Road Trip

Chapter 19

The last few days of the trip passed quickly. We were no longer exploring any of the cities, but each other instead. Dinners were consistently room service so that the two of us could spend more time in bed, or in the shower, or on the floor, or in the kitchenette of a Residence Inn in New Orleans. We weren't complaining. If the goal of the road trip was to have fun, then we most certainly were doing just that.

And if I was going to break my curse of bad road trips, then Blake really was the perfect medicine.

The road to her house was familiar, though not obviously so. The only other time I had been here before was at night and in the snow, though I recognized several of the route names, and we did go right over the same mountain as before. Blake had been quiet for the last few hours, and I hadn't been too much of a help. I couldn't talk, I didn't really want the road trip to end. Were we in a real relationship, or was everything just done in the bubble of the road trip like a fantasy that wouldn't survive the real world?

I couldn't answer that. I don't think there is an answer because you just don't know until you try.

"I barely remember these streets." I said softly.

"Well, you obviously should come back to visit and remember them," she offered.

"I should visit, huh?" Hoping that was an invitation.

"Yeah, that would be nice," she said softly.

"How much longer will you be here?" I knew she was looking to move, so if she found a place to go it might be harder to find her.

"I don't know. A bit, I haven't made any firm decisions," she sighed. "This is the house, here." She pointed to a little white house at the end of a cul-de-sac.

I slowed and pulled into the driveway. We sat in the car for a bit, I knew I didn't want to get out and I assumed she was in a similar position.

"That was a great trip, thank you for letting me tag along Ethan," she finally said.

"Can I help you bring your stuff in?" I offered.

"Yeah, my mom would probably want to see you," she replied with a smile. I could see tears at the corner of her eyes, and I could tell mine were probably in a similar position.

I popped the trunk and pulled the few bags that Blake had packed, only larger because of the brief Memphis shopping excursion. I smiled at the memory, then walked her to the door. I caught her hand in mine before she opened it and pulled her back to me. "Thank you for everything Blake. I can't tell you how much better everything on this trip was because you were with me."

She leaned forward and hugged me tightly, and I could feel her shuddering a little. A few tears leaked out of my eyes as I pulled her in to me.

"Please tell me I'll see you again?" she implored, looking up at me through her tears.

"I promise, and it won't take as long as it did the last time!" I said with certainty. I was already thinking about a summer road trip.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she said, smiling brightly at me.

We broke apart and she opened the door. "Mom! I'm home!" she called out, and her mother came in from the kitchen.

"Honey! Welcome back!" she said, hugging Blake. "And Ethan, it is so nice to see you too." She pulled me in for a big group hug.

"Hey Janet, great to see you too. I brought her back safe, hopefully she didn't miss anything here."

"Oh hush!" Janet assured me, "She needed that trip, my girl hasn't had enough fun lately."

"Mom! Stop!" Blake whined.

I was just hoping Blake had enough fun to want to do it again.

"Can you stay for dinner Ethan?" Janet asked.

"I can't. I'm supposed to work in the morning, so I should head out soon." I admitted. Honestly, I didn't want to leave, but I was afraid to stay and make a fool of myself.

I gave Blake another hug and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

"You better!" she sobbed, then ran to her room.

I made my way back out to the car and started it up. I set the GPS for home and pulled out of the driveway. A few miles down the road, I pulled into a gas station, and filled up the tank. It felt odd to be in the car alone again. I looked to the passenger seat, and Blake wasn't there, and I missed her presence. The only thing left was a piece of paper. I picked it up, hoping it was a note, but it was just the doc's prescription. I had to give it to her, the prescription worked. I think I broke my curse. So, why was I so sad? I looked at the prescription again, and then dug through the center console. I found a pen buried at the bottom and quickly wrote on the paper, then turned out of the gas station back towards Blake's house.

A few minutes later I was ringing the doorbell again.

"Ethan! Did you forget something?" Janet asked, answering the door.

"Yeah, I did. Can I talk to Blake for a bit?"

"Sure, she's in her room, first door on the left."

The door was closed, so I knocked softly. There was no answer, so I quietly opened the door. It wasn't a big room, but painted in a dark green, her favorite color. A few band posters were on the wall, and Blake was curled up on the bed facing the wall, her body was shaking quietly, and I felt like a complete ass.

I walked quietly over to the bed and sat next to her. "Blake?"

"I thought you left," she mumbled into her pillows.

"I did, but I forgot my prescription." I told her.

"Your what?" she rolled over and gazed at me with puffy red eyes.

I handed her the prescription, now altered to say Take Blake Denton, Apply As Needed to Induce Happiness. She read it and started to smile.

"Damn, now I'm officially prescription strength."

"Yep. And I'm officially addicted."

"So, what now?"

"Well, want to go on another road trip?" I asked, hopeful.

"Another one? Where to this time?" she sat up.

"I know a great cabin near Asheville, we could go there for a while and plan one," I offered.

"Really?" she asked as she got onto her knees. "You want me to stay there? With you?"

"Well, you were looking for a place to go, and it has like 6 bedrooms. I think I could find room for you." I joked.

"6 bedrooms huh? What if I just wanted to share one?" she ran her fingers through my hair and pulled me in for a quick kiss.

"Then we'd can convert some into an office for me, a writing studio for you, and still have extras if your mom or my sister visit." I offered.

"You still barely know me." She worried.

"Blake, I know a lot more about you than any woman I have ever dated, and you've made me happier in one week than all of them ever did put together. I know nothing is perfect, and I know we'll probably have to work out some differences, but I don't want to drive away from you. I don't think I could. So, pack your bags while I go tell your mom that I'm kidnapping you."

30 minutes later we were pulling back out of the driveway, this time with a lot more of Blake's things in the trunk. I was hoping we'd be back for the rest some time later since I wasn't planning on ever being apart from her again.

"All right navigator, pick us some music," I commanded happily.

"What would you like?" she asked while scanning her phone.

"Surprise me, you know what I like."

"You got it!" She leaned over, kissing me gently on the cheek.