Vince's POV
"You okay brother?" I asked as I walked into the garage behind the house where Dom seemed to spend a lot of his time.
"Fine."
"At least business has picked up a little." I tried to sound positive but I knew it wasn't that easy.
"You and I both know it's going to take more than one or two cars to make a difference." He said quietly and I nodded knowing he was right.
"Yeah… have you heard anything?" I asked watching as his shoulders fell and he shook his head sadly.
"Nothing." He whispered so faintly I almost didn't catch it. It had been nearly two months since Letty had left and you could tell it was starting to take a toll on him; mentally, emotionally but most of physically.
"I miss her…" He whispered and I patted him on the back lightly afraid he would crumple to the ground under the weight.
"Maybe you should go and see her again." I suggested quietly.
"No she asked me to leave her alone… in a way that's what I'm doing."
"Has she responded to any of your messages?" Again he shook his head.
"I'm not expecting her too." He said quietly and I gave him a sad smile. He'd been miserable since she had left. The first four weeks he sent her just flowers giving her the space she had asked for but the minute the fifth week started he started ringing her every day and leaving her voicemail messages as well as the flowers.
The minute he came home from seeing Letty I knew then that he wanted to change. Something in him had snapped and he was determined to make it right, I could see the difference. We all could. The fact that he was removing himself from everything that could be even more harmful to him and Letty told me he meant this. He wasn't going to go back and do the same shady shit he was doing before, he needed her and only her. I was confident they would work their shit out, I just hoped for Dom's health it would be sooner rather than later. Letty just needed to see the difference and want to make it work still as well.
Looking at him properly I didn't think he'd slept more than ten hours in the two months and you could see the effect it was having on him. He'd lost weight, muscle and always had dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep but it stood out more on his unusually pale face. Mia told me he was barely eating, only when he knew we were watching but apart from that he barely touched food and I must admit I noticed the same. Jesse and Leon confessed they'd caught Dom throwing up a couple of times in the past week after he'd eaten. Needless to say we were getting worried about him.
"Come on Mia wants to watch a movie, we promised it was her pick tonight."
"Great it's going to be the note book." He muttered and I laughed lightly.
"Yeah probably." He let out a heavy sigh but followed me out as we flicked off the lights and locked the garage.
"Dom when was the last time slept?" I asked him worried as we walked back towards the house.
"I lost count V, about a week or so."
"Dom you're not going to be any use to Letty if you're ill."
"I can't sleep V. If I could I would but I can't." He said tiredly.
"Can you at least eat then, we're worried about you." I said concerned but he waved me off.
"I do eat Vince, relax I'm fine." He said giving me a sad smile before going to settle in the lounge room.
"Yeah right." I sighed after he'd left the room. I turned to look at Mia who was washing the dishes and had heard the end of our conversation.
"I think it might be time to ring Maria." She said quietly so Dom wouldn't hear.
"She doesn't trust him anymore. What's she gunna do?" I asked quietly worried for my childhood friend. It was almost as if he was getting sick from a broken heart. He needed Letty like air.
"She still considers us as her own. She'll worry about Dom… maybe it will give Letty a push to move forward." She said quietly and I sighed.
"Yeah maybe… but that would be forcing her hand and doing no good for either of them. Give it a couple of weeks and then if things don't improve ring her." She nodded drying her hands before handing me two bowls of popcorn to take out to the lounge.
"So Mia what movie?" Dom asked knowingly and she smiled slightly.
"Am I that predictable?"
"Yes." We all answered instantly and she giggled. I looked over at her as she did so noticing how much she had grown up right before our eyes.
Mia's POV
I followed Vince's instructions and left it till nearly the three month mark but noting changed instead things got worse. The last straw was when I noted Dom have a dizzy spell one morning before work. I looked to Vince for confirmation and he nodded to me subtly.
I faked sick the next morning and Dom sent me straight back to bed believing every word I said. I saw Vince and Leon look at me suspiciously but I made a gesture to Vince about a phone and he seemed to know what was going on. I noted Leon looked between us suspiciously but Vince muttered something to him quietly and his eyes flicked from Dom and then back to me and he nodded subtly.
I waited until they were well and truly gone before I grabbed the phone sitting on the lounge as I dialed Maria and James' home number. It took a while before someone answered almost to the point where I thought no one was home but on the last ring they answered.
"Hello?" I was surprised to hear Letty's voice, it sounded so different I was shocked I couldn't say anything straight away.
"Hello?" she asked again and I snapped out of it.
"Um hi." I said.
"What do you want Mia?" She demanded and frowned at her tone.
