Anguished (Crimson Elite 2)

“So… you two a thing?” Falcon asks.

I stand still looking at the floor then to the doors, hoping they will open soon, so I can escape.

“Not yet.”

His answer shocks me. I look up at him and see him smiling at me. He’s cocky. I like that about him.

“Maybe you should work on changing that, or other people might try to interfere,” Falcon says. I look away from Echo’s blue eyes to see Creed hit the back of Falcon’s head hard while shaking his head. No one else says anything until the doors open and we all walk out.

“Echo…” We all stop just before we get to the doors. Turning around Selena is there, her head turned down before she looks up to us slowly. “Can we, talk?”

“Unbelievable,” Darby mutters.

“No one likes desperate, Selena. It never looks good on anyone, least of all you,” Falcon says before he turns, walking out with the rest following him. I start to move as well, but Echo holds me, so I have to stay.

“You loved me, do you remember that?”

This is awkward.

So fucking awkward.

I shouldn’t be here listening to this.

“You see… that’s the problem. I never really did.”

Her eyes go wide at his words. “I made a mistake, Echo.”

“Many, so I’m told.”

Her eyes lift to me then to where his hand is still on me before they go back to him. “You think you love her? You’re a fool. She doesn’t love you. I know love, and she doesn’t have it for you.” She spins on her heels turning away.

“I’ve never met someone who’s so full of drama in my life,” I mutter, looking up at him. “And you put up with it for years. Honestly, you need a medal.”

I smile, trying to take the seriousness of what Selena just confessed to Echo, that he loves me out of the equation. He strokes my face softly, leans down, kisses my lips as we turn to leave not answering me. I think he knows what I’m doing.26EchoShe goes to sit in the car as I say goodbye to the guys. They all wait until she’s in before they speak.

Falcon, of course, being the first. “You picked a normal woman. How does it feel not to deal with crazy anymore?” He laughs looking back to Selena who’s still standing by the door like a fool watching us.

“Your turn next,” I say to Darby.

He shakes his head and walks off, Creed following him. Handing Falcon the keys, he nods his head to the car where Storm is seated before he also walks off. He looks back once. “Make sure you hit that, she’s way to fine for your stanky ass.”

I flip him the bird as I walk to the car. Storm has the car started and ready when I get in. She starts driving in the direction of my house without me saying a word.

“Do you have clothes?”

She looks in her backseat then nods her head. “I haven’t unpacked yet from seeing Mel.”

“Thank you, Storm.” She nods indicating when she turns. “You didn’t have to come.”

“I know.” She won’t look at me as she drives.

“So why did you?”

Her hands grip the steering wheel harder. “Because it was the right thing to do.”

“That’s not why. Why did you really come?”

She licks her lips as we get closer to my house. “You didn’t have anyone else.” She’s right, not in that family. She knows how they treat me and wants to be the one that’s there for me.

“Are you regretting it now? Coming, I mean?”

She shrugs her shoulders then pulls up in my driveway before she looks to me.

“Will you make me regret it, Echo?”

I firmly shake my head. “No, I promise.”

“Okay, then.” She gets out when I do, so I reach into the back seat grabbing her bag as we make our way to the front.

“You have to tell me though, it’s been eating at me. Who’s ten?”

I watch as she cringes, then shakes her head. “It’s nothing, just something silly between friends.”

“It sounded like a guy.” Opening the door, I block her way from going inside. “I need to know who ten is?”

“It’s you, you’re my ten. Now, just leave it.”

I didn’t expect to hear those words. “What do you mean, ‘I’m your ten’?”

Her eyes close and reopen with a heavy sigh. “A ten is someone who’s your dream guy. A seven is someone you settle for. A five is someone you sleep with. You getting my drift here?”

“So, what does a ten usually have? You know… best looking?”

“Yes, Echo, you are the most attractive man I’ve ever seen. You are my ten. Though, you are losing notches each and every day with your issues. Issues I never wanted to be signed up to. I wanted fun with you, but I get more than complicated.”

“I see….” She walks in already knowing her way around the place and heads straight to the kitchen grabbing a water. “So, no sex?” I ask in the hope she’ll help me forget. Everything. She’s good at that. Becoming my main focus when it’s only us.