22nd November- Canary Islands, Spain
Dom’s beach house
Dom’s POV
It had been three long weeks since Leon had left, the rest of the team following the day after except Rosa, Nico and Elena. They stayed at either at mine or Mia and Brian’s depending on where Nico fell asleep.
After Leon had left and our talk the same day things between Letty and I had gotten pretty tense and she had started withdrawing into herself again now that Leon had left and it worried me. Every day I was over at her place seeing Ava and I often took her to Mia’s always begging Letty to join us. Some days she did reluctantly when Ava was in a mood but she was quiet and withdrawn not at all like she used to be and it scared the shit out of me. I’d seen her this way once briefly when her father died but even that was nothing compared to this. For once I didn’t know how to fix it, I didn’t know how to prove to her she could trust me again.
The only reaction I got out of her was when Elena stayed at my house, it pissed her off completely but she never said anything out loud I could just tell by the way she would suddenly find a way to leave. We were barely talking unless it had to do with Ava and as the days went on the more volatile our relationship got. It was in the middle of the rare dinners she was at one night when she finally snapped. Mia had made a comment about Ava being asleep and how she and Letty should just spend the night at mine instead of waking her up to take her home but she declined. Being frustrated with the way things weren’t going the way I wanted them to I made a snide comment about her wanting to go back into hiding as quick as possible making her pissed. We’d yelled and screamed at each other for a good hour while Mia, Brian and Elena tried to break us up but then she slapped me leaving everyone shocked and speechless as she picked up Ava and left. It had been a week since she’d had any contact with any of us and she wasn’t answering my calls needless to say I was going insane. Mia had told me to keep my distance, give her some space to work things out and I was trying but I was scared she was planning on leaving taking Ava with her.
Looking at the clock I had an hour before I had to be at Mia’s for dinner, sighing I knew what I had to do. I was going to go and apologise to Letty and see my daughter. Whether she cared or not I needed them both in my life one way or another and if that meant just being friends with Letty then I was going to have to stomach it and pray like hell it would one day change.
Walking down the beach silently watching the waves slowly rolling in on the sand, I paused when I saw Letty sitting not far from the water deep in thought with a sleeping Ava on her lap. I watched them for a moment just taking her in silently until I caught sight of her tears. I felt guilty and I wanted more than anything to fix things once and for all as I walked cautiously towards them.
22nd November- Canary islands, Spain
Letty’s beach house
Letty’s POV
It had been a lonely three weeks since Leon had left, I hadn’t realised how much his leaving would affect me. Ever since the argument with Dom I had hidden away inside my house too angry and hurt to confront any of them.
Part of my frustration had started when I had learned he had asked Elena to stay but I kept my opinions to myself and kept away as much as I could not wanting to be around the woman. I honestly didn’t know what I hated so much about her so much other than jealously. It had hurt to hear that she was staying because Dom had asked her to. It was like another punch in the gut to me because he could still somehow make it work with her but yet he couldn’t seem to work out a way to make it work between us. I knew what I wanted him to do, what I needed for him to do: I needed for him to choose. Her or us, he couldn’t have both it wasn’t fair on either of us. I’d lived without him once I could do it again if I needed to, it was his choice and the sooner he saw that then the sooner I could work out what I needed to do. Leave or stay.
“Are you okay?” Leon asked over the phone as I filled him in on the fight and I sighed.
“Not really…” I came clean.
“What’s going on Let? You seemed to be doing fine before we all left.”
“It’s all just starting to get a bit too much. Elena and I stay away from each other most of the time and I spend my days here away from them all but when I’m with them it’s hard. I can basically hear they’re questions and they haven’t even asked them.” I said quietly as I sat on the beach in front of my house as Ava lay asleep with her head on my lap.
“It’ll get better someday Let.” He pointed out and I stared out into the water.
“Have you spoken to Dom?” He asked.
“No, I’ve been ignoring his calls.”
“Letty… how are you two going to work things out if you don’t talk about it?”
“Leon we can’t work things out.” I sighed frustrated.
“Why not? You haven’t even tried yet.”
“It’s different now Le.” I said quietly.
“How can things change in three weeks?” I was silent and then I sighed.
“He asked her to stay…” there was silence on the other end and all I could hear was breathing.
“He did what?” Leon asked after a while.
“He asked her to stay.” I repeated.
“Is he crazy? What does he think he’s going to get both?”