"Um actually I'm ringing to speak to your mum… is she home?" there was a pause on her end and I could tell that threw her.
"No she just left for work. Can I take a message?"
"Um… If it's not too much trouble otherwise I'll just call back later."
"Just tell me what it is." She said abruptly and I frowned. I wasn't sure I liked this new Letty but at the same time it was sort of expected so I don't know why I was shocked.
"Just tell her it's about Dom-"
"Of course it is… what's that fucker done now?" she demanded and I was stunned.
"Nothing…. He's sick. We don't know what to do, we just wanted your mum's advice." I said quietly and I heard the pause on her end and her breathing get heavier.
"What do you mean by sick?" She asked sharply but I heard the concern and worry in her voice. She still cared. It was a start.
"He hasn't been well for a while but he's getting worse and we're really worried."
"He probably caught something off the slut he's been sleeping with." She muttered angrily and I stayed silent for a beat.
"He hasn't been with anyone. Not since you left. He just works and stays home." I said quietly tears pricking my eyes as I thought about my brother falling apart in front of my eyes.
"I find that hard to believe, he wouldn't ever miss a race."
"He hasn't been for two months. He gave it up and we haven't a had a party for just as long…if not longer." I said truthfully to her and it was silent on her end.
"How do I know that's the truth?" she asked quietly and I smiled slightly.
"You always knew when I was lying. You tell me…" she said nothing and I took it as my cue to keep talking.
"Anyway I know you don't like to talk to us so I'll go but could you pass it on to your mum? We're kind of in a hurry." I said worriedly listening as she stayed silent still before speaking.
"Sure." Her voice was soft again and it took me back to happier times.
"Thank you." I said before I heard the phone go dead. I sighed and hit the end button but at the same time I smiled a little. Though I knew it would be bad to guilt trip Letty into coming back I couldn't help but think maybe she would now she knew the truth about Dom and the fact that he was sick. I'd heard the worry in her voice, she still cared and that was good enough for me.
I almost forgot to act sick when Dom got home but luckily Vince sent me a frantic look and I remembered pretending to cough.
"You don't sound so good Mia." Dom said tiredly as he brushed a hand over my head.
"No I don't feel so good… You look about as good as I feel." I said worriedly but as usual he waved me off with a smile.
"I'm fine. I'm just gunna head up for a shower then I'll make dinner okay?"
"I'll be right to make dinner." I said quickly but again he waved me off.
"I'm good Mi." he said dropping a kiss on my head before heading upstairs. I looked worriedly at Vince only to find him and Leon staring after Dom.
"What did Maria say?" Leon asked quickly turning back to me and I smiled.
"It wasn't Maria that answered…" I trailed off and I watched as all three pairs of eyes turned to me sharply, Jesse included.
"Letty?" Vince breathed and I nodded as I told them what had happened.
"We can only hope." Leon said quietly and I nodded.
"Is Maria gunna ring back?" I nodded.
"Letty said she'd pass the message along. Surely she wouldn't not…?"
"You said she sounded different… but if she was concerned about Dom then no she would probably pass it along." Vince said quietly.
"I'm gunna go start dinner before Dom can. If he asks I'm feeling a lot better." I muttered watching them crack a smile.
"Such a speedy recovery Mia." Jesse joked and I sent him a grin.
Dom's POV
I leant against the sink as I took in a shuddering breath feeling the sick feeling ebb away now everything was out of my system. I splashed more cold water on my face before picking up my toothbrush to brush my teeth. No sleep was taking a toll on me and I was annoyed that the others had noticed. I'd be fine if I could just sleep but my brain wouldn't shut off. My appetite had gone down the drain and anything I did eat I ended up bringing back up. It was stress and anxiety.
I picked up phone and checked the messages but sighed seeing nothing there like normal. For the past two months I had been leaving message after message on her voicemail. I had expected to fill it up at some point and be unable to leave anymore but it never filled. It made me wonder if she had been listening to them. In the messages I never asked for forgiveness I just spoke about how much I missed her and I hoped she was okay. I opened up a little at the same time, let in on how I was feeling about her leaving and what I feeling when I had been seeing Tran.
Looking one last time in the mirror I stumbled out of the bathroom and into my room as I pulled on a hoody suddenly cold. I went to leave the room when someone cleared their throat and I looked around confused having to do a double check when I saw who was sitting on the bed.
"Let." I breathed out shakily. How had I missed her sitting there?
"You look like shit." She said looking at me steely. I said nothing wondering what she was doing here so suddenly and if she had heard me being sick.
