Page 51 of Summer's Echo
Brooke narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms. “Are yousurethat’s all?” she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.
“Brooke!” Trinity yelped, smacking her on the arm.
Brooke shrugged, but her doubtful expression lingered. I glared at her, wishing I had the energy to come up with a comeback. Instead, I just stared at her, the sting of her words making my blood boil.
“Why would you even think that?” I demanded, my voice unsteady as I stumbled to my feet.
Trinity quickly extended a hand to help me, and I leaned over the sink to rinse my mouth out. My gaze flickered to Brooke’s reflection in the mirror, pointed yet full of compassion.
“I’m just saying…” She shrugged. “You’ve been eating everything in sight since you got here, and didn’t you say your stomach was hurting the other day?” Her tone carried a hint of sympathy, but her words got on my nerves.
“Yes, that’s because my period is going to start in a few days,” I snapped, glaring at her like I could set her on fire with my stare.
Brooke raised her hands in surrender. “Okay. Okay. Look, I hope that’s all it is.”
I straightened, turning away from the sink but still feeling the weight of her words hanging in the air.
“We used a condom, and it was only once,” I said defensively, the doubt in my voice negating my confidence. Was I trying to convince her—or myself?
“She’s right, Brooke. Don’t act like you’ve practiced safe sex every time,” Trinity chimed in, her voice firm as she came to my defense.
Brooke’s brows shot up, and her lips pressed together in a knowing expression that said,Fair point.I knew both Trinity and Brooke had far more experience in this area than I did. They’d had their own moments of recklessness—things I could barely imagine with my one-time-ever self. Trinity handed me a bottle of water she’d brought into the bathroom, and I accepted it gratefully. The cool liquid eased my throat and, thankfully, stayed down without any issue.
The tension began to lift as the night carried on. I found myself back on the couch with my friends, grazing on snacks and laughing at scenes from our favorite love stories. For the rest of the night, I pushed Brooke’s words to the back of my mind, deciding to enjoy the comfort of my girls and the fact that, at least for now, my nausea was gone.
Echo
Summer 2005, A Few Weeks Before SpelHouse
I glanced around my room, trying to organize the chaos of boxes and shopping bags from the endless trips my mum and I had taken to prepare for school. In two weeks, I’d be packing everything up for Morehouse. Summer was leaving even earlier, heading to Atlanta for a special program tied to one of her scholarships. The thought of her being there without me for even a few days was troubling, but I shook it off. I shoved some things out of the way, clearing space because Summer was on her way over. Normally, we didn’t hang out in my room when my dad was home—he had strict rules about that. But with him on campus with my brothers, my mum had loosened the reins. She’d given the green light, as long as the door stayed wide open.
The house was unusually quiet. My sisters were visiting my aunt in Chicago, and Mum was taking full advantage of the peace with a day of self-care. I’d called her earlier to make sure she was cool with Summer coming over, and of course, she’d given me her standard lecture about behaving. I nodded and agreed, promising like the obedient son I was. Misbehaving wasn’t really an option, anyway. Summer wouldn’t let it be. Yeah, we’d kissed and touched here and there—mostly in the basement when we were “watching TV”—but we hadn’t gone all the way since her birthday. Eight weeks, four days, and about nine hours ago. Not that I was counting or anything. I wanted to—damn, did I want to—but I wasn’t about to push her. That night had been everything to me, and I’d wait as long as it took for her to be ready again.
The doorbell rang, and I practically floated down the stairs. My excitement to see Summer was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help it. It had only been a few days, but my pussy-whipped self missed her like crazy. When I opened the door, there she was…just so damn cute. She had on this simple blue T-shirt dress that fell just right, her thong sandals showing off freshly polished toes, and her braids were tied into a messy bun that somehow looked perfect. No makeup, just her fresh, natural beauty shining through.
“Hey, Sunshine,” I greeted, pulling her into a hug.
My lips found hers in a soft kiss because, honestly, I couldn’t resist. The fact that this girl—Summer Knight—was mine still felt unreal.
“Hey,” she replied, her tone flat, holding a bag that I hoped had Sonic in it. I grabbed her hand, leading her upstairs, but she hesitated at the bottom of the staircase, giving me a look like I’d lost my damn mind.
“I thought your mom wasn’t here,” she said.
“She’s not,” I reassured her with a grin. “She said it’s cool. I just want to show you the stuff I got for my dorm room.”
She nodded but still looked skeptical, like we were sneaking around. Once we made it upstairs, I kissed her temple. “We’re good. I promise.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I reached and pulled her to stand between my legs, wrapping my arms around her waist.
“What’s wrong, grumpy?” I teased, nuzzling my face into her stomach. “Did you bring me something good?”
Instead of cracking one of her usual jokes, Summer stayed quiet. Too quiet. I pulled back, focused on the contents of the bag, which she’d silently dumped onto the bed. My grin vanished. Lying there, scattered across my neatly made bed, were three different pregnancy tests. My throat went dry, my heart drumming as I stared at the boxes. When I looked up, Summer was already watching me, her jaw tight from fear and tension.
“Sun…” I croaked. “What…?”
Her lips parted, but no words came out. The silence between us stretched, heavy and stagnant.
“Summer, what is this?” I asked, the thud in my heart beating like a chorus of bass drums.
