Page 30 of Summer’s Echo

Summer

I hurried into the bathroom, eager to let the hot water wash away the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me.

Meanwhile, Echo remained in the bedroom of my suite, his presence quiet but undeniable.

I still couldn’t believe he was here. As the water pounded against my skin, I pictured him moving around the room, his curious fingers tracing the edges of the pictures and posters tacked to the walls.

Knowing him, he was analyzing every little detail, piecing together parts of my life.

If he looked closely, he would see that he was a part of my life.

The photo from prom night—the one where he crashed the evening I had carefully planned with Devin—hung within the collage.

I imagined his smirk, the knowing gleam in his eyes as he took in the moment we’d frozen in time.

He was probably feeling pretty damn proud of himself for that one.

I was prancing through the house singing my best rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Emotions.” A clear indication that I was in a good mood—correction, a great mood. It was prom night. The night I’d been waiting for since I’d stepped foot into high school.

My mom had my dress steamed, and it was hanging on her bedroom door. My sparkly silver pumps with the matching clutch were still in the box on my dresser right next to my jewelry. Raqi had just applied the final touches of my makeup, and I was ecstatic by the reveal. I felt pretty.

I was nervously getting dressed, praying that the look I was envisioning was going to be to Devin’s liking. I heard my mother in the family room chuckling on the phone. “Boy, you are crazy. Let me see if she can come to the phone.”

I was sure it was nobody but Echo. I rolled my eyes as soon as my mother peeked in my room handing me the phone. “E, I’m getting dressed. Shouldn’t you be doing the same?” I said, irritation lacing my tone.

“You know it don’t take me long to get ready. I’m about to go pick up Aliya but wanted to catch you before you leave. I just wanted to tell you I know you look beautiful, Sun, and have a good time tonight.”

I paused, staring at my shocked face in the mirror. A smile sweetened my voice when I said, “Thank you, Echo. I’m sure you’re pretty handsome yourself right now.”

“ Well, you know how I do.” He chuckled, and I could only imagine that bright Colgate smile on his face. “ Y’all at the Drake Hotel, right?” he randomly asked.

“ Yep! Trinity’s cousin already checked into our room and took our bags,” I said.

“Alright, Sunshine. Let me get out of here.” He paused with another sigh. “Oh, Sun, don’t be letting Devin kiss all over you. I don’t know dude, but that nigga is not treasure worthy.”

My eyes bulged at him referring to my lady parts as treasure like my mother. I shook my head, realizing I might have shared too much with him.

“You are a mess.” I giggled. “Goodbye, Echo Abara!”

He laughed, too. “Bye, Sun.”

As much time as Echo and I spent together, people often thought we were boyfriend and girlfriend, but that was far from the truth.

I’d had other boys who were friends with some kissing benefits, but Echo…

he’d had at least three girlfriends that I knew about.

He’d quickly planted his feet in the new city.

But no matter what either of us had going on, it never interrupted our friendship flow.

We’d even made a pact to go to each other’s proms because our relationship didn’t come with the pressure of expectations.

“Sun, you know we’ll kick it at prom, and I promise not to touch your booty,” he’ d teased one night on the phone.

Leave it to Echo to make a girl feel special.

But unfortunately, our proms were scheduled for the same night, just like our graduations.Echo was going to prom with a girl named Aliya from his school.

He claimed she wasn’t his girlfriend, but I could tell he liked her the couple times I’d met her.

We’d knownfor weeks that we couldn’t fulfill our pact, but somehow the thought of him going to prom with someone else stung a little every time I thought about it.

Devin, my friend since middle school, had asked me to prom.

He was cute and sweet, so it made sense to say yes.

So, it was settled. Two separate proms on one night.

We wouldn’t see each other. And I told myself it didn’t matter.

But honestly, it did, more than I wanted to admit.

And as much as I tried to ignore it,the thought of not being with Echo that night made my heart pound in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

Prom was amazing. The night felt like a dream, and I looked the part— thesoft yellow dresswith a beaded bodice sparkled under the lights, itsempire waist cinching just right, and the tulle overskirt added a touch of whimsy.

Every step I took, I felt like I wasfloating.

A crowd of students were hanging out in the lobby, still riding the high of prom night—the flashing lights, the thumping bass of the last song, the thrill of dressing up, and the memories.

