Feels Like Home

Part Two

Letty's POV

I rose the next morning early, took a quick shower then threw on denim shorts with a frayed bottom and a black tank top. I rummaged through some of the drawers in my old room and found dog tags like ones a person would receive from the military. Holding them in my hand for a long moment I examined them. The silver was embossed with faint initials. A military stamp on one. I placed the chain on top of the dresser and kept rummaging. I found several envelopes of cash. The thick brown envelopes were all carefully sealed and labelled with random figures. I slipped them back where they belonged, beneath what had once been my stuff. Nothing more caught my eye bar the photos on top of the dresser. I wouldn't have described myself as a sentimental person but clearly I was. There was a photo of Mia and I as young children about eight, sat on the hood of a 70's charger. Another showed Dom and I sat at the head of a table, just cuddled up as we ate. The last one was a simple one of Dom and I on a beach. We were lazing on a beach towel and I was wearing a white bikini. It was the most recent of the photographs. I'd guess it was taken about two years ago, judging from how old I looked. With a moments hesitation I took some money out of one envelope and slipped it in my back pocket. Was it stealing if it had belonged to you in another life?

I crept down the stairs, holding my sandals in one hand. For some reason I didn't want to wake anyone. I made toast and ate leaning against the kitchen counter, staring out the window at the back yard. Had we held parties out there? I know Mia had mentioned barbecues, had they been heaving with people or quiet family affairs?

My stream of thoughts was interrupted by the recognisable even footsteps of Dom. I started slightly unused to being joined for any reason other than business. In London I'd kept a wide berth between myself and the team. Here there was no line between team and family, the two words practically synonymous with each other, and I knew of struggle to adjust to the blurred line.

"Mornin', Dom murmured as he started moving around making coffee.

"Mornin', I replied stepping out of his way idly, somehow knowing how much counter space he'd need without knowing how I knew it.

He didn't say much for a long moment. "I got the keys to an old car of yours Let, it's an M3."

For a second I was taken back by his comment. "Is it mine?" I asked like a disbelieving child on Christmas morning.

He chuckled. "Course Let. It was your in between cars car, I suppose. You didn't like it much but you sold the Cobra years ago, the Nissan was swapped for the carcass of a Plymouth which you pored your soul into rebuilding. The M3 was more a standby, to win races to finance your real cars."

Shaking my head I laughed. I didn't doubt him for a second. It sounded like me. I just had to have a car to be working on. Yet I needed a car to drive in the meantime. Typical. I dudnt doubt the M3 had been as necessary as a hole in the head, that is entirely unnecessary. Totally unneeded because there was plenty of cars here.

"What's she like?" I asked Dom, trying to keep the easy conversation going.

"The M3?" Dom frowned as he thought. "She's beautiful, carbon black E92 M3 GTS. She has a 4.4 litre V8 engine and does nought to one hundred in eight point five seconds. Then obviously you tweaked her a little. She runs a bit better than what BMW made. She's a powerful machine so be careful in her."

I grinned at him. "Was I ever careful in her?" I meant it as a joke.

He shook his head sadly. "I always wanted you to be careful in her but who was I to tell you how to drive her? I was no better."

I grimaced. I didn't think I'd been careful in a car ever.

Mia appeared in the doorway in a flowery sundress and sandals. Her hair had been straightened perfectly and she was smiling broadly.

"What are you two going to do today?" She chirped happily.

"Garage."

"I might go for a drive," I said.

Mia nodded and Dom handed me the keys to the car. It was parked in the driveway. He'd obviously been to pick it up. I said goodbye and headed off.

I slipped into the comfy black leather seat. The inside was immaculate. It was beautiful. I bet she purred too. I turned her over and the soft hum of the engine filled my ears. She purred softly as I reversed onto the street. The noise was intoxicating. I could only imagine when she raced she practically roared and spread thick black reek.

I cruised into central LA following the sign posts. It was buzzing with life. I sat in thick traffic and actually regretted bothering to come out this length. Behind the tinted windows I watched as people hurried across roads and rushed about their day, never stopping to chat, just continuing with their day. It was so unlike England. In England people said hello and smiled as they went about their day. It was just different cultures.

I wound up at the beach. It was almost relaxing. The sun was high in the sky and I went and sat on the beach, on a slope so I could see in all angles around me. I glanced back at my M3 and it reminded me of what a guy had said to me in England one time, "if you don't look behind yourself after you park your car, you're driving the wrong car." That had always stuck with me. If you don't look behind you then do you truly care about what you've left behind? Then if you're left with nothing how can you look behind? Until now I'd convinced myself I needed to live in the here and now and react to my world as events unfolded. Now I was in LA I wasn't so sure. Who was I without memories? How could I stay here with those people who so clearly loved the person I had been? The person I might not even be now.

Basking in the sunlight I let myself think. Think about all the things I'd been avoiding thinking about. Why had I even come to LA? It had been an impulse. A whim to be with the guy who stirred in me such a strength of feeling that I just wanted to be with him. There was something about him, something I knew I wanted to know more about. When Shaw had shown me the photo of Dom and I, I'd almost sighed. I'd known him. This guy could tell me about myself. Maybe with him I'd find out who I was. I suppose I'd come to find myself in the muddle that was my life.

Running my fingers over the sand I thought long and hard. I didn't miss England that much. The place hadn't felt like home. I hadn't felt safe. We were constantly running from someone or something we'd just done. I didn't miss feeling like I needed to look over my shoulder to see who or what was chasing me. At least here I knew there was someone looking out for me. I didn't miss the seemingly constant drizzle of rain or the intense loneliness. However I missed what I had known for eighteen months, the familiarity of knowing where everything was.

Turning my face up to the sun I closed my eyes. This was incredible. I loved the sun, the heat.

After three I started considering heading back to the house. I knew everyone would be lazing around. Brian had mentioned maybe taking Jack a quick trip around the city, let him see his new home. Mia would be cleaning all day. Dom would be holed up in the garage. I didn't know where to go.

I got up and dusted the powdery sand off my legs so I wouldn't muck up the inside of my car. As I opened the door a guy whistled at me. Rolling my eyes for such a disgusting practice, in my own view, I ignored him. Why did guys think women wanted to be objectified? I didn't like being demeaned to the status of a plaything.

He whistled again this time for my attention. Defiantly I ignored him. I got into the car anyways. Behind the safely of the tinted windows I cast my eyes towards the whistler. He was short with a misplaced arrogant swagger.

I drove back to the house enraptured by the purr of the M3's engine. I loved it. Even as I sat in traffic the noise was soothing, a purr I knew I could get used to.