I sigh laying on the small, hard motel mattress. Dom laying on an identical bed beside me, silence lingered. The same silence that hadn't broken since being in the car. But one question tugs at my heart no matter how hard I try to push it away, or to focus on other things...

Turning my head I look over at Dom, who is awkwardly staring up at the ceiling questions clearly spiralling through his mind too. Good memories almost torment me as much as the bad ones, reminding me of what I lost, left. Taking a breath, I can't help but ask, "how is he?"

Doms head turns toward me, a tired uncertain look in his eyes. He seems to debate the answer in his head before he responds, "he's never been the same since you left. I think it was the not knowing, he thinks it's his fault, something he did or said."

"No. It wasn't him. Not at all. I loved him" Dom's eyes remain on me studying my reaction. I hadn't expected his answer to hurt as much as it does, it feels like someone has just punched a hole through my chest. It was never his fault, I never wanted him to think that.

"If you loved him... why'd you leave? You didn't just leave him, you left all of us." Biting the inside of my cheek I contemplate telling the truth, but that terrifies me all too much. This whole conversation makes my heart violently ache with longing for a life I could've lived...

"I—" just as I go to speak, I'm cut off by the ringing of my undercover phone. Reaching for the drawer i stuffed it in to prevent intelligence from hearing a conversation exactly like this. I'm shocked to see the caller ID isn't jośe. It's the emergency line intelligence set up. I sit up with narrow eyes and answer.

"Ash? Ashley? Are you okay?" Jays panicked voice fills my ears and my heart skips a beat. I can almost see the panic contorting his face.

"I'm okay, jay i promise you I'm okay. What's going on?" I can feel the anxiety radiating from him, can hear his uneven shaky breaths. Other panicked voices echo through from the background... even Kelly's.

"Someone's stalking you. Took the trackers off your car. They sent Kelly a box, had my hoodie you were wearing the other day in it, and a note. We're about to roll out." Someone was in my apartment? Unease crawls over my skin, disbelief and disgust wash over me as my heart rate picks up.

"No! Whatever the note says, send a photo of it. Do not jeopardise this case based on that. I'm safe." I state, the urgency in my voice making dom turn to watch with a raised brow.

"How are you safe out there on your own?! We are coming, we'll get them another way." Jay argues.

"Put me on speaker." I fight the urge to promise jay I'll be okay, the urge to finish the conversation we'd had hours prior. But I can't, I've never felt so conflicted.

"You all have to trust me. I am safe. Don't worry about the letters and shit right now. Kelly? I'm with Dom. I'm safe." I can hear Kelly's faint muttering. He knows, he knows me better than this.

"Ash. Who's Dom?" Voights rough voice echoes over the line.

"He works for Agent Luke Hobbs, DSS. I'll sort the box out when I'm back, we need to get these guys." I can hear voight sigh on the other line as well as jays protests.

"Alright. Keep us updated." Voight says, i mutter a quick thank you before ending the call and returning the phone back to is place in the drawer.

I look back over to Dom, who's now sat up on his bed. A look of worry and concern clouding his features. I shrug getting up from my bed and walking over to the window. Carefully pulling the curtain back to sneakily look back at my car.

"What does the note say?!" Dom's voice catches my attention. Looking back at him, his shoulders squared off, body stiffening.

"Tell Brian she's safe, okay? I'm with her. Not that she needs me she can clearly take care of herself." Dom glances over at me and the mention of his name makes my heart ache while simultaneously filling my mind with old memories.

Dom gets up, walking over to me. My heart begins to race once again. God I hate this. I feel so vulnerable. Dom looks at me, eyes almost pleading as he says, "he wants to talk to you."

Flashback

I'd been helping Mia and Dom run the Toretto market & cafe in between street racing with Dom and his friends. Id started to get used to working behind the counter and I was beginning to enjoy it. Mia and I were truly becoming sisters. Working didn't feel like work, not with family.

During my shift, I noticed a man. A beautiful one, golden blonde and and earth shattering blue eyes that could drown the world. Those eyes made a deep blush show upon my cheeks when they met mine. It had become a thing, Brian would show up every morning get a tuna sandwich then go about his day. But it was starting to become one of the things I most looked forward to in the morning.

