Chapter Sixty-One

**

�You gonna stick by me?�

�Maybe�.�

**

�Hey�.� Dom mumbled, turning towards me as I slid into bed.

�Hey,� I said back. �Did I wake you up?�

�Nah, I wasn�t really asleep yet,� he answered. �Have fun tonight?�

�Yeah,� I laughed, remembering everything that�d happened at Jerry�s. �Yeah, we did.�

�Good,� Dom said, reaching over to wrap his arm around me and pull me closer. �Jamie go home?�

�No�.�

�So how come you�re in here then?�

�Well, if you want me to leave�.� I started, moving away from Dom a little.

His arm tightened around me before I could move even six inches. �Okay, okay, I�ll stay!� I said, laughing again. �Jamie�s downstairs - it was too late to drop her off at home. Her parents are weird with that kind of thing. She�s asleep on the couch.�

�Damn, that girl falls asleep earlier than anyone I know, even Mia,� Dom laughed.

�Yeah, she does,� I said. �We�ll have to turn her into a night owl�

�You like her, huh?� Dom asked.

The question caught me kinda off guard. I�d stopped thinking in terms of liking Jamie or not liking her, I guess. It was just like she�d always been there, and she was always gonna be there. Like I didn�t even have a choice anymore in whether or not she was gonna be a friend - she just was.

�Yeah, I do,� I answered after a minute, smiling a little.

�Maybe you should just tell her about us, then, �stead of waiting around for Vince to declare his love�.�

�Yeah, maybe,� I said, before the words had really sunk in. �Wait, what?� I practically screeched. It must�ve been louder than I thought, �cause Dom jumped a little. �Did you talk to him about Jamie?�

�Yeah�.� Dom said slowly.

�And?� I demanded. �What�d he say?�

�Not that much�. He likes her, I think, but he�s not ready to really go after her,� Dom explained, giving me a kinda weird look.

�Oh,� I said, a little disappointed. I guess I�d kinda gotten used to thinking of Jamie and Vince as a couple already.

�You know,� Dom laughed, �I think maybe you�ve been hanging around Mia too much�all matchmaker and shit.�

�Oh, fuck you, Dom,� I laughed back, swatting his arm.

�I�ll remember that later�� he growled at me.

�So what�d you guys do tonight? Anything interesting?� I asked, still laughing.

�Nah, not really,� he answered. �Worked at the garage for a while. Changed the oil on Lorraine�s car, finished up the Mustang and Buick. Got a little bit ahead for next week, you know.�

�That�s good,� I said, scooting closer to him so I could rest my head on his chest.

�Oh,� Dom added, �and Miguel came by.�

�What?� I asked, lifting my head up to look at Dom.

�Yeah.�

�Why?�

�I don�t know, he wanted to ask you out or something,� Dom said, reaching up to brush a piece of hair out of my eyes.

�He what?� I practically shrieked. �What the fuck is that boy thinking? You didn�t�what�d you say to him?� I asked, a little worried about what Dom might�ve done to Miguel. �You didn�t beat the shit out of him or anything stupid like that, did you?�

Dom just looked at me.

�Nah,� he finally answered. �You think I want to start shit with Hector? Just, you know, told him it probably wasn�t a good idea.�

�Oh,� I sighed, relieved.

�He thinks I treat you bad,� Dom said quietly.

�He what?� I asked.

�Yeah,� Dom said, a harsh laugh escaping his throat as he ran his hand over his head. �Guess our plan�s worked pretty well, huh? He believes everything�that I was fucking around with Julie behind your back, that I left you�. Should be happy, huh? Everything�s going along just like Mia said it would. But damn, Let, I can hardly stand people thinking that about us�that you�re just another fuck to me�.�

�Oh, Dom�.� I sighed, snuggling against him. �I know, baby. I don�t care, though. It doesn�t matter what anybody else thinks about us. All that matters is we�re together, and we know it, and the team knows it. I love you more than anyone else in the world, you know that, right?�

�Yeah�.� he said slowly.

�Yep,� I said, leaning down to kiss him. �So�you think you can forget about Miguel for a while?�

�Miguel who?� Dom asked, pulling me on top of him.

I could only laugh as Dom�s mouth latched onto my neck, licking and sucking at my pulse point. After that, I couldn�t really think of anything at all�.