Ms. Staying home

Winter

Its been a week since then and both Echo and Rome have kept their promise of leaving me alone. I have a love hate relationship with the distance, on one hand I love that they're giving me the chance to think this through and on the other I wish they would stay by my side.

Let me tell you this, going through school has been the worst ever. He's in the majority of my classes and we never talk anymore. Just looking at his face makes me want to jump him but I promised I would seriously consider this before giving him an answer.

And honestly I did. All this week I was able to think on my situation, what else would I do when I was bored to tears?

At first I was mad. I was mad at roger for not telling me and I was mad at the situation because no matter what choice I made I felt like I was trapped. It felt like I didn't have a choice in the matter, either choose Echo and not know what else is out there for me or reject him and watch him suffer forever. I can't do the latter because upon thinking realllllly hard on it I realized I love him.

Then I confronted Roger two days later. I told him that Echo told me the truth and I asked him why he didn't think it was important to tell me all those years ago. What he said shocked the hell outta me. He said that my family had been friends with his for so long and my parents knew. He said they planned on telling me a long time ago but then they died and he felt like it wasn't important to tell me anymore. He said that the most important thing was making sure I got through their deaths knowing I was loved.

After hearing that I couldn't really stay mad at him, actually I felt pretty bad because he left the pack for me but he reassured me that he still had the small pack of his family and Echo's parents understood. That day I accepted the thought of werewolves and the possibilities of other mythical creatures living but I was still having trouble with the whole mate thing.

I mean yah, the thought of mates made sense because everyone deserved to have one, but that's not what bothered me. What bothered me the most was me.

What if I accepted this and everything was all fine and dandy and then one day I woke up and I didn't want to do this anymore, I wanted more, or something bad happened. I don't think I'm strong enough to lose something I love again and get through it with the minimal amount of scratches.

Its been a week since all that happened and here I am laying in bed staring up at the ceiling. The house is quiet because everyone else is sleeping and for once this week I have my bed to myself.

Sitting up in bed I get up and walk to the window. Opening it I look out knowing full well that Echo or Rome is right below me watching me. Climbing out the window I carefully crawl onto the branch of the tree outside my window and crawling to the trunk I sit in the corner where branch meets trunk.

Swinging my legs lightly I sit while looking out toward the horizon and feeling hot due to Echo's stare on my body.

"Ya know I'm scared. So very scared.... Not of you of course or what you happen to be but what it could mean for us."

He doesn't move from his spot but I know that he's listening, intently.

"I feel like I'm trapped. I don't want to do this just because you need it but I don't not want to do this just because I don't want to hurt you. I know its not your fault for this.... Its just, I don't know I guess I need some sign that this will work out."

I hear the bushes shake and then a big black wolf walks out as I look down at it. I feel my eyes water as as I see the glimmer of Rome's golden eyes.

"I can't lose another person I care about. When the time comes for Roger to leave it'll be hard enough but anymore People and I don't know what I'll do."

I feel the tears run down my face as I see a blurry Rome shift into Echo and thank god I was crying or else I would've seen everythinggggg.

.....Well its not like I haven't seen it before.

I hear a manly grunt below me and I wipe my eyes to see Echo staring into my eyes from the branch below me. Yes we were face to face, I'm short and he's tall and standing on a branch that's not that far from mine.

As I sit with my legs closed he places his arms on both sides of me and leans against the branch so he's closer to me and hopefully so he doesn't fall out of the tree.

"What kind of leaving are you talking about? If you're afraid I could find someone better than you then I'll tell you right now that that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I'll tell you right now that even without being my mate I would still date you."

"That's not exactly what I meant but why would you?"

"Why would I what? Date you regardless of being my mate? For one you're incredibly cute, you have the best personality, I'm never bored talking to you, you never try to impress me which I love, and I gotta admit you're extremely beautiful."

Looking down I feel my cheeks heat up as my hair curtains my face.

