Amie left her room only early in the morning the following day when the rest of the family was still asleep. With Vince sleeping on the sofa yet again, she slowly made her way across the street where her car was parked. Her heart sped with each step and she found herself hoping to have a couple of messages and missed calls from the devil himself. How stupid am I? She questioned herself while kneeling on the seat, blindly searching for her phone on the floor. After a few attempts, she found it and managed to wiggle the little plastic box out from the tight space between the seat and floor. Hands shaking, she flipped it open.
There was only one message waiting for her and that was from Syd.
Toretto felt her heart shatter as it fell from the sky-high place when the reality destroyed all her hopes. Amie chuckled, the sound unhappy and bitter. She returned into the house, not thinking much about her movements as she allowed her body to just carry her wherever it wanted to take her.
Vince opened his eyes as soon as she walked back in, door slamming a bit too hard to the early hour. "Hey, A. What's up?" he lifted himself on one elbow, rubbing his face with the second hand. "Y'right?"
She shrugged her shoulders, her expression empty. "Yeah."
"Hmm," Vince stared at her for a moment, taking her in. Despite the sleep still clouding his mind and eyes, he could see the tired expression on her face, the dark circles and tight skin around her lips. He patted the spot next to him. "C'mon, lil' one, come here."
Amie wondered why couldn't she fall for somebody who would return the sentiment as she slowly crossed the living room. Why couldn't she pick a good guy? Allowing the big man beside her to pull her into a hug, she felt tears burning in her eyes. He said nothing, only held her there. His natural aroma enveloped her and she felt safe and at home. "Hey V?" she asked quietly, just like so many times before in her past. Despite the fact Amie loved Dom, they never been that close for her to feel comfortable enough to open up properly – never been close like her and Vince.
"Yeah?"
Biting her lower lip, she paused briefly before she said: "How do you do that?"
"Do wha'?"
"You like Mia," she whispered bluntly. "How can you face it every day?"
Vince fell into silence for a moment and his body went rigid, the arm around her shoulders tensing. "Somebody broke ya heart, lil' one?" he murmured lowly.
She shrugged yet again. "I don't even know."
His chest rumbled with a quiet chuckle, taking her answer as a yes. "So who I need to punch?"
"Nobody, you brute," Amie leaned away to look at Vince with a soft smile, wiping the tears that pooled in her eyes. "It's alright."
They both paused, allowing the silence to reign over them briefly before he frowned. Then he frowned ever so slightly, looking down at her over her nose with an uncertain expression. "Hey, girl, you don't have a crush on me, right?"
Amie shook her head. "I wish," she added before kissing his cheek. Suddenly, she felt uncomfortable and so she abruptly left his embrace, raising to her feet. "Would be so much easier."
"Yeah," Vince frowned a little as he laid back down, watching the youngest Toretto leave the room. "So much easier."
~ ~ * ~ ~
There was a soft knock on Amie's bedroom door later on that day. She was laying down on her stomach in the middle of the floor surrounded by empty papers and also those, which were covered in sketches and nonsense. Feeling melancholic, Amie hasn't had left the room at all, allowing somebody else to pick the shift at Toretto's. With eyes focused on the paper in front of her, she mumbled softly: "Yeah?"
Mia opened the doors, poking her head in. "Hey."
"Hi," Amie spared her no eye contact despite the fact all of her anger disappeared a while back. "What's up?"
"I... can I come in?"
"Sure."
Walking in slowly Mia closed the door behind her, slightly abashed. "Can we talk?"
"Sure."
Mia released a short sigh, rubbing her hands together before she carefully kneeled on the floor next to Amie. She stayed silent for a few seconds, looking around the room, especially the floor covered in papers before her eyes moved to her sister. "You've been busy today."
"I needed to keep my mind busy."
"I am sorry, Amie," the older of Toretto's sisters said gently, reaching for Mia's hand. "You looked happy and I did not want to ruin it."
"Really?" Amie scoffed with a soft shake of her head. "Next thing you will say is that you were pleased with my dating choice."
