AJ paced outside of Brian’s door. He had gotten to bullets away from him, but now he knew it wouldn’t help. If Brian were truly desperate, he would find a way to perform the deed. He could just as easily break the mirror and slit his throat. Or, he could drown himself in the bathtub. There was a million ways to kill yourself in that hotel room, and Brian was smart enough to figure them out.
~*~
Brian stared at his reflection in the mirror. AJ had taken away his chance. There had to be another way to do it, but how? Then he thought of it. The mirror. All he had to do was find something heavy enough to break the mirror. His gun was the only thing he could think of, and that was one thing he wouldn’t do. What if it broke? Then his safety net was gone. He couldn’t risk it.
Brian knew that AJ was waiting outside the door thinking he was going to give up. Shaking his head, he told himself that going outside was giving up, and that wasn’t going to happen.
~*~
Outside the door, AJ halted his pacing. He decided that Brian would have to make the decision. Whether he did it today or tomorrow, if he was depressed enough, it would happen. Maybe his words had gotten through to him. Maybe he had changed his mind. Just maybe.
Pulling the box of ammunition out of his pocket, AJ made one of the hardest decisions in his life. He pulled a bullet out of the box and rolled it under the door. Merely seconds went by before he noticed Brian’s shadow had blocked the light coming from the crack under the door. He heard a click, which meant the door had now been unlocked. The shadow hovered for a minute or two more then disappeared. AJ knew the bullet had been picked up.
The silence that lingered between him and door drove him crazy. Should he go in? Brian had unlocked the door. AJ decided it was not the right time. Brian had to figure this out on his own. He had done all he could. AJ moved closer to the wall to make his hearing clearer. Still nothing. He took a deep breath and waited.
Nothing happened for quite a while, and AJ wondered what was taking place in that stuffy hotel room. Then, AJ heard two sounds he never wanted to hear: a gunshot and glass shattering.
Putting his back to the wall, AJ slowly slid down. Tears flowed like rivers down his cheeks. He had tried to help. He really had. What was he going to tell the guys? He had given Brian the bullet. He was responsible. What was going to happen to him?
Finally gathering enough courage to slide up the wall and stand up, AJ decided to go into the room. With a trembling hand, he took hold of the doorknob and turned it. He kept his eyes averted to the floor as he walked in. Seeing the broken shards of glass caused him to look up.
AJ could not contain the sharp gasp that came through his lips. There laid Brian, motionless on the bed. The gun had fallen next to him, and the mirror was shattered. AJ turned away from the scene. He couldn’t bare to think of all the good times they had shared together. The memories came anyway, and fresh tears began to form.
Wiping his eyes, AJ noticed a blurred outline of a notebook sitting on the counter next to the door. He realized it must be Brian’s suicide note. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Upon opening them, he noticed it was not a suicide note, but a letter addressed to him. It read:
Dear AJ,
There once was this boy at the beach. Very slowly, he waded into the water. Wanting to see how far he could go, the boy swam into deeper and deeper water. Suddenly, he realized that he could not swim back. As the waves crashed over him, the boy began to sink. Just as his eyes were about to submerge, a hand reached out and pulled him above the water, saving his life.
That boy did not realize the significance of that moment. He had a friend that was willing to risk everything to save him, just like I did. I was going under, AJ, and you saved me. I just wanted to thank you for pulling me above the water. I may not be on the shore yet, but I’m going to make it there because of you. Thank you for helping me to breath again.
Brian
As he read the last words, AJ’s gaze drifted over to the bed. Brian’s eyes were open, staring at the ceiling. “I was just thinking,” Brian mumbled, causing AJ to move closer so he could hear. “I was just thinking that maybe I might need a break.”
AJ smiled, the joy he was feeling pouring out of him so fast he couldn’t contain it. He hugged Brian tightly, never wanting to let him go.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Okay, so this is the last chapter. I know it took me a while to get it up, but I hope you will like it. I hope you all enjoyed the story in general. Let me know what you thought of it, please! I would love to hear from you either by review or email. Thanks everyone!
