Dom's POV
Year One-
It was on Maria's third visit a week later that she questioned me in regards to Letty's behavior and on hearing that Letty had been withdrawn and silent I caved and told Maria everything. By the end of it I think if she could of, she would have hit me but seeing as there were guards around she had to settle for a glare.
"I understand where you're coming from, but as her mother I want to kill you right now. I'll talk to her."
"Do you honestly think it will do any good?" I asked quietly. She pursed lips and stared at me.
"I can try. You need to talk to her and tell her the truth, I'll agree that she shouldn't come and see you. This is no place for her or Mia, please try and make things right with Letty. She needs you."
"I'll try." I promised and she nodded satisfied.
The end of July came quickly and with it the boredom started to set in. I kept my word by writing every week to Mia and Letty. Mia I heard back from without hesitation but as I feared I never heard from Letty. I had yet to actually ring and speak to her and Maria was getting agitated so I knew I wouldn't be able to put it off much longer.
It was the beginning of August when Vince had come to visit and told me everything Maria had been leaving out.
"She's angry all the time. I've had to confine her to working on cars only and not deal with customers. She just blows up at everyone. Poor Jesse was on the receiving end last night, I don't think I've seen the kid run so fast."
"Fuck… I did it to protect her. I never meant for things to get like this. I thought maybe she would…"
"Would what? Move on?" He asked with a slight edge in his voice and I nodded sadly.
"Dom she loves you. She would have done everything she could of to make things work between you two while you're in here."
"I know." I said sadly and he sighed.
"Maria keeps telling us you'll call to speak to her but so far all I've seen is you write letters to her and Mia. Can you ring? Or even go one better and see her just once to explain things properly to her."
"I'll ring." I promised and he was silent for a moment before sighing and shrugged.
"Better than nothing I guess."
I leant against the wall holding the phone to my ear. I waited as it rang and hoped someone would answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey Maria." I said quietly. I heard a relieved sigh on the other end and felt a tad guilty for not ringing sooner.
"Oh thank goodness. I was worried you'd never ring."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize things were so bad. You never told me everything." I said slightly accusing.
"I know I'm sorry. I just didn't want to worry you, I didn't want you to lose focus in there."
"I was worried regardless… is she there?" I asked.
"I'll go get her."
"Thank you." I waited impatiently while the phone was being transferred over.
"Sweetheart, Dom's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."
"I don't have a fucking thing to say to him."
"Letty." Maria scolded and I sighed. I should have expected this.
"Get up, you will not speak that way. You will get on the phone and hear what he has to say to you. NOW!" I winced and moved the phone off my ear slightly as Maria yelled. I'd never heard her yell at Letty like that even when they fight. This was all new to me.
"What?" I blinked in surprise as I heard her harsh tone over the line. She actually listened.
"Hey." I said softly.
"Hi." She snapped and I shifted on the spot.
"I wanted to talk to you and explain."
"Well don't bother, I don't want to hear it. You said enough the last time I saw you."
"Letty I didn't me-" I started.
"I said I don't want to fucking hear it." I stood shocked by her hostile tone and chose to stay quiet.
"And while we're at it you can stop sending me the letters." I glared at nothing as I heard her demand.
"That's not going to happen. I'm going to keep sending them as much as I want." I argued and she huffed but that was the last I heard before the phone was hung up. I stood still for a moment before I hung up the phone. She had hung up on me.
The rest of August flew past like a blur, as did September, October and November. Every week I rang home and spoke to everyone, each and every time we tried to get Letty to speak to me but she refused.
I was going mad with worrying about her and the only way I was able to sleep at night was to work my body into exhaustion every day. The work paid off though seeing as I was now sporting a beefed up body. I shaved my head to match my new look and the next time Vince and Maria came in to see me they were shocked. I gave a small shrug and explained it was the only thing to do in here. Neither complained though so I took that to mean it didn't look bad, just different.
"So Letty's semi is tonight." Maria said sadly.
"She's still going right?" I asked quickly.
"Even if I have to drag her there. Leon's taking her, we figured since it was his year he should go with her." Maria said.
"That and he's the only one she'll speak to." Vince added. I frowned thinking of Leon and her together but I had brought it on myself if anything happened.
The next time I saw Vince he sat a small pile of pictures in front of me and I looked at him questioningly before I picked them up shuffling through them. I slowed when I realised they were pictures from Letty's semi. One in particular caught my eye and I paused on it. It was just of her and she wore a small smile though it didn't reach her eyes, but she was still beautiful.
