“We broke up.”
He shifted on the bed. “Honey, he did the right thing by telling me you were there.”
I wasn’t having this or any other conversation with him. “Little late to play dad, isn’t it?”
“I am your father and I have never considered you a game to be played.”
Yeah, tell that to Mom. “Look, we’ve got a little over two months until I graduate. Let’s just get through it, okay? As soon as I graduate, I’m leaving. I’ll take early acceptance somewhere or I’ll get a job and an apartment. I’ll be done with you and you can be done with me. If we time it right, I can be out before the baby is born and you can have your fresh start.”
Every worry line deepened. “Echo …”
I let the anger building inside burst free. “Go tell it to Ashley. She’s the only one you’ve ever cared about.”
“That’s not …”
“You left me to die.” I pointed at the door. “Get out of here and out of my life!”
My father lowered his head, nodded, and then left my room.
NOAH
Not bothering with my locker, I headed straight for the cafeteria. Echo had found a way to avoid me this morning, but I’d be damned if I let her slink away now.
“You could tell her I ordered the part for the car,” Isaiah said when he sat next to me.
“I plan on it being my opening line.” I stared at the doors, waiting for her to walk in. I’d give her five more minutes before I chased her around the building.
“You really fucked this up, Einstein.” Beth tossed her tray full of food on the table.
“You hate her,” I mumbled.
“She grew on me. Kind of like moss.”
Where was she? The door opened to the cafeteria and her favorite gal pal glided in.
“Lila!” I pushed my chair back to go after her, but she changed direction and came to me.
She cocked an annoyed eyebrow. “Yes?”
I withered before very few people, but the look Lila gave me could scare the shit out of serial killers. “Do you know where Echo is?”
“Why? Need a babysitter?” she asked dryly.
Damn, Echo had to be pissed. Did she listen to any of my messages? “I fucked up and I want to talk to her.”
“You can say that again.”
“I bet you’re enjoying this, prom queen,” snarled Beth. “Were you scared that by hanging with real people like us, she’d figure out that you and the other little Barbie wannabes are full of shit?”
Lila’s lip curled back. “Speaking of wannabes, do you have plans to go after Echo’s leftovers again?”
Damn, not what I needed. Beth hurled herself at Lila, but Isaiah grabbed Beth by the waist and hissed at her to calm down. My chair flipped back when I stood. “Forget it. I’ll find her myself.”
ECHO SAT ON A STOOL STARING AT the canvas, but this time she didn’t have a paintbrush in her hand. Her gloved hands were propped on her knees.
“You know it’s rude not to call back.” I held my breath, waiting for her wrath.
She gave a sad smile, hurting my heart. I would have preferred her anger over her pain anytime. “It’s not the first time you thought I was rude.” She glanced up at me. “Hey, Noah.”
“Echo.” I permitted myself to get closer, but not too close. “It’s Monday, which means you should be tutoring me this afternoon.”
“You never needed a tutor, just motivation.”
Rubbing the tension out of the back of my neck, I continued, “Look, I fucked up Saturday. I never should have brought up marriage. I was out of my mind. You drew that picture of my parents and then I thought about how much I love you and how I couldn’t keep you and have my brothers. I added a fucked-up thought to another fucked-up thought and I created a pile of shit.”
Echo’s lips twitched up. “That’s the worst apology I’ve ever heard, but I’ll take it.” She turned her gaze back to the blank canvas.
I’d uttered the words I never said to a girl—I loved her. Girls craved words like that, but the distance between us had widened. Maybe she didn’t catch it. “I love you, Echo. You could never marry me and I’d still love you. We’ll find a way to figure everything out. You are not responsible for my brothers.”
“I know.” She sighed and looked bone-weary. Her foot began to bounce on the leg of the stool. “I love you, too, and because of that, I think it’s time we end this.”
Pain seared through me, followed by a quick flash of anger. “But you said you forgave me.”
She picked up a paintbrush, dipped it in black paint and smudged dots on the middle of the canvas. “I have up to a twenty percent chance of inheriting my mother’s genes.”
“What does that have to do with anything? You’re not your mother. You are a far cry from that crazy bitch.”
“She’s ill, Noah, not crazy,” she whispered.
This entire conversation was crazy. “She cut you to pieces. That’s crazy.”
She shut her eyes tight and flinched. “I fell.”
I yanked the paintbrush out of her hand and threw it across the room. “Fuck that. If that was a damn accident, you’d remember.” I ran a hand over my face, trying to wipe away the anger. “What the hell does this have to do with anything? With us?”
Echo opened her eyes and revealed a mind-numbing pain. “Everything.”
The need to touch her overwhelmed me and I gave in. I stepped toward her, but Echo hopped off the stool and placed it between us. I shoved it out of the way and kept advancing. She pressed her hands against my chest and tried to push me away. “I can’t think straight when you’re this close.”
I backed her up against the wall. “I don’t like the thoughts running through your head. I plan on staying right here until you look me in the eye and tell me you’re mine.”