"You okay brother?" I asked as I walked into the garage behind the house where Dom seemed to spend a lot of his time.
"Fine."
"At least business has picked up a little." I tried to sound positive but I knew it wasn't that easy.
"You and I both know it's going to take more than one or two cars to make a difference." He said quietly and I nodded knowing he was right.
"Yeah… have you heard anything?" I asked watching as his shoulders fell and he shook his head sadly.
"Nothing." He whispered so faintly I almost didn't catch it. It had been nearly two months since Letty had left and you could tell it was starting to take a toll on him; mentally, emotionally but most of physically.
"I miss her…" He whispered and I patted him on the back lightly afraid he would crumple to the ground under the weight.
"Maybe you should go and see her again." I suggested quietly.
"No she asked me to leave her alone… in a way that's what I'm doing."
"Has she responded to any of your messages?" Again he shook his head.
"I'm not expecting her too." He said quietly and I gave him a sad smile. He'd been miserable since she had left. The first four weeks he sent her just flowers giving her the space she had asked for but the minute the fifth week started he started ringing her every day and leaving her voicemail messages as well as the flowers.
The minute he came home from seeing Letty I knew then that he wanted to change. Something in him had snapped and he was determined to make it right, I could see the difference. We all could. The fact that he was removing himself from everything that could be even more harmful to him and Letty told me he meant this. He wasn't going to go back and do the same shady shit he was doing before, he needed her and only her. I was confident they would work their shit out, I just hoped for Dom's health it would be sooner rather than later. Letty just needed to see the difference and want to make it work still as well.
Looking at him properly I didn't think he'd slept more than ten hours in the two months and you could see the effect it was having on him. He'd lost weight, muscle and always had dark circles under his eyes from the lack of sleep but it stood out more on his unusually pale face. Mia told me he was barely eating, only when he knew we were watching but apart from that he barely touched food and I must admit I noticed the same. Jesse and Leon confessed they'd caught Dom throwing up a couple of times in the past week after he'd eaten. Needless to say we were getting worried about him.
"Come on Mia wants to watch a movie, we promised it was her pick tonight."
"Great it's going to be the note book." He muttered and I laughed lightly.
"Yeah probably." He let out a heavy sigh but followed me out as we flicked off the lights and locked the garage.
"Dom when was the last time slept?" I asked him worried as we walked back towards the house.
"I lost count V, about a week or so."
"Dom you're not going to be any use to Letty if you're ill."
"I can't sleep V. If I could I would but I can't." He said tiredly.
"Can you at least eat then, we're worried about you." I said concerned but he waved me off.
"I do eat Vince, relax I'm fine." He said giving me a sad smile before going to settle in the lounge room.
"Yeah right." I sighed after he'd left the room. I turned to look at Mia who was washing the dishes and had heard the end of our conversation.
"I think it might be time to ring Maria." She said quietly so Dom wouldn't hear.
"She doesn't trust him anymore. What's she gunna do?" I asked quietly worried for my childhood friend. It was almost as if he was getting sick from a broken heart. He needed Letty like air.
"She still considers us as her own. She'll worry about Dom… maybe it will give Letty a push to move forward." She said quietly and I sighed.
"Yeah maybe… but that would be forcing her hand and doing no good for either of them. Give it a couple of weeks and then if things don't improve ring her." She nodded drying her hands before handing me two bowls of popcorn to take out to the lounge.
"So Mia what movie?" Dom asked knowingly and she smiled slightly.
"Am I that predictable?"
"Yes." We all answered instantly and she giggled. I looked over at her as she did so noticing how much she had grown up right before our eyes.
Mia's POV
I followed Vince's instructions and left it till nearly the three month mark but noting changed instead things got worse. The last straw was when I noted Dom have a dizzy spell one morning before work. I looked to Vince for confirmation and he nodded to me subtly.
I faked sick the next morning and Dom sent me straight back to bed believing every word I said. I saw Vince and Leon look at me suspiciously but I made a gesture to Vince about a phone and he seemed to know what was going on. I noted Leon looked between us suspiciously but Vince muttered something to him quietly and his eyes flicked from Dom and then back to me and he nodded subtly.
I waited until they were well and truly gone before I grabbed the phone sitting on the lounge as I dialed Maria and James' home number. It took a while before someone answered almost to the point where I thought no one was home but on the last ring they answered.
"Hello?" I was surprised to hear Letty's voice, it sounded so different I was shocked I couldn't say anything straight away.
"Hello?" she asked again and I snapped out of it.
"Um hi." I said.
"What do you want Mia?" She demanded and frowned at her tone.
