Only Happy Accidents (A Split Love Story) #wattys2017

What's next?

Luis' POV

I was still smiling when I felt the car rock from the force of Dennis closing the door on himself. I noticed after a bit of silence that he hadn't even started the car yet. When I looked at him he was just sitting with his hands on the wheel, biting at the inside of his bottom lip in thought.

"Something wrong?" I asked, leaning forward to try and meet his eye-line.

"I shouldn't take you back there.." He said, turning his head to look away from me.

"Back where?" I asked.

"To that basement..  I shouldn't keep you locked up in there.. You deserve better than that.." He said sounding sad and shameful.

"I'm fine Dennis.. I like living with you.." I said, placing my hand on his knee.

"But down there? You can't tell me you love living with me down there..." He said meeting my eyes. He sounded like he was on the verge of blowing it, his face was red and his knuckles turned white.

"I don't understand why you're so angry.. We could live in a leaky old shack for all I care.. We'd make it work.." I said, I took off his glasses, there was a smudge on the rim that I'd been focusing on for a while, and I needed to do something with my hands to distract from the tension he was building on his own.. So I tugged his little yellow rag from his pocket and went to work at cleaning them.

"Where do you live?" He asked suddenly in a much calmer tone. I froze, blinking a couple times in confusion before looking at him out of the corner of my eye.

"I mean I could tell you but you took my keys and things when you kidnapped me so.. We wouldn't be able to get in or anything.." I said sarcastically, earning an annoyed look as I placed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. Inside my heart fluttered at the thought of going home.. Oh my car.. I wonder what happened to my car that day..?

~*~

We'd stopped quickly at the place I had been cooped up in for so long.. I stayed in the car as he went inside. We were parked next to a tall black fence, I couldn't ever tell what this place was.. But I didn't think I really wanted to know..

I felt my heart leap again, as I watched him come out, locking the door behind him.  This was really happening.. I'd finally get to sleep in my bed, by windows and sunlight. I could sit on my porch and read or watch TV again.. I didn't realize how much I missed all of this stuff until now. Now that I was finally going back..

He got in the car, my keys, cellphone and wallet in my lap, tossing a bundle of what I assumed to be overnight clothes in the back seat. I fiddled with my keys, looking over every little key chain.. I traveled a lot, and always made it a point to get a key chain everywhere I went.. I smiled at each one, something familiar in the chaos that had been my life for who knows how long now was so comforting..

I stopped my examination when I reached the little black fob that went to my Prius.. I missed that little Prius.. He took me everywhere.. I hadn't realized Dennis had been watching my fondly the whole time until I looked up at him, opening my mouth to speak but quickly changing my mind, averting my eyes to my lap again..

He put the car in drive again and we were on our way. I told him the address which he punched in to the GPS in his phone but what I failed to notice was that he hadn't started the navigation.. I watched out the window for a while almost drifting off to sleep when we pulled into an empty parking lot and we stopped. I looked up at him in confusion..

He pointed out my window with a slight smile, and in the darkness, though my blurry tired eyes, I could just make out the silhouette of a little silver Prius..