Wands and Wheels

Rio De Janeiro, Abandon Wearhouse

Severa stayed perched on top of the crate, her legs dangling over the edge as she watched the team joke around near the pit, bottles of beer in hand and the smell of grilled meat wafting through the air. Their laughter carried easily over the warm night, but it didn’t reach her.

She kept her head slightly down, pretending to fiddle with a loose thread on her sleeve, doing everything she could to avoid drawing attention to herself—especially from Mia. The last thing she needed was for Dom’s sister to catch sight of her slightly puffy eyes and ask questions she wasn’t ready to answer.

Her gaze flickered to Mia anyway. She was laughing at something Brian said, her head tilting back in an easy, carefree way. It stung more than Severa wanted to admit. Everyone here seemed to belong, like they fit together perfectly. She, on the other hand, felt like a spare part that didn’t quite click into place.

Dom was off to the side, leaning against a pillar with a beer in hand. He wasn’t talking much, just observing like he always did, his presence grounding and infuriating at the same time. Severa’s chest tightened when she caught him glance in her direction for the briefest second before looking away, like she wasn’t even worth a second thought.

She bit the inside of her cheek and turned her attention back to the thread on her sleeve, yanking it hard enough that it snapped.

“Hey,” Mia’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Severa stiffened, forcing herself to look up. Mia stood a few feet away, holding out a plate piled high with food. Her smile was warm, but her eyes were sharp, taking in every detail.

“You haven’t eaten all day,” Mia said, tilting her head slightly. “Figured I’d bring this over before the guys devour everything.”

Severa hesitated, but she couldn’t exactly refuse without raising suspicion. She took the plate, mumbling a quiet, “Thanks.”

Mia didn’t move right away. Instead, she leaned against the crate beside her, crossing her arms. “You okay?” she asked casually, though her tone made it clear she already knew the answer.

Severa forced a small smile. “Yeah, just tired.”

Mia raised an eyebrow, unconvinced, but she didn’t push. Instead, she nodded toward the team. “Dom’s been acting weird all day too,” she said. “Did something happen between you two?”

Severa’s heart skipped a beat. “Why would you think that?”

Mia smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Mini Mia? Please, I’m not the one sulking on a crate like it’s my throne of despair.”

Severa shot her a look, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward despite herself. “I’m not sulking.”

“You’re sulking,” Mia said flatly, her smirk softening into a grin. “But it’s fine. You’ve always had a flair for the dramatic. Remember that time you and Dom got into it over who could change a tire faster? You sulked for two days when he beat you.”

Severa rolled her eyes, but the memory brought a faint warmth to her chest. “He cheated. Loosened the bolts on my side before we started.”

“And you’re still mad about it, huh?” Mia teased.

“Maybe,” Severa muttered, stabbing at her rib with her fork.

Mia let out a laugh and nudged Severa’s shoulder with her own. “Look, whatever’s going on with you two, just... don’t let him get in your head too much, okay? Dom’s got a way of making things complicated when they don’t need to be. But he cares about you—probably more than he’s willing to admit.”

Severa’s stomach twisted at Mia’s words. She wanted to believe that, but Dom’s coldness earlier still stung. “Yeah,” she said quietly, not trusting herself to say more.

Mia gave her a reassuring smile before pushing off the crate. “Come join us when you’re ready. And maybe try not to burn holes in Dom with your eyes. It’s kind of obvious.”

Severa opened her mouth to protest, but Mia was already walking away, her laughter trailing behind her.

Left alone again, Severa set her plate down and leaned back on the crate, staring up at the night sky. Mia’s words replayed in her head, but they didn’t make her feel any better. If Dom really cared, why did it feel like he was trying to push her away?

She sighed, rubbing her hands over her face. Sitting out here wasn’t going to solve anything, but the thought of diving back into the group and pretending everything was fine felt impossible.

Just as she was about to gather herself and head back in, the sound of footsteps caught her attention. She looked up, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Dom standing a few feet away, hands shoved into his pockets.

He didn’t say anything at first, his eyes flicking over her like he was checking to see if she was okay.

“What, you’re here to tell me to stop sulking too?” she said, her voice sharper than she intended.

