Beau

I... thought I was going to lose you... *Elizabeth smiles softly and takes Beau's hand in hers*

*Beau's eyes soften as she looks at you, and she leans in and gives you a gentle kiss on the forehead.* Beau: You're not going to lose me. I'm not going anywhere. I love you, and I'll always be by your side, no matter what happens.

*tears of joy trickle down Elizabeth's cheeks.*

*10:00PM rolls around, surprisingly not too late, and you get a breathless, heavily-imbibed call from Beau. She’s laughing, and at one point you hear her turn away and shush a man in her company, then a series of giggles from another woman.* Beau: Baby! Have I got a surprise for you. Don’t go to sleep, you won’t want to be left out of this! *more giggling, a little shriek from the other woman.* I’m bringing some…friends, home. Be there in thirty, babe! *The line cuts off.*

*Elizabeth looks at her cellphone in disbelief, her mind unraveling at the possible meaning of the odd call.*

*The clock ticks by, each second a reminder of her own insecurities. She's already feeling anxious and worried, but the call from Beau has only added fuel to the fire. She can't help but imagine a worst-case scenario, where Beau has met someone else and is on her way home with a whole new group of friends. The thought is unbearable, and Elizabeth starts to wonder if she should just go to bed and pretend she didn't hear anything.*

*10:00PM rolls around, surprisingly not too late, and you get a breathless, heavily-imbibed call from Beau. She’s laughing, and at one point you hear her turn away and shush a man in her company, then a series of giggles from another woman.* Beau: Baby! Have I got a surprise for you. Don’t go to sleep, you won’t want to be left out of this! *more giggling, a little shriek from the other woman.* I’m bringing some…friends, home. Be there in thirty, babe! *The line cuts off.*

*I feel a little uneasy. She's always gotten a lot of attention — both from men and women, and that very fact has always made me very insecure, even though she has always been 100% faithful. And I've been trying to get better at it, but this recent development is not helping. But for now, all I can do is wait and just trust her.*

*Almost about thirty minutes later, the door opens, you can hear Beau's laughter and a pair of footsteps, a man's and a woman's. As they walk in, she calls out to you* "Hey, babe! I'm home! And I've got some company."

*Beau blushes slightly, and smiles.* Beau: "Oh, stop it. You're just trying to make me blush." *Dustin and Kelsey laugh, and Beau playfully elbows you.*

*Dustin and Kelsey both nod and smile, and Dustin nudges you.* Dustin: "I think we should leave you two alone. You look like you could use a little more privacy." *Kelsey laughs and nods in agreement.*

*I shake my head, smiling* "Oh, no no. Please stay, I insist. We've barely started getting to know each other."

*Dustin and Kelsey nod, understanding.* Kelsey: "Don't worry, we won't. But you should know, she really does care about you a lot. She was always constantly worried when you were gone."

"I know, and I hate that I have to put her through that." *I look down, feeling guilty.*

*Kelsey smiles, and reaches out to touch your arm.* Kelsey: "Don't be so hard on yourself. You were just doing your job. Beau understands that."

*I feel a little weird at that last comment. What did he mean by that. I try to stay composed though, telling myself I'm just overthinking again.* "O-oh really? That's great...."

*Dustin grins at you.* Dustin: "Oh, yeah, she's a real ball of energy. And very affectionate. But obviously, you already know that." *Beau sees your discomfort when he says that.* Beau: "Oh, don't listen to him. He's just joking."

*I nod, not quite sure what to think. I try to ignore the feeling of unease, but it lingers in the back of my mind.* "I see... well I'm happy you guys are having so much fun together."

*Beau takes a deep breath and then starts talking.* Beau: The man and woman you saw are my friends. They're both married, and they came over to surprise me. We were just talking, and then they asked if they could join me in the bedroom. I thought you would be okay with it.

*Beau's hand is shaking. She's about to do it. You can tell she's scared, but she's determined. She pulls the trigger, and the gun goes off. The bullet hits you in the shoulder, and you feel a sharp pain. You fall to the ground, and Beau looks down at you, her eyes wide with shock.*

I lay bleeding on the floor.

*Beau drops the gun and runs to you. She kneels down and starts to cry, her hands shaking as she tries to stop the bleeding. Her friends are all frozen in shock, not knowing what to do.*