"They're yours to keep."
"I've really fucked up V." I said sadly and he gave me a small smile but said nothing.
December was hard to stomach, being away from my family at Christmas was no walk in the park. Vince had visited a few days after Christmas and with it came news that shocked me a little.
"Letty's decided to drop out of school. She's not going back next year."
"She's what?" I asked quietly shocked by the statement.
"Yeah Maria's not happy, but there's not much she can do. Letty's seventeen in February she has the choice, I guess she chose it."
"So what's she going to do?" I demanded.
"Well work at the garage and to be honest we kind of need her. Her leaving school was just a matter of time."
"So that's it? She's just going to throw her whole life away?" I asked frustrated.
"We both know she's nothing like Mia."
"She's too good for our life." I said firmly.
"Maybe but it's where she wants to be."
It was the middle of February or better yet Letty's birthday. I stood again waiting against the wall as the phone rang and I prayed she would speak to me.
"Hello?" I smiled as I heard my little sister's voice.
Hey Mia." I said as softly as I could manage.
"DOM!" I laughed lightly at her excitement.
"Yeah, how are you?"
"I'm good, I miss you though."
"I miss you too Mia."
"Can I come and see you?" she asked timidly and I frowned, my body tensing.
"No… This is no place for you Mia." I said firmly and she sighed on the other end.
"It was worth a try… are you ringing for Letty?" My heart sped up at her name and I almost lost the nerve. What if she refused to speak to me yet again?
"Yeah… if she'll speak with me."
"… I'll go give her the phone but I won't tell her who it is."
"Mia… how is she?" I asked quietly.
"…She's not good Dom. I don't think I've ever seen her like this, not even when Adrian died." Her words stung and I closed my eyes thinking about how much she must hate me, but I had to try. I had to hear her voice.
"I'll go get her."
"Okay… I love you Mia."
"I love you too Dom, please don't wait so long before you ring again."
"I promise." I said smiling. I waited as I heard her walk through the house looking for Letty.
"Let?"
"Yeah?" My heart stopped as I heard her voice. While I was so relieved to hear her voice, I was devastated to hear how broken it sounded. I had really hurt her.
"There's a phone call for you."
"Who is it?"
"I don't know they wouldn't give their name." I waited impatiently as the phone was passed over. I heard a noise in the background that sounded like a door being shut, a quiet sigh came over the phone before I heard her breathing.
"Hello?" My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I heard her voice. It was sad and broken but it was still just as sweet as I remembered. Taking a deep breath I spoke.
"Hey…happy birthday." I listened as her breath hitched and then silence.
"Let?" I said quietly.
"Don't call me that, you gave up that right months ago… I'm surprised you remembered." I could hear the anger in her words and I faltered.
"Letty, I'd never forget." I said softly.
"Fine, I'm surprised you bothered. I thought I said I didn't want to hear from you?" I shifted against the wall I was leaning on I had twenty minutes left. I didn't want to spend that time fighting with her.
"Letty I've written to you every week. Why would I not call on your birthday?"
"You said you wanted nothing to do with me and I said I didn't want to hear from you." I closed my eyes, the painful memory resurfacing.
"Letty… Have you read my letters?" I asked softly.
"No." Even over the phone I could tell she was lying and knowing that I felt my hopes rise.
"Liar." I called her out quietly a smile slipping onto my face.
"Dom what do you want?"
"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday." I said quietly.
"Okay well you have-"
"Don't hang up on me. Let me explain… please?" I added as an afterthought.
"Not today." I sighed angrily but left it alone as I heard her pass the phone to someone else.
'What was I going to do to reach her?'
March through to June flew by quickly which surprised me but I guess I had gotten into a routine so I didn't seem to the days pass me by. Maria's work schedule had picked up so she was no longer visiting weekly but I understood. Vince still made the journey once a week and I still phoned home and before I knew July had hit. My birthday had passed reminding me how much had changed in a year and then with no warning I was confronted with the one year anniversary of dad's death. The memories that followed days after were painful as I hit the one year mark and with it came a whole lot of emotions I never imagined to feel.
Late that night after having such an emotional week I lay in my bunk looking at the picture of Letty like i did every night and I made a split decision, I needed to see her. Just one more time to explain things, face to face. I needed her, I had been a fool to think otherwise. I knew it was probably too late but I had to try and ask her to wait for me, I couldn't get through the next year without her.