"So you guys are dating now?
For the first time, she looked up at Mia. She hasn't shaded any more tears from the morning, but her eyes still felt a little bit swollen and the headache seemed to hold on tight on her brain, pressing against her eyes with each heartbeat. "No, we aren't."
"I overheard Dominic when he told Letty about that night," Mia explained softly, smoothing the messy hair on top of Amie's head. "They wanted to keep us out of it. Didn't want to scare us."
"You should have told me."
"I know, but...--"
"No buts, Mia," Amie interrupted her with a voice made of steel. "If I knew... it might have stopped me..." she avoided Mia's gaze as she suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Maybe I would try to stay away from him."
The brunette carefully sat down, crossing her legs at her ankles and leaning her elbows on top of her knees. She rested like that for a while, looking somewhere behind her younger sister, before she finally gazed down at her. "What happened yesterday?"
Amie played with the pen between her thumb and forefinger nervously. "I wanted to confront him about the car and shooting, but I realised that there is no point. I always knew about the problems they have with Dom. I was aware of the stupid rules they created to keep from each other's back... so how could I be so stupid?" she shrugged and then threw the pen on the floor, where it rolled on the papers until it stopped on one of the drawings she ended up crossing so hard until the paper ripped.
"It's ok, you didn't know—"
"No, it is not," Amie interrupted her sharply. "I am mad at him for putting Dom's life in danger for their mad dispute but... I..." she fell silent, looking down at her hands.
"You care for him."
Amie tried her best to ignore the shocked tone of her sister's voice. She exhaled those words in surprise and who was she kidding – Amie was surprised as well. "Yep, seems that way," she admitted.
"But – how?"
"He's been a decent guy – most of the time," Amie flashed narrowed glare at Mia for even daring to ask in such a doubtful tone. "I am not mad, Mia. I don't fall to my knees just because he's hot. But... what does it matter, you wouldn't believe me anyway."
The other woman stayed quiet, clearly considering what she just heard. "No," she cringed slightly. "Probably not."
"And that's the thing! You've never met him, have you?" Amie asked her and when her sister shook her head, she scoffed. "All we know is what Dom told us. What he wanted us to know—"
"Please, don't even go that way. You can't blame Dom—"
"I am not blaming him, god damned!" Amie snapped in a hushed tone. "But all we ever knew was what he told us – what he wanted us to do!"
"Amie—"
"C'mon, Mia, aren't you tired of pretending that this family is normal when all we do is a fucking illegal shit!" Amie exclaimed only to hide her face in her palms for a moment, collecting her thoughts and calming down. Mia was staring at her in shock when she looked up. "Look, I am just tired. I am not gonna lie, I would prefer to meet a normal guy... and live with a family who I don't have to worry about every day... if they return home that night because the cops got to them or because—"
"Don't talk about it," Mia snapped softly. "I am not exactly thrilled about that either."
Amie nodded. "I know."
"What's your point with all of this anyway. Is that your reasoning to be with him?"
She paused, frowning slightly at the question Mia asked her. "I... why? Are you reasoning with yourself why not to give Brian a chance?"
That shocked Mia into silence, however, a soft blush exploded on her cheeks. "Why you bring Brian into this?"
"Because Dom tries to have quite a good control over our lives – hey, don't look at me like that, I know he means well, but those are our lives – and I think I can decide who I wanna fuck... or love," Amie frowned at her words. "Even though he is clearly irritated with me and now..." she glanced at her phone and ran a hand over her face. A flashback of their little argument in front of the university crossed her mind. If you tell me to leave, I will. And I won't come back. She swallowed empty. Was it the time for Amie to chase Tran, just like he did a numerous times before? Did he even want that? What if he really wanted just his revenge and when he didn't try to stop her and hasn't messaged it meant he was done with her?
"Can you forgive him for putting our brother's life into danger?"
"No," Amie immediately shook her head and looked up at her sister, whose eyes were narrowed into thin lines just like her mouth. At that moment she reminded her so much of their mother it made Amie feel uncomfortable. "Not just like that anyway. But I never really... let him explain himself."
