Page 6 of First Echo

I felt my annoyance sharpen. Did she have some short-term memory problem, or was she just messing with me? “Brooke Winters, your new chemistry tutor,” I repeated, more agitated this time.

Silence lingered on the other side of the intercom, and I felt my stomach churn. But then, mercifully, the gate began to open with a metallic groan. I drove in slowly, marveling at the absurdly long driveway. The gravel crunched under my tires, and the entire path radiated wealth and perfection.I knew she lived in a big house, but this was a full-on mansion.The fountain in the center of the circular drive sparkled with water jets spraying gracefully into the air. It was so ornate, I half expected marble statues or cherubs to be perched along its edge. The neatly trimmed hedges were shaped with surgical precision, and perfectly symmetrical rows of flowers flanked either side of the driveway. Everything looked meticulously maintained, as though an entire team of gardeners spent hours ensuring a single twig never fell out of place.

Even the house itself, with its huge arched windows and grand columns, seemed to boast its superiority.I couldn’t help but feel like I was stepping into a movie set.And in that instant, I felt smaller, more insecure. I adjusted the rearview mirror again, checking if I had any stray hairs or smudged eyeliner. I doubted Madeline would notice or care, but I still wanted to avoid appearing sloppy.

As I got closer to the end of the driveway,I finally caught sight of Madeline standing in the open doorway of her mansion. She wore a casual but stylish outfit—leggings that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe, and a fitted top that matched her sleek ponytail. Her posture was relaxed, yet there was something about the way she rested her hand on the doorframe that gave offthatvibe. She was the reigning queen of this place, and she knew it.

My heart raced, and my palms started sweating against the steering wheel. I swallowed hard, annoyed at my own reaction.It’s not like I was scared of her,though she did have a reputation for cutting remarks and icy stares. And I definitely didn’tlikeher. But my body refused to cooperate; my heart thumped like I was about to walk on stage in front of thousands of people. I parked the car, turned off the engine, and sat for a second, willing myself to stop freaking out. A breath in, a breath out.

Finally, I opened my door and stepped onto the gravel. The crisp autumn air made me shiver. I slammed the car door shut behind me, immediately worrying about whether the sound was too loud or if she’d think I was clumsy.I just wanted to make the best possible impression—or at least a decent one—so I could finish the tutoring and get out of there without incident.

I started walking toward her, each step feeling heavier than the last. Something in my stomach was doing somersaults, but I forced a tight, polite smile.She didn’t wave. She just stood there.Her expression was unreadable, and the silence betweenus stretched until I finally reached the steps leading up to her front door.

My thoughts were a jumbled mess:Why am I so worked up?Is she going to insult me right away?What if I mess up somehow?I tried to remind myself that I was here for a simple reason: to help her pass chemistry. But as I felt my cheeks grow warm and my pulse pound in my ears, I realizednothingabout this day was going to feel simple.

CHAPTER SIX

MADELINE

Normally, I’d be in my room, drawing to clear my head. On any other day, I would have sprawled on the floor, pencils and colored markers scattered around me, letting the lines and shapes flow until I forgot whatever was bothering me. But today, I just couldn’t. My mind felt too jumpy, like a constant buzzing under my skin, and every time I tried to pick up my pencil, my hand trembled enough to ruin any straight line I attempted.

There was this restlessness I just couldn’t shake.Like an itch under the surface of my skin that refused to go away no matter what I did. I paced around my room for what felt like ages, staring at half-finished sketches and canvases propped against the walls, none of them inviting enough to calm my nerves. Eventually, I gave up on trying to create anything and decided to go downstairs.

My parents were still at work, and Julian was at football practice with Sam. The entire house felt oddly quiet—normally, I’d relish having the place to myself, but today, the silence pressed in on me, reminding me of what was coming.Brooke.My new tutor. I’d told her to show up at my house at five, but I didn’t expect myself to be so...anxious? Or whatever this feeling was.

I flopped onto the couch in the foyer, mindlessly scrolling through my phone, half-watching the clock and half-beggingtime to slow down. The second I heard the bell of the gate ring, I jumped up to answer. My heart gave a jolt, but I forced myself to stay cool. I knew it was Brooke, but I sure as hell didn’t wantherto know that I’d been practically waiting by the speaker. I had a certain reputation to maintain, and restlessly hovering around for my tutor didn’t really help with that.

