Beaumont and the Beast // A Rose To Love

Chapter 21 // Taking A Chance

Beaumont approached the distressed wooden doors to Adam's room. There were new scratches surrounding the handle, which made Beaumont hesitate the closer he got. He trembled slightly, exhaling loudly and biting his lip as he extended his hand to the door.

Beaumont knocked gently and called out, "Adam?"

Nothing but an eerie silence replied.

Beaumont understood Adam didn't want to talk, but he had to try something. Things just couldn't go on this way. He stared at the gigantic doors boldly and said, "Listen, Adam. I didn't want you to see what was in my journal. I know you must be so confused right now, but..." Beaumont's tone became urgent, "I'm not here to take back what I wrote and apologize for expressing myself. Especially when it was my private journal. I won't tell you I was foolish or that I'm confused because I'm not, Adam! I can't explain why I feel this way about you, but I do, and I know you feel the same way. Neither of us can avoid it now."

Silence.

Beaumont shook his head in frustration, "Adam! Please answer me!"

"Go away, Beaumont..."

The reply was faint, but it was something. Beaumont began pleading, "Open the door, Adam! We need to talk about this!"

Silence again.

Beaumont cursed under his breath. He clenched his fist and stared down the door, daringly adding, "Don't become who your father was!"

At this, pounding footsteps steadily got louder until the door swung open with a great bang. Adam appeared before Beaumont giving him the same look that terrified him earlier. He pointed an accusing claw at Beaumont and roared, "DON'T YOU EVER COMPARE ME TO MY FATHER! I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT MONSTER!"

Beaumont didn't tremble at Adam's rage this time. He leaned in closer and retorted, "THEN STOP DENYING HOW YOU FEEL, ADAM! SPEAK TO ME FACE-TO-FACE LIKE A MAN!"

Adam shrunk into himself, taken back by Beaumont's desperation. He growled and stubbornly slammed the door in Beaumont's face, "Just leave me alone, Beaumont."

"Adam!" Beaumont pounded on the door, "Come back!"

Beaumont slammed his back on to the door frustratingly and slid down into a ball, "Don't do this, Adam." He whispered to himself.

After a long while of silence, Beaumont stood up and faced the door. He fixed his coat and pulled back his hair.

This isn't over yet. I have to take a chance.

Beaumont ran out to the carpenter's shack and retrieved his journal and guitar. He bolted back up the West Wing, down the long corridors, up the winding staircases, and stopped right in front of the doors. Beaumont sat Indian-style, leaning against the wooden doors with his guitar in his lap and his journal open to the page titled, "For Adam".

Beaumont exhaled nervously and placed his fingers on the guitar forming the first chord to the song.

Here goes nothing...

Adam's ears perked up when he heard Beaumont's melody drift into the room. He quietly approached the doors, allured by the methodical tune, and rested his back against it just as Beaumont was on the other side. He never heard anything like this before.

Beaumont cleared his throat, and began his song:

The floor is cluttered like my mind.

Adam frowned when he recognized the words. He wanted to stand up and walk away, block out the words, but his body went paralyzed. His heart told him to stay.

With pieces of who I was a week ago.
I'm making up for lost time
Of all these years without him in my life.

Beaumont looked toward the door and sighed before continuing the verse:

People come and go all the time,
And I expected him to do the same.
Birds fly south for the winter,
And the weather will always change.

A warm, tingling feeling emitted from Adam's body. He held his legs against his chest in response to the goosebumps running up his arms. For all these years in the bitter cold, Adam never felt it's deathly chill, but Beaumont's song sent him shivering. His heart raced; he could feel the beats quicken. Each thump shuttered his body. The only thing that kept him grounded and calm was Beaumont's voice.

Raspy, but sweet. Thunderous, but soft. His voice was like honey.

Adam collapsed even more against the door.

But flowers sprouted from my rib cage
When he touched my mangled body.

One love, two hearts.
I can tell we'll never be apart.
When I look into the sky
I see countless versions of his eyes.
Even if it might be wrong.
I know with him I feel at home.

Beaumont nervously exhaled. His heart was pounding so loud he could barely listen for Adam to respond. All he could here was soft whimpers.

He sighed and stood up. Before walking away Beaumont turned to the door and said, "I care about you, Adam. No matter who you are, beast or man, I always will."

Adam waited Beaumont to leave. He pounded his fist into the ground and growled. He had no idea what was going on. There was a war inside his body. He loved and cared for Beaumont more than anything, but it was too much to accept so easily.

He's a man... I can't do this...

Adam looked over at the rose floating in the glass bell jar. The glow lured him toward it.

As he approached, he pleaded to it as if it were a person, "Please tell me what to do..."

He wrapped his massive paw around it and shut his eyes; tears stung at the corners. When he opened them and stared into the rose, he pleaded to it quietly, "What do I do..."

Hope you guys like the song ☺️ My friends and I have been steadily putting it together for a couple weeks now. That is me on vocals and guitar. Enjoy!