Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LILA
Lila’s hands trembled as she stared at her cell phone, her heart hammering against her ribs like a caged bird. The screen glowed in the dim apartment, the weight of the message pressing into her chest like an unseen hand. The words from Louis swam in her mind, cold and distant despite their shocking content. I’m alive. I won’t be home for a while. That was it. No explanation. No reassurance. Just a vague message that only made her panic more.
She didn’t hesitate—her fingers flew across the screen as she called Stephanie, the familiar sound of the ringing line doing little to calm the dread clawing up her throat.
Stephanie answered almost immediately.
“What’s going on?” Lila said sharply, pressing a hand to her forehead as she paced the small living room.
“I have no idea except I got this weird email from my husband telling me he’s alive and won’t be home for a while. I guess something happened on the ship?” Stephanie’s voice cracked on the last word, the uncertainty gnawing at her.
A pause. “Have you seen anything on the news?”
“No.” Lila’s voice was thin, strained.
“Me neither,” Stephanie admitted, but her tone carried the same unease. “But then again, they could be playing it down to keep it from being front and center…”
Lila squeezed her eyes shut. The military was careful about what made it to the media, but surely, if something serious had happened, she would have heard something .
“I tried texting Louis…” Her voice wavered, frustration thick in her throat.
“I tried Lance too…”
Silence.
Then, as if the universe had chosen to mock them, both women spoke at the same time.
“No service.”
The words echoed between them, sharp and final like a door slamming shut. Lila sagged onto the couch, gripping the phone like a lifeline as a heavy sigh left her lips. She glanced around her tiny apartment, taking in the clutter of half-packed boxes, the piles of bills, the remnants of a life she had been so sure of just a few weeks ago.
Now, everything felt empty.
Hollow.
Lila missed his easy smile, his boyish charm, the way he held her hand and touched her cheek before he kissed her, as well as his warm laughter. She had scrolled through their old messages just for comfort, falling more and more in love with his silent, steady presence.
She had been waiting for Louis to pull back into port so they could finally talk about the next steps, about what came next for them. But now? Now, she didn’t even know if there was a next step because she couldn’t get in touch with him.
A familiar ache settled in her chest; the same one that had been with her since her last relationship had left her picking up the pieces of a life she barely recognized. She had sworn never to wait around for a man again, to never let herself be stranded in uncertainty or trapped somewhere. She had made her own choices, built her own life. She didn’t need Louis to set things up for her.
But she had always relied on his text messages when she struggled mentally—his silent, unwavering support, the knowledge that no matter what, he was there. And now, he wasn’t.
Her grip on the phone tightened with determination.
Fine .
If she couldn’t control what was happening out there , she could control what happened here .
“So,” Lila said, her voice steadier than she felt, “is that apartment in the next building still available?”
Stephanie didn’t hesitate. “I have no idea, but I can find out. Why?”
“I’m moving to Florida.”
A beat of silence, and then Stephanie let out a breathless laugh, full of relief and something close to joy. “Phenomenal, girl. You just get your bum down here, and we can move your stuff later…”
Lila bit her lip, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth for the first time in days. “Actually… my stuff here is crap. I’ll pack a suitcase and donate a bunch of things to charity. It would be easier that way.”
“I can work with that,” Stephanie said, her voice thick with emotion. “When you get here, we’ll hit the thrift stores and go shopping—just us girls.”
A lump formed in Lila’s throat, but this time, it wasn’t from fear. It was from the warmth of knowing she wouldn’t be alone in this. She had friends there in Stephanie, and even if everything fell apart with Louis – she would be okay. She was choosing to step forward, even when everything inside her wanted to backpedal or take a few more days, weeks, months, years, to process this – but she was clinging to that one thing that kept repeating in her mind, heart, and soul.
I miss Louis…
“I would love that,” she admitted, her voice soft but sure.
And she meant it.
Because she needed to be there. Closer to Stephanie. Closer to Angel. Closer to Louis. Closer to the place where, no matter what, she would be getting a fresh start with friends around her. And she vowed to be standing on the pier when the carrier finally pulled back in.
The next two days passed in a blur of motion, a whirlwind of finality and new beginnings. Lila barely paused to catch her breath as she signed the contract for her new apartment, severed ties with her old lease, forwarded her mail, and sorted through the remnants of her life in Louisville. Each task, each movement, felt like a step toward something bigger—toward him.
Packing her bags felt different this time. There was no heaviness pressing down on her chest, no weight of loss anchoring her in place. The last time she’d uprooted herself, she had fled Chicago with nothing but a suitcase, and the crushing emptiness of a life unraveled. That move had been filled with grief and desperation, each step dragging her deeper into an abyss of uncertainty. She had arrived in Louisville hollow, haunted, existing more than living.
But now? Now, she was leaving with her heart full.
As she sifted through her belongings, her fingers trailed over old memories—worn books, faded photographs, the scarf she’d clung to during bitterly cold nights when loneliness had curled around her like smoke. Once, these things had been her lifeline, reminders of a past she couldn’t let go of. Now, they were just objects. Pieces of a life she no longer needed to carry.
A smile ghosted across her lips as she folded a sweater, the warmth of anticipation stealing through her veins. The mere thought of Louis sent a thrill down her spine, an aching, beautiful longing that made her chest tighten. She imagined the look on his face when he saw her standing there, unannounced, stepping into his world like she belonged there—because she did.
She wanted to run to him, close the distance between them, and finally, finally let herself have what she’d spent too long denying. She could already hear the low rumble of his voice and feel the way his arms would wrap around her, solid and sure.
Lila exhaled shakily, pressing the tape down over a box and whispering, “I’m gonna marry that man.” The words tasted like a promise, like destiny, like everything she had never dared to dream for herself.
She glanced around the nearly empty apartment, the space echoing with memories she was ready to leave behind. There was no sadness in the farewell. Every pot, pan, piece of furniture—every item she had once clung to—was going to the women’s shelter. Someone else would start over with these things, just as she had once needed to. But she? She was starting over with love.
Her bags sat neatly beside the door, waiting for her. By tonight, everything she owned would be in the trunk of her car. By morning, she would be on the road, each mile bringing her closer to Mayport, closer to Louis.
Closer to home.
Dearest Louis,
I received your message, and I’m so glad you wrote – thank you. I look forward to hearing more about what happened and glad you are okay. Call me when you are getting close to the pier and you get a signal. I cannot wait to hear your voice.
I love you,
Lila