Year One-
It was on Maria's third visit a week later that she questioned me in regards to Letty's behavior and on hearing that Letty had been withdrawn and silent I caved and told Maria everything. By the end of it I think if she could of, she would have hit me but seeing as there were guards around she had to settle for a glare.
"I understand where you're coming from, but as her mother I want to kill you right now. I'll talk to her."
"Do you honestly think it will do any good?" I asked quietly. She pursed lips and stared at me.
"I can try. You need to talk to her and tell her the truth, I'll agree that she shouldn't come and see you. This is no place for her or Mia, please try and make things right with Letty. She needs you."
"I'll try." I promised and she nodded satisfied.
The end of July came quickly and with it the boredom started to set in. I kept my word by writing every week to Mia and Letty. Mia I heard back from without hesitation but as I feared I never heard from Letty. I had yet to actually ring and speak to her and Maria was getting agitated so I knew I wouldn't be able to put it off much longer.
It was the beginning of August when Vince had come to visit and told me everything Maria had been leaving out.
"She's angry all the time. I've had to confine her to working on cars only and not deal with customers. She just blows up at everyone. Poor Jesse was on the receiving end last night, I don't think I've seen the kid run so fast."
"Fuck… I did it to protect her. I never meant for things to get like this. I thought maybe she would…"
"Would what? Move on?" He asked with a slight edge in his voice and I nodded sadly.
"Dom she loves you. She would have done everything she could of to make things work between you two while you're in here."
"I know." I said sadly and he sighed.
"Maria keeps telling us you'll call to speak to her but so far all I've seen is you write letters to her and Mia. Can you ring? Or even go one better and see her just once to explain things properly to her."
"I'll ring." I promised and he was silent for a moment before sighing and shrugged.
"Better than nothing I guess."
I leant against the wall holding the phone to my ear. I waited as it rang and hoped someone would answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey Maria." I said quietly. I heard a relieved sigh on the other end and felt a tad guilty for not ringing sooner.
"Oh thank goodness. I was worried you'd never ring."
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize things were so bad. You never told me everything." I said slightly accusing.
"I know I'm sorry. I just didn't want to worry you, I didn't want you to lose focus in there."
"I was worried regardless… is she there?" I asked.
"I'll go get her."
"Thank you." I waited impatiently while the phone was being transferred over.
"Sweetheart, Dom's on the phone. He wants to talk to you."
"I don't have a fucking thing to say to him."
"Letty." Maria scolded and I sighed. I should have expected this.
"Get up, you will not speak that way. You will get on the phone and hear what he has to say to you. NOW!" I winced and moved the phone off my ear slightly as Maria yelled. I'd never heard her yell at Letty like that even when they fight. This was all new to me.
"What?" I blinked in surprise as I heard her harsh tone over the line. She actually listened.
"Hey." I said softly.
"Hi." She snapped and I shifted on the spot.
"I wanted to talk to you and explain."
"Well don't bother, I don't want to hear it. You said enough the last time I saw you."
"Letty I didn't me-" I started.
"I said I don't want to fucking hear it." I stood shocked by her hostile tone and chose to stay quiet.
"And while we're at it you can stop sending me the letters." I glared at nothing as I heard her demand.
"That's not going to happen. I'm going to keep sending them as much as I want." I argued and she huffed but that was the last I heard before the phone was hung up. I stood still for a moment before I hung up the phone. She had hung up on me.
The rest of August flew past like a blur, as did September, October and November. Every week I rang home and spoke to everyone, each and every time we tried to get Letty to speak to me but she refused.
I was going mad with worrying about her and the only way I was able to sleep at night was to work my body into exhaustion every day. The work paid off though seeing as I was now sporting a beefed up body. I shaved my head to match my new look and the next time Vince and Maria came in to see me they were shocked. I gave a small shrug and explained it was the only thing to do in here. Neither complained though so I took that to mean it didn't look bad, just different.
"So Letty's semi is tonight." Maria said sadly.
"She's still going right?" I asked quickly.
"Even if I have to drag her there. Leon's taking her, we figured since it was his year he should go with her." Maria said.
"That and he's the only one she'll speak to." Vince added. I frowned thinking of Leon and her together but I had brought it on myself if anything happened.
The next time I saw Vince he sat a small pile of pictures in front of me and I looked at him questioningly before I picked them up shuffling through them. I slowed when I realised they were pictures from Letty's semi. One in particular caught my eye and I paused on it. It was just of her and she wore a small smile though it didn't reach her eyes, but she was still beautiful.
