Twilight Over Paradise (Sequel to Sunset in Paradise)✅

Part 2

“I can’t take it anymore, I don’t want to be here anymore. I just want to die,” Cooper sighed as he leaned his head back on the couch he was laying on.

“Cooper, have you ever thought about calling someone else and telling them how you feel?” his therapist, Sadi, asked.

“Isn’t that why I have you?” Cooper asked.

“I mean someone more than me,” Sadi said. “Have you thought about getting help at a suicide helpline?”

Cooper shook his head.

“I think you should, Cooper,” Sadi said. “I think a suicide helpline is going to help you more in this situation more than I can.”

“Who do I call then?” Cooper asked.

“I found this helpline that has been preventing suicides for years,” Sadi said. “A few of the people there have actually lost someone to suicide and want to help people like you.”

“I’ll consider it,” Cooper said. “What’s their number?”

Sadi handed Cooper a white business card and he took it before leaving the room.

That all happened almost two weeks ago and Cooper still hasn’t called the place. But, sitting here on his bathroom floor with a bottle of pills and a bathtub full of water, Cooper became scared of what he was planning to do. Cooper threw the bottle out of his hand and ran out of the bathroom and to the cell phone that was sitting on his bed. Then, Cooper paused, what if they couldn’t help him? What if he's already too far gone for them to help? Cooper shook the thought from his head and found the card Sadi had given him. Grabbing it, Cooper walked back into the bathroom and got into the tub fully clothed before dialing the number.

“Hello?” a male’s voice asked.

“Hi,” Cooper said, his voice barely a whisper.

“Are you okay?” the male asked.

“I’m sitting in a bathtub fully clothed and I’m on the phone with a suicide helpline, I don’t think I’m okay,” Cooper said, trying to sound as angry as he could.

“Sir, please don’t do anything,” the male said.

“Why?” Cooper asked. “I could easily slip my head under the water and we could be done here.”

“You don’t want to do that,” the male said.

“You don’t know what I do and don’t want to do,” Cooper said.

“What do you want to do then?” the male asked.

“I want the pain to go away,” Cooper said, tears forming his eyes.

Sure, Cooper had told Sadi about the kind of stuff he felt, but Cooper had never actually talked to someone while he was in so much pain.

“What pain?” the male asked.

“The pain that I feel every day,” Cooper said. “The mental pain that I feel and can’t get rid of. I don’t want to be here anymore because of it.”

“You just have to stay strong,” the male said. “We’re sending someone right now.”

“No! I have stayed strong for far too long. I can’t do this anymore,” Cooper said, tears starting to spill out of his panicked eyes.

“Listen, you can get through this,” the male said.

“How?” Cooper asked.

“Forget it, I’m not sending someone,” the male said, causing Cooper to feel even more helpless than before. “I’m coming to you.”

“What?” Cooper asked, confused.

“I’m coming to you,” the male said again. “What’s your address?”

Cooper reluctantly gave the man his address, wondering if the man was actually coming.

“Good, that’s a start,” the male said. “Now, what’s your name?”

“You don’t need to know that,” Cooper said, sinking down into the water.

“My name’s Josh,” the male said. “What’s yours?”

“Cooper,” Cooper said.

“How old are you, Cooper?” Josh asked.

“What’s it to you?” Cooper asked.

“Cooper, I need you to answer me,” Josh said.

“I’m twenty-two,” Cooper said. “Why does my age matter?”

“It just does,” Josh said. “I’m turning onto your road now, I’ll be at your house shortly.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cooper said, his mouth almost below the water. “It’s not like I’ll be alive when you get here.”