Echo sat up with a gasp, her hands clutching tightly to the arms of the chair she had half settled into only a couple of hours before. She glanced around, wiping the sweat from her forehead and remembering where she was.

It hadn't been a dream. Although, just like all the other nights before this one, it revolved around him. But tonight, unlike every other night, tonight he was here... in person... just a few feet away. She sat forward in the chair, putting her elbows on her knees as she perched herself forward, watching his chest rise and sink rhythmically. She'd half expected him to look as harmless as any other person while they slept but no, not him. He looked just as dangerous or maybe even more.

Echo glanced down at her feet before noticing the light that was creeping in through the windows. Shit. What time was it? She'd hardly slept all night, just kept waking back up to check on and him and surely enough, he'd developed that fever she'd been paranoid over.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket-almost 6. Her family would be up and about soon if they weren't already and they'd be down to breakfast shortly. She needed to move quickly, didn't need cook seeing her wander into the kitchen. Echo stood and stretched. What a horrible place to sleep but then again, it wasn't like she would have gotten any better sleep upstairs anyway. Echo knew she wouldn't have slept a wink knowing that this man was down in the pool house.

"Luke." She said, wondering if he would hear her call his name. Nothing, he only continued to sleep. He must have had a rough night too. Echo wondered if he noticed that she'd been there, checking in on him. Then, because she was embarrassed, she quickly moved out the doors, afraid he'd catch her watching him.

As she made her way up the lawn and past the terrace, she didn't miss how wet the grass still was from the rain. There was no way she would have been able to drive anywhere in last night's weather.

"Well, well, well... what is this?"

Echo glanced up, eyes wide, her heart still in her chest.

"Hi." She said, staring at Maru, who was now leaning against the kitchen counter with an grin that curled from ear to ear.

"Where were you?" Maru asked, walking around and reaching towards the refrigerator. Echo glanced around, cook hadn't made her appearance yet.

"Where are mom and dad?" Echo replied nervously as Maru poured herself juice.

"Still upstairs... it's pretty early." Maru said as if it was a weird question. Echo nodded.

"What are you doing up so early?" Echo asked. Maru was usually the last out of the bed and she certainly never looked this upbeat at breakfast.

"I have to go into the city this morning." Maru said, rolling her eyes. She turned to Echo, who was now moving towards the stairs. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Echo asked. "I'm always up at this time."

"Yeah..." Maru nodded, knowing this was true. "But what were you doing out on the terrace?"

"I... was just..." Echo began but the sound of something scraping on the terrace door made them turn.

"Rocko?" Maru said, putting her glass down and walking over to the terrace door. "I was wondering where he was when I woke up. Did you let him out?"

Echo stared as Maru opened the door and let him in.

"Well?" Maru asked, making Echo look back at her. "Did you let him out?"

"Yes." Echo said. "Yes, I came down for some water and decided to let him out for you... closed the door behind me out of habit."

Maru bent forward, gently patting Rocko.

"Thanks. Weird for him to be up and about so early." Maru muttered.

"I know... I figured he really had to go." Echo said, feeling ashamed at how easily the lie poured out.

"Yeah." Maru said with a chuckle.

"Well... I'm going to go wash up." Echo said, moving out of the kitchen as quickly as her feet could carry her.

Echo could feel her heart pounding, she could almost hear it and she was half afraid someone else would hear it too. She didn't stop the entire way up the stairs, didn't even stop when she heard Lena calling out to her across the hall- she just sped into her room and shut the door.

When she was alone, Echo leaned back against the door, trying desperately to calm her breath. That was close, that was much too close. Why did she lie to Maru?

Probably because Maru wouldn't believe the truth without wanting to see Luke and the last thing she wanted was to involve her family much more than possible. Besides, she was absolutely sure that Maru would freak out. No, it was best to just handle this herself. Luke said he would leave and never come back if she drove him.

Echo moved quickly towards her window, pushing it open. She leaned forward, grasping to the window frame tightly as she did so. If she leaned far enough, she could catch a glimpse of the pool house. She stared for several seconds- it was quiet and there was no sign of movement coming from within it.

With a sign, Echo shut the window. All she had to do was make it through the day and when everyone went to bed tonight, she would drive him and that would be the end of it. Luke gave her his word and for some reason, she knew he wasn't lying.

---

"Where the hell have you been?" Luke asked as Echo walked into the pool house. She turned to him, startled by much better he looked and how much larger he looked in the daylight. He was standing, one hand on the back of the sofa to support himself, the other at his neck.

