Ryn’s POV

“Yes, Larry, I know that you need to get moving but I haven’t seen Brian. I think he is still at the hospital with Kady,” I said, leaning on my hand with my phone on speakerphone next to me. I was trying to get all this tour shit figured out on top of trying to perform my PR duties. Fatal Façade’s manager, Mason, had up and disappeared into the night after Kady went into the hospital and now I was stuck doing my two jobs on top of his. If I was in the band, I would fire that dick since I did most of his job anyway. Maybe I could finally convince Kady to do it when she gets out of the hospital.

“Look, if he shows up, can you send him back over to the bus?” Larry sighed and I could hear his frustration. “And while you’re at it, can you send Zacky back over? We have to head out in an hour—“

“I’ll be there,” Zacky growled from the couch. He had been trying to catch some sleep after being in the hospital all night. “And relax, I’ll call Haner. We will make it to Lafayette by tomorrow afternoon for sound check.”

As Zacky hung up the phone for me, I ran my hands over my face and took a large gulp of my coffee. Even its rich bold flavor wasn’t enough to bring me out of the exhaustion I was feeling. Fuck, I didn’t know what we were going to do, considering that the band was fucking falling apart. Marley was sleeping off an hangover, Gunnar was hooking up with some roadie as per usual, and I hadn’t seen Caleb since we left the hospital. Knowing him, he was probably drinking his life away to forget all the problems he caused. If I had a dollar for every time I called him being drunk or high, then I would be the richest person on the planet.

“Relax, babe,” Zacky yawned, lightly massaging my shoulders as I frantically typed out press report. The last thing we neededwas for the public to find out that Caleb almost killed his sister in a high-induced rage. That would destroy the band and it was my job to make the band look like sunshine and fucking rainbows. In reality, the band was crumbing at the seams and if they didn’t fix their actions soon then they would be a one album wonder. “Why don’t you go take a nap?”

I sighed heavily as I picked up my coffee cup and took another large sip. “Because if I don’t get this press report out then the rumors are going to start flying and we don’t have the best track record as it is.”

“What are you telling them anyway?” I craned my neck backwards and looked up into those magnificent green orbs. He smiled lightly as his calloused thumbs brushed over my cheeks. “There’s no fucking way they will survive if the fans find out what Caleb did to America’s Metal Sweetheart,” he chuckled. We both knew full well that Kady’s new stage nickname was nothing more than a joke because she was a sarcastic spitfire who always spoke her mind. It must have been her outgoing personality in interviews that gave her such a loveable vibe to the public and I wasn’t about to argue with good publicity.

“I’m telling them she fell off the back of the stage while trying to maneuver her rig.” I shrugged, letting my fingers fly on the keyboard. “I mean, there is pavement back there, so who is going to question it? No one will ever know that her brother is the biggest douche bag on that face of the earth. Hell, I don’t think half of the fan base realizes that they are even related.”

“I don’t know how you do it,” Zacky mused as he sat down across from me, his green eyes staring into mine. I raised a questioning brow at him and he just chuckled. “You know, how you always have an answer for everything. It’s like you’re fucking Wonder Woman. Though, I would love to see you in some tight leather…” I watched as he bit his lower lips and played with the backs of his snakebites with this tongue.

“Well, maybe once we get back on the road, I can arrange something…” I teased, throwing him a seductive wink and a kiss. “But now I need to find out where the hell—“

My question was answered before I could even utter it because at that moment, I heard glass shattering behind me. I closed my eyes and let out a low sigh as the heavy footsteps fumble their way across the floor. “Where the hell have you been, Cal?” I sighed, not even bothering to look at him.

“None of your fucking business,” he slurred and I can smell the alcohol radiating off him from where I was sitting. I quickly moved my hand to cover my nose and willed myself not to vomit at the smell. “Why the fuck do you care anyway? You-you’re not the one who almost killed your fucking sister all because you’re a selfish prick…” he mumbled, trying to keep his balance in the doorway.

