew better than her about.

"This whole situation is really not fair to you."

"It's not fair to any of us, Dom," she said. "But that's life."

"I mean, you and me." He looked at her, his face unreadable in that way he did when he didn't want her to know what he was thinking. "You shouldn't have to wait for a man who's in prison."

She stared at him. "It's not like it's a life sentence, Dominic. I think I can manage a few years."

"I don't want you to feel like you're tied to me."

She bit back on the first and second things she wanted to say. Arguing with Dominic Toretto was like arguing with a brick wall when he'd made up his mind about something.

"Are you saying you want to break up with me?" she asked. "You want me to just go out and start dating other guys?"

"I'm not saying that exactly…" he said. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to wait for me."

A million questions spun through her head. Why couldn't he take the responsibility for the decision if that's what he wanted? Why would he think that's what she wanted? Was he trying to release her from the responsibilities of his family? She would never in a million years leave Mia in the lurch, even if he told her he didn't love her anymore and he was done with her. He was in prison, so he couldn't want the opportunity to play the field. Rather it seemed like he wanted to give her permission to do so. But he'd always been horribly jealous. She just couldn't wrap her head around any of it.

After a long moment of silence she let out a slow exhale and said with the patience she didn't feel. "You know that no one makes me do anything I don't want to do, Dom. If I choose to wait, that's my choice, isn't it?"

"And what if you meet someone while I'm here?" he asked.

Ah, there was the real issue. Fear. He was hoping to head off a problem that didn't exist. That she'd meet some guy while he was in prison.

"I'm too busy to meet guys," she said. "And I'm not looking anyway."

"Three years is a long time to be celibate," he told her, chagrined.

"I know how to get myself off," she replied.

"I just want you to feel like you have the opportunity to live your life, Letty, okay?" he said. "Don't put everything on hold for me. I'm not worth it."

She swallowed her protest. She thought he was. Maybe she was just being a dumb kid, overly romantic about her first boyfriend. Maybe her feelings really would change. Maybe the three years would seem like an eternity. Maybe they would grow apart.

She didn't know, but she was damned if she was letting her life be run by maybes anyway.

"Okay," she said, looking at him. "I'm living my life Dom. Exactly the way I want to. Do you believe me?"

He considered for a moment, then seemed to deflate a little in his seat. Like she'd said exactly what he'd expected her to and was disappointed. Not because he didn't like her answer. Deep down, she knew he did. But because he didn't think it was the best choice for her.

"You don't have to tell me what's best for me," she said. "That's not the way I make my choices."

"I wish you would sometimes." He gave her a small smile.

"You'd be miserable without me."

"You're right," he agreed, and smiled again. "So… three years?"

"Well I don't know you just said I could go out and find a fuck buddy so…"

"Not funny, Letty."

"Maybe you should save up some of those calling cards and give me a ring one night. That could take some of the ache out."

"You're killing me," he groaned.

"I'll just send you some naughty pictures in my next letter."

"No way. I don't want anyone else around here seeing what's mine."

"So you don't want to see them?" she asked, lifting her brows.

He hesitated, frowning at her. "Is this payback for me trying to get you to break up with me?"

"Maybe," she shrugged, "Or maybe not." She slid the car magazines she'd brought for him across the table and stood when the guard signaled that their time was nearly up.

"Make sure you're alone when you look at those," she told him, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. "Call me soon, Dom."