BEAU

"Well this fucking sucks," I kick at the soggy clothing strewn across the bedroom floor of my LA apartment. Several inches of water pool around my boots, splashing as workers flit about, carrying furniture into the hallway so they can assess for damage.

It doesn't take a genius to see the place is destroyed, I think to myself, eyeing the water falling from the ceiling.

"Anything that might be saved is outside," The guy I spoke with over the phone directs me to the hall before turning his attention back to his crew.

I nod wordlessly, knowing there's not much of value in the place anyways. They're just things, after all. Still, there are a couple of guitars I wouldn't mind holding onto, if I'm able.

Thank God we'd had a couple days off in the schedule, I let out another sigh. I had enough to deal with as it was this morning - I needed to set up a time and place to meet Beck - but the universe seems determined to shit all over me today.

The building had a plumbing incident, resulting in several flooded apartments, according to management. I should've caused a scene - a plumbing incident? With the cost it takes to rent the damn place?

Anyways, as it seems to be my lucky day, my apartment is one of the damaged ones. My lawyer told me to get there right away - for personal items and insurance purposes.

Trudging to the hallway, I feel my phone vibrate and see Emma's face on my screen.

"Mr. Lewis? A moment?" My lawyer, an older woman with a stern face and thick glasses, calls me into the kitchen.

I tuck my phone into my pocket and join the woman, wondering how the day could get much worse.

"Thanks, man." The kid behind the deli counter grins hugely when I place a twenty in the tip jar. I nod as I let out a huge yawn, exhausted from a day of  dealing with my flooded apartment. My guitars, as it turns out, ended up mostly okay. Everything else pretty much went in the garbage.

Exiting the sandwich shop, I make my way down the dark street, the fluorescent lights growing dimmer behind me. The road is mostly empty, given the late hour, but I'm on edge, like someone is following me.

Multiple times, I turn over my shoulder to find no one there. I quicken my pace and keep my head down, needing this day to be over already so I can get back to the tour and dealing with Beck. And with Rey, I remember with an eye roll.

I'm only a few minutes from my apartment building when when I hear someone shout my name.

"Yo, Beau Lewis!" Jace is obviously drunk and obnoxiously loud, as he normally is. I stop in my tracks, eyes closed as I take a deep breath.

How much more can I be expected to take?

I debate pretending I didn't hear him, but it's too late. He's right behind me, probably creeping behind me in the shadows my entire way home.

"What the fuck do you want?" I turn slowly, a quick scan revealing five of his loser friends quickly surrounding me. The air is heavy around them, thick with the sickeningly sweet scent of whiskey and maybe even vomit.

"What do I want?" Jace is so close his breath is hot on my face. My expression contorts in disgust as I hold my breath, the fire scorching the back of my throat hotter than ever. "I'm just saying hi to a friend," He smiles lazily.

"Nice ink," His sweaty palm smacks my neck and I shove his hand off of me. He smirks, holding his palms up in surrender. "How much did that cost, anyways?"

I squint at him, every muscle in my body tense as his goons inch closer.

"Probably a lot," He sucks his teeth. "Good to see your solo career treating you so nice," One of his friends hands him the whiskey bottle and the scent stings my nostrils, making me dizzy. Jace drinks from it slowly before offering it to me, a sadistic grin on his lips.

He circles me slowly, continuing to drink when I won't. "You know, it's not really fair how you fucked everything up and you're still the one who gets it all. The career, the money, the girl - well, girls, actually."

I almost snarl, anger surging through my body at his words as he stands in front of me again.

"It was fucking years ago, Jace. Time to let it go, no?"

Jace raises a brow and shrugs, before socking me with a sucker punch, forcing the air from my lungs in a huff.

He holds my weight against his shoulder and slurs, "Fuck you, Beau. Don't you remember - everything you have is because of me? If I hadn't found you, you'd still be some homeless bum no one gave a shit about,"

"Just let it go, man." I shove him off of me, noticing his friends drawing closer.

"I don't think I will." Jace smiles. "How'd Emma like that little story about you two?"

"It was you," I realize Rey and Scott were telling the truth and can't believe I hadn't seen it before. Of course the NDA meant nothing to Jace - a scum bag through and through, he knew we'd never have proof that he was the leak. Fury rips through me and I lunge forward, landing a solid punch to Jace's nose before the other five close in on me, as I knew they would. I manage to shove one and take down another, but soon they're all pummeling me until I'm finally on the ground.