I looked up to see Zacky clenching his jaw and cracking his knuckles. Okay, so I wasn’t the only one who was getting sick of his constant state of intoxication and avoidance from whatever problem was brewing between him and Kady. “You’re right, but for someone who almost killed his sister by being under the influence, you’re pretty keen to jump right back on the band wagon,” I snapped, turning and ripping the new bottle of jack out of his hands. “I think you’ve fucking had enough!”

Caleb was suddenly standing and looking down at me with an eerie glare in his eyes. “Don’t you fucking tell me what I can and cant do!” He growled, his eyes narrow and menacing. “It’s my fucking life!”

I rolled my eyes and turned around to put the Jack back in the cupboard but a hand grabbed my forearm and spun me back around. “Who the fuck you think you are?” I raged, ripping my arm out of Caleb’s grip as Zacky stood up.

“Give me back my booze, Casewell. Or you’ll be sorry.” Suddenly Caleb was pressed against the wall with Zacky’s arm to his throat. The barely bassist growled in raged as he tried to push Zacky off of him but his slow motions and delayed responses kept Zacky a step ahead of him.

“You don’t ever fucking talk to her like that again or I will personally beat your ass.” Zacky’s muscles flexed from behind and I couldn’t help but let a small smile fall over my lips. “You need to get your act together or else you’re career is going to be fucking over. You almost killed your sister and if you keep drinking, you’re going to fucking kill yourself! “

“Well maybe that’s what I deserve!” Caleb snapped, finally giving Zacky a firm shove away from him. “Maybe I deserve to die for my crimes against all you fucking bastards! Apparently I cant do a fucking thing right and that includes keeping my sister safe! You have no fucking idea what my life has been like or what I’ve gone through so don’t you DARE tell me to get my life together when I want it to all crumble till the end!”

My jaw dropped at his words, watching him snarl each and every syllable like a raging grizzly. “I deserve to die!” he screamed again, his eyes turning red and glossy. “I’ll do you all a fucking favor!” The muscular brut forced his way over toward the kitchenette and pulled a long knife out of the drawer. “I’ll end it all right fucking now and then you can go on with your perfect lives! Will that make all of you fucking happy? I know it will make Kady happy! Hell she told me I was dead to her so I might as well be!” He slurred, waving the knife around at us.

“Caleb,” I said, swallowing thickly as I held up my hands. “Just please put the knife down…we don’t want anyone to die…” I begged, my eyes pleading with him as my heart raced like mad in my chest.

“You know what, I fucking beat the shit out of her because I finally realize that it was her fault that I lost EVERYTHING!” Caleb continued to rage as Zacky stepped up in front of me. “She was the one who fucking sold the demo, Baker! Not me! And you know why I protected her?” He was laughing now but there was nothing funny about what he was saying. “Because she gave it away to keep our father from beating and raping her sweet little ass!”

Zacky’s jaw dropped and his eyes bulged slightly at the words flying from the maniac’s mouth. Was that true? All the anger between Caleb and Avenged was actually because of Kady? She never mentioned having a childhood from hell let alone any family besides Caleb. “Yeah, and I did get beat up that night from the same man who I was protecting my sister from! But I’m just a backstabbing bastard that was out to get all the profits!” Caleb raged, his eyes looking deranged as he pointed the knife at his own neck.

“Look, Cal, I’m sorry….I didn’t know,” Zacky said sincerely, taking a cautious step towards him.
“OF COURSE YOU DIDN’T!” Caleb screamed, causing the veins in his neck to bulge with anger. “You didn’t even listen to a damn word I said and now my sister fucking hates me after I protected her. I could have killed her from my stupid rage! I deserve to fucking die and rot in hell! I fucking bashed the shit out of the one person I could rely on in this joke called life!” He rasped out, inching the knife closer and closer to his neck.

“Caleb…please….” I said, watching Zacky cautiously. The last thing we needed was for Caleb to snap and attack him instead.

“NO! I DESERVE TO DIE!” I could see the tears now streaming down his drunken face as both Marley and Gunnar appeared from the bunks. “Oh, good, you’re all here for the fucking show! Say goodbye now boys because I’m ending it all!”