Swinging my feet as much as possible I hear the light rumble of Echo as he growls. Not knowing what I did wrong, or if I did anything I stare up at him in confusion. I feel his chest rumble against my legs as he stares at me.

His hand comes up and tucks my hair behind my ears and then gives me his damn panty dropping grin that makes it so hard to not throw mine at him like some type of hoe. Like imma dirty, still in high school but can't keep my legs closed hoe.

Dirty, very... Very dirty.

"Echo... What about the other leave? What if you die on me? Echo I can't do it! Not again. Please.. not again."

I feel the tears start to come again and no matter how hard I try to keep it in it doesn't work at all. Tears trickle down my face as Echo takes his sweet time wiping it away. Almost like he loves doing it.

"Winter, do you know why you'll never have to worry about that?"

Frowning I shake my head no and stare back into his chocolate eyes.

"Because it is my sole pleasure to make you happy and if me living makes you smile and laugh just the way I love then I'll live forever. My other pleasure is to protect you from everything and everyone and let me tell you I'll really enjoy doing it."

He gets closer and then I feel his lips touch mine in a couple light pecks before pulling away enough so there's a small hair width gap between us.

Blinking away a tear I wrap my arms around his neck and stare into his eyes.

"Do you mean it? Do you promise me that you won't leave? Ever?"

I know he's grinning because well its him. He grins a lot and its pretty damn sexy if you ask me.

"Promise. I promise to fight for you and live for you. This is a promise I'll never break."

Smiling without any reserves I know that this is the right decision.

"Well then Echo. How is my mate gonna make me happy tomorrow?"

I feel his rumble through my legs and then his lips finish the small distance before landing on my lips in the best way possible. It was so damn good that I almost fell off the branch. If it wasn't for Echo holding me I probably would have.

Pulling away I place my head against his as my breath comes back into my body.

"Well that was fun. Really really fun."

"Extremely fun but I have to get you to bed. I like taking care of you and we have a busy day tomorrow."

He pulls back giving me room as I give him a confused face. And as I continue to stare at him he lifts one of his eyebrows and points toward my room.

"Crawl away hun. I'll be watching intently."

"Perv."

"Only for you babe."

Rolling my eyes I slowly get up from my spot and crawl toward the open window feeling his gaze on my ass as I went.

Tumbling through the open window I land on the floor with a thud. Springing up I lean on the window frame like nothing happened looking out toward Echo who still stands on the branch where we were talking.

"You coming in or are you gonna stand in the tree all night?"

"Yup. I'm coming, I would suggest moving though."

Tilting my head in confusion I step away from the window and watch in silence as he swings up onto the branch I was sitting on and then runs down to my window. Before he could fall off or the branch could break he leaped face first into my room and rolled onto his feet.

Turning to me he rolls his shoulder and walks over to me. Grabbing my face in his hands he kisses me again before pulling away and guides me over to my bed.

"Wait! .... I want to change my clothes first."

Running over to my closet I fish around for something to wear. I end up wearing a pair of boxer shorts and my dads old shirt.

Coming out of the closet I walk over to the bed and climb onto the right side, where the window is.

Right as I got all nice and comfortable Echo takes off his shirt and his shorts which leaves him in his boxers and then slides me over to the left side. He then climbs into the vacant spot where I once was, lays down, and then pulls me into his arms.

Tucked closely into his side I look up at his face in question.

What was the point of moving me?

"Echo.... What exactly was the point in moving me?"

"To make sure that if anyone tried to come from the window I'd be the first thing they see."

Oh.....

".....Echo... You do realize there's more than one entrance to my room right?"

....

He places his hand over my eyes and kisses my forehead.

"Shhh. Just go to sleep and everything will be alright."

I feel his smile on my forehead as his lips never left and I can't help but to laugh before rolling over onto my side and throwing a leg and arm over him.

So? I'm a cuddler, shoot me.

"Night Echo."

I hear him say goodnight as I drift into a blissful sleep.

Probably the best one I've had in a week.