Fast Lane ━━ Brian O'Conner ¹

𝟬𝟭. look beneath the surface

CHAPTER ONE
ocean blue eyes looking in mine

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     𝐈f Josephine Toretto was not a person, she would've been a fuel tank at risk of explosion. At least that's what her older brother and little sister would say whenever someone asks them about her these days. She was not quiet, or calm, or gentle. Josephine was like a hard rock to crack or a metal too stubborn to bend. Maybe because she wanted to be that way or maybe she had to be in order to survive.

     After losing both her parents, it changed her in a way every child does when they lose the first familiar thing they had around them. She wasn't the only one. After Dominic had been incarcerated for two years, he wasn't the same when he got out of prison. The youngest of them, Mia, had become more protective over her family. She began to dislike it when her siblings suddenly disappeared from her sight without her knowledge.

     At twenty-one, Josephine thought she would've learned everything by now. Then again, she was just a year older than her younger sister who seemed to have her whole life together unlike her older siblings. They were still attached to the hip though. At least that's one thing that hasn't changed since they were children. And big brother Dominic was always there somewhere watching over them.

     Josephine only really complained at least once or twice about his constant badgering. Big brother duties, Jo. She remembered what Dominic used to say to her whenever she got in trouble and he was somehow there to pull her out of it again and again. It was like he never got tired of it, and a part of her was glad that he never did. Josephine needed him more than she could admit.

     She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt a tap on her shoulder and realized a customer was waiting for someone to take his order. Mia raised her eyebrows at her, giving her a funny look. Apparently, not studying for exams meant she had to watch the Toretto family market and cafe instead. House rules. She doesn't even know who made that stupid rule in the first place.

     "Can't you get it?" Josephine hissed, glaring at her sister whose grin only grew wider.

    "Nuh-uh." Mia shook her head, playfully wiggling a finger close to her face. "It's your job, Jo. I'm only here as emotional support, remember?"

   "Emotional support my ass," Josephine grumbled under her breath as she begrudgingly turned to their customer who wasn't too bothered waiting for their banter to stop. In fact, when she looked at the guy, he seemed pretty entertained. Her blank expression didn't change. "Oh, it's you."

    "Did I surprise you, sunshine?" Brian raised his brows, looking all perfect and all as he sat there with a big grin on his golden face. The fact that he wasn't even doing anything made her more annoyed, and he called her 'sunshine'. There was nothing sunny and shiny about her at all.

     Instead of scowling, like she always did when she saw him around, Josephine gave him the fakest smile she could muster as she approached her customer. "Let me guess. Tuna, no crust?"

    "I don't know," Brian smirked, obviously messing with her. His white teeth showed like he'd never known how to not be perfect as he kept flashing a smile at her. "How is it?"

    "Every day, for the last three weeks, you've come here, asking how the tuna is." Josephine rolled her eyes. She furrowed her brows at him, leaning over the counter with her arms straight. "It was crappy yesterday. It was crappy the day before. And guess what, sport? It hasn't changed."

     If she had to be honest, their tuna sandwich wasn't very appealing and tasted average. And yet, this man just kept coming back to their store like he had some deep obsession with that sandwich. She even began to mess it up a little so he would somehow realize their sandwich sucks ass.