for others to piss me off, but Echo didn’t deserve that.
Echo.
I liked that name, although she would never hear her own.
Nordin was right.
Her being named that was ironic, which made me wonder if her parents did that on purpose.
“Echo isn’t just a nickname, is it?”
She shook her head.
“You don’t wanna talk about it?” I asked, careful not to hurt her feelings or upset her.
She shook her head again.
“Fair enough. Your turn. Ask me something,” I said, wanting her to get to know me and my brothers.
She already seemed comfortable around Summit and me, but I still wanted her to know that in this cabin, there wouldn’t be anything harmful.
I watched as she lifted her board, and after a while, she turned it around and looked at me.
How old are you guys?
I grinned.
At first, I wanted to make her guess, but I wasn’t ready for her to hurt my ego.
I knew I looked slightly older than I actually was, thanks to the white streak in my hair.
I’ve had it since I was thirty, and at first, I called it my lucky streak.
Turned out I didn’t have too much luck in life, so now it’s just a simple fucking patch of white hair on my head.
“I’m thirty-seven. Nordin is thirty-five, and Summit thirty-three. We’re quite a bit older than you are, hm?” I smiled, and Echo lifted her hand, with her finger and thumb almost touching, and her right eye squinting to show me that she agreed with me.
I chuckled. “You’re young, but I can tell you’ve got a lot in that brain of yours already.”
She nodded proudly, then wiped the board with the kitchen towel to write something new.
Where do you live?
I smirked, knowing my answer would surprise her.
“Homer. It’s an almost twenty-four-hour drive from here. Are you still sure you wanna come with us and not go back to your hometown when we leave?”
She quickly shook her head, her eyes telling me just how much she hated the idea of returning home.
“All right, but don’t expect too much from Homer. Do you have any savings to get an apartment?”
She nodded with a smile, but she lacked some confidence as she answered.
“You sure?”
Before she could answer, the front door opened and Kodiak squeezed himself between my brothers’ legs, running toward us.
I quickly stepped in front of Echo, who was already turning away from him.
“Slow down, boy. You’re gonna make her have a damn heart attack. Down,” I ordered, waiting for him to sit, begging for a treat.
I reached for the fat I had cut off the steaks and gave them to Kodiak.
“She’s gotta get used to the dog,” Nordin hissed.
I agreed, but not right now.
We had to eat, and I could tell Echo was hungry.
Eating beans and ravioli every day couldn’t be healthy, and there were no more cans left when we arrived today.
“Get Kodiak in my room so he can eat,” I told Nordin.
Opening the fridge, I pulled out half of a raw chicken, then placed it onto a plate and gave it to my brother.
Kodiak would only eat raw meat.
For a dog his size, eating raw was best for him, and he got all the nutrition he needed from it.
Who knew how much bullshit there was in dog food?
Not gonna give my best friend shit like that.
After Nordin left with Kodiak, I looked at Summit and raised a brow as he signed something to Echo.
“Talk,” I demanded, but he shook his head and winked at Echo.
She smiled, shyly looking at the floor.
“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, knowing neither of them would follow my rule of not signing.
Why was I even trying to take her only, well, one of two ways of communicating away from her?
I turned back to the stove and placed the steaks into the pan, then looked over at the vegetables Echo was cutting into small pieces.
“You don’t have to eat the carrots, but do you mind if I cook them all together?”
She shook her head, and after she was done, I grabbed them and placed them all into another pan to steam with a lid on.
“You getting along all of a sudden?” Summit asked, leaning against the door frame.
“Turns out Echo and I have a connection,” I said, mocking him.
It was obvious that he liked her, but neither of us were the type of guys to ever date someone.
We fucked.
Senselessly.
Girls in Homer knew not to flirt if they didn’t intend on spreading their legs for us.
As brothers, there were times we used to sleep with multiple women at once, taking turns.
But lately, one was enough.
“Right, what did you bribe her with to make her like you?” Summit asked, and I rolled my eyes at him,
“Sit and be quiet. Food’s almost ready.”
Echo tapped my shoulder again, and slowly, I was starting to like her touching me.
“Yes?” I asked, turning to look at her.
I gotta pee, was written on the board, and I couldn’t hold back a smirk.
“No need to tell me that, sweetness. You know where it is.”
She put the board down, then quickly walked out of the kitchen.
I watched her leave the room, and before turning back to the sizzling meat, Summit’s raised brows caught my attention.
“What?”
“You’re staring at her,” he said.
“So what? Mind your own fucking business.”
Jesus.
I’m a man, and Echo’s a pretty girl.
Just because I’m looking, doesn’t mean I want her.
Yet.
More by Seven Rue
Reverse Harem
Forbidden #1
Baby Bird #1
Birdie (Forbidden & Baby Bird in one)
Echo
Student/Teacher
When October Starts (Juno & Ezra #1)
Serendipity (Juno & Ezra #2)
Dad’s best friends
Falling for Two #1 (Falling for #1)
Extremely Taboo
Genesis (Niece/Uncle)
Family Friend
The Way We Get By (The Way We #1)
Single Dad
Undisclosed Desire
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