I pressed the intercom button and put on my best bored voice. “Who is this?” I asked, listening to the slight hiss of static. Even though I knew it was Brooke, I had to feign disinterest.

I wondered how Brooke felt about all of this.Would she feel restless too? Would she care at all, or was she rolling her eyes at the thought of having to come here and teachmeof all people? I tried not to care, but deep down, a tiny voice inside me kept prodding, asking questions I didn’t want to answer.

Once I opened the gate, I decided to wait for her in the doorway. The grand double doors behind me loomed like a statement of how ridiculously large this house was. I’d seen it a million times, but now it felt too quiet, too still, as if the house itself was holding its breath for Brooke’s arrival.

As I stood there, I watched her drive down the driveway.I almost did a double-take when I saw her car: a vintage black convertible with red leather seats. The top was down, and the wind caught her wavy brown hair, making it flow around her shoulders like something out of an old Hollywood film. I blinked in surprise. I had never expectedBrooke Winters—the quiet, studious girl from chemistry class—to have that kind of taste, or the money to match. It looked kind of expensive, and I found myself wondering how someone like her could afford that.

Yet, there she was, cruising up to my place with her sunglasses on, exuding this effortless cool vibe that made her seem like she belonged somewhere else entirely, maybe in a scenic coastal town or on a road trip across the country. And,as much as it pains me,I had to admit she actually looked…hot.Not in a nerdy way, either. Something about the way she carried herself in that moment was unexpectedly confident.

A flicker of realization hit me:I noticed that feeling, that restlessness, was gone.As soon as she showed up, the tension in my stomach melted away, leaving me strangely calm. That couldn’t possibly be related toher,right? It had to be a coincidence, just my mood changing because I had a distraction now.

She parked her car and got out, slamming the door behind her.She walked up to me a little too fast,her posture rigid, and when she stopped right in front of me, I saw the annoyance etched into her features. Her gaze locked onto mine—she had to tilt her head slightly because she was shorter than me—and I could feel how agitated she was before she even opened her mouth.

“Who? Seriously?” she snapped, clearly pissed.

If she was trying to intimidate me, it wasn’t working—not that I’d let her see any sign of discomfort. But I couldn’t ignore the fact that standing this close to her felt… odd. My heart gave a weird flutter. She had this intensity about her, something that made me feel like the room had tilted just a bit, like I was caught off balance.I hated that sensation.I didn’t want to think about why she could affect me like that, so I shoved it aside.

“What? I just forgot we were supposed to meet today. Some of us actually have lives, you know,” I said coolly, lifting my chin a fraction.

Brooke scoffed, rolling her eyes so hard I was sure she saw her own skull. “Right. Let’s just get this over with,” she retorted, sounding fed up already.

For a moment, the sunlight streaming behind her caught her eyes, and I realized they weren’t purely brown. There was a dark green ring around her pupils, something you could only see if you were close enough. I’d never noticed that before. Itwas… beautiful, an unexpected complexity. And it irritated me, because part of me was fascinated, and Ireallydidn’t want to be fascinated byBrooke Winters.

“Great, we finally agree on something,” I said, letting out a mocking laugh. I smirked, enjoying how her face tensed. There was a small flash of hurt—or was it frustration?—in her eyes that only fueled my desire to push her buttons. Ialwaysget what I want, after all.

I took a few steps back and motioned for her to follow me into the house, heading toward my bedroom on the second floor. I could practically feel her eyes burning holes in my back, the tension radiating off her like an electric current. I tried to hide my smug satisfaction, but a tiny grin tugged at my lips.

After about a minute of walking through the polished marble foyer and past the winding staircase, I realized Brooke had stopped.She was standing in the middle of the hallway, looking around at everything like she couldn’t believe it.The high ceilings, the crystal chandelier hanging overhead, the elaborate artwork my parents insisted on displaying… it was a lot to take in for someone who’d never been here before.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget how to walk?” I asked, crossing my arms. A trace of impatience laced my voice. Maybe I was showing off, or maybe I just wanted to see her reaction.

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