Mia scoffed and folded her hands. "He shot at him, Amie!"
"I know."
They fell into silence, both looking elsewhere as the conversation they just held brought forth quite a few unanswered questions which needed their resolution soon. "I am sorry," Mia muttered with eyes cast down. "I should have told you."
"'s ok," Amie said, though it wasn't entirely true.
"I am getting things ready for the BBQ tonight. Dom already sorted the chicken's marinade," Mia paused, looking hopeful. "Will you... well, do you wanna join us?"
"You need help in the kitchen, don't you?" Amie smiled.
"Yeah. That as well."
"I am in as long as you have some painkillers."
~ ~ * ~ ~
Amie walked down the stairs from the kitchen, looking down over the pile of plates and cutlery which she leaned against her chest. While she chatted about nothing and everything with her sister, Dom sent Leon, Letty and Vince into the shop, since they had almost no bread to go with the meat and they were running low on alcohol as well. "Mother f..." Amie growled, when she tripped over her own feet, causing Brian and Dom, who stood by the smoking BBQ, to look up.
"Y'ight?"
She glanced at her brother. "Yeah," she huffed with relief when she sat the heavy burden down.
"Must be the dress," Brian snickered, pointing at the summer dress she wore. It was one of Mia's pieces with thin straps, tight over her chest and stomach and flowing around her hips as she moved.
She wasn't entirely a dress person, however, she felt like a change for once might be nice. "Well, you know how to flatter a woman, don't ya, Brian?" Amie smirked at him, while she started placing the plates around the table. "Mia, we need sauces," she then threw over her shoulder.
"Somebody can come and get them then."
"Jesse," Amie pointed with her chin towards the house. "If could please."
"Sure," he nodded, tossing the cigarette aside and that way gaining an annoyed glare from Dominic.
The trio fell into silence, the only occasional hissing of hot coals and clinking of plates interrupted them. That was until Dom looked over his shoulder at the youngest of Toretto's. "Where have ya been yesterday, Amie?"
"What do you mean?" the words nonchalantly poured over her lips, as if the owner of them wasn't bothered and concerned at all, however, Amie felt like somebody stretched her skin too tight and her back went rigid with nervosity. She had to fight hard not to look up at Brian.
"I thought you said you gonna help us in the garage," he said simply. "But you weren't there when I came back from Toretto's."
Amie could feel the glare at the back of her head; one worried and one curious. She shrugged her shoulders. "I wasn't feeling well."
Dominic made a small hmm noise, shaking his head behind her back at Brian. "Women."
"Oh shut up."
They all laughed, however, Brian's smile was tight and Amie could see he wished to talk to her and ask her about the abrupt escape she made the previous day. Amie frowned slightly; she almost missed it, but it was there; the searching look Brian endowed her from head to toe as if he was looking for any injuries. Her grip on the knife intensified and she almost threw it on the table.
She struggled to identify what set her teeth on edge more; the idea that Brian worried and possibly believed that Johnny would harm her, or that she found that absolutely ludicrous. Forcing her movements to slow down, she placed the knife down and then turned towards the plates that still awaited sorting. Submerged in her thoughts she almost missed the moment when the missing individuals of their gang returned.
At first, she barely paid them much notice, however, when her ears picked on I am outta here uttered by Vince's gruff voice, Amie frowned and looked up. How could she missed the tension that suddenly sparked between Vince and Brian was beyond her.
"Yo, Dom!"
"Vince!" Dom shouted, raising his arms a little bit by his sides as he glared somewhere down their driveway. "Get over here and give us a hand."
A strange feeling ran down her spine as her eyes travelled from Dominic's frown to Brian's poker face as she heard: "Looks like you got all the help you need, brother!"
Amie waited, watching her brother. Say something! Sure, she liked Brian enough to let him into the house and feel at ease, but Vince has been with them ever since she remembered. He was a stable part of their dysfunctional and mad family. When Dominic shook his head Amie froze in shock. As he turned away and began walking towards the table, she frowned at him. "Vince," she shouted, throwing the last plate on the table and shouldering her brother on the way to the driveway. "Vince!"
