the nightingale

Chapter One

It started off good. Life was wonderful for Louis. He met the man of his dreams at the library he worked at for three years. His name was Scott Bennett, and he was twenty-six at the start of their relationship while Louis was only eighteen. He was tall and lean with beautiful black hair and blue eyes just like Louis. Louis was smitten with love.

At first, Scott treated him like royalty. He showed him all the love imaginable and spoiled him rotten. Scott took him out for a date almost every weekend, and they had the best sex. It was what you called true love making. It was like that for a few months.

Until Scott got horribly violent and controlling. He told Louis to quit his job at the library. That he will provide for him. He got mad at him when he'd call his mum or his friends.

He'd grab the phone and shout at him, "You don't need them! I take care of you now. No one will ever love you like I do."

Louis couldn't wear what he wanted anymore either. Scott would force him to change his clothes if he didn't approve. One time he ripped up one of Louis' tank tops. Louis loved that tank top.

Since Louis stopped working at the library, he was made to do all the housework. He did all the cooking and cleaning while Scott worked at the local oil company. It got kind of boring and lonely staying at home all day. He missed the library. He missed Liam, Niall, and Zayn, but he never asked Scott to go back or hang out with them in fear of what he would do.

Scott was also good for degrading him. He'd tear down Louis' self-esteem. He would call him mean names and would tell him to lose weight.

"You're so useless!" Scott would yell. "And what are you wearing? You look like a whale. Go change."

Louis cried himself to sleep that night.

He quickly got used to the verbal abuse. Then, Scott hit him for the first time.

Louis accidentally dropped some spaghetti sauce. It was just an accident. Louis apologized profusely. That's when Scott slapped him across the face.

"Look at this mess? You got sauce all over the kitchen floor! Clean it up!"

Louis was stunned, cupping his cheek. Louis cried quietly once Scott walked away.

A sharp backhand eventually became beatings. Scott would punch and kick him if he felt like it or if Louis did something wrong in his eyes.

It became the norm. It was just punishment. It was how their relationship worked. Scott provided while Louis did the caretaking. And he would punish Louis when he did something wrong.

Two years later, Louis is twenty. His life consists of waking up at 6 AM and making breakfast for Scott, cleaning the house, washing the dishes, taking a shower, watering his plants, watching TV or reading, and taking a nap if his body is sore from a beating. He also had dinner ready once Scott came home.

That was Louis' life until Scott got a raise. Scott became a manager and his work schedule changed. He went to work at 7 AM and didn't get done until 2 PM.

There was a bakery across the street from where they lived. Since Scott came home around 2:30, he expected to have lunch. Louis decided to stop by the bakery to pick something up for him.

It was cute and colorful, and he smiled when he walked in. The door's bell gave a ring and Louis blushed.

The boy behind the counter gave a smile and waved.

"Hello," said the boy with a friendly voice.

Louis blushed. The boy was tall and handsome with curly chocolate colored hair. He had beautiful sea green eyes. Louis looked at his name tag and saw that he was named Harry.