April
“TRENT, CALL 9–1-1!” I ran to the edge of the road. Trent turned back to the house and sprinted inside. “BEAU! Come here!” Terror laced my voice. What the hell happened? One second Beau was following Robbie to his room and the next he had been tearing out of the house, panic all over his face.
Beau was unreachable. He didn’t see me or hear me. He was screaming and cursing, his arms outstretched in the middle of traffic. At this point, cars had stopped, many of them watching the scenario unfold, but just as many trying not to hit the man who had gone over the edge. God, I hoped none of them recognized him and started posting videos or pictures. That was all he needed. Beau was a private person and would never be okay with this getting out to anyone.
I took off across the road, my heart thumping so hard I thought it might jump out of my chest. When I reached him, I stopped a few steps away to assess what I could do to diffuse the situation. His eyes were closed and he was covered in sweat. He was gasping for air as he screamed words I couldn’t understand. Bile choked my throat as it threatened to come up. I shook from head to toe, adrenaline running through my veins as my mind raced, trying to think of how I could stop this from happening.
Just when I was about to reach out for him, he turned and took off running. Where the hell was he going? I wasn’t wearing shoes suitable for running, but that sure as hell wasn’t going to stop me. I hit a button on my phone as I ran, screaming at Trent that he was on the move and to call the police. Sobs tore through my chest as I ran, continuing to beg Beau to stop. It was futile. He wasn’t hearing me.
As much as I wanted to be able to find a way to stop him, it seemed like I didn’t have the tools to do so. When Beau turned at the end of the block, I knew just where he was going. I gasped, my legs burning and my heart about to explode. Tears blinded my vision, but I ran anyway. I’d never been so scared in my life, and I’d seen some scary things in my job.
“NO!” I shouted. “PLEASE, Beau! Stop!”
He either didn’t hear me or didn’t care, because he picked up his pace and moved faster once he saw what he had been aiming for. My phone was clutched in my hand, but I didn’t know who to call to help me. No one could help me now. Natalie was too far away. It was all on me. I had to be the one to save his life.
He reached the park that bordered the river and started running faster than before. He was headed for the bridge. Where the hell were the police? This couldn’t happen. I couldn’t let it happen. My lungs burned, and my legs felt like they were going to give out at any second, but I pushed faster and harder. My eyes were clouded with tears, and my heart ached.
Beau slowed as he reached the bridge, so I was able to catch up with him. I skidded to a stop, my chest heaving. I wanted to run up and grab him, holding on to him until the police arrived and we could make sure he was safe, but I knew he was way stronger than me, and I was scared of what he would do if I tried. I paced, saying his name over and over as I hoped and prayed for him to turn around and take me in his arms. I prayed to every god that might be out there to give me the right things to say to get him to turn around and see me standing here, ready to do anything and everything he needed.
His hands were on the back of his head as he paced at the edge, the same unintelligible sounds still coming from his lips. He pulled his hand back and punched the concrete as hard as he could. The crack of the bones in his hand breaking made me wince, but he didn’t even flinch.
“Beau.” I had to try. “Listen to me. It’s me. April. I’m here for you. Whatever happened, whatever is wrong, we will work through it together.” My voice cracked, and tears flowed down my face again, dripping down my chin and onto my shirt. I didn’t bother wiping them away anymore. He was still pacing the edge, now holding on to what must be a broken hand and ignoring me. Shit. He broke his hand. He was a drummer. He’d never want to break his hand.
“Everything is going to be okay. Beau, you mean so much to me. You’re an amazing man, do you know that? When you’re on the stage, you’re an enigma. But that’s not the Beau I love being around. Today, at the go-kart track? Seeing your face when you were whipping around that track made me so happy. Lying in bed with you, watching you sleep, makes me feel safe and protected. The way you look at me and kiss me? You are more than you even realize, Beau. Hear me, Beau. Please. I’m begging you. Don’t do this. It’s not what you want.”
He bellowed as he pulled on his hair with his good hand, but didn’t acknowledge I had spoken. I couldn’t take this. He was shredding every single part of me from the inside out. I hoped to God help was coming. I wanted to be the person who stopped him, but I didn’t think I could.