CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:
THE SAME QUESTIONS

"AM I BEING IMMATURE? I feel like I'm being immature about this." Echo huffed, placing her hands over her eyes. Sam looked down at the girl from his spot behind the couch. He shrugged his shoulders.

"You're just worried for her well being. You have every right to be upset. I would be pissed too. Well, actually, I am." Sam stated. Echo removed her hands and looked up at him.

"Put aside your drama for a second, and give me real life human advice." Echo begged. Sam rolled his eyes at the girl.

"Put yourself in her shoes." Sam suggested. "If you were an eighteen-year-old that was asked to be turned by someone you loved with every ounce of your soul, would you change to make them happy or would you change because you felt like it would be your only chance to be with them for eternity?"

"I-" Echo cut herself off as she let out a sigh. "The second one. But I'm twenty-five. She's eighteen. I've been through college and everything, she's only been through high school. She can't even legally drink yet!"

"Let's just agree to disagree."

"But I don't want to agree to disagree." Echo whined.

"Oh stop being such a child." Sam rolled his eyes.

"I never got the chance to be a child so I'm doing that now." Echo defended. "Also, this conversation stays between us. If Jacob finds out-"

"He'll do something irrational. Yeah, I know." Sam spoke. "Are you going to move or are you just going to sleep on the couch."

"Nah, I'm comfortable. I'll just stay here." Echo nodded. Sam nodded his head before giving her a pillow as well as a blanket.

"Goodnight, E. Get some sleep. Don't stay up because of this." Sam sternly said. Echo nodded her head before turning on her side. She closed her eyes and was met with a dreamless sleep.

꧁꧂

Echo woke up the sound of her phone ringing. She let out a groan before squinting her eyes and grabbing the device. She looked at the caller ID only to see Bella calling. She rolled her eyes and placed her phone back down. It stopped ringing. Echo closed her eyes again, trying to get as much sleep as she could seeing as she had the night shift. Her phone rang again. She looked at it, seeing Bella's name again. She ignored it again. This time, she turned her phone completely off.

Echo dozed off again. She gained another hour of sleep before waking up to a banging on the door. Echo let out a groan.

"Go away, I'm trying to sleep!" Echo growled. The door swung open and Echo opened her eyes to see Bella standing there. Echo rolled her eyes. "Bella, I have third shift. Can we talk later?"

"No. We need to talk now." Bella stated, closing the door behind of her. Echo looked at her before sighing and sitting up. She let her hair down that she had placed in a ponytail the night before and looked at her sister.

"What. What could you possibly need." Echo asked, pushing her legs off of the couch allowing her to be in a sitting position.

"I'm going to visit mom this weekend." Bella answered.

"That's nice. Have fun." Echo bitterly said, giving her sister a sweet smile.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to come with me. If you don't, I was going to give Edward the other ticket."

"Give it to him. I don't want to have to see her face if I can help it." Echo answered, pushing herself up off of the couch and entering the kitchen. Bella followed her. Echo fixed herself a glass of water and turned to face Bella.

"Are you really not going to talk to me after last night?" Bella asked.

"I'm talking to you now aren't I?" Echo asked, taking a sip of her water.

"In short sentences." Bella grumbled.

"Just give me some time, Bella. I need to process this." Echo sighed, placing the glass down as she ran a hand through her dark locks. Bella nodded her head.

"Are you going to come home tonight?" Bella asked.

"I just said I have third shift. I'm working until seven tomorrow." Echo reminded. Bella nodded her head. "What time do you leave?"

"Ten tomorrow." Bella answered. Echo nodded her head.

"I can drop you off at the airport if you want me to." Echo softly said. Bella sent her a small smile as she nodded her head.

"I'd like that."

꧁꧂

Echo sat in the empty hospital. She had a coffee in her hand and she was sitting at the desk Alyssa was usually at. She spun around in the chair, playing solitaire on the computer until she heard the door open. She looked up and was surprised to see Carlisle enter.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be home?" Echo asked, taking another sip of her coffee as she focused her gaze back on the computer. The vampire shrugged his shoulders.

"Thought I'd keep you company."

"Shouldn't you keep your children company?" Echo asked.

"You sound annoyed."

"Oh do I? I didn't notice." Echo mumbled. Carlisle walked behind the counter, grabbing a chair of his own and sitting down right behind of Echo. She slowly turned the chair to face him and he gave her a small smile. Echo couldn't help but smile back.

"Alright, talk to me. What's wrong?" His gentle and soft voice sent chills down her spine. Echo looked at him before letting out a soft sigh.

"Bella and I got into another argument." Echo mumbled, fidgeting with the coffee cup in her hand. "Did you know?"

"You're going to have to elaborate, love."

"About Bella being turned after she graduates." Carlisle nodded his head.

"Yes, I knew. But, I thought she had told you so I didn't say anything about it." Carlisle answered.

"Is it wrong for me to be upset with her?" Echo asked. "She has her whole life ahead of her and she just wants to throw it away so that she can be with Edward for the rest of eternity. No offense."

Carlisle sent her a small smile, shaking his head slightly. "None taken. We all took a vote, actually. She asked that of us. We all said yes for our own reasons, except for Rosalie who voted no."

"Remind me to thank her the next time I see her." Echo mumbled.

"Edward is hoping she'll change her mind."

"That makes me hate him a little less."

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did." Echo smiled. He rolled his eyes at her, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yes, you can ask me anything."

He looked hesitant to ask. Echo placed her empty coffee cup in the trashcan and grabbed both of his hands, interlacing their fingers and sending him a small encouraging smile. "If you had the chance, would you change?"

"If you asked that of me I would. But that's different. If I changed, it would almost be like a fresh start. Yes, the memories would be there, but it would give me a second chance at being a better person." Echo shrugged her shoulders and let a soft smile cross her lips. "But, if my sister is going to become one, then I'm definitely going to become one. Can't protect her if she's stronger than me."

Carlisle opened his mouth to say something but Echo cut him off, furrowing her eyebrows. "I wonder what animal blood taste like." Carlisle shook his head and couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped his lips.

"Go home. I'll be fine by myself for a few hours." Echo's voice was in a whisper.

"Are you sure? I can stay." Echo stood up and he followed suit.

"Really, I'll be fine." Echo chuckled.

"Call me when you get home?"

"Of course." Echo smiled. The two shared a kiss before the vampire left the hospital, leaving Echo to sit there by herself with her thoughts that were running at a thousand miles-per-hour.

1,357 words
Authors note: So, I finished one of my stories today which means that I'll probably be starting my Jasper fic some time this week so be on the lookout for that!

I hope you all enjoyed! Stay safe! Until next time, bye my lovelies!♥️

@HAHA_LIFEISTOUGH