Chapter 3:

You'll Hear Me Calling

"I didn't know it was going to happen Echo. I was with you the entire time. My dad is covering it up so it doesn't affect either of our lives. I was protecting us or else they'll come looking for you too." A younger Asher Millstone told his girlfriend of two years, Echo Roberts.

Echo was in disbelief. The innocent, goofy boyfriend she knew and loved was now being accused of being in a gang rape of a girl named Tiffany Howard, a girl she could barely remember from a month ago. Her and Asher had been throwing a party celebrating Asher getting into Middleton Law School. She remembered getting so drunk that her and Asher went into his room and had done the deed for the first time. It was Asher's first time but Echo was a seasoned veteran.

"Ash...I dropped out of school and I'm going on the road with my band. I'm not coming back anytime soon. I'm so sorry." Echo said getting up and walking towards the door.

"Why? What does this leave us? You're not going to visit me anymore? I can visit you on the road." Asher said in almost a pleading voice. Here she was, his perfect ray of sunshine and now she was leaving. He could feel his heart shatter.

"It's over Asher. We're leading two different lives. I want you to do great in law school, do it for yourself. I'm letting you go live your life." She said before leaning in and kissing him one last time before turning and walking out of the front door of his apartment on Middleton's campus.

"Echo please! Come back!" Asher ran to the door but by the time he got the door open, Echo's car was gone. Asher slammed the door and called Echo's phone but got no answer.

Hey it's Echo, Sorry I can't come to the phone. Leave one at the beep.

"Echo, I need you. I'm sorry for what is going on. Please come back. I love you." He pleaded into her voicemail.

Present Day

Thinking about everything and how it ended with Echo just made Asher upset. He was going to propose to her that Christmas. Now his father was dead and he was dating a murderer. He loved Bonnie, don't get him wrong, but you never forget your first. He sped his Mercedes up and headed to the one place he knew he'd get some answers, the police station.

Emily Sinclair was on a mission; she was going to bring down Annaliese Keating if it was the last thing she did. After confronting Nate Lahey after hearing about Lahey's harassment case against her, she dropped her case against him. She packed up her suitcase with her documents and files, said goodbye to the captain and walked to her car.

She was dead. Asher called Echo on the number he had for her. He didn't know what to do. Hearing the phone ring, his heart pounded and hoped she would pick up.

"Ash? That you?" Echo said in a quiet voice. She was walking to her car from consoling Mrs. Millstone when her cell phone rang. A picture of her and Asher together and kissing popped up when it did.

"Echo, I fucked up. I need you. I know I said this before but I really need you now." Asher rambled confused into the phone. He was sweating and shaking from what he had just done.

"Asher I need you to calm down. What happened? Talk to me please." Echo sounded worried. The only time he ever sounded worried was when he was telling her about the whole situation with Tiffany Howard. She was now worried about what he was going to say to her. With Asher it could be anything to knocking up a girl to failing an exam.

"Never mind. Sorry I bothered you. This isn't you job to worry about me anymore." Those were the only words Echo heard from him before the line went dead.

Author's Notes: Feel free to review! I'd love to hear from my readers. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted. I'll be posting more now that Thanksgiving is over with! Thanks for keeping tabs and following! :)