The only thing that stopped me from having more than a two second conversation with him was Theo. Who just happened to be Mia's boyfriends best friends and my boyfriend. Both Mia and i's boyfriends hated him. And I hated my boyfriend, but my family loved him, that's how things go right?

Of course I never mentioned, how controlling Theo was. How he belittled me, hated on me for everything, shamed my body. I didn't want to be considered a snitch. I was so afraid of being the 'expendable' family member.

He reminded me of my father, and in the process taught me to hate myself. Noticing the difference in the way my boyfriend treated me, and the way a five minute conversation with Brian made me feel was insane. Brian managed to treat me better in five minutes than Theo had throughout our entire relationship.

Another morning came around, Vince and Theo sat at the counter intensely watching over Brian as he sat on the other side of the counter. As I served him I couldn't help but admire, who wouldn't?

I turned to make a coffee seeing both Theo and Vince staring into Brian's beautiful blue eyes with pure hate and resentment. They were trying to intimidate him, but Brian didn't care.

I watched Theo continue to stare him down as Brian stood up grabbing his wallet from his pocket, pulling out enough cash to cover his meal and to give a good tip.

"Thanks a lot Ash, see you tomorrow." I smile at his words thanking him back. Brian turned to leave and I could feel the anger radiating from Theo.

"No! Try fat burger from now on! Double cheese for 2.95 faggot!" Theo spat, anger dripping from his tongue like poison as he followed Brian out of the cafe.

"Theo stop it!" I exclaimed trying to reason with him, but there never was any such thing.

"I just like the tuna here" Brian reiterated calmly. I could tell it wasn't going to end well. Theo was just like my dad, anger so extreme he couldn't even control himself sober.

"Bull shit asshole! No one likes the Tuna here!" Theo called out, his anger only growing as Brian didn't stop the confrontation. Theo scoffed as he began following Brian.

"Yeah? Well i do." God Brian was cocky, if Theo wasn't about to put him on his ass i probably would've laughed. I watched as Theo pushed Brian into the truck, Brian turned almost instantly surging toward Theo to punch him, it landing almost directly on his cheekbone.

"Dom! Jesus christ would you get out there please!" Mia called out for her brother as the two men broke out into a fist fight out front. In seconds I took my apron off beginning to make my way out there.

"Shit! Dom! Ash is going, I'm not kidding Dom! get out there!" Mia exclaimed at her brother.

"What you put in that sandwich?" Dom chuckles before making his way out of the back office.

"Theo! Get a grip! Stop!" I yell, trying to split up the fight. Theo violently trying to push me off causing Brian to retaliate trying to protect me.

"Don't put your hands on her asshole!" Brian exclaimed through gritted teeth, Dom now begins to rush outside as I try pushing Theo away only to catch his elbow with my ribs. Sending me flying to the floor, as Theo once again lunged at Brian.

The two men now wrestling against the car as Dom splits them up.

"You good?" Letty asked as I wiped my grazed palms against my jeans standing up, body aches rattling through me.

"I'm good." I scoffed, eyes glued to the fight in-front of me.

"Hey man! He was in my face! Put his hands on her!" Brian defends as Dom pulls him up slamming him against a car.

Flashback over

"I can't I'm sorry." I decline speaking to him, before walking toward the bathroom book and locking it behind me. Tears almost instantly well up in my eyes and this time, I can't stop them from falling.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I slide down the door sitting against it as i silently cry. I hate it, I hate myself. I listen to Doms conversation through a locked door. I can hear him apologising to Brian. I want to hug him, tell him how sorry I am... but I can't.

Maybe if overreacted all those years ago, a mind ruined by previous men. I was scared, what of? I can't say exactly. Because I don't know. I was afraid of becoming the problem maybe? But I never had any reasons for those fears, Brian was never Theo, never my dad...

"Ash.. Brian got a box with an old T-shirt of his in it, photos of you and a letter..."

What the fuck.