Page 27 of Beyond the Rainbow (Pride Camp 2025 #11)

Alex

M onday

Colin hurried along the riverbank, the beam of his flashlight slicing through the darkness.

The path rose in a sharp incline, leading to an embankment that followed the river’s winding course.

“ Alex ! Come on, kid, talk to me! If you’re hurt, call out!

Just yell my name!” He glanced ahead, shining his light on the twisted brush all around him.

“ALEX!” His voice echoed, then was instantly swallowed by the night.

Twigs snapped beneath his feet and thorns scraped his skin as he moved along the overgrown path.

The frigid air burned his lungs, but it didn’t slow him down.

He wouldn’t let it. Not until he heard Alex’s voice. “Just yell my name, kid! I’m here!”

At a curve in the embankment, he paused. He’d promised. He’d promised Joshua that Alex would be safe. That all the kids would be safe. And now …

“Nothing’s going to happen to him,” he growled, his voice rough. “Not on my watch.”

He shone the light ahead, frowning at an interlocking tangle of brush that partially blocked the dirt path.

“Dammit!” He grabbed the low-hanging branch of a tree to stabilize himself and leaped forward, trying to vault over the brush.

Then, seeing clearer ground ahead, he surged forward, still calling out Alex’s name.

The ground squished under his feet, damp from the rain and the river’s overflow.

Just ahead, a branch cracked, and Colin jolted to a halt, his breath catching in his chest. “ Alex ?” He surged forward, hoping against hope …

His foot came down hard, then skidded on loose rock.

He reached for a nearby branch, hoping to stop himself, but the ground beneath him crumbled, and he plunged down the embankment.

Air rushed past him, icy and sharp. Branches clawed at his arms and face, tearing at his clothes, leaving burning scrapes in their wake.

His body slammed against the ground, and pain exploded in his side as he plunged downward, dirt and rocks raining around him.

As he reached the bottom, his ankle caught in a tree branch and twisted, bringing a sickening crack and a burst of white-hot pain. He cried out and skidded to a stop, nearly at the water’s edge.

Wet earth clung to his skin, cold and clammy, as the sharp scent of rain-soaked soil filled his lungs.

The world spun, and dark shadows danced in front of his eyes as he struggled to stay conscious.

He moaned, the shock of his pain making his stomach lurch.

Joshua’s face flashed before him, eyes wide with worry, and Colin’s chest tightened.

I promised him. I promised I’d be safe. Oh god. Josh—baby, I’m so sorry.

For a long time, he lay without moving, sucking in one ragged breath after another, the earth’s dampness seeping through his clothes, chilling him to the bone.

His hands searched the spot where he lay until his fingers touched the round shape of the flashlight.

His thumb pressed the button, and for a breathless moment, nothing happened.

His heart stuttered, panic clawing at his chest. Then, with a hum and a flare, the light burst forth, piercing the darkness.

He exhaled, relief flooding his body as the shadows retreated.

Clenching his jaw, he forced himself to take inventory of his injuries.

His chest rose and fell in shallow, uneven breaths, and with every inhale, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through his left side.

Cracked rib. Maybe more than one. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to breathe slower, shallower.

It hurt like hell, but the pain was sharp and localized—no rattling sound, no feeling of fluid in his lungs. Not punctured. I can live with that.

He braced himself before moving his hips, then his legs.

He flexed his knees just enough to confirm they were functional.

Then the pain hit. Agony lanced through his lower leg, hot and immediate.

His ankle throbbed, the pain pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

He gripped the ground, fingers curling into the wet earth as he fought off the wave of nausea that followed.

He pointed the flashlight lower, its beam dancing across his ankle.

Even in the dim light, he could see the unnatural angle.

He groaned as he stretched his fingers to his sock and shoved it aside.

Damn! Already swollen and bruising, the skin stretched tight and hot to the touch.

The slightest movement sent white-hot pain shooting up his leg.

He forced himself to stop. To try to relax.

Broken. Maybe shattered. The sickening crack he’d heard as he fell echoed in his mind, and his stomach convulsed. Ribs : cracked . Ankle : broke . He forced slow breaths through gritted teeth. God fucking dammit ! I can’t walk .

His eyes flicked to the flashlight, its beam a narrow lifeline in the darkness.

