Six months had passed since Louis overdosed, and I couldn't believe how much had changed in such a short time.
On the outside, everything looked good. I filled my days with work—just keeping busy so I wouldn’t have to think about him. A few songwriting gigs, a handful of songs I managed to post online, and some offers from the music industry. I even had a therapist now, someone I could talk to about the dark things that still crept in when the quiet moments took over.
But was I really in a good place? No. Far from it. The darkness still loomed. He still haunted me in every corner of my mind, no matter how much I tried to push him away. I saw him on TV sometimes, heard his songs, his voice—his new album was about to drop. “Loving Me So I Can Love Her Better” was the title. The clock struck midnight, and I found myself staring at it, feeling like a dagger was lodged in my chest.
He probably had someone else. He’d moved on.
I tried to distract myself. I went to a club that night, ordering drink after drink, hoping to forget, to numb the ache I felt every time I thought of him. But I drank too much, too fast, and the barman must’ve seen it because next thing I knew, my phone buzzed. Emergency contact.
I didn't even remember how I got home.
---
I woke up to the smell of something delicious—eggs, bacon, coffee. My eyes fluttered open, and I sat up, disoriented. It took me a moment to realize I was in my own bed, my sheets tangled around me. I swung my legs over the side, my head still spinning, and I walked toward the kitchen.
There, standing by the stove, was Louis.
I froze. My heart skipped, my breath caught in my throat.
"Good morning," he said softly, flashing me that familiar crooked smile.
"How...?" I couldn't finish my sentence, my mind racing. How was he here? Had I invited him?
Then, as I took in the room, fragments of last night started to come back. Flashbacks hit me like waves—him in the bar, taking me home, putting me to bed, and then...
I couldn’t help myself. I stepped forward and hit him, hard, across the chest. “Why didn’t you come back to me?” I demanded, my voice breaking. “Why didn’t you return?”
The tears came before I could stop them, overwhelming me with a surge of emotion. I felt stupid for caring so much, but I couldn’t help it. He’d left me, just when I thought we were getting somewhere.
Louis didn’t pull away from me. He looked me in the eyes, his expression full of regret. “I didn’t come back because…” His voice cracked, and he paused, choosing his words carefully. “Because I don’t think I’m good enough for you...”
I stepped closer, taking his hands in mine, “But you’re the only good thing in my life, Lou. I thought I needed to be perfect... you’re the one who made me realize that it’s okay to just be me.”
---
In the silence of the moment, I died of embarrassment. The old me would’ve stayed angry, but I felt like a fool.
Louis laughed softly, the sound a little nervous. “You really don’t remember last night, do you?”
I shook my head, still trying to piece things together. “I do... I just... you should be with your new girlfriend.”
He blinked, confused. “New girlfriend?”
I nodded, avoiding his eyes. “I heard your album. I figured...”
He laughed, shaking his head. “You didn’t really listen to it, did you?” He took my hand, gently pulling me to the piano in the corner of the room.
“Louis—”
He smiled at me, sitting on the bench, his fingers moving over the keys. Then, softly, he started playing the opening chords of the song—the one that had the same title as the album: Loving Me So I Can Love Her Better.
I froze as he sang. His voice, raw and tender, wrapped around the words like they were his confessions. Every note felt like he was telling me a story, our story. The chorus hit me like a thunderclap.
"I never thought I'd be good enough,
But you always believed I could rise above,
Loving me so I can love her better,
I swear I’m trying to be the right man for her."
When he finished, I was breathless, my hands pressed to my face, unable to hold back the tears. “It was… about me?” I whispered, barely able to speak through the lump in my throat.
He nodded, his voice steady but full of emotion. “Yes. I love you, Isabelle. Thank you... for helping me finally rescue myself.”
I looked at him, still in disbelief. “I... I love you too. I missed you so much. Every single day I wanted to reach out to you, but I didn’t think you’d want to hear from me. I didn’t think I was worth it.”
He cupped my face in his hands, wiping away my tears. “You’re worth everything to me. I promise, we’ll never be apart again. I truly love you, Isabelle.”
He kissed me softly, tenderly, and for the first time in months, I felt like I was finally home.
