Ink.Echo

Depression, the one thing that clings to you when your mother dies and you're bullied every single day.

For years, that was Valerie’s reality: a life defined by grief, loneliness, and silent battles no one else could see.

That is, until she meets Jayden, a boy who refuses to let her fade.

With patience, warmth, and a heart full of hope, he becomes her light in the darkness, doing everything he can to pull her back from the edge… and maybe, just maybe, show her that love can heal even the deepest wounds.

The Weird Girlfriend

Damn, she’s really breathtaking. There’s a lot I like about her—her personality, her attitude, her smile… but never mind. 


The warm water hits my skin, easing the tension in my muscles. I step out of the shower and see that my clothes are already dry. 


I get dressed and find Valerie staring out the window. Maybe she’s a pluviophile. 


(A/N: A pluviophile is someone who finds comfort or joy in rainy days.) 


Or maybe… something was bothering her. 


I step closer and gently pull her into a hug. She’s so tiny in my arms. I kiss her cheek—she smiles, but then tears start to fall. She hugs me back, tightly. 


I slowly rub her back to comfort her. I don’t pressure her to talk, but I wait—just in case she wants to vent. And she does. 


After hearing why she broke down… I felt awful. I gently lift her chin so she’d meet my eyes. Those big, watery eyes… I could feel her heartbeat racing. I wipe her tears and slowly lean in, resting my head on her shoulder. She smells so sweet. 


(Guys, don’t go around sniffing your girl, okay? 


Damn, she smells so good, I think to myself. 


After a while, I pull back and kiss her cheek. She puckers her lips, wanting a proper kiss. I chuckle and give in—kissing her softly, this time with tongue. When we pull apart, she just pouts. 


She looks even cuter when she does that. 


“Do you wanna watch a movie?” I ask. 


“Mhm,” she hums. “But you still owe me food.” 


“Fine,” I groan and follow her into the living room. 


We end up watching a bunch of movies… until she falls asleep on my lap. 


As we watched the movie, I dozed off. I could feel Jayden playing with my hair, which made me fall asleep faster. 


Later that night, I woke up… and he wasn’t there. 


I checked the rooms, then the living room—and there he was, sleeping peacefully on the couch. 


He turns toward me. “Yeah? You’re awake. Are you hungry?” 


I shake my head. “I miss your warmth.” I open my arms. 


“Alright, cutie,” he sits up, arms open. “Get in.” 


I crawl into his lap, happily listening to his heartbeat. It reminded me of when I used to rest my head on my mom’s chest as a kid. 


He wraps his strong arms around me and gently rubs my back. 


Suddenly, thunder cracks loudly outside. 


I jump, burying my face deeper into his chest. 


“Aww, so cute,” he chuckles, patting my head. 


: Let’s just say they spent the rainy night with a lot of love and laughter.


Chapter 5