He grabbed it, his fingers shaking, and flicked the light across the landscape, scanning for any sign of Alex, his voice hoarse as he called out: “ALEX! Alex! If you can hear me ... I need you, kid. I’m hurt, and I can’t walk. ”

A few hundred yards away, Alex stood beside the river. His anxiety-fueled escape from the campsite had left him breathless. The glacial night air stung his lungs, but the ache in his chest was nothing compared to the knot of shame and embarrassment twisting his gut.

He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering as the damp breeze cut through his thin jacket. Stupid . Stupid. Why did I run ? But he already knew the answer. Aaron’s words still echoed in his head, cruel and cutting: Didn’t your parents want you ?

His eyes burned, and a lump rose in his throat.

I wasn’t good enough . That’s what he’d always believed, and tonight had proven him right.

Savage and freezing, the river rushed past him, its currents seeming to echo his dark thoughts.

He turned his back on the water, swiping angrily at his eyes.

I hate this place . I hate … He stopped, his jaw tightening.

He saw himself again, ten years old, locked in the pantry, whispering apologies to the dark. “I hate myself !

An icy shiver ran down his spine, and he hugged himself tighter, feeling more alone than ever.

He didn’t know why he’d run this far. Where was he going?

And who would care ? He bit his lip, his shoulders curling inward, and for a moment, he almost let himself cry.

But then, just above the sound of the river, he heard it—a faint voice, cracked and hoarse, calling his name!

Shock sucked the air from his lungs in one ragged gasp.

His head jerked up, eyes wide. He held his breath, straining to listen. The night was quiet, the trees swaying in the breeze. Maybe he’d imagined it. Was he hearing things? But then, there it was again.

“Alex … I need you, kid …”

His heart dropped to his stomach. He knew that voice. It was Colin ! But Colin’s voice never sounded like that—hoarse, filled with pain. A shiver ran through him, dread curling in his gut. Is he hurt ?

He turned, eyes scanning the darkness, the shadows twisting and moving around him. Panic surged within him … panic and guilt. This was his fault. If he hadn’t run, Colin wouldn’t be out here looking for him. Colin wouldn’t be hurt.

His stomach twisted. This is my fault. A sob ripped its way up his throat, but he swallowed it down, his fists clenching at his sides. He wouldn’t let himself cry. Not now. He had to focus on the sound of Colin’s voice.

The voice came again, fainter this time, but no less desperate. “Alex … if you can hear me … I need help. I’m shining my flashlight. Look for the light!”

His chest tightened with fear and guilt. But beneath it all, something else stirred—a fierce resolve was rising within his chest. He turned, eyes narrowing as he peered ahead; his body still trembled, but his mind was suddenly clear: I won’t run . Not this time.

He forced his legs to move, stumbling over the uneven ground as he followed the voice, his breath coming in short, uneven gasps.

“Colin! I’m coming!” His voice was shaking, but he felt a new strength fill him, a strength he’d never had before.

“Hold on! I’m coming!” This time, he wouldn’t run away.

This time, he’d prove he was good enough. This time …

His feet slapped against the mud at the river’s edge as he half-trotted forward, his eyes scanning ahead, searching always for the gleam of Colin’s flashlight. “Colin! I’m here!”

“Alex!” Colin cried out. “I hear you! I’m just ahead of you, kid. D’you see the light?”

Suddenly, just ahead of him, Alex spotted the beam of Colin’s flashlight, and seconds later, he saw him sprawled in the mud near the river’s edge. “Colin!” he cried out, rushing to his side.

Colin’s face was pale in the flashlight’s glow, his eyes sunken with pain, but his lips curled into a faint, crooked smile.

“Hey, kid,” he rasped, his voice trembling.

“Man, I’m glad to see you.” He gestured toward his swollen ankle.

“I think that bad boy’s broken. You’re gonna have to save my Irish ass.

” He looked up at Alex. “You up for it?”

Alex’s breath caught in a sob. This man was his hero, his friend. Seeing him injured and vulnerable, struggling to smile through his pain, he felt that his heart was breaking. His knees buckled, and he sank to the ground beside him.

“I—I’m so sorry,” Alex choked, his voice cracking. “I didn’t mean … ” Tears burned in his eyes, and he scrubbed them away. “This is my fault. I … I was so stupid … I just …”