“I don’t know Le but I’m tired, I don’t know how much more I can take.” I said sadly.
“You’re going to have to tell him to choose Let…” He said softly.
“I can’t, I’m too afraid of the answer.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Hope he comes to the conclusion himself.”
“And if he doesn’t what then?”
“Then I need to leave again.”
“What about Ava? He’s not going to give her up that easily.”
“He can visit but that’s it.” I sniffed as tears started running down my face.
“Let baby please don’t cry…I’ll be back in a couple of days, please try and hold on for just a bit longer. We’ll work something out okay?”
“I’ll try.” I said and we hung up.
I sat out watching the waves for a long time just thinking occasionally looking down at Ava. A couple of days before the fight she’d leant to stand on her own and Dom had been ecstatic at the fact he got to see it. Everyone had been trying to get her to say dada seeing as her only two words she said was mama and ta for when we gave her something. Leon was right he had bonded with her, he wasn’t about to let her go but in the end it was my choice and it was something he’d have to live with.
It wasn’t till I heard someone walking towards me did I wipe away my tears quickly and look up. Dom stood next to me looking down at me and I sighed turning my face away from him.
“What do you want Dominic?” I asked quietly cursing my voice as it broke in parts.
“We’re having another dinner at Mia’s, we’d like it if you’d come.” He said quietly and I looked down at Ava who was fast asleep finally tired out from the long nights she’d been having.
“I don’t think so. Don’t you remember the last one?”
“I also came here to apologise… for being a jerk.”
“I’m not sorry I slapped you, you deserved it.” I stated and he rubbed the back of his neck nodding.
“Yeah I did.”
“Is that it?” I asked looking up at him.
“Let…please I just want to make things right but I don’t know how.” I smiled a little ruthlessly.
“Don’t you?” I snapped and he frowned.
“No I don’t, tell me how I can fix it.”
“Forget it Dom, it’s something for you to work out on your own.” I said as I stood carefully picking up Ava as I went but she stayed asleep.
“Let please I’m begging you. I want to change things, do you know how scared I am of losing you again…both of you.”
“Well you should be.” I said as I adjusted Ava and looked at him in the face. His face said it all. He was shocked as he went rigid while he processed my words.
“Letty…” He whispered shaking his head trying to form words. I stayed silent not trusting my voice as he stared back at me tears forming in his eyes but I didn’t budge and surprisingly I didn’t feel guilty about it. If anything I felt a little happy at the fact that he got a taste of how I was feeling.
“So that’s it? You’re going to leave again with our daughter and you won’t tell me what I can do about it.”
“I haven’t decided anything for sure. You can still see her… I just can’t be here.”
“I don’t understand….” He said sadly.
“Leon will be back in a couple of days then I’ll make a decision.”
“I…fuck Letty please…don’t leave, don’t take her away. Give me till her birthday please… just five weeks please.” I swallowed hard but nodded and watched as he calmed down a little.
“Will you reconsider coming to dinner?” he asked quietly and I shook my head.
“No.” He looked upset for as he stayed silent.
“Can I at least take her for the night, it’ll give you a break and I just really want to see her.” I bit my lip but nodded. I could use some time alone and the desperate look on his face was getting too much to bare.
“Thank you.” I nodded and I started walking back towards the house with a sleeping Ava in my arms.
“Can you take her while I get a bag for her ready then?” I asked and he gladly took her hugging her close placing a kiss on her cheek resting his head against hers.
I left them alone and went and started packing a bag. I swore thinking of how Dom was going to go giving Ava formula, she hated it. Leon had struggled like crazy feeding her when they weren’t with me to the point where I had to pump as much as I could at one time to give him when he left. Quickly packing her bag I walked out to the kitchen thinking maybe I had a bottle left over from last night but I didn’t. Swearing out loud as I made up a bottle using formula, man she was going to be a pain in the arse to get to sleep tonight. He looked up as I walked back in the room handing over the bag.
“There’s a bottle in there but I have to warn you she might not take it.”
“Why not?” he asked quietly.
“It’s formula and she hates the stuff, if she gets too grumpy and won’t sleep without it then ring me I’ll come and feed her.” He nodded and I walked him to the front door rubbing Ava on the back lightly as they passed and I watched them as they walked away. Walking back into the empty house I looked around quietly.
‘Now what.’ I thought as I took in the empty and very much lonely house.