An Echo in the Mafia (Echo Reid, Reid Family Book #1)

Part 16

"What are you doing?" Maru asked, making Echo jump back and sending her stumbling into the closet.

For a moment, Maru didn't move. She might have been concerned had there been a thud or at least some cry of pain but she had clearly seen Echo fall into a pile of laundry. She moved farther into the room, peeping around the bed and catching sight of a small hand as it crept out from behind the closet door as if searching for something. 

"This what you're looking for?" Maru asked, picking up a robe and holding it up and into the small space between the door.

"Thanks." Echo muttered as she quickly snatched the robe away and shut the closet the door. She pulled the robe to her chest tightly and took a deep breath. That... that was... weird. She couldn't explain it, she'd panicked.

"You know... I've seen you in a swimsuit before so, please don't tell me this is going to be a problem now too." Maru said from the other side of the door, chewing on her lip. It was one of Maru's many quirks. When she was worried or when she was sure she'd done something wrong, when she felt guilty, or when she lied- Maru chewed on that poor bottom lip mercilessly.

"No problem..." Echo said, slipping the robe over her shoulders and emerging from within the closet, "I was just about to go down to the pool."

"I figured." Maru said with a nod, throwing herself on Echo's bed. "You should really tidy that closet."

"You should really try knocking." Echo replied, feeling embarrassed. How long had Maru been standing there, watching her?

"Oh come on, you don't care." Maru said, watching as Echo moved around the room, searching for her sandals. 

"Just because I never say anything doesn't mean I don't mind." Echo said, "What if I hadn't been dressed yet?"

Maru shrugged.

"I would have seen you just as naked as I did when we were kids." Maru said, reaching underneath the bed and pulling out a pair of dark sandals. "Here you go."

Echo turned to her with a sigh. "Exactly, we were kids and it was bath time." Echo said, slightly flushed as she took the sandals from her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Besides, you walk into my room all the time." Maru said. 

"Fine." Echo muttered with a sigh.

"What were you doing any way?" Maru asked and Echo went pale. Lord! Maru must have seen her.

"Nothing." Echo said nervously as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

"What do you mean nothing? You were just staring at yourself in the mirror." Maru said with a frown. 

"Everyone looks at themselves in the mirror." Echo said. 

"Yeah but you were staring with a weird glazed over look... for a while." Maru replied, standing, "Like a good while."

"I... think... I noticed I put on extra weight." Echo lied, noting that Maru was immediately suspicious. Maru glanced her over and chuckled. 

"Yeah, right." Maru said, "Fine, don't tell me. A swim sounds nice though... I'll join you."

"I'll meet you downstairs." Echo said, hastily moving out the door and towards the stairs. Maru stood back for a second, staring at the open door.  It had been a couple of days since Echo's adventure as they now called it and she'd since caught her doing the oddest things. Just that morning, she'd found Echo scribbling away in a notebook rapidly and when Maru approached her, she'd freaked out and thrown the notebook across her room.