Death of a Bachelor

#28 Let me in

"No, I won't let you leave, and I-I won't f*cking lie to the media. That's my child, Simone! I won't deny it!"

Lewis said, his voice firm for a brief moment, the, anger, pain, and sadness in his eyes were visible but they quickly disappeared as he blinked, trying to regain his composure.

He turned away from Simone, went back to the kitchen counter as if the physical distance could help him control the storm of emotions building inside him. His grip tighten on the edge of the counter, his knuckles turning white as he fought to contain his outburst. He wanted to scream, to let out all the frustration and hurt that had been building up inside him, but he knew he couldn't-not here, not to her. Not now.

"I want to leave" she said, her words carrying a weight that hung in the air between them. There was no anger in her tone, just a quiet determination that made it clear she had made up her mind.

Why she need to punish him like this? Lewis squeezed his eyes shut, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady himself. The thought of her leaving, of her walking out of his life, was almost too much to bear. He had been through so much already-his past, racing, the media, the hate-but nothing had prepared him for this. He didn't know how to fight for something he wasn't sure he had in the first place. God, he didn't want to be lost and alone again drowning in silence and empty spaces of his life.

Being with Nicole for years, only to lose her so suddenly, had left Lewis feeling utterly lost. The breakup had created a void in his life that he didn't know how to fill. In a desperate attempt to numb the pain, he had turned to other women, seeking solace in relationships that meant nothing. But instead of finding comfort, these fleeting connections only deepened his sense of loneliness. Despite being surrounded by celebrity friends and dating famous women who could easily capture the attention of the world, Lewis felt more isolated than ever.

It was as if he were standing in the middle of a crowded room, yet completely invisible-his heart weighed down by a profound sadness that no amount of fame or affection could save him. He was drowning in his own emotions, unable to find a way out, the more he tried to distract himself, the more the emptiness within him grew, leaving him feeling alone.

He finally turned back to face her, his expression conflicted. "Why?" he asked, his voice almost a whisper. "Why do you want to leave, Simone? Is it because of what Nicole said? Because of me?"

Simone hesitated, looking down at the floor as she searched for the right words. "It's not just Nicole" she finally said "It's everything, Lewis. I never wanted to be in the spotlight, and now it feels like my whole life is being turned upside down. I just... I need to go back to my studio, to my life before all of this happened"

Lewis took a step toward her, his eyes pleading "Simone, please don't do this. I know things are complicated, but we can figure it out together. You are not safe outside, I-I don't want to lose you"

Her gaze met his, and for a moment, the vulnerability in his eyes mirrored her own. But she quickly looked away, shaking her head "It's not that simple, Lewis. You have your life, it's loud and messy and I have mine...I don't want this kind of attention and I didn't ask for any of this-"

"And I didn't ask to fall for you!" He interrupted Lewis's eyes were dark, filled with a storm of emotions. His voice trembled with a mix of anger and desperation, the raw intensity of his feelings crashing over him like a wave he could no longer hold back. "But f*ck, I did, Simone. I fell for you that New Year's night, the moment you stepped inside the museum. God, you have no idea how miserable I've been since then... after you left me alone, after those f*cking two months of just thinking and dreaming about you!"

He paused, his breath hitching as he tried to steady himself. "I tried everything to forget about you" he confessed, his voice is getting weak. "I threw myself into racing hoping it would distract me, hoping it would keep my mind off you. But no matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept drifting back to you. I couldn't get you out of my head, it was torture, pure f*cking torture"