"Let him go," Letty mumbled as she walked past her, however, Toretto only gave her a side glare.
"Where are you going?!"
Vince huffed softly, turning at her slowly. "I ain't hanging around when he is here."
"C'mon," Amie tried to smile at him. "Don't be like this."
That was the wrong thing to say. The man in front of her suddenly looked as if he was just a step from exploding. His nostrils flared in irritation. "He does not belong here," Vince stabbed his forefinger in the general direction of Brian. "Nobody can see it."
"V..."
"We are family. But not him. He. Does. Not. Belong," Vince made a small step with each word until he stood above her. If she didn't know better Amie would step back away from the man with wide shoulders, who towered above her and looked nothing but intimidating. "Even you took him in. And accepted him. No questions asked."
A small frown touched her forehead and she tilted her head to the side. "I am not the only one."
"Nah," Vince nodded softly. "Deffo not."
"Amie!" Dominic's voice reached her ears and she couldn't stop throwing an annoyed glance over her shoulder. "Leave him."
"But Dom—"
"If he wanna go, he can go," Dominic left no space for discussion, his focus already turning towards the sizzling meat on the grill.
Subconsciously, Amie bit the inside of her cheek. She felt torn apart as if she was meant to pick between two brothers who was the favourite one. It's not enough I've slept with Johnny, now I have to turn my back at one of them. "V, please—"
"Come with me, Amie," Vince muttered gruffly, eyeing the group of people on the back garden, who barely paid them any attention. "C'mon, lil' one. Let's hit the streets, drive around like mad until the cops come chasing us."
Amie felt a painful rope tightening around her heart, pulling and yanking on it until she felt like her limbs have no capability of holding her up. She ran a hand through her hair. "Vince...--"
Yet again her name was called, however, this time it was Mia who demanded her attention. Huffing in annoyance, Amie turned over her shoulder and threw her hands wide apart. "Wha'?!"
"TJ is calling."
"This is getting better and better," Amie claimed as she muffed the groan into her palm. Her stomach made an uncomfortable movement since suddenly she was the centre of attention. She bit her lower lip. Nevertheless, before Amie had even the slightest chance to start deciding between talking to Vince or quickly turning around and picking up the call – which in front of the whole family was really out of option – the ringing tone went silent. She groaned again.
A low rumble of a car brought her back to reality. All she could do was watch Vince exiting their driveway, leaving only smoke behind him as he quickly sped away. After some time, when his car was nowhere to be seen in the distance, Amie crossed her arms, hugging herself and returned to the rest of the family with a slight frown.
"He's gonna be alright," Dom said, his voice a low rumble that ran through her. He hasn't even looked up from the grill, putting the marinade on the meat, but when Amie had no words to reply, he quirked his eyebrow and threw her a glance. "What's up?"
"Nothin'."
His dark eyes searched hers. Amie could almost hear the wheels spinning inside of his head as the frown lines around his lips deepened just like the scowl upon his forehead. Dominic opened his lips to speak, however, a soft nudge from Letty interrupted him. They spoke in hushed tones until he scoffed, and Letty gave him an annoyed glare. "Mia! The chicken is getting dry!"
~ ~ * ~ ~
The night settled over Toretto's house and their occupants sat in the living room with full happy tummies. Not a single piece of meat was left, thanks to hungry Vince who returned not so long after he left.
Amie felt herself slowly nodding off as she leaned her head against Vince, watching the movie. Ever since he returned, the bulky man stayed mostly quiet only observing his family – and watching Brian like a hawk. And so she decided to stick by his side, just in case the two of them found themselves in the middle of argument which could lead towards yet another fight. It was clear as a day that Vince trembled with the urge to punch Brian a new face.
