Echo's British Man

Chapter 5

4 months later -

Christmas break starts next week, along with the end of my first semester; it's been a long four months since Emery and I have been homesick. I mentioned this to mum and mama several times and they've talked me out of flying home to stay and not do what I'm doing here. Em and I fly out Friday afternoon since that was the earliest flight I could book for us, and I don't have any exams that day to be in Indiana fourteen hours and thirty-five minutes later - we're staying for ten days since we need time to adjust to the time difference when we return to England. 

I've been admiring the guy I saw on the first day of classes from afar; his name is Mateo Warren and he's muscly, olive complexion, short dark brown hair and matching eye color. He is beautifully handsome, but I've never spoke to him, but I so could listen to his British accent all day long and never tire of it. 

"Alright class, today we're doing an in-class project for your last exam. I've already paired everyone up," Professor Morre says with a smirk. 

"I hope we're paired together," Hope mutters to me - we've become great friends since the start of our psychology class. 

"Me too, but I doubt it," I mutter back with a frown. 

"I know," she mutters back as the professor lists off pairs. 

"Hope Wagner and Evan Harris," this causes both of us to pout at each other. "Echo McCoy and Mateo Warren."

Mateo turns to smirk at me before grabbing his belongings to come sit by me as Hope grabs her stuff to sit next to Evan. 

"Good luck," Hope whispers into my ear before walking away; rolling my eyes at her retreating back as Mateo sits down next to me. 

"Hi," he says, settling himself down next to me; man, I love his accent.

"Hey," I murmur, my face becoming flushed at his intense stare. 

"You're not British?" he asks, surprised. 

"No, I'm an American," I softly admit as papers are passed back to me from the person in front of me that I take. 

"Do you have family that lives here?" he curiously asks, as we start working.

Well, here goes nothing; "Just my 2-year-old son, Emery."

 "You don't look old enough to have a kid," he says, shock on his face. 

"I'll be 18 years old next month," I say; the thought hitting me that Emery and I won't be celebrating our next four birthday's with our family or friends.

"So, you were 15 years old when you had him?" 

"Yeah, since he'll be three in April," I don't know why I have diarrhea of the mouth with him, but he gives off such a friendly vibe that I feel comfortable.

"Damn, so is your boyfriend here with the two of you?" he asks as we continue to work.

"No boyfriend," I shrug, biting my lower lip. "Just me and Em."

"Where's your family in the United States?"

"Indianapolis, Indiana, that's where my mum, mama, and three foster siblings are."

"Which one is your biological mum?" 

"Neither, I was adopted ten years ago," I shrug.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Why were you adopted?" he straight-forward asks.

"Um, I'd rather not say, I'm sorry," guess the diarrhea of the mouth ends with that question

"What's your son's name?" he asks, not seeming to take it offensively that I don't want to talk about it. 

"Emery," I grin at him before returning my attention back to our exam.

"Echo and Emery, huh? That's a cute combination," he chuckles; glancing at him sideways, trying to figure out if he's making fun of me or if he's serious - I think he's serious. 

"Thanks, I guess," I mumble with a blush; by the end of class everyone has the exam completed, and the professor said he'd have it graded by our next class.

Packing up to leave, Mateo stops me in my movements by asking; "Can I take you out on a date tonight - I'd love to know you better?" 

"Can't, I don't have anyone to watch Emery, so I'm sorry."

"I meant that I want to take the both of you out," he says, shocking me. 

My jaw drops and I stammer out; "W-what?"

"I'd like to take you and Emery out on a date tonight and get to know the two of you better."

"I, ah, I," I see Hope nodding frantically at me. "Sure, we'd love, too."

Mateo grins instantly at me; "Great! Give me your number and the dorm you're living in, and I'll pick the two of you up at 5 p.m."

"Okay and we don't live in the dorms, we live in a house off campus," I tell him, while creating a new contact for him before handing him the phone. 

He takes it to enter his information; "That makes sense. Your mum's paying your rent?"

"No," I say, not wanting to tell him I bought the house and sound like I'm bragging that I have money. 

Mateo just raises his eyebrows at me but doesn't comment or ask any follow-up questions, as he just hands me my phone back. Texting him with; "Hey, it's Echo."

Mateo grins while saving my number and name into his phone, as we exit the classroom; "So, do you have another class today?" 

"Nope, now I can pick Em up, go home and call my mum's, and then we can get ready for tonight. Do you have another class?" 

"Nope, just meeting my mate for lunch," he grins.

"Well, have fun. I'll text you with my address soon. See you later, Mateo," I say waving before walking toward the carpark to fetch my car.