48. Echo
ECHO
The sun bled orange across the sky as I sat silently beside G on her porch, both of us wrapped in the silence that follows confession.
I still felt weighed down by what I’d done just hours before.
Not with regret, but with the finality of it all.
My aunt was gone, and there was no taking that shit back.
G rocked steadily in her chair. The stroke had weakened her left side, but she would bounce back. I had faith in that.
“I didn’t want to hurt you, G,” I finally said, breaking the silence. “But knowing she played a part in hurting Forever is an unforgivable offense.”
The rocking paused for a beat before resuming.
“You think I don’t know that, Meechie? There were signs Velma had secrets, but I never thought they were that deep. Not even when Tristian came here and pointed it out.”
I turned to look at her properly, vaguely remembering Forever mentioning Tristian coming to her. But not all the details.
“I could’ve forgiven her working with Solomon,” I admitted, not surprised by my own words. “But never for hurting my wife. Never for making Forever lose our baby. Never for sparking her memories loss.”
G reached over, hand settling on my arm. Her touch was light, but I understood she sensed my lingering agitation.
“Family loyalty is a complicated thing,” she said, her voice steady. “Always has been.”
“Not to me.”
She snorted, a sound so unexpectedly normal it almost made me smile.
“That’s because you’re young and see everything in black and white.”
“Is there another way to see betrayal?”
G looked out at the compound, at the houses where our family slept. At the guards posted at strategic points, a precaution I’d ordered after last night’s events.
“I’ve watched more than enough family die for betraying the Cannon name,” she finally said. “Back in my day, we didn’t have the luxury of public spectacle or moral outrage. We just did what needed doing.” Her eyes met mine. “Your grandfather killed his own brother for less than what Velma did.”
The revelation shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did. G rarely spoke about the darker parts of our family’s past, preferring to let those stories die with the people who lived them.
“I didn’t know that,” I said quietly.
“You weren’t meant to.” Her hand patted my arm once before withdrawing. “Every generation thinks they’re inventing something new when they’re just living out old patterns with new faces.”
I leaned back in my chair, letting her words sink in. There was comfort in knowing that what I’d done wasn’t unprecedented, that the weight I carried had been carried by others before me.
My father left a bad taste in my mouth and changed my brain chemistry.
“I’m still sorry,” I said, meaning it. “Not for what I did, but for bringing this to your doorstep. For waking the whole compound. For making you confront the fact that your daughter was…” I couldn’t finish.
“A traitor?” G supplied with a snort. “She made her choices long before you pulled that trigger, Demetrius. Don’t take on burdens that aren’t yours to carry.”
We fell silent again, watching as the sun continued its climb.
“What happens now?” G asked eventually.
I rubbed my palm across my jaw, mind drifting to Forever.
“We keep moving forward and protect what’s ours.”
G nodded, as if she’d expected nothing less.
“Go home to your wife, Meechie,” she said suddenly, her eyes closed. “She needs you more than I do right now.”
I stood, ready to do just that.
“You sure you’re okay?”
One eye cracked open, regarding me with familiar irritation. “I’ve survived worse than a betrayal and a midnight execution. Stop coddling me.”
That pulled a genuine laugh from me. “Yes, ma’am.”
I leaned down to kiss her forehead, and she squeezed my hand briefly before letting go.
As I walked back toward my house, I felt the eyes of the compound on me. They all knew what had happened, even if they didn’t know why. I would explain later, but for now, all that mattered was getting back to Forever.
She was exactly where I expected her to be when I returned, lying in our bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. Her eyes tracked me as I entered.
“You can come cuddle me after you shower,” she said softly, through a yawn.
I did as I was told and stood under the hot stream for far longer than intended after scrubbing the bunker stench from my body. The hot water hit my shoulders, and I closed my eyes, letting it rinse away the night until exhaustion began to seep in.
Fuck. I’m tired.
I shut off the water and dried quickly, pulling on a pair of black basketball shorts I’d left hanging on the back of the door.
When I returned to the bedroom, Forever had shifted slightly and made space for me on my side of the bed.
Her eyes studied me, taking in every detail like she was memorizing me all over again. I slid under the covers, curving my body around hers. She fit against me perfectly.
I buried my face in her neck and inhaled deeply, just as obsessed with her scent as she was with mine.
“I killed your dad yesterday before coming to the bar,” I said against her skin, the words leaving my mouth before I could reconsider them.
Forever went still in my arms, but not tense. Just… considering before she turned in my arms and we were face to face.
Her eyes searched mine, looking for something. Regret, maybe?
“I was wondering when you’d do it,” she whispered, pressing her lips gently to my chin.
She rested her hand against my cheek, thumb brushing across my bottom lip. The touch was gentle, reverent almost, and it made something in my chest ache.
“Thank you for protecting me,” she went on, voice barely above a whisper. “I feel safe here.”
I let the declaration settle deep inside me.
“I will always protect you,” I promised. “No matter what.”
She shifted again, tucking herself against me. Her head fit perfectly under my chin as she kissed down my throat.
One of her legs slipped between mine, tangling us together in what was becoming the only way I wanted to hold her.
“Sleep now,” she murmured. “We’ll figure out the rest later.”
I closed my eyes and pressed a kiss to the top of her head, my lips lingering against her hair. “I love you,” I whispered, not sure if she was still awake to hear it.
Her fingers tightened slightly against my chest, a silent acknowledgment.
“I love you too,” she murmured, words slurring with approaching sleep. “More than anything.”
And that, in the end, was all that mattered. Everything else was just noise, obstacles to overcome. Problems to solve.
Forever in my arms like this was worth any price. Every sin and sacrifice.