Life without You...

Part 22 - Decision made

Letty's POV

I stalked out of the bathroom, needing time to myself. I'd promised him I'd always ride with him but I was getting in over my head. I'd worked genuinely hard for two solid years and he couldn't even work for three months and a half months before turning completely criminal and dragging me along with him. His jobs were getting more frequent. Yes the bills were easy to pay this month but that wasn't the point. We were rapidly getting dragged into a life I barely understood and I didn't want this life to take Dom away from me. Again.

Grabbing the keys to my finished Plymouth from the dresser, I thudded down the stairs.

"Hey Let, where you headed?" Mia asked me as I snatched my jacket off the back of the chair at the kitchen table.

"I need space, time to think," I murmured more to myself than to Mia.

"What happened?"

"Nothing, just been too cooped up lately. Going stir crazy Mi." I lied blatantly to her because there was no other option.

"Okay, see you later. Will you be back for dinner?"

"I might be girl, I don't know yet. Keep me some?"

"Sure."

Hurrying out the front door, I hopped into my Plymouth. Closing the door with a soft bang, I threw the damn thing into reverse and headed off. I had no destination in mind, right now I just needed to be alone.

I wound up outside the city, overlooking it. I sat on the hood of my Plymouth and thought hard about whether I was with Dom on this or not. If I was with him I had to back down a little we'd be running our own jobs, making contacts of the illegal kind. I'd have to toughen my shell even more and become more hardened to the shit which the world threw my way. Did I want that? It was better than being vulnerable, I supposed.

Swinging my legs, I considered the problems I'd face if I was against him. For one thing I could stand to lose one of the best things in my life and the only guy who could look at me and make me melt inexplicably. It was hard to imagine my life without Dom's warm embrace and surprisingly romantic kisses which always built quickly to hot and heavy caresses. If I lost him, I didn't know what I'd do. Besides if I didn't back him I'd be breaking a promise I'd made. I'd promised to always ride with him and breaking that promise would kill me.

So it was sort of settled I'd have to go along with it. If it lined our pockets well maybe it would be worth it. I made my mind up to request that Dom tuck some of it away for Mia's sole use in an account she couldn't touch until something happened to us.

Lazily I lay back against the windscreen, soaking up some sunshine. I never just lay outside, it was a waste of time in my opinion. Besides one look at the shadows being cast by the sky told me it was roughly four o'clock. I needed more time away from them before I headed back. While Dom had been in prison I'd gotten so used to being alone from seven fifteen in the morning until six forty five at night that having constant company was strange.

Boredom quickly set in so I headed back into the city. Oddly enough I ended up at the shops. I dropped into a few random shops and a nice bookstore caught my eye. I was beckoned inside despite the fact I rarely read a book and had only finished about a dozen in my lifetime. Fancy notebooks were displayed along the wall and I picked out a flower patterned one for Mia. She was always searching for a new notebook and it looked like something she'd like. It was eight dollars but seemed sturdy enough. Hopefully she'd put it to good use, if not it would serve well for the bills or something as it wouldn't readily fall apart.

Stopping in a clothes store I picked out a few pairs of shorts for myself and new tank tops. I bought myself new underwear too, just to be sexy for Dom, might as well try it. It would be nice to look feminine for him for a change instead of looking like a grease monkey.

At eight I headed home. I'd spent a bit of time alone and felt all the better for it.

Walking in through the door of the house I found it strangely silent. While I'd usually shout hello I didn't bother instead heading upstairs to put away my new clothes. I'd only spent about a hundred bucks and had nothing to feel guilty about, it was my money but I didn't like flaunting everything I'd bought in front of everyone.

I took the notebook downstairs and went in search of Mia. The darkened living room told me no one was inside. There wasn't even a glow from the tv. In the kitchen was Mia, as always seated at the head of the table pouring over school books.

"Hey!" I said with a grin as I walked towards her.

"Oh hey," she smiled at me before returning to her work.

"I got you this," I said as I slid the notebook across the table to her.

"It's so pretty, where'd you get it?"

"Some store. I didn't even look at the name of it."

"Thanks Let!" She flipped through the creamy pages and smiled at them. Every few pages was blank so she could draw or whatever she wanted. I didn't particularly care what she used the notebook for but I thought she'd like it. "Your dinner is on the counter."

"Thanks."

I headed towards the counter and lifted the cover over dinner plate. Mia had made potatoes and steak. I bundled it into the microwave and waited impatiently on it beeping. I realised this was my first meal today. That was sort of tragic and said a lot about how little I cared for myself.

When I sat at the table I practically knocked in into me, not even speaking to Mia. She was well used to my anti social eating habits and so ignored me.

I let my knife and fork fall to the plate with a clatter and leant back in the chair.

"What's up Let?" Mia asked.

"Not a damn thing, you?"

"Not much."

We sat in an easy silence before Mia made us tea. Our ritual of tea after dinner had fallen to the wayside, forgotten as the house had gotten busier.

Dom walked in with his eyes narrowed. His lip was between his teeth. What the hell?

"Hey," he murmured as he sat down beside me.

"Hey," I replied.

He put his arm around me and I felt my eyes slip closed. I hadn't gotten enough sleep these last few days so I wasn't that buzzing right now. Tiredness was beginning to tell and I was beginning to get lazy.

"Where'd you go today?"

I didn't want to tell him that I'd driven outside the city to look over it for a bit whilst I'd thought. I wanted to keep it to myself so I always had somewhere to run especially since I'd moved all my stuff out of my room into his. Jesse now resided in my old room and the single bed he had in the room he'd shared with Vince was now disassembled in the Mr Toretto's back garage. Mr Toretto's room remained off limits to everyone.

"Just here and there. Nowhere in particular."

Reluctantly Dom nodded and I took a sip of my tea.

That night as we got into bed last in the house I found myself wanting to talk. I pulled on pyjamas and climbed into bed.

"Dom?"

"Yeh?"

"I'll ride with you," I said, "About the trucks. I'm with you on this."

"Really?"

"Yeh, I have too much to lose if I don't. I might lose you."

Dom chuckled. "You'll never lose me Let."

He wrapped his arms tightly around me and I fell asleep.