"They're yours to keep."
"I've really fucked up V." I said sadly and he gave me a small smile but said nothing.
December was hard to stomach, being away from my family at Christmas was no walk in the park. Vince had visited a few days after Christmas and with it came news that shocked me a little.
"Letty's decided to drop out of school. She's not going back next year."
"She's what?" I asked quietly shocked by the statement.
"Yeah Maria's not happy, but there's not much she can do. Letty's seventeen in February she has the choice, I guess she chose it."
"So what's she going to do?" I demanded.
"Well work at the garage and to be honest we kind of need her. Her leaving school was just a matter of time."
"So that's it? She's just going to throw her whole life away?" I asked frustrated.
"We both know she's nothing like Mia."
"She's too good for our life." I said firmly.
"Maybe but it's where she wants to be."
It was the middle of February or better yet Letty's birthday. I stood again waiting against the wall as the phone rang and I prayed she would speak to me.
"Hello?" I smiled as I heard my little sister's voice.
Hey Mia." I said as softly as I could manage.
"DOM!" I laughed lightly at her excitement.
"Yeah, how are you?"
"I'm good, I miss you though."
"I miss you too Mia."
"Can I come and see you?" she asked timidly and I frowned, my body tensing.
"No… This is no place for you Mia." I said firmly and she sighed on the other end.
"It was worth a try… are you ringing for Letty?" My heart sped up at her name and I almost lost the nerve. What if she refused to speak to me yet again?
"Yeah… if she'll speak with me."
"… I'll go give her the phone but I won't tell her who it is."
"Mia… how is she?" I asked quietly.
"…She's not good Dom. I don't think I've ever seen her like this, not even when Adrian died." Her words stung and I closed my eyes thinking about how much she must hate me, but I had to try. I had to hear her voice.
"I'll go get her."
"Okay… I love you Mia."
"I love you too Dom, please don't wait so long before you ring again."
"I promise." I said smiling. I waited as I heard her walk through the house looking for Letty.
"Let?"
"Yeah?" My heart stopped as I heard her voice. While I was so relieved to hear her voice, I was devastated to hear how broken it sounded. I had really hurt her.
"There's a phone call for you."
"Who is it?"
"I don't know they wouldn't give their name." I waited impatiently as the phone was passed over. I heard a noise in the background that sounded like a door being shut, a quiet sigh came over the phone before I heard her breathing.
"Hello?" My heart was thumping wildly in my chest as I heard her voice. It was sad and broken but it was still just as sweet as I remembered. Taking a deep breath I spoke.
"Hey…happy birthday." I listened as her breath hitched and then silence.
"Let?" I said quietly.
"Don't call me that, you gave up that right months ago… I'm surprised you remembered." I could hear the anger in her words and I faltered.
"Letty, I'd never forget." I said softly.
"Fine, I'm surprised you bothered. I thought I said I didn't want to hear from you?" I shifted against the wall I was leaning on I had twenty minutes left. I didn't want to spend that time fighting with her.
"Letty I've written to you every week. Why would I not call on your birthday?"
"You said you wanted nothing to do with me and I said I didn't want to hear from you." I closed my eyes, the painful memory resurfacing.
"Letty… Have you read my letters?" I asked softly.
"No." Even over the phone I could tell she was lying and knowing that I felt my hopes rise.
"Liar." I called her out quietly a smile slipping onto my face.
"Dom what do you want?"
"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday." I said quietly.
"Okay well you have-"
"Don't hang up on me. Let me explain… please?" I added as an afterthought.
"Not today." I sighed angrily but left it alone as I heard her pass the phone to someone else.
'What was I going to do to reach her?'
March through to June flew by quickly which surprised me but I guess I had gotten into a routine so I didn't seem to the days pass me by. Maria's work schedule had picked up so she was no longer visiting weekly but I understood. Vince still made the journey once a week and I still phoned home and before I knew July had hit. My birthday had passed reminding me how much had changed in a year and then with no warning I was confronted with the one year anniversary of dad's death. The memories that followed days after were painful as I hit the one year mark and with it came a whole lot of emotions I never imagined to feel.
Late that night after having such an emotional week I lay in my bunk looking at the picture of Letty like i did every night and I made a split decision, I needed to see her. Just one more time to explain things, face to face. I needed her, I had been a fool to think otherwise. I knew it was probably too late but I had to try and ask her to wait for me, I couldn't get through the next year without her.