Psychotic Love (a mafia love story)

Chapter 55

ECHO'S POV

The sound of waves clashing with the shore floods my ears. I open my eyes to the sun. It kisses my skin with its warmth. A smile spreads across my lips and I take a breath of fresh, crisp air. The aroma of coconuts and salt fills my senses.

The sand beneath my skin is warm and soothing. I grab a handful and hold it in front of the sun. I let it rush between my fingers and onto my chest. My laughs fill the breezy air and tears slide down my face. I feel free.

I sit up and take in the miles of sea in front of me. Waves roll onto shore and all I want is for them to come close enough to hit my feet. "Hey!"

My head shoots to the left in search of the voice. I squint my eyes. In the distance stands a tall dark haired girl. "Echo!" they call again. I stand up and the familiarity of the voice draws me closer.

As we near each other, I get a glimpse of her bright green eyes. "Ana?" I pick up the pace as I realize my sister is standing just feet away. "Ana!" I shout.

She runs and I do too. When we meet, our chests slam together like cymbals and the sound of her giddy laugh becomes the music. "I missed you," she says. Tears fill my eyes. Oh, how I've missed her.

I pull away to see her face. "How...how are you here?"

Her brows furrow in confusion. "I should ask you the same thing."

I tilt my head. "What?"

"I know you're tired baby, but if you can...please just give it one more fight. Come back to me." Luca's voice pierces through my ears. It's stabbing at my eardrums like a needle. I look around for him,  but he's nowhere to be found.

"Luca!" I shout.

Ana grabs my arm gently. "Echo, he can't hear you. He's not here."

"I just heard him, Ana. What do you mean?"

"The only reason you can hear him calling to you is because you're stuck, there's something tying you to him. If you want to stay you have to let go."

I shake my head. What does she mean? "I don't understand, Ana. I'm not holding on to anything." Suddenly the vision of Luca holding me as we're covered in blood beams through my vision. It hurts. The memory feels like being ripped apart. I...I died.

"You have to let go," Ana says. "Unless you don't want to."

"Echo." My mother's voice rings from behind me. I turn around to see her. She's holding her arms out for me. My eyes water and I let myself fall into her embrace.

"Mom, what are you..."

Words fail to form as I'm hit with realization. Ana's dead. My mom...she's ...she's dead too. So that means. "I'm dead," I whisper.

"Oh no, Echo. You're not dead. This is your crossing over, but you can't cross unless you let go," my mother says.

"Why do you say that? I'm not holding onto anything."

My mother holds her hand out to the sea and my sister takes my hand into hers. "It's him your holding onto." A vision of Luca appears within a never falling wave. "If you want to cross over, you have to let him go."

"I love you, Echo." His voice blares through my ears again.

"Do you want to cross over?" Ana says, still holding my hand. Her eyes look hopeful like I'm all she's been longing for.

I look back at the vision of Luca. A feeling that I've never felt before engulfs my heart in flames. "I don't know, should I?" I look at Anna, then my mother.

"We can't make that decision for you, it has to be all you, Echo," says my mom. "But we can give you guidance."

"I'm staying," I say hastily. This feeling I have for Luca is ineffable. I don't know what it is, but despite it, I can't live anymore. I don't want to, it's hell.

"Then let him go," Ana says.

What does she mean? "How?"

"If you were ready, you wouldn't need to ask how. You're holding on because you want to. If you go back, Echo. Things will be okay, I promise, sweetheart. I want you to live your life. You shouldn't end like this," my mother says.

A tear falls from my eye. "How do you know he won't hurt me again?"

"It's not about him, things may or may not work out with him, but it is your life that will. Live it for me, Echo."

I wipe my tears. All I want is peace. I'm just scared that Luca won't be able to give that to me. I don't want to spend another second with him if he's going to treat me the way he does. But maybe things won't be that way.

"Look Echo. As much as I want you to stay, it's not about giving him a second chance. It's about giving life a second chance," Ana says.

I truly don't see the purpose in my life. I've been waiting for things to be alright for ages now.

I know they say this isn't about Luca but he's played a big role in my life. My heart is yearning for him. They said I couldn't cross over if I can't let Luca go, and I can't let him go. I want him. I think I always will. And that feeling hurts more than anything. He's not good for me, and I don't think he'll change.

A storm thunders in the distance. Lightning strikes and the wind picks up, blowing my hair wildly in my face. The sun disappears behind thick gray clouds. "You have to decide Echo. If you don't you'll be swallowed with this realm. There will be no crossing over and no going back to life. You have to choose."

"I need you, Echo." Luca's voice calls out from the sea. It doesn't hurt this time but it's pulling me.

"I...I need to go back. He needs me. I need him," I say.

My mother and sister hug me. "Don't let him be your only will to live," they both say. Their tones are flat and monotone, almost robotic.

They let me go and my body begins to tingle. I look down to see my body deteriorating into pixels before I'm sucked away into an abyss.