Page 48 of Summer's Echo
“Because I know my Sunshine, Mr. Knight.” I let the words sink in before adding, “Even after all these years, I’ll always find her when she needs me.”
A moment passed. Then, synchronous nods from both men spoke volumes without them saying a single word.“You have myblessing, but tread lightly.”I returned the respectful nod, silently acknowledging that their message was received loud and clear.
“Hey,” a serene voice called from the doorway.
I turned, but the other eyes in the room stayed on me, measuring my reaction toher.I smiled becausedamn, there she was. A crown of curls framed her face, a little wild from sleep. The redness in her eyes from crying had faded after getting some much-needed rest. She was wrapped in an oversized hoodie—my hoodie—and leggings; tall, fluffy socks swallowed her feet. She looked so damn pretty.
“Hey,” I said, standing to greet her.
Mr. Knight shifted in his seat then stood. “It’s getting chilly out here. Junior, let’s finish watching the game downstairs.”
He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before stepping away, her brother following suit—but not without playfully nudging the side of her head. They loved her. They just wanted her to be okay, which meant we had something in common.
Once they were gone, my attention was back on her. “How are you feeling?”
She shrugged, her voice laced with exhaustion. “Tired, but I’m okay.”
“Come here.” I didn’t stammer because it wasn’t a request.
She didn’t unfold her arms from around her body as she plowed into me, curling into my embrace. She needed this hug just as much as I did. The potency of it was riddled with unspoken turmoil, remorse, and love. But above all that, the weight of what came next hung the heaviest in the room. I guided her to the couch, careful not to overstep or push, letting her move at her own pace.
“You wanna talk about it?”
She wrapped her arms tight around her knees, staring into nothingness. “I’m such a fucked-up person,” she said, voice hollow. “How could I do that to someone I claimed to love?”
I didn’t answer right away. She wasn’t looking for an answer—just a space to say the things clawing at her insides. I ran my hand slowly down her arm, grounding her. “You did what you needed to do, Sun. For you. For your sanity.” I exhaled, rubbing my thumb against the inside of her wrist. “I know it was hard, and I know he was angry—hell, I don’t blame him—but do you regret it?”
She rubbed her forehead, thinking. A long pause passed before she said, “I regret the way I did it, but I don’t regret what I said.”
I nodded, but I wanted to hear her say it. “And what was that?”
She lifted her head, finally meeting my eyes. “That I wasn’t in love with him. That I was forcing something that was never really there.” She swallowed, her voice soft but sure. “That I want butterflies.” She uttered the last words breathlessly.
Something in me shifted. A warm, undeniable realization spread through me, my body tensing with memory. She didn’t have to say my name. She didn’t have to confess what I already knew, what I could feel humming in the space between us, because I knew.Iwas butterflies. Heat rising to my face caused me to blush like a damn lovesick fool, but I didn’t care. Our eyes locked, cloaked in the same wordless knowing.
Gently, I reached for her legs, uncurling them from her body and draping them over mine. I traced slow circles on her knee. “So…where do we go from here?” I lifted a brow, voice teasing, but I wasn’t playing.
Summer sighed, voice strained, like she hated what she was about to say. “E…” I knew what was coming. I felt it. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next.”
And just like that, frustration coiled in my gut because,What the fuck, Summer?That wasn’t the answer I wanted to hear.
Chapter Twenty
Summer
October 2019, The Day After the Wedding that Wasn’t
I expected Echo to toss my legs off him after my statement, to shake his head, maybe even call me out for the mess I had made. What did he expect me to do? Flake on my wedding and jump right into his bed? Well…that is kind of what I did. I swallowed hard, but he didn’t move. He didn’t push me away. Instead, he just watched me, his gaze penetrating, his touch merciless.
“Echo,” I started, vulnerability straining my voice. “I just walked away from my wedding—from a life I spent years building. A life I thought I wanted.” My throat tightened, and I blinked rapidly, willing the emotions away. “I just told a man I care about that I never really loved him.”
The truth sat heavy on my heart, suffocating me. I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. “And now I’m here, with you, and I—” I faltered, running a hand down my face. “I don’t even know where to start.”
Echo’s voice was resolute when he spoke. His tenor low and rich, like an anchor pulling me back from the storm. “Breathe, Sunshine,” he said. His thumb brushed against my knee in slow, soothing circles. “You start by breathing…and then you start over.”
I let out a weak, breathy laugh. “You make it sound so simple.”
“Because it is.” He paused, reaching out to gently nudge my chin, tilting my face toward his. His touch was featherlight, his eyes searching mine with something recognizable, something I missed. “You’ve been holding your breath for years, Summer, trying to force yourself into a life that didn’t fit. You start by letting yourself breathe again, baby.”
