Both of our heads swivel in his direction. I got so wrapped up in the conversation with Fallon that I completely forgot he was still standing there with us. I turn back towards Fallon and wave a hand. “Fal, you go ahead. I’ll just grab an Uber or something.”
Echo crosses his muscular arms across his chest, and I try not to notice how biteable his shoulders look in that slutty ass t-shirt he’s wearing. “I said I’ll take you home, Bambi.”
“I’m okay.” I say automatically, flashing him a tight smile. “Really, Uber is fine.”
Echo smirks. “You’d rather pay a stranger than take a free ride from me?”
“Yup.” I retort, emphasizing the ‘p’ with a pop.
“That makes no sense.”
“It doesn’t need to.”
Fallon’s eyes light up as they ping-pong between meand Echo, like she’s watching the most enthralling tennis match she’s ever seen. “You know,” she says, pursing her lips. “I’m not one to blindly agree with a man, but he has a point, D.”
I cut my eyes at the traitor who was formerly known as my best friend. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
Fallon laughs. “I do.” She says, pulling me in for a quick hug. “Love you. Text me when you get home.”
And with that, Fallon trots off, leaving me alone with the one person in the world I shouldn’t be alone with.
“Come on.” Echo says, nodding his head in the direction of his car.
“I told you, I’m Ubering.”
“Bambi.” He says, his voice taking on that faintly amused tone it always does when he thinks I’m being unreasonable.
“Echo.” I reply, mocking him right back.
He stares at me. I stare back. A woman pushing a stroller squeezes past us on the sidewalk, and we both instinctively step aside, then go right back to staring at each other.
“I’m not going to do anything.” He says.
“I didn’t say you were.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
The problem is that the last time I saw you, you pressed your mouth to my ear and told me you weren't leaving until I admitted what this is. The problem is that I’ve been thinking about that every single day since, and I still don’t have an answer, not one I can accept, anyway. The problem is that you might not plan on doing anything, but I might, and I can’t seem to control myself around you.
“There is no problem.” I reply cooly. “I just prefer Uber.”
“You prefer Uber,” he repeats.
“Yes.”
“To a free ride in a nicer car.”
“Yes.”
“From someone you know.”
“That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it?”
His mouth does that thing where it almost becomes a smile but doesn’t quite get there, then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his keys.
“Open the app.” He says, nodding at my phone. “Let’s check the wait time. If it’s over five minutes, you’re coming with me.”
“Why five minutes?”