“Come on, Ax, don’t be stupid,” Gunnar said, pushing be back out of the way as he stepped forward. I was shaking with fear and anxiety as I watched the nightmare unfold in front of me. “Put that down and we can go talk…”

“I don’t want to fucking talk! I’m done talking because all it does is ruin everything!” Caleb spat, the knife now even with his jugular vein. I closed my eyes, willing myself not to vomit and afraid to see what was going to happen next.“Everyone I have ever trusted has thrown be away like some old piece of shit! What’s the point of carrying on when you have fucking nothing?” The tears were running freely down his cheeks now.

Gunnar shook his head and took another step forward. “Ax, you have always been my brother and I have never thrown you away. You are my best friend, dude. Come on, put the knife down. You know you don’t want to do this…” Gunnar urged in a very calm and relaxed voice, almost like he had done this before.

“Kady fucking hates me and I almost k-killed her!” Caleb was sobbing now, his body shaking uncontrollable. “All I have done is ruin her life and my own…there isn’t any point…it-it’s all-all bullshit and worthless…all of it!”

The next thing I know, Zacky and Gunnar are wrestled Caleb to the floor and pulled the knife out of his hand. Gunnar pulled the large bruit into his arms and held on tight as he thrashed around and screamed, knowing that he had almost killed the one person that meant the most to him. The guilt and torment in his cries were heartbreaking and I couldn’t stand to listen to him.

“I’m a fucking monster….How can I live with what I’ve done…” Caleb screamed, his body trying to push away from Gunnar who had him pinned to the kitchen cabinet. “I’m only going to destroy us all with my destructive ways….you’d be better off with me dead!”

“Cal, breathe it’s not as bad as you think,” Zacky said, sitting on Caleb’s knees to prevent him from hurting himself or anyone else. “You’re going to get through this and I’m sorry I should have listened to you but you could have told us what really happened. We would have believed you…hell we knew your home life situation…”

Caleb let out a wail like I have never heard before and I really felt sorry for the guy. I guess we had all considered him to be this huge hard ass, asshole, who was a pompous pain in the ass but in reality, he was just a guy who was hurt and doing his best to protect his sister and friends. Without those things, he felt useless and broken and I could understand why he didn’t want to carry on.

“What the hell is going on here?”

I looked up from Caleb’s crumpled form in Gunnar’s arms to see the shocked look of Kady in the doorway. Her head was still delicately wrapped in gauze but she had regained her color, that is until she saw her brother and the knife lying near him on the floor. I watched as her hard blues surveyed the scene before moving over to her brother and giving him a hard slap across the face.

“What are you doing here? You’re still supposed to be in the hospital!” I said, momentarily forgetting the scene at hand.

“She insisted on leaving,” Brain said, his dark eyes full of alarm as he looked around. However, Kady wasn’t listening to a word we said, she was too concerned with her brother trying to kill himself.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Kady raged, tears forming in her eyes as Brian pulled her back. She collapsed back into his arms, obviously dizzy from the fast movement. “How the hell could you even try to pull this shit?”

“I’m sorry!” Caleb cried, struggling against Gunnar again as Brain moved in front of Kady. “I’m sorry….I just cant fucking do this….I’m sorry….”

Kady shook her head at him as the tears started to fall on her face. “Nothing is bad enough to pull this shit, Cal. God fucking damn it!” Kady raged, pushing past Brian and shakily sitting next to Caleb. I watched as he delicate hands moved to grace his cheeks. “No matter how fucking much I hate you and you piss me off, you are still my brother! Nothing is going to chance that, do you hear me?”

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…” The pair squeezed each other tight, crying onto each others shoulders.

“Don’t you dare fucking scare me like this again, asshole. Or I will fucking kill you myself. Stop being such a pussy and get your act together. We’ve got a show to do tomorrow and both Parker's are fucking playing!” Kady said, a small smile pulling at her lips. I guess she wasn't taking the recommended break. Hell she was still supposed to be in the hospital.

But then again, when has Kady Parker ever followed directions?

Notes

Well, Caleb finally snapped over the deep end but does this mean that everything is okay now? Will Caleb remember any of this when he wakes up sober? Was this the Parker version of a makeup?