The Quarter Mile (Fast and Furious)

.12.

I couldn't think or sleep. I didn't eat or drink anything all day or all night. I just wanted to sleep but I couldn't stop crying. My heart was aching. It felt like I was bleeding from inside. I couldn't define what made me more upset Brian being two-faced or Dom's exiling. All of it hurt and I found myself crying over many things. Crying over my father and his death while on case with the FBI, crying over the fact my own birth killed my mother, crying over ever coming to this damn town to begin with. For everything I'd never meant a damn to anyone. For thinking anyone gave a shit about me.
As I laid scrunched up on the old creaking bed, I heard a sudden pounding on my door. I didn't register the sound at first. My head was pounding enough as is. I was hoping I was hallucinating.
I trudged over to the door after the pounding continued, awaking me from my state of despair.
The events of yesterday began to flood my mind as I opened the door just a crack,
"Mia?" My reply was in a mix of surprise and confusion.
"Charlie." She sighed back in relief before shoving the door open. She engulfed me in a tight hug, "I thought I'd never see you again."
"That was kind of the point." I rebutted dryly not returning the hug. She pulled away from me, leaving her hands on my shoulders. Tears began to fill her eyes and stream down her cheeks. I looked away not wanting to feel again but Mia always had a way of making me feel everything. I could always feel what she felt and she always could feel what I was experiencing. Tears began to swell up in my eyes, she quickly hugged me again. I wrapped my arms around her tight as the tears streamed down my cheeks endlessly.
"I'm so sorry Charlie. I should have been there to. But you got to believe Dom didn't mean what he said."
"Yes he did!" I pulled myself away quickly, "He doesn't exile people for the hell of it Mia."
"You're not exiled Charlie." She took my hands and hers, "He really didn't mean it. I know it hurts but he's sorry."
I shook my head a few times as my face grew colder, "He's not sorry about anything. He doesn't apologize for shit, you know that."
"Charlie he's been looking for you day and night. Brians been looking for you to! The whole team has alright. He shouldn't have said what he said Charlie he just panicked at the thought of loosing you."
"I don't care. I don't want anything to do with either one of them." The words dripped out of my mouth as venom. I saw a sting of pain and surprise flash over Mia's eyes.
"Charlie, they worked things out alright. It going to be okay."
She was speaking with desperation now and confusion. I knew she had know idea about Brian being a two-faced liar. She didn't even know that I used to be one. That was the one secret I held to myself was my past life and identity. I resigned months after being here and never went back. No regrets or anything. I felt like I had a hope. Obviously, I was wrong now.
"You don't get it Mia!" I shouted in frustrating before clenching my nails into my scalp, "Brian and I are nothing! We can't be! And never were. Just like I told you!"
"Charlie what are you-"
"He's a cop Mia!!"
Her chocolate brown eyes widened. A mix of sadness, confusion and fear rising behind them.
"He's LAPd Mia and here's to arrest Dom. That was his goal this whole time."
A slight gasp escaped her lips and the room fell tensely silent, to the point I wondered if she'd ever say anything again.
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After a long silence Mia returned from inside her head and back to reality. She blinked a few times, "Tell me what happened."
I poured out every detail I had gathered up to Mia from my early suspicions and to my discovery slash investigation. The mysterious phone call and everything I was made to feel and believe. She held my hands when I began crying again but otherwise she remained silent.
"It's not your fault Charlie. You couldn't have known after everything he told you. He put on a great show for everyone."
"But I should have known Mia." The words came shooting out of my mouth before I could process them.
"Charlie, I'm the one that pushed you two together. I never should've done that." Her eyes now began to fill with tears. I shook my head repeatedly before squeezing her hands, "Mia this is all on me. I should have picked up on the signs more. If I hadn't ignored my intuition we wouldn't be in this mess."
She gave me a slight puzzled look. I couldn't believe what I said next, "Mia I was one of them."
It came out like a whisper and what followed was greatly unexpected. I felt a wave of peace radiate over me as the secret I held was finally released.
Mia's brow furrowed at first but then quickly retracted when she processed what I just said.
"I'm not anymore Mia. I haven't been since I got here. I wasn't even a cop. Just an informant for the FBI. They suspected some people on this drug thing but it wasn't Dom. I knew it wasn't Dom. I couldn't go back after I felt so at home here. Everything back there was so fake Mia. I felt like I was wearing a disguise. I never wanted to deceive any of you!" Tears poured down my cheeks as my words came out in a frantic mumble. I started sobbing as my face fell into my hands.
"This is just karma biting me in the ass for never owning up to everything in the first place." I mumbled through fingers and didn't bother wiping the tears away. I deserved everything that was coming to me. My body flinched when I felt her warm hands on my shoulders. One hand brushed back my loose hair and tucked it behind my ear. I looked at her confused.
"Aren't you mad at me?"
"Charlie I could never be mad at you you're my sister." The words made more tears fall as she pulled me into a tight hug.
"But I lied to all of you."
"No you didn't Charlie." I tilted my head in confusion as we pulled away from the embrace, "It's like you said. You felt at home with us. Everything we've ever saw was you. You have never worn a mask around us Charlie. You've always just been yourself."
She smiled warmly as reached forward and wiped the tears off my cheeks.
I gave a light smile back.
"Now would come home with me."
I shook my head immediately, "No Mia I can't go back. Even if Dom does forgive me he'll never look at me the same again. I especially can't go back with Brian there."
She let out a quick exhale, "Charlie, family doesn't leave family. Okay, I'm not letting you stay there and it's only a matter of time before Dom or someone else finds you. I was just lucky."
"How did you find me?" The question had been on my mind since I saw her standing at the door.
"Well it's obvious that you wouldn't stick around any place close by and I knew you'd never go as far as entering the big city. So I started in between."
I gave a nod at her words and honestly I didn't think about getting lost in the city or taking a plane some place else.
"Look," she began again with a soft smile, "Doms going to be alright, okay, and I don't know what to do about Brian.... but will figure it out together, alright."
After a few moments of contemplation and gazing around the room I nodded.
"Good, now let's get you ready for that race tomorrow." She smiled in a immediate perky manner but I frowned immediately.
"No, no I'm not racing tomorrow."
"But you race every year?"
"Not this time though. I have something else in mind." A slight smirk came across my lips as the idea flowed through my head.
"What are you going to do?" Mia asked skeptically while scanning over my face with her eyes.
"I'm going to see how forgiving Dom really is. You say he's be honest. We're about to find out."
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Thoughts?!
-Nyx 🤍🖤
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