Search Results: can a guy ever change

Long story
Female, 24. My ex and I broke up in May 2020, and we were no contact. I met a guy that I fell for hard, online, 6 months after my break up (Nov. 2020, we spent the whole month together), he is a chef that fell out of work due to COVID and decided to buy an RV to travel and discover a new life, with a goal of moving towards the west coast. We were instant friends, and the sex... was absolutely incredible. He did things to me I don't think will ever happen again. We started dreaming together of trying to make changes in our grueling society and try to bring some positivity. I decided to drop everything and joined him in January (he left in early December to start his trip).
Well... turns out he has a drug problem. At first I thought it was recreational, and I was fine with it, but very quickly it was clear he was a fiend. After a week from hell, I ditched him and got back in contact with my ex. I could have gone back to my family, but for some reason I called my ex (turns out the same day he had called his ex because he was lonely, and he chose me over her) and we decided to go on a week vacation to his summer house to see where we were at.
I feel better with the other guy, on many different levels, but my ex offers stability and if we don't work out I can move on and build my life. The other guy is working on becoming sober and is showing me proof, and when I left him, he had a break down and confessed he was falling in love with me, well, that he loved me. I miss him but I am scared to try again. I can set myself up with a little emergency money and bail to my family if I needed, but that's a hard road. If there hadn't been a drug problem, I would still be with the other guy. He pushed my boundaries and excited new ways to live life in me that felt right. It's easy with my ex, but almost bland, and he has a dog (I hate dogs, nice to them, but hate them). Who should I be with, if either?