Who Else Will Love You?

Eden sat in Echo's room patiently waiting for him to return with some drinks. She hummed softly to herself as she admired the massive collage on his wall. Her mind wandered and she thought about her and Echo and how she would be leaving in just two days. Echo walked into the room holding two glasses that sloshed with a red liquid. He set them down on the bed side table, and sat next to Eden on his bed.

"Hey, do you think if I drew you a picture, you would hang it on your wall?" Eden asked.

"If it's pretty. Some of the stuff I saw in your room was pretty weird."

The comment jabbed Eden. She had been so proud of all of the work she kept, and for him to say it's weird hurt her a little.

"So how's your family?" Eden asked.

"They're dysfunctional as ever. Merrick still hasn't said a word and thankfully Chance and Phoenix aren't talking. So, in other words, pretty good." Echo said with a lopsided smile.

Eden smiled in return. She adored that smile of his; it was contagious. She leaned her head on his shoulder and breathed in his scent. As always, he smelled amazing.

"Quit smelling me, ya weirdo." He joked.

"I'll do whatever I want, silly rabbit." She said taking another loud deep breath in to make her point.

"Wanna stay the night tonight?" Echo asked.

"Yeah, but I don't have any extra clothes."

"You can sleep in mine, or naked. Your choice. And you can borrow Phoenix's tomorrow." Echo offered.

Eden giggled a bit and accepted the offer. She loved sleeping next to Echo. Just the way he held her as they slept was enough to make Eden go crazy.

"Oh, I forgot. . ." Echo trailed off as he reached over for the two untouched cups of red liquid that sat on his night stand.

He handed one of the cups to Eden, who immediately took several big gulps.

"Slow down, kit. There's alcohol in these." Echo laughed.

"Don't tell me how to live my life." Eden laughed and took another big gulp before setting down the cup on the floor.

"No, don't set it down. You have to finish it before you set down the glass. Those are the rules." Echo said.

Eden immediately picked up her glass off the floor and proceeded to take a couple more drinks. The liquid was sweet but had a bitter after taste.

"What even is this?" Eden asked.

"Kool aid and vodka. Yummy, huh?"

"Yeah." Eden said finishing off her glass.

"Damn, kit. You're about to get so drunk."

"Get drunk with me Echo. You never get drunk enough."

"I know my limits." Echo reminded her.

"I know you know your limits. Drink past your limits for a change."

"It's not a pretty sight."

"Echo, I'm your girlfriend. You're pretty to me all the time."

"Handsome. Not pretty." Echo said.

"Sssame differenccccce" Eden slurred, already beginning to feel the affects of the alcohol.

~

"Eden, love me." Echo whined.

He stood in the middle of his room holding a half full cup of vodka and Kool-aid. The drinks had turned from Kool-aid with vodka to vodka with Kool-aid.

Eden stumbled over to him, her drink sloshing and spilling over the edge. She clumsily set the full glass down on a random surface and wrapped her arms around his neck, peppering his face with drunken kisses.

"I love you sooooo much." Eden slurred.

"I loveee you too." Echo slurred.

Echo never let himself get this drunk. This out of control of himself. But he had tonight, and that was his first mistake.

"How come your parents aren't together anymore?" Eden asked as she clung onto Echo.

"My dad hit my mom. He'd done it before but she was pregnant the last time it happened. She had to go to the hospital to make sure that January was alright. Never came back." Echo explained, suddenly sounding sober.

"I'm so sorry Rabbit." Eden whispered.

"It's alright."

"Have you ever loved anyone else?" Eden asked, letting her curiosity get the best of and effectively ruining the moment.

"I have," Echo began, a small smile playing on his lips, "Her name was Audrey Hixon. I loved her so so much and she hated me because of it."

"i'm sorry that happened to you." Eden whispered.

"No, it's okay. The same thing will probably happen to you. I'm gonna love you so much that you're gonna start to hate me. That's what happens in all my relationships."

Eden, in her drunken state didn't quite understand, but then again, she didn't want to. She didn't want to think about possibly hating Echo. She loved him too much to hate him.

"I won't ever hate you." Eden said.

"Promise?" Echo said, looking at Eden with wide, vulnerable eyes.

"I promise." Eden said with the utmost sincerity. "I promise."