Among The Stars

The brothers

  Chapter 19

I hid in my room as I waited for six o'clock to come.

What if Logan came and decided to hurt me after all?

"Echo, we're leaving in ten minutes, are you ready?" I peeked out from my hiding spot and looked right up at Jace.

I nodded and waited for him to leave so I could come out. "Come on Echo, you don't need to be scared of me," Jace offered me his hand, I slowly slipped mine into his.

His breath caught and he pulled me out gently.

"Let's go," I was pulled out to the car where the others were waiting. I fought panic when I saw I had to sit with Damian and Logan.

I slowly sat and flinched when Damian touched my leg with his own.

"Echo, I'm not going to hurt you," Damian promised touching my cheek.

"You keep telling me that, then you go back to hurting me. You don't need to be physical to hurt someone, Damian."

The rest of the ride was silent and soon we arrived. "Let's get this over with," Logan announced and walked to the door and rang the bell.

Quinn answered the door. "Come in, come in! Echo thank You for coming!"

I smiled. "Hello little dove," I looked up recognizing Dr. Cain's voice.

"Hello Dr. Cain, and you are?" I asked looking at the next tall figure. "I'm doing fine thanks."

"I'm Joey, it's great to meet you."

"Levi, get down here you little fucker!" Quinn called.

"I'm Logan, and these are my brothers Damian, Jace and Elijah," Logan said introducing himself.

"Great! We're having spaghetti, garlic bread, and a salad. Come sit!" Quinn led them to a table and who I'm guessing was Levi came down and kissed Quinn on the cheek.

"Sit, sit!" Dr. Cain said and pulled me between him and Quinn keeping me away from the guys, they glared at Dr. Cain noticing this.

"I am Levi, it is great to meet you Echo," I smiled at Levi's ascent.

Food was passed out and Quinn got down to business. "So, how long have you all been in a relationship Logan?" Logan paused and glared at Quinn hotly.

"About a month now." I snorted and covered it with a cough.

"Would you say you are the leader in this family of yours?" Logan nodded and took a drink of his water.

"What would you say the problems are that are making Echo unhappy?" Damian stood and glared at Dr. Cain.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Dr. Cain sighed. "Clearly you are all having problems, and communication is an issue. Echo feels more like a prisoner than a partner, clearly your all acting more like tyrants."

Eight different pairs of eyes stared at me for confirmation, I nodded.

"This is stupid," Damian complained.

I stood slowly gaining my courage with four others on my side.

"You all assume that I'm the problem, running away from the police, flirting with the lesbian waitress when I'm clearly strait, how can you not see the problem?! This is nothing but you needing someone to control!" I shouted.

Logan stood and walked over to me furious. "I'm not trying to control you! If you would just fucking listen, nothing would have happened!"

I shook my head. "You're just proving my point Logan, all this attraction we have for each other is just a stupid bond. You don't truly want me."

"Of course we do!" I sighed. "This is not love. It's just your need for control, if you loved, or cared for me you would respect me and let me live my life."

"I don't want to lose you again!" Logan yelled and then froze. I looked at everyone, heart pounding.

"Again?" I whispered sharply. "Shit," Elijah muttered.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Quinn encouraged.

"Echo, we're just trying to protect you -" I cut Jace off.

"All those girl clothes, you had another girl, didn't you?" I asked Jace taking a deep breath.

"Yes," Jace admitted and then continued.

"A girl named Hope, I uh, I loved her." I blinked and nodded feeling lost.

"I'm just a replacement, aren't I?" Elijah shook his head looking horrified.

"No! No your not, Echo, clearly the others have some messed up shit going on, but we still care about you, I mean if we didn't we would have killed you a long time ago."

I looked down at my fingers feeling hopeless. "Echo, I- I'm in love with you." I stared helplessly at Elijah as he professed his love for me in a room full of people, but it felt like we were alone.

"Elijah," my voice cracked.

"These past few days, holding you to keep your nightmares of my own brothers away I - I fell in love with you, being able to protect you, care for you. Please, Echo," he stopped and we just stared at each other.

I was aware that I was crying, and that Quinn and his husband were crying as well.

I felt my shattered heart slowly come back into place. I loved him too.

I jumped up into his arms and placed scattered kisses across his face still crying. "I love you too,"

I waited for him to laugh and say just kidding, instead, he smiled in relief and placed a simple gentle kiss on my lips.

Damian's pov

I felt jealousy cote my veins. He had been holding her all fucking week. and now he still gets her.

And she fucking loves him.

Damnit!

I looked at Jace, he looked back at me and I saw his eye tick in annoyance.

Jace was not easily annoyed or made jealous. This was a rare occasion.

"Logan," Echo whispered getting down from fucking Elijah's arms.

Logan's face snapped to hers in surprise. "When you spanked me, it reminded me of when my ex-boyfriend would beat and rape me, I'm sorry for getting triggered, I couldn't help it."

Logan looked destroyed. "No, I'm sorry," his voice cracked and he looked like a single blow of the wind could make him fall to his knees.

"I'm such a fuck up, I was so busy trying to keep my emotions in check I almost did something that would have destroyed you. I, Echo," Logan stopped and closed his eyes wiping his face.

"What's the fucking point? Echo Anderson, I hope one day you can look at me with something other than fear. Meeting you was the best day of my life, even though I wished you were dead, I was such an idiot."

Echo walked over to him and touched his cheek.
"Logan, I hope you remember what you said for when we go home. I want to try this, but I, I need you to try too."

Logan closed his eyes and placed his head on hers. Then she turned to Jace. "Echo your not a replacement for Hope, I've liked you since the very beginning when you were the first to survive giving Logan lip, I hope you understand -"

She kissed his roughly, Jace instantly responded.

I looked at Quinn and his husbands, they were eating fucking popcorn.

Echo slowly turned to me, I glared at her. "Can we go home now?" Her face fell but she nodded.