Maître François, Claire dit qu'elle ne reviendra pas

Lenny's pov

"I’d better not see you around here again," the warden scoffed, handing me a plastic bag containing my mortal belongings. "Won't you miss me?" I teased lightly

Wrinkles lined her face, "I mean it, Willow. Keep your head down and stay away from the reason you got sent to this hole in the first place. Especially since it didn't bother reaching out to you once."

The smile on my face shrank to a tight line.

"He was in a tight spot, and his grandma had no one else to take care of her. I'm sure he was just too ashamed to call me," I whispered, my head dipping downwards.

She looked at me, her facial muscles caught between frustration, annoyance, and the worst of all-pity.

"Men like that are always in a tight spot, that's all I've got to say to you. If you don't listen then I guess I'll be expecting my chess partner back,"

I perked up hearing that, "Ahah, so you will miss me!"

"Out of sight, Willow. Before I lock you up again!"

Not a chance.

In a second I took in a rib lift of air and almost burst into tears, freedom tasted so good.

Five long years and I'm finally out. It feels like it's been forever.

My eyes swivel around, expecting to see my man; tall, bearded, lanky, and dressed like he just rolled out of bed. I'll admit he was a mess, but he was my mess and unlike my dad, I didn't have to fish him out of the gutters in the evening, so it was a win right?

I began to sway after the first 10 minutes of waiting, 10 extra minutes past and still nothing. Did he forget? I adore my man but he'd forget his legs going out if he could.

Taking out my phone from the plastic bag, I called him.

It rang… “grmmmmmm x5”

No response the first time… Or the second, but hey like they say third times the charm.

He picked it up his deep voice lifting my mood instantly.

"Who's this?" The ground beneath felt like it parted.

I swallowed hard but it seemed the saliva seemed to ball up in my throat.

"Stop with the jokes, Rico... It’s me, the absolute love of your life, Lenny!"

The way I said it it was as if I was trying to convince either him or myself.

There was a long silence that seem to stretch on forever then I heard rustling.

"Len, how...how have you been? When did you get out?" The question sounded distant, like something you'd hear from an acquaintance and not the man you went to prison for.

Rico had accidentally run into a middle aged banker 5 years ago, which coupled with the minor misdemeanors in his past was going to send him away for a long time.

"Lenny, I don't know what to do! My Nonna will be all alone! I'm all she has left...if only I never went out that night!"

He said, falling apart. Guilt hits me like a freight train. He had gone out that night to buy me a last minute gift for our anniversary.

He was shaking, cursing at himself and that blasted night.

Seeing the man I loved crumble write in front of me the words came out before I could hold you back.

"What if we keep the cops thinking you weren't the one behind the wheel?"

In that moment he looked at me as if I was the moon the stars and everything in between.

" Lenny.. are you saying... Do you really mean...no I couldn't let you,"

He did and I don't regret it.

I'd do it all over again for the guy who pulled all nighters with me, the guy who picked every part-time job he could to make sure that I could study for midterms without worrying that the roof above our heads would be taken away, the guy who looked beyond my daddy issues and said 'I love you'.

…And now after all these years, I'd still say 'I love you' back.

"Yeah, have you moved?"

We really felt like strangers when I didn't even know where I lived.

"No, still the same old place,"

I smiled, knowing that I'd be hit with familiarity made me feel more settled.

In the blink of an eye a cab had took me to our old apartment complex. It was even more eroded than I remembered.

My heart pounded with excitement as the elevator lifted me up to our floor.

I came to the door I hadn't seen in years, expecting a warm welcome but a chill hit when I picked up that the door was open, about three inches ajar. After swallowing a deep breath I calmed myself, this isn't prison. I need to let down my guard.

Strolling in I still caught myself checking corners, I froze up in the middle of the sitting room as I heard moans coming from the kitchen.

My heart dropped… It couldn't be, to everything precious please let this be.

Feet stumbled into the kitchen and... stopped.

There was my dearest Rico.

Pants pooled to the floor and his intimates connected as far as they could into a woman with wavy platinum blonde hair as she braced herself into the counter.

He kept pummeling into her as I watched with horror pinned to the floor until his gasping release, gripping to her hips.

"Rico.." I said sounding like broken glass.

It took him to look around.

His eyes locked with mine.

"Sh*t, you weren't supposed to see this,"

He pulled the woman up, his shirt barely covering what he'd left on her behind and she grumbled, "What the hell Rico?! I haven't-"

She saw me and her eyes turned to slits.

"Whose whore are you?"

I'm going to be sick, what kind of nightmare is this.

"It's business, Sofia baby, go to the bedroom. I'll be done in a minute,"

She gave me another warning look, then she smirked deviously and wrapped her arms around him pulling him down to meet his lips with her shattering the last bit of hope that has kept me going for the last five years.

She left and Rico turned to me

"Look, Len. I can explain."