Fists and boots rain down on me as they beat me into the concrete. Pain blurs my thoughts as I try to keep my head covered. As the kicks to my ribs slow down, I see Jace's face through my already swollen eyelids. Blood drips down into his mouth as he grins at me, laying a hand on my shoulder.

"I made you, Beau Lewis. Don't ever forget that," He pats my arm once before deliberately taking a long chug of whiskey just inches from my face. Slowly, he stands to his full height and kicks me in the ribs one last time.

I cough, droplets of blood coating the pavement in front of me. Groaning painfully, I finally get to my feet moments after they're gone, and limp the rest of the way to my apartment building. Ignoring the looks I get from my doorman, I hold my phone to my ear.

"Dex?" He answers on the first ring. "I'm on my way,"

"Jesus, Beau. You need a doctor," Dex is at my side the second I'm through his office door. The man is nothing if not dedicated - I can't imagine how much his wife hates me for taking him from their bed at this hour.

"You are a doctor," I wince as he helps me settle into the white leather sofa. I eye my blood stained clothing and the clean material before looking to him guiltily.

He shakes my worries off. "What happened to you? You should go to the hospital."

"Jace," I grunt, holding a hand to my ribs. "No hospitals. Look, I really just need a place to stay for the night." I explain the flooding in my apartment and wait for his reply.

"You're welcome to my couch at home." Dex offers while getting comfortable in his armchair. "But while we're here, we should talk about this."

Fuck, of course he wants to talk.

The pounding in my head is relentless and all I want is some sleep. But I give the man what he wants, telling the story from start to finish.

"I think there's a reason you called me, Beau." Dex rubs his tired eyes under his glasses and guilt washes over me again.

"Yeah. 'Cause there's no one else," I try to smirk, but the crack in my lip stings with the effort. My swollen eye prefers a neutral expression, as well.

"No, I think you need to evaluate your relationship with Jace, so you came here."

"Relationship?" I scoff, wondering if the man is worth the money, after all.

"Jace said he made you." Dex pushes on anyways, his tone patient but firm. "Do you feel like you owe him?"

I wince, flexing my fingers painfully. The freshly open scars on my knuckles remind me of the many fights over the years that weren't my own to begin with.

"You do not owe him." Dr. Williams emphasizes every word, staring into my eyes intently.  "Your path may have been different without him, true. But you are not in his debt, Beau."

Staring at the carpet, confusion overwhelms me. Like it or not, the day Jace invited me to his show changed my entire life. It gave me a career, it ultimately brought me to Emma. I clench my fists tightly, flinching with the pain.

Jace caught me off guard the day we met. Already on my way to a drinking problem and fed up with living on the streets, I almost missed a note when he first arrived, listening intently as I played. It's just, at first and from a distance, he looked like my older brother.

The blond hair, a few shades lighter than my own under the angry black hair-dye, the light eyes - although they were blue and not green, like mine. The lean build and the confidence as he strutted across the sidewalk towards me - he reminded me of the golden child whose shadow I'd just escaped from.

And even though I soon realized they were quite different, the similarity drew me in at first.

"Beau?" Dex pulls me from my thoughts.

"Do you mind if we just call it a night?" I mutter, my tired thoughts muddled even more by the dizziness from being socked a couple times in the jaw.

"Sure, Beau." Dex smiles sympathetically before helping me from the couch.

Surprisingly, he's quiet the entire way to his home, something I wasn't sure would be possible for the shrink. He shows me his guest room and I promise to be gone before his wife even knows I was there at all.

Leaning over the sink in the adjoining guest bathroom, I splash some cool water over my face, rubbing at the dried blood with my fingers. Angry red swirls down the drain, mocking me.

Staring at myself through swollen eyes in the mirror, I dial Emma's number, knowing she'll be fast asleep. Her answering machine calms my nerves, even if only a little.

"Hey baby," I wince as I cough and grab my ribs to control the throbbing pain there. "I had a crazy day today - sorry I didn't call. Let's just say it's a good thing we got that lake house,"

Imagining her face brings a new wave of anger as I realize how close Jace got to destroying what we have. Leave it to him to show up protected - how I wish he'd been alone.

"Anyways, we've only got a month 'til Boston. I can't wait to see you." Hanging up, I raise my eyes to the mirror again, glad the bruises will be healed by then.

DUN DUN DUH!!
(let me hear it in the comments!)