Adopted by Chris Motionless and Ricky Horror

Part Ten: Love Will Kill Us All

~~ONE WEEK LATER~~

*RICKY'S POV*

We were playing in New York tonight. Chris seemed calm for once since we've been on this tour. Probably because Lucas was off staying at an internet friend's house for the night. That only left Bryan, Maddie, and Jack. Chris didn't have to worry about Maddie or Jack, but I don't know how he feels about Bryan.

I was just scrolling down Instagram on my phone when I got a text from Mike.

Kuza needs a ride to New Jersey. Can you help us out since it's your next stop?

I asked Chris, and he gladly said yes. Probably because Mike was practically his brother.

Yeah. I guess we can get Echo and Josh's kids to sleep in the back lounge.

Great! Thanks Rick!

No problem.

I started walking back to the bunks to tell Echo that she has to sleep in the back lounge tonight.

I knocked on the wooden board next her bunk. She was obviously sleeping, because her eyes were red and puffy. Wait. She wasn't sleeping. She couldn't have been. It was like 4 in the afternoon and she didn't mumble in her sleep like she usually does.

"Echo?" I asked her.

"Yeah?"

"Have you been um...crying?" I asked her nervously. She was my daughter. Who wouldn't be worried? She hasn't come out of her bunk and talked with us like she usually does.

As soon as I asked her that, she put her hands over her face and started sobbing. I waited a few seconds before I hugged her.

"What's wrong?" I asked. She looked up at me with tears streaming down her face.

"Do you really want to know?" She asked me while her voice quivered.

"Yes. I do. You're my daughter, Echo. And I love you like one. And I want to know what's wrong."

She sighed. "You're going to think I'm so stupid for giving you this reason."

"No. I won't. Just tell me what it's about."

She took a deep breath and buried her face in her hands.

"Lucas..." She mumbled.

"Oh. What about him?"

"He...he doesn't like me like I like him..."

"And how do you know that?" I asked.

She handed me her phone.

"Read the messages."

I scrolled through the Facebook messages between her and Lucas.

(L-Lucas E-Echo)

L: Hey. You wanted to talk?

E: Yeah.

L: What did you want to talk about?

E: Well...I have a question.

L: And what is it?

E: Do you like me?

L: Why do you ask?

E: Well, because you said you like girls who wear dark clothes and have pale skin and are short and you asked that hypothetical question and you called me cute. And...I may or may not like you...

L: Oh you like me?

E: Maybe.

E: Yes.

L: So you do. Well maybe if I got to know you better...

L: I could like you.

E: Oh. Well sorry.

L: For what?

E: For everything. I'm sorry. I'll just go now.

L: OK...

I looked up at Echo, who still had tears streaming down her face.

"It's stupid to cry over...I know." She mumbled.

"Well...not really. How much did you like him?" I asked.

"Enough for it to turn into love." She said quietly. "He'll never love me like I love him."

I hugged her. I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't say I understood, because Chris was the only one I ever loved and he was just as head over heels for me as I was for him.

I had to have been sitting there hugging her in her bunk for at least ten minutes until Chris walked in with Kuza and his band. He got them to sit on the couch and he must have heard Echo's sobs because he started running to us.

He froze in his steps when he saw me and Echo.

"Echo?! What's wrong?" He said while kneeling down to Echo and pretty much suffocating her in a big hug.

He looked over at me and mouthed, "what's wrong?" So I mouthed back, "Lucas."

I watched his face go from sympathy to anger in a split second.

"I'll kill him!" He shouted.

"No!" Echo said. She was hurt, but I guess she didn't want Lucas to hurt, either.

Chris sighed. "OK then...I'll try to stay calm. Don't know if I can th-"

Chris stopped mid-sentence when he heard the bus door open.

"Okay Austin, I'll talk to you later." Lucas said on the phone to his friend.

"I don't know if I can keep calm, Ricky." Chris said.

Ricky gave him a look of disapproval, and Chris sighed.

"Just this once. But if he hurts my daughter again, the motherfucker dies." Chris said as he walked off into the back lounge.

Ricky sighed. "Echo, I just came to tell you that Kuza and his band are staying the night tonight, so you have to sleep in the back lounge with Bryan, Maddie, and Jack. Is that ok?" He asked me.

"Yeah. It's fine." I said.

Ricky kissed my forehead.

"Love you Echo. Stay in here and calm down a bit. You don't have to come out until later."

"Okay."

This is why you don't fall in love. It'll kill us all one day.