11 Days

STEALING HEARTS

Exactly at 08:00 am I opened my eyes on the morning of October 11 feeling energized and full of ideas for today, despite having gone to sleep at five in the morning studying the book that Echo lent me. I was determined to have a normal conversation with him without the need to use his notepad or tablet. I quickly took the note I had written to Lola Jenkins before sleeping from the nightstand and flew out of bed. I practically teleported to Lola's door and slipped the note under the door, so she would know that I was not coming for breakfast this morning and I went back to my apartment, I didn't even bother to close the door once I rushed inside. I busied myself making banana and oatmeal pancakes and boiled milk to make hot chocolate. This morning, Quiet Gate had decided to wake up extremely chilly so the chocolate would be good for both of us. What if he doesn't like oats or bananas? I had not considered the possibility that he could be allergic either. "Shit." I mumbled as I flipped the first pancake, and it folded up in the pan.

I heard soft knocking coming from the entrance, I arched back slightly and saw Echo leaning against the entryway with a black hoodie, black checkered pajama bottoms and flip flops. His hair was adorably tousled. I pulled the pan away from the heat and shook my hands on my way to where he was standing. I cleared my throat and started to sign as I spoke. "Good morning, Echo." Spelling his name took me longer but I was able to do it.

Echo looked surprised and the dull, sleepy expression on his face turned into one of wonder. When he raised his hands, I paid attention to his movements, for my convenience he signed slowly as he mouthed each word.

Good morning, beautiful.

I couldn't help but blush when he called me beautiful, I almost melted at his feet. Then a wave of guilt hit me against the rocks as I realized that I hadn't told him my name yet. He had revealed his to me the night before after I made a fuss over nothing. We had already kissed and apparently, we would work together in the shelter, what did it matter if he knew my name? “Aviana” I breathed meeting his eyes and holding our gaze steady and strong. He narrowed his eyes at me, so I repeated myself. “My name, is Aviana.”

Beautiful.

“Wait, before I can jump on you… why are you dressed like this? Didn’t Sam hire you?”

He nodded then dug into his pocket for his cellphone, unlocked it and showed me what was on the screen. A text from Sam asking him to let me know she wouldn’t be needing us today and that she would be expecting us next week.

“That’s odd. She rarely does this.” I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands at the realization. “She woke you, up didn’t she?” when he smiled I felt so bad for him. “I’m sorry, about that. I should be getting my cellphone soon, I promise.”

It’s okay.

“Well, come on in and close the door please.” I turned around and went back to the kitchen to continue with the pancakes and then I remembered, "Hey, are you allergic to banana or oatmeal?" Echo came into the kitchen with me and leaned against the refrigerator and shook his head. "And do you like them?" I asked him as I managed to flip the pancake.

Yes.

“Hot chocolate okay with you?”

Yes, Aviana.

It was the first time he used my name and even though I couldn't hear his voice, the reaction was powerful. I wondered if it was just as mesmerizing for him every time, I said his name as when he said mine. Nor did I understand very well why I was so attracted to him, perhaps it was because he was new to town and I had already dated the few men whom I had not refused a date to. Those dates weren't bad, but they weren't exactly good either, they lacked intensity and at the time I was a complete mess. In a way, I saw Echo as the beginning of something good and new for me, whether whatever was going on between us would work. Might as well go all in. “Would it be okay with you if we have breakfast in bed while watching a movie?” I glanced at his grinning face through the corner of my eye.

Yes, Aviana.

Having him use my name really did something to me. I turned off the heat and sighed. Would it be so wrong? It had been way too long since I was with anyone and not every encounter had been precisely fulfilling. What if this one isn’t either? There was also the problem of him not wanting to do anything. Without letting the doubt conquer me, I turned to face him then placed both hands on his chest and backed him up against the wall. He let me. When I pressed my body flushed against his, he merely reacted. When my fingers slipped under the hem of his hoodie and felt the tender skin of his belly, ropes after ropes of hard muscle on the way up, his jaw clenched. “Is this okay?” His eyes darkened dangerously as he took my hands captive in his and withdrew them from his body. Guilt would have eaten me alive had it not been for him turning us around; now it was me who was against the wall, with both hands behind my back. Echo kicked my feet apart and painfully slow slid his thigh between my thighs- he made sure to press against my crotch, drawing a sigh out of me. Then he bent his head and licked the side of my throat before nipping at the skin, this time I groaned and began to undulate my hips. When his hands left my hands untouched I knew better than not to touch him; his fingers roamed over the small of my back then followed the curve of my ass but his touch didn’t linger there for it kept leaving traces of fire in its wake. His hands found the hem of my shirt and slipped under. “Higher.” I whispered when he splayed his fingers against my quivering stomach. Echo pinched right above my navel drawing a yelp from me. A warning? His free hand raised my shirt up, slipped it over my head and effectively trapped my arms like that. He pulled back to admire his handiwork and smirked, giving me a calculated look to fix me in place.

Beautiful.

I flushed crimson then, for his words, for having him staring at me with so much hunger and lust in his eyes.  Echo came closer then and kissed me. He kissed me as if nothing in this world mattered, as if life itself had ended, he kissed me long and hard for what it felt like an eternity. He made love to my mouth while one of his hands caressed my breast and the other slid under my sweats, teasing over the humid fabric of my panties. He shoved the material aside and stroked my folds while his thumb grazed against my clit. I thought I heard someone knocking on my door but I was too lost in sensations, too out of my mind to understand that Echo had drove two fingers into my cunt, too busy chasing after an orgasm he had me dying for. Echo suddenly covered my mouth and I screamed against his palm as I rode his fingers, letting the climax consume me. I stared into his eyes and he brought the two glistening fingers into his mouth and sucked them clean.

“Echo!” I gasped at the sight of him cleaning my juices from his fingers. He grinned shamelessly. More banging on my door. “That’s why you covered my mouth?” I whispered and he nodded firmly. “Who is it?” I called out and waited while I wiggled against Echo, he helped with my shirt and landed a kiss on my forehead.

“It’s me!” a familiar female voice called out.

“Lola?” I blanched, the thought of Lola finding me with a guy in my apartment almost made me vomit. I felt so bad, so guilty. “Didn’t you get my note?”

“Christ, child! Come to the door, something bad happened!”

I pushed away from the wall and shuffled towards the entrance and swinged the door open. And there was Lola, bundled up in her favorite shawl, rolls on her head to keep her gray curls in place. Her characteristically pale skin looked more translucent than usual this morning, I saw her eyes follow the movement behind my shoulder and I immediately knew that she had seen Echo behind me, however she did not comment.

“Gee, Lola, it looks like you've seen a ghost!” Lola gasped and smacked my arm, I yelped from the sudden blow. “Ouch! What’s wrong with you?”

“Shut your mouth, child! Our building might be cursed from now on!”

“What are you talking about?”

She leaned in and her voice dropped to a faint whisper. “Suzy Mitchell was found dead in an alley.” My eyes widened like saucers. “The one from Joey’s diner, but that’s not all.”

“There’s more?”

She nodded eagerly. I was fully aware now Echo was behind me; his hand came to rest on my waist. “Someone carved her heart out and took it.”