Nobody else seemed to be bothered with the tension, and that stretched Amie's nerves. As if she needed that –numerous times through their chatter outside around the table, Amie found herself biting and chewing on her thumb, unable to concentrate on the conversation flowing around her.
Johnny called.
The thought swirled around her brain, bouncing off her skull and leaving burning pain behind. Her hands itched to snatch the phone off the kitchen table, however, she could feel the wondering glances that Dom kept sending her and therefore she stayed still.
He never called since. And so she sat next to Vince, ignoring the derisive whisper of her own voice, reminding her the morning conversation she had with the man beside her and how strange she felt to be snuggled against somebody else but Johnny. But V was like one of her older brothers. Just like Leon and Jesse.
"I'm gonna get some popcorn for us," Vince said quietly, despite the tension in his body which rolled off of him in waves, only making her feel worse. Disentangling from Amie, he got up, jumped over the mess of legs and arms around the sofa and headed towards the kitchen.
She pulled her leg beneath her butt, shifting her weight to get up and follow him when she felt a warm palm on her forearm. Looking down Amie followed the thick arm until she met her brother's gaze.
"Leave him be."
"But—"
Something crossed his features as his eyes shifted between Amie and Vince's back which disappeared in the kitchen. They all knew that Mia was there with Brian – and every single person in the room was well aware of the sparks flying between them while Vince stood by and gritted his teeth. "You can't protect him," Dominic said almost gently after a moment of silence.
Amie opened her lips to say something, but then she quickly sealed them. What would she say anyway? Noticing a quick gaze from Letty, she simply nodded and leaned back against the sofa with a nervous knot at the bottom of her stomach. The skin on both of her thumbs was almost non-existent as she kept biting on it; each bite brought a new wave of pain, just a prickle really, but it offered some kind of stability in the chaos of her mind. She allowed herself to focus back on the television until a loud noise reached them, followed by Vince storming towards the main door.
"Somebody should go speak to him."
Leon threw her a doubtful glare. "Why don't ya?"
"He will be fine," Dominic said before she had time to react, his voice calm and smooth while his eyes stayed focused on the telly. "He just gotta get over Mia."
Letty snickered, shaking her head in disbelief what she just heard. "He's been trying to get over her for years, man."
"You mean on top of her," Leon commented softly.
While Jesse tried to muffle his laughter and Amie rolled her eyes, Dominic did not take Leon's words easily. "Shut up," he snapped, pointing his forefinger in a warning. "Ya don't talk shit like that about my sister, you hear me?"
"But he is right," Jesse challenged Dom quietly to the surprise of them all.
"Guys, stop it!"
Amie shook her head, rubbing the palm of her hand over her face. She was so tired; exhausted mentally and physically. She just wished she could catch a break. But such a luxury was not granted to her. By the time her brain caught up with her body, Amie walked through the front door, searching for Vince.
He was already gone, of course, probably heading towards his mother's house where he only rarely stayed. A soft breeze enveloped Amie in its embrace, drawing invisible fingers down her arms and legs. The small device started ringing in her palm. She held it all through the evening by the telly; holding it close as if it was something precious that she could not let out of her sight.
Flipping the phone open to look down at the caller's name she released a long breath she didn't know she held back.
TJ
~ ~ ~
Yaaay! Sunday is upon us and so is the new chapter. I managed it! But let me tell you, it wasn't easy. I finished it already on Wednesday, however, I was not happy at all. I planned to make it better through the week and for some time I was worried I won't manage...
There has been some problems with our baby - she is well, just some things like refusing to eat veggies and drink water etc - and here I am, completely exhausted and defeated. Despite my slowly growing depression (bloody hell, I have been looking forward to seeing my family since March and now, when we were meant to fly back home with the little one and then my mum coming over for a month, the shite starts again...) I woke up feeling much better and sorted the above mess into something-close-to-be-acceptable.
Do not worry about Amie and Vince, they are seriously just close friends. I tried to stop her, however, Amie is stubborn. She flipped me and then done whatever she wanted to do anyway.
Next chapter will be more Johnny and Amie. :)
Until then, see yaaaa