"I don't think you should be standing." Echo said softly, moving further into the room and setting down a few items nearby, aware that he was watching her.

"I had business to attend to." He said, "Unless you were going to offer to help with that."

Echo turned bright red, trying to ignore the comment, knowing he'd set it to disturb her.

"I brought you something to eat." She said, "But I'd like to check your arm first."

"No." He said, his voice cold as he walked around the sofa. "I'm hungry. Food first."

"Don't be stubborn, I..." She began to say but he stopped her.

"Yesterday, I let you get away with that because I wasn't feeling like myself. Today, we do exactly what I say." He said, signalling for the food. Echo sighed, noting how the scar on his cheek seemed to tick when he was upset.

"Okay." She muttered, walking over and handing him the plate.

"What? You're not going to help me today?" he asked, his eyes fixed directly on her. He watched as she grew red again, fascinated by the splotches of color that covered her otherwise white skin. He wasn't sure why he'd said that other than that he wanted to see just how many times he could make her blush. It was comical. He was sure this girl was not used to being provoked.

"I'm sure you can do it yourself." She said, managing to look indignant as she set the plate down beside him and back away.

"So..." He said after a few minutes, as he took the plate and began to poke at the food. "Did you call in sick?"

"What?" Echo asked, confused.

"You know, work? Unless, you don't work." He said, taking a bite.

"I work." She said, her voice cold.

"What do you do?" He asked, noting how annoyed she seemed.

"What does it matter?" She asked. She WAS annoyed but one glare from him was enough. Echo sighed in resignation. "I'm a writer."

"A writer?" He asked, raising his brow. "Anything I might of read?"

"I doubt it." She replied.

"You think I don't read?" He asked, a bit offended.

"Not at all, but I'm not that type of writer." She replied, making him look up at her curiously.

"So what type of writer are you?" He asked.

"I'm a technical writer." She said, noting how he stared at her blankly.

"What does that mean?" He asked.

"I write manuals- user guides, instructions... how to program your dvr..." She said quietly. Luke stared at her for a moment.

"Really?" He asked and she nodded, looking down at her hands. She'd never been this embarrassed to talk about what she did before but then again, she'd never really talked about what she did to anyone. She continued to fidget about, pressing her fingers together then... she heard it.

He was laughing.

"A technical writer?" He blurted out between chuckles. "That's ridiculous..."

Echo stared at him wide eyed. He was laughing at her!

"Wow." He said, wiping his eyes.

"You... jerk." She said, standing angrily and stomping her foot. "How rude."

"Sit down." He said when she was preparing to walk out. Echo froze, trying to put a lid on her anger as she sank back down into the chair.

"So you don't work today or what?" He asked after a few more minutes.

"I work from home." She said.

"That's convenient." He said.

"Especially when you have unexpected house guests." She said bitterly, making him look towards her again.

"You know- you have quite the mouth on you, especially considering the situation." He said.

"I'm sorry, I don't think there's a manual for how to handle a hostage situation." She said, making him smirk.

"Lucky we have an expert to write one out for us." He said, watching her clench her fists like she might just hit him.

"I wasn't aware that's what this was." he continued after a few more minutes.

"Well what would you call it?" She asked, raising her brow. Luke leaned back against the sofa- she certainly had a lot of attitude.

"Call it what you want." He said with a shrug.

"You're the boss." She said.

"Exactly. I'm the boss, don't fucking forget it." He said, tossing the plate aside angrily. It hit the floor with a thud, startling Echo and prompting her to jump in her seat. She turned staring down at the plate and then glancing over at Luke who had not taken his eyes off her.

Without a word, she stood, moving towards the plate and scooping up the bits of food that had scattered around. He watched quietly as she moved towards the trash can, scraping the plate clean.

"Good girl." He said, realizing almost immediately he had made a mistake. Echo glanced up from the trash can, plate still in her hand... livid. She didn't know what in the world possessed her at that moment, after all, Echo had always been a quiet and patient girl. She wasn't the type to get angry quickly, wasn't the type to raise her voice or cause a scandal. But something about the way he just sat there smirking at her as she cleaned up his mess was too much to handle.

Before she could stop herself, she'd lifted her arm and flung it at him with all her strength. It missed, of course, and hit the wall behind them, shattering into hundreds of pieces and leaving them both staring in shock.

Then... it slowly sank in, the full realization of what she had done. Echo brought her hands up to her mouth in horror, searching for the words but none could be found.

She didn't even get the chance to try to apologize. In two seconds he was standing over her, his face as dark as those eyes that pierced right through her...