Page 58 of Wishes for August
I needed to get to August.
“Why did they call you?” I asked, thinking through what he’d said.
“I’m down as his ‘in case of emergency’ contact in his phone. Fuck, Caleb, this is bad. He’s never been this self-destructive before.” Branson was angry, but I could hear the fear in his voice too. “This is all on you Caleb. I warned you not to hurt him and now look!”
I felt Branson’s words land a punch, but I didn’t deny them. This was on me. I had promised to never hurt him and I did, even if I never meant to. I should have fought harder to prove to him he would never be a spare part or in the way or a burden. Instead, I had called him a coward and walked away.
“What do you mean he’s flipping out? What was he doing there?” I pulled on my coat and trainers, grabbed my keys and hurried out the door.
“I don’t know Caleb. The bartender just said he was inconsolable and too drunk to stand on his own. From what they gathered some guy came out of the room just before one of the servers found him. I don’t actually know, August wouldn’t or couldn’t speak to me.”
A growl built in my throat, the possessive beast in me was raging. Fear and anger warred inside me. What was August doing with some guy? Who was he? Did they fuck? All these thoughts bombarded me as I climbed into my car. It was only as I started the engine did I realise that I had no idea where I was actually going.
“Text me the details of the bar and I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
“Fix this Caleb. He loves you. I know he pushed you away, but he’s just scared.”
“I know Branson. I’m going.”
I threw my phone on the seat next to me and, breaking some speed limits, raced to get my man.
My man.
Because he was mine. He would always be mine. I had never been surer of anything in my life. August West was my everything, he was my heart, he was my home, and I would do everything in my power to show him just how much he meant to me.
There was never a choice. He was it for me from the day his eyes met mine in that conference room.
I just needed to make him realise that too.
I was one hundred percent sure I’d gotten a speeding fine and a parking fine by the time I walked into The Whale Song Inn, a small run down bar near the river. With closing time near, most of the patrons had either moved on to other establishments or were milling around outside. I pushed past a crowd of guys exiting, shoulder bumping to get through them. One of them swore at me but my mind was focused on one thing - finding August.
Racing up to the bar, I knocked my knuckles on the counter top, garnering the attention of the dark haired bartender with her back to me.
“Where is he?” I asked and she frowned at me. “The guy you found in the back? August. Where is he?”
She gave me a knowing look and ushered me down a long corridor as she spoke.
“We let him stay in the room. The manager helped him off the floor and onto the sofa in there. He’s really upset and very drunk. I didn’t want to have to call the cops to remove him so I am glad you could make it. We close in ten minutes,” she reminded me, handing over a bottle of water I hadn’t seen her grab and pushing the door open. I thanked her before turning my attention to the dimly lit room. The first thing that hit mewas the smell - old food, stale beer, piss and vomit. I scrunched my nose up as my eyes adjusted to the lighting and honed in on the bundle of human lying curled up on the couch.
August.
I rushed over and fell to my knees at the edge of the sofa, placing my hands around his face.
“Sweetheart,” I whispered. His cheeks were flushed under pale skin and he felt clammy to the touch. “Hey baby, wake up.” His eyelids fluttered and after a few moments of trying to focus, his gaze caught on mine.
“Ca-” he tried as he slowly pulled himself to sit up.
“Shhh sweetheart, I’m here. Take a sip of this.” I opened the water and he drank from the bottle, not taking his bloodshot eyes off of me. August leaned forward and rested his head on my shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I wish they had wanted me,” he slurred out. I knew he was talking about his parents and I ached for him, hearing the pain in his voice.
I shook my head. “Not now, baby. Let’s get you home and we’ll talk about it there, okay?”
I lifted his arms and hooked them around my neck then placed my hands under his ass and hoisted him up like I was some superhero coming to his rescue. He was heavy in my arms but I managed to get him out of the bar and strapped into my passenger seat.
His head lolled against the window and I stole a quick glance at him before I pulled the car out and headed home.
Even in this state, he was the most beautiful man I had ever seen.