Some were still buzzing with excitement, retelling moments from the dance floor, while others were already slipping into exhaustion.

My crew was hungry after the dry hotel chicken and scoop of potatoes.

Picking at a slice of pizza , my phone buzzed inside my clutch.

Flipping it open, I barely had time to say hello before a deep and slightly impatient voice rang out.

“Where you at?”

Echo. I blinked, sitting up straighter. “Um , eating in the lobby at the hotel,”I replied, confused by the question .

“What are you eating?”

I glanced at the table. “Imo’s.” There was a brief pause before I heard it—his unmistakable scoff.

“That shit nasty. Where’s the Chicago-style?” he teased. But this time, his voice wasn’t just in my ear. It was behind me . I spun around, my mouth dropping open asEcho and Aliya pushed through the crowd of prom-goers, walking straight toward me.

“What in the world are you doing here?”

He grinned,eyes sweeping over me slowly, lingering in a way that wasn’t exactly…friendly. “Sun…you are stunning.”

I swallowed, suddenly hyperaware of thestray curl slipping from my intricate updo.

My cheeks had already been dusted with blush, thanks to my sister, but now, my wholebody was heating, causing me to clench my thighs.

And damn. Echo looked good. The weight training for basketball haddone him justice, filling out the once-lanky frame.

He had always carried himself with a maturity beyond his years, butthe white tuxedo jacket trimmed in black, the tailored pants, and fresh haircut were giving me… dare I say, sexy.

My lips parted before I could stop myself.

“E, oh my god, you are so handsome.” A bit too much excitementcoated my words, and I knew it the second they left my mouth.

He knew it, too , but didn’t have to say a word.

I could see it in the way his features shifted.

Nervously, I switched my attention to Aliya, and her deep, unimpressedscowl told me everything I needed to know.

I cleared my throat.“Aliya, hey. You look gorgeous. I love your dress.”

Her smile was tight,her brows still pinched together. “Thank you,” she said dryly.

I turned back to Echo, searching for an answer. “How was your prom? What are you doing here?” I asked again.

Echo’s lips curled slightly,like he was amused by the question. “ We were at the Clayton, not far from here.” He shrugged. “Did you really think I wasn’t gonna lay eyes on you on prom night?”

I lost my breath because…yes, that’s exactly what I thought.

I chose not to say that aloud. Instead, I glanced at Devin, who had beencompletely silent this whole time.

His expression matched Aliya’s now—confused, slightly irritated, but mostly trying to figure out what the hell was happening here.

Realizing I had been staring at Echo too long, I quickly turned back to Devin.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I cleared my throat, suddenly remembering my manners. “Um, Devin, this is my friend, Echo. E, this is Devin .”

They exchanged the driest head nods I had ever seen . “What’s up, man?”they muttered in unison.

Wanting to break the awkward tension, I gestured toward the pizza . “You guys want some?”

Echo’s lip curled in disgust. “Now you know I don’t eat that shit .”He shook his head.“It’s cardboard. A cracker.”

“Boy, you have one more time to argue with me about Chicago-style pizza versus Imo’s.”

“I’m just saying, there’s no comparison.”

It never took us long to block out the world when we were together .

We joked and laughed like there weren’tother people standing right there waiting for our attention.

We swapped prom stories,our conversation slipping into an easy rhythm.

I should have noticed the way Aliya’sarms tightened across her chestor how Devin checked his phone twice, exhaling sharply.

But I didn’t. Not until Aliya finally snapped.

“Echo, how long are we staying?”she said, irritation dripping from every syllable.

Her stance was rigid, bordering on possessive, and it made my stomach twist because she was right.

I had no businessmonopolizing her date’s time on prom night.

If the roles were reversed, I’d befurious.

I forced myself to look at Devin, expecting the same frustration.

I wasn’t wrong. Hiscreased brows matched Aliya’s.

And suddenly, it clicked. Echo and I were more than close.

We had become soinseparablethat even on a night meant for other people, other dates , other memories, we still found our way to each other.

It was like breathing. And yet, as I glanced at Aliya’s crossed arms and Devin’s clenched jaw, an unsettling thought crept in.

This wasn’t normal…right ? It couldn’t be. This wasdysfunctional, right?