"Um actually I'm ringing to speak to your mum… is she home?" there was a pause on her end and I could tell that threw her.
"No she just left for work. Can I take a message?"
"Um… If it's not too much trouble otherwise I'll just call back later."
"Just tell me what it is." She said abruptly and I frowned. I wasn't sure I liked this new Letty but at the same time it was sort of expected so I don't know why I was shocked.
"Just tell her it's about Dom-"
"Of course it is… what's that fucker done now?" she demanded and I was stunned.
"Nothing…. He's sick. We don't know what to do, we just wanted your mum's advice." I said quietly and I heard the pause on her end and her breathing get heavier.
"What do you mean by sick?" She asked sharply but I heard the concern and worry in her voice. She still cared. It was a start.
"He hasn't been well for a while but he's getting worse and we're really worried."
"He probably caught something off the slut he's been sleeping with." She muttered angrily and I stayed silent for a beat.
"He hasn't been with anyone. Not since you left. He just works and stays home." I said quietly tears pricking my eyes as I thought about my brother falling apart in front of my eyes.
"I find that hard to believe, he wouldn't ever miss a race."
"He hasn't been for two months. He gave it up and we haven't a had a party for just as long…if not longer." I said truthfully to her and it was silent on her end.
"How do I know that's the truth?" she asked quietly and I smiled slightly.
"You always knew when I was lying. You tell me…" she said nothing and I took it as my cue to keep talking.
"Anyway I know you don't like to talk to us so I'll go but could you pass it on to your mum? We're kind of in a hurry." I said worriedly listening as she stayed silent still before speaking.
"Sure." Her voice was soft again and it took me back to happier times.
"Thank you." I said before I heard the phone go dead. I sighed and hit the end button but at the same time I smiled a little. Though I knew it would be bad to guilt trip Letty into coming back I couldn't help but think maybe she would now she knew the truth about Dom and the fact that he was sick. I'd heard the worry in her voice, she still cared and that was good enough for me.
I almost forgot to act sick when Dom got home but luckily Vince sent me a frantic look and I remembered pretending to cough.
"You don't sound so good Mia." Dom said tiredly as he brushed a hand over my head.
"No I don't feel so good… You look about as good as I feel." I said worriedly but as usual he waved me off with a smile.
"I'm fine. I'm just gunna head up for a shower then I'll make dinner okay?"
"I'll be right to make dinner." I said quickly but again he waved me off.
"I'm good Mi." he said dropping a kiss on my head before heading upstairs. I looked worriedly at Vince only to find him and Leon staring after Dom.
"What did Maria say?" Leon asked quickly turning back to me and I smiled.
"It wasn't Maria that answered…" I trailed off and I watched as all three pairs of eyes turned to me sharply, Jesse included.
"Letty?" Vince breathed and I nodded as I told them what had happened.
"We can only hope." Leon said quietly and I nodded.
"Is Maria gunna ring back?" I nodded.
"Letty said she'd pass the message along. Surely she wouldn't not…?"
"You said she sounded different… but if she was concerned about Dom then no she would probably pass it along." Vince said quietly.
"I'm gunna go start dinner before Dom can. If he asks I'm feeling a lot better." I muttered watching them crack a smile.
"Such a speedy recovery Mia." Jesse joked and I sent him a grin.
Dom's POV
I leant against the sink as I took in a shuddering breath feeling the sick feeling ebb away now everything was out of my system. I splashed more cold water on my face before picking up my toothbrush to brush my teeth. No sleep was taking a toll on me and I was annoyed that the others had noticed. I'd be fine if I could just sleep but my brain wouldn't shut off. My appetite had gone down the drain and anything I did eat I ended up bringing back up. It was stress and anxiety.
I picked up phone and checked the messages but sighed seeing nothing there like normal. For the past two months I had been leaving message after message on her voicemail. I had expected to fill it up at some point and be unable to leave anymore but it never filled. It made me wonder if she had been listening to them. In the messages I never asked for forgiveness I just spoke about how much I missed her and I hoped she was okay. I opened up a little at the same time, let in on how I was feeling about her leaving and what I feeling when I had been seeing Tran.
Looking one last time in the mirror I stumbled out of the bathroom and into my room as I pulled on a hoody suddenly cold. I went to leave the room when someone cleared their throat and I looked around confused having to do a double check when I saw who was sitting on the bed.
"Let." I breathed out shakily. How had I missed her sitting there?
"You look like shit." She said looking at me steely. I said nothing wondering what she was doing here so suddenly and if she had heard me being sick.