We Could Have Happened.

Chapter 32 : "whispers"

When I'm away,

I will remember how you kissed me,

under the lampost back on Sixth street,

hearing you whisper through the phone,

'wait for me to come home'.

- Photograph : Ed Sheeran

{Levi pov}

"I'm sorry, Echo. It's not looking too good, it's spread a whole lot more, and the medication isn't going to work at its best capability anymore. We just have to hope now." The doctor told us, while we were at the hospital for Echo's treatment.

She nodded, squeezing my hand, and said "Thank you." We got up and left the doctor's room. There was absolutely no words exchanged between us, just silence, her hand still in mine.

We sat in my car for a while, before I asked her, "Wanna get ice cream?"

She turned her head towards me, leaning against the car seat, nodding, her lips curved into a smile.

We entered the ice cream parlour, ordered and sat down at a quiet corner.

She didn't say anything, so I broke the ice, "Wanna play a game?"

Her ears perked up, "What game?"

"Hmm, how about 21 questions?"

She chuckled before agreeing, "Okay, I'll go first."

"Erm, did you really break up with Sierra because she didn't like the scent and the stereo system?"

"Partly, yeah I guess. But mainly, I broke up with her because I realised I was in love with someone else." I winked at her, and she shyly tucked her hair behind her ear.

"My turn." I said. "How long exactly did you have a crush on me?"

"The day you came back after you went to your grandfather's place."

"Wow, that's really long ago."

The game continued on and it was finally her turn to ask me the last question, "Will you promise me you will find someone else if I go?"

I paused, I did not expect her to ask me that.

"Echo...I-I can't, and you know that." I replied.

"Levi, you deserve the world, I don't want to hold you back from your future, you would be a great husband, the best father, and I-I can't give you that, so please, promise me, please, hmm?"

"Let's go, I've got to get back to work, I'll send you home first." I didn't want to answer her at all, what she said was ridiculous, about finding someone else, I can never imagine myself with anyone else but her.

{Echo pov}

I sighed at his response, he was surely hard to convince, but I really wanted him to promise me that, I wanted him to be happy.

It was late, and he wasn't back yet from work. I pranced around the living room, anxiously waiting for him. He was never this late. I was about to call him, when I heard the door open. I ran to the door, only to see him drunk, very drunk, with his male colleague holding him up.

"Ms.Echo?" The colleague asked.

I put Levi's arms around my shoulder, "Yes, thank you for bringing him home." I thanked the colleague before closing the door, dragging Levi in.

I sat him down on the sofa, and just as I was getting up to bring him a glass of water, he pulled me back down with him.

"Stay." He said, eyes closed, and face red from too much alcohol in his system.

He leaned back against the sofa, and I straddled his lap, legs on both sides of his legs, my arms placed on his chest to steady myself, and his around my waist.

"You're so fucking beautiful." He said, squeezing my waist.

"Levi, let me get some water for you, hmm? You're drunk." I said, softly.

"I'm drunk." He laughed softly, like he was in disbelief. "Don't go." He added, after a while.

"Okay."

He opened his eyes slightly, saying, "You're my sweetheart." He smiled.

I exhaled a soft breath, "Levi, why did you drink so much?"

He shook his head frantically, "I'm not drunk." Clearly he was drunk, but drunk Levi was undeniably an adorable one.

He suddenly pulled me forward, closer to his chest, while he buried his face into my chest, his hands holding me in place.

"I don't want you to go. Don't go, Echo."

I gently brought one of my hands to massage his hair while he was leaning on my chest, replying, "I'm not going, Levi."

"Yet." I whispered.

He held me tighter, "I hate seeing you in pain, when I can't do anything about it. I can't fix it, Echo. It hurts, so bad."

"You've already fixed me, Levi. You don't have anything else to fix." I whispered.

He leaned back, placing his hand on his heart, "It hurts here, it fucking hurts." He whispered, voice hoarse, tears brimming from his eyes.

I moved to kiss his hand that was on his heart, "There, I kissed it better", tears streaming from my own eyes.

He grabbed my face, and kissed me. The kiss wasn't soft or gentle like he would usually kiss me, this kiss was hard, rough, bittersweet, like it was our last. He kissed me like there was no tomorrow, like I was going to leave him, all his emotions poured into one damn kiss.

"You drive me fucking crazy, and I don't want you to press the brake, I want you to keep driving me crazy for you." He whispered against my lips.

Our foreheads touched, when he unexpectedly leaned back against the sofa, taking out his phone to call someone.

My brows furrowed, and I heard my phone that was beside me on the couch ring. I picked it up, seeing his name on the caller's ID.

"I fucking love you, sweetheart." He whispered on the phone, before passing out, falling in deep sleep.

I put down the phone, and kissed his forehead, before getting up.

I sat down beside him, watching him closely, taking all of his features in, like it was the last time I'd see him. 

I felt my eyes closing, feeling sleep take over me, I moved closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder, intertwining my fingers with his.

The whole world fell silent, the lights illuminating from the window across us, looking at the galaxy pendant around my neck and the star bracelet on my wrist which made me smile softly.

And before I closed my eyes completely, I pressed my lips to his one last time, whispering the words I wished he could hear forever, "I love you, Levi."