Dom’s lips twitched, but he didn’t smile. “No. Just... checking in.”

Severa raised an eyebrow. “Since when do you check in on me?”

He hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground for a moment. “Since you came back,” he said quietly. “And I started screwing things up again.”

That caught her off guard. She sat up straighter, studying him. “What are you talking about?”

Dom shifted, looking uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have walked off earlier,” he admitted. “I just... I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what?” she pressed, her voice softening despite herself.

He finally met her eyes, and for a moment, the wall he always kept up cracked just a little. “Figure out how to keep you close without putting you in the middle of my mess.”

Severa’s heart clenched. She wanted to be angry at him, to call him out for pushing her away, but the vulnerability in his voice made it hard to hold onto that anger.

“You don’t get to decide that for me,” she said, her voice steady. “If I’m here, it’s because I want to be. Mess and all.”

Dom stared at her for a long moment before letting out a breath. “You’re stubborn, you know that?”

“Learned from the best,” she shot back with a small smirk.

For the first time that night, a faint smile tugged at his lips. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to ease some of the tension between them.

“Come on,” he said finally, nodding toward the group. “You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

Severa hesitated but nodded, sliding off the crate and falling into step beside him. As they neared the pit, Roman’s voice rose above the chatter, his tone laced with playful curiosity.

“So, you got a little more than ten, eleven million coming your way—what you gon' do with your money?” Roman asked, taking a slow sip from his glass.

The group laughed, throwing around outrageous answers, but Severa barely heard them. She took one of the few empty seats, expecting Dom to sit near Mia or one of the other members.

Instead, he surprised her by sitting right next to her.

Her breath hitched as his thigh brushed against hers, and when he settled in, it was practically pressed against her own. The warmth of him seeped through the thin fabric of her jeans, making it damn near impossible to concentrate on anything else.

She tried to focus on the conversation, tuning into Roman’s exaggerated story about buying an island and building a “party mansion,” but her mind kept drifting to Dom. The way he leaned back casually, the faint scent of motor oil and cologne clinging to him, the way his arm rested on the back of her chair like it belonged there.

“Sev, what about you?” Roman’s voice cut through her haze, and her head snapped up.

“Huh?”

Roman grinned, clearly amused. “What are you gonna do with your millions? Don’t tell me you don’t have a plan.”

She blinked, her mind stalling completely as it decided to abandon her and focus on something ridiculous—like imagining if Dom could actually toss her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Before she could blurt out whatever half-formed thought was about to tumble from her mouth, Dom’s voice cut in smoothly.

“She’ll probably save it for a nice house or car,” he said, his tone casual but with the slightest edge of teasing. “Never was one for fun.”

The group erupted into laughter, Roman clapping his hands together. “Damn, Dom! Calling her out like that?”

Severa’s cheeks burned as she turned to glare at him, her embarrassment quickly morphing into annoyance. “Oh, I’m sorry, is it not fun to have a roof over my head or a reliable car?” she shot back, folding her arms across her chest.

Dom smirked, finally meeting her eyes. “I’m just saying, you’ve always been... practical.”

“Practical,” she repeated, narrowing her eyes. “And what would you do, Mr. Fun?”

He leaned back in his seat, his arm casually draped across the back of her chair. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe something reckless. Something that doesn’t involve a savings account or a 10-year plan.”

“Like what? Buying a bunch of cars you don’t need?”

“Maybe,” he said with a shrug, his smirk deepening. “Or a private racetrack. You know, for all those cars I don’t need.”

Severa rolled her eyes, but the way he was looking at her—like he was daring her to rise to the challenge—made her stomach do a little flip. “Well, excuse me for having priorities.”

“Priorities are overrated,” Dom said, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

Her heart skipped, and for a moment, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to smack him or kiss him. Before she could decide, Roman’s voice boomed again, pulling them both back to the group’s conversation.

“Alright, alright, enough about money,” Roman said, waving his hand. “Let’s talk about something real—like who thinks they can beat me in a race?”

The group groaned, but the playful energy shifted, and Severa was relieved to have the attention off her and Dom. Still, she couldn’t help noticing the way his arm stayed resting behind her, his thigh brushing hers like it was the most natural thing in the world.