Chapter 31~
*Four Days Later*
Ihave a lot of regrets in life: letting my abusive ass uncle live, getting involved in the Black Diamonds when I was a teen, not buying stock in Samsung when they first started out…but my greatest regret is thinking this hair-brained idea would legitimately get Beatrice to finally see me, know me, choose me.
We rushed out of The Raven Room in time to watch her peel out of the parking lot. The look of absolute shame and betrayal on her face before she fled the club shattered my heart and soul.
But the sight we drove up to, barely three minutes later, obliterated both.
Traffic had just started backing up; a few people were rushing from their cars to peer over the dented guardrail; the pavement surrounding it littered with debris. Once I saw the commotion, I knew. We all knew.
Charlie slowed down and pulled over into the shoulder, and we all hopped out, sprinting towards the wreckage. Thankfully, we had already tossed on our shirts and just needed to slip on our shoes.
Rushing over to the growing crowd, whispers surrounded us. We quickly gathered that a bike was driving in the wrong lane. The rider overcorrected, lost control, and slid into the guardrail before flying over. My stomach heaved and I had to brace myself on Charlie’s shoulder to keep me upright. His entire body vibrated, and I felt his muscles tensing beneath my palm. Usually, he hates touch, but he didn”t bother shrugging me off. Maybe he needed grounding as much as I did.
A few people started sliding down the embankment, wrenching us out of our shock. Almost as one, we move to follow them down in search of the rider.
The embankment was steep but not so bad that we couldn’t navigate the drop easily. The brush at the bottom covered most of the ground, making it impossible to see. The flashlights from all the phones lit up the area in sections as we all spread out.
After another painfully long minute, a dark figure caught our eye. Time seemed to slow down, but my feet carried me forward, faster and faster, towards the dark figure lying awkwardly on the ground.
“How’s she doin’?” Charlie’s voice startles me out of my memory. I feel my face form a frown as I try to remember where I am and what I’m supposed to be doing.
Swallowing thickly, I blink a few times and take in my surroundings.
Light gray painted walls with white decorative swirls decorate the top six inches of the walls around the room. I’m in the only sitting chair in the room, but there is a navy blue chaise lounge next to the far window overlooking the pool.
Deep gray bamboo sheets adorn the king-sized bed in the middle of the room and are covered by a Navy blue weighted blanket. Under that blanket is a lump known as Beatrice. But, she’s not the sassy, sexy, stunning woman I’ve come to love. She’s been unconscious for 4 days; since the night she went careening down an embankment.
Charlie shifts near me, reminding me that I haven”t answered. Clearing my throat, I rub my palms down my pants and shift uncomfortably. “No change. Nothing better, nothing worse.” I mumble.
His hum is non-committal as he slips his hands into his pockets; standing next to me like a quiet sentinel. The steady beeping of the heart rate monitor is the only sound in the room.
We got her out of the bushes, Charlie cradling her protectively to his chest until he was met with the paramedics at the top of the embankment. He struggled to hand her over to them but finally relinquished when they reminded him that every second was vital; and he was delaying her care.
Once the ambulance doors closed, we hopped in the truck and sped after them. Then we spent hours sitting in the small, cold waiting room, as she was rushed to surgery. Her left leg had shattered, and her right arm broke in 2 places from impact.
Her helmet saved her noggin, and I was momentarily grateful she had enough wherewithal to snap it in place before taking off.
But, the rest of her body, looked like a macabre Jackson Pollock. She was basically a giant bruise splattered with scrapes, cuts, and a gnarly ass road rash along the left side of her body.
Two days later, she was stable enough to be moved. We got Doc to sign off on transferring her to our place so we could keep an eye on her. It’s our fault she ran, so we should take care of her. Since then, Doc has stopped by every 8 hours or so and given us updates and instructions as needed.
The light beeping of her heart rate monitor, and her soft, sweet snores are the only things keeping me going.
“Oh, uh, before I forget: This came for you today.”
He slips out an envelope, just larger than my hand. It’s thick and black with a silver seal stamped on the back. In the middle is a curly, gothic letter B.
Turning it over, I see that it’s actually a note from Beatrice. My eyes widen and I glance up at her. She must have sent this before we all met that night. Why didn’t she just text or call me?
Ripping it open, I pull out the letter and read Bea’s words. Tears fall freely down my face as she pours out her soul to me.
But, the more I read, the more it becomes clear. This isn’t a forgiveness letter; or even an apology letter.
She’s saying goodbye.
Images of her haunted eyes, cut-up hips, and carefully curated persona flash through my mind. Beatrice was leaving me, leaving us; forever. She planned on killing herself even before she met with us that night.
My stomach heaves and its contents start to make their way up my throat.
Standing suddenly, I fight off the dizziness and latch on to anger, disappointment, and despair.
“Woah, there, Hacker. You okay?” Charlie steadies me with his hands on my hips as I slouch forward, trying to breathe.
“No,” I grunt out as the room spins.
Slamming the now crumpled letter into his chest, I shove him away and run to the bathroom down the hall, trying to leave her words, her truth behind.
I barely make it to the toilet before I lose my lunch, and breakfast, for the day. I shouldn’t have tossed the letter like that but, I couldn’t form the words. I couldn’t wrap my head around the actuality of what she was planning.
Eventually, my heaving subsides and I curl up on the cool tile floor, sobbing as my heart shreds to pieces. Her written words echo in my head until I slowly lose consciousness.