Whatever It Takes ~ Book One {Louis Tomlinson}

Chapter Thirty-Five ~ Fine

Waking up in places where I know I was not in before was seriously getting old. 

This time, opening my eyes to a familiar scene of my family pictures hanging on the vanilla wall soothed me. 

I attempted to sit up on the couch, thankful that I wasn’t strapped down in another hospital bed but my heavy eye lids told me otherwise. 

“Lou?” A soft, familiar voice sounded from the side of the room. 

I carefully turned my head and saw Lottie standing in the doorway, fiddling with her fingers as she does when she’s nervous. 

“Hey, Lottie.” 

“Erm, hey.” She mumbled. “How are you feeling?” 

“Uh, pretty awful, to be honest.” I stuttered. 

“Oh, well… mum will be down in a minute. I told her you woke up.” Lottie announced, brushing back her blonde hair with shaky fingers. 

“Alright, thanks.” I nodded. 

I watched her walk out of the room, my eyes wandering over the familiar walls and antiques of my home. 

I stood up, my eye catching a familiar picture of Ella and I; we were sitting on my front doorsteps, in Halloween costumes; the same picture I had copied into her locket. 

“Louis?” Another familiar voice said. 

I jumped a bit, fumbling with the framed picture in my hands before carefully setting it back down and turning around. 

“Hi, mum.” I greeted sheepishly. 

“Oh, thank god you’re alright.” She sniffed and wrapped me in a warm embrace. 

“Yeah.” I managed to choke out. 

“Oh, Lou. Everything will be alright.” My mum reassured me, rubbing my back in soothing circles. 

“But it’s not. She-she’s gone.” 

“We don’t know that for sure yet,” My mother hummed. “The doctors said they’d do a few tests and-“

“No, mum!” I cried and pulled away from her. “She’s gone, okay? Ella’s dead. I can feel it.” 

I briskly made my way towards the front door, grabbed my coat and slammed the door shut behind me. 

Outside was much more peaceful. 

The light frost on the dry grass told me winter was nearing. 

Perhaps it was November? December?

Hell, everything happened all at once; it’s no wonder I can’t keep track of time. 

Before I knew it, I was in front of the old Willow tree that Ella and I used to climb when we were younger; the same tree in our park. 

I carefully climbed through the thick branches and sat down at the sitting bench we had put in when we were five; a wooden block which Ella’s dad had hammered into the tree for the both of us to sit on to enjoy the view. 

My feet swung loosely as I took in deep breaths to calm my aching heart. My eyes wandered over the scenery, floating over the tree top and eyeing the lake as it gave off a calm aura. 

A soft warm breeze caused an unintentional smile to form at the corner of my lips. The breeze gently wrapped around my body and then sat next to me, leaving me sighing deep in thought.

“Hey, El.” I whispered and gently turned my head to the empty spot on the sitting bench. 

I was answered with a soft rustle of the trees. 

“I miss you already,” I sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.” 

I fumbled with the strings of my hoodie, knotting and unknotting near the ends. 

“Promise me that you won’t leave me,” I heard myself say. “Because I’m never going to forget you.” 

“I’m never going to leave you, Lou. I’ll always be with you.” Ella’s sweet melodic voice sounded from beside me. 

I turned my head to find a glowing Ella, dressed the same way I had found her during the summer. 

“You never know,” I shrugged. “Things happen.” 

“Only if you let them,” Ella whispered. “Don’t let anything get to you, Lou.”

I couldn’t stop myself from sniffling loudly as fresh tears made their way down my cheeks, “Come back to me.” I managed to choke out as Ella’s ghost began to vanish. 

“I’ll try.” She whispered before floating away with the breeze. 

I roughly wiped at my wet cheeks and hopped off the sitting bench, making my way back down the familiar pathway to my house.