As I Breathe (One Breath at a Time: Book 2) (19 page)

What? I said, sweating bullets inwardly.

Storm answered
, “I’m just kidding. Relax, my little lady.”

A strange, unsettling tingle raced down my spine. My heart fluttered oddly and a warm heady feeling scattered to my limbs.

Why is this happening?”
I asked myself.
“It’s Storm’s voice. Something is different,”
I answered my own question
. Damn what did he do to his voice? He sounds so different. Is his voice more soothing than before? No,”
I said.
“Deeper?” I asked myself. “I don’t think so,”
I answered myself again, feeling a bit crazy.

But, something
was
different, what was it? Maybe, it was just my nerves. I felt over stimulated by the two men vying for my attention.

Wait...Storm’s not a man!
I yelled inwardly.

I pushed the thoughts away and fast. Especially, since he could hear them all now.

“Brielle...did I lose you in your thoughts
,” Storm said teasingly.
“I said I was only kidding...Doll.”

Storm was purposefully playing with me. What was with all the sweet pet names? I was getting hot in places I won’t mention, but mostly under my collar.

I replied to Storm,
Yeah, I thought so...you’re an angel and angels don’t punish good little girls.
I snapped inwardly at him,
Now disappear, troll!

Meanwhile, Jordan planted his tight athletic butt down next to me on my blanket. The palm of his hand found its way to my bare knee.

He gripped my flesh, in a not so tender manner. Spine chilling goose bumps raced over my skin. I almost stopped breathing in that moment. A feeling of panic rose in me. Jordan’s touch made my skin crawl, but after a moment of panic, I calmed down. I reckoned I would grow to love his touch much more than I did in the moment.

Something was nagging me. Why did Storm call me his little lady?
Gross.
I tried not to focus on him.

“
Hey, pay attention to me when I speak to you,” Jordan demanded, yanking on my ponytail.

“
Ouch,” I squealed.

“
Did he hurt you?”
Storm abruptly asked.
“I’ll castrate him with my fingernails if he ever touches you.”

No Storm
, I said.
Ac-hoo! I have a cold. Jeez. Go away.

“
I’m not feeling like you want me here,” Jordan pouted half-jokingly.

“
Yes...of course I do.” I secured my ponytail in my hand. I wasn’t sure how Storm would stand true to his word when it came to taking Jordan’s manhood away, but for some reason I didn’t doubt him, while wondering what the hell his nails looked like. The thought caused me to shudder to the bone. “I was just distracted by a thought.” My eyes darted over the sky. “Isn’t it a lovely spring day?” I bit out another lame segué.

“
Yeah, I heard you get lost in your own head.”

“
Huh? Who said that about me?” I shot back defensively.

“
Don’t worry about it—it’s not a big deal. It doesn’t matter to me if you talk to yourself out loud.” He chuckled, and pinched my waistline.

“
Stop it, please,” I giggled and squirmed from Jordan’s reach. “Who said I talk to myself?” I demanded to know.

“
The entire school knows you’re a little freak. But I like it. You’re fucking hot as shit. A little freakiness is cool with me,” Jordan blurted out.

Hopefully, you’re a freak in the bed, too,
The words, said in Jordan’s voice echoed in my mind. How did Storm manage for me to hear Jordan’s private thoughts?

“
Do you hear how he’s disrespecting you?”
Storm retorted. I ignored him in the moment, trying to keep the three-way conversation straight.

“
Whoa...I’m not a freak,” I bristled.

Storm, you can hear Jordan’s thoughts, too?
I asked Storm telepathically.

“
If I choose to I can hear every one of them,”
he replied.

Hum this might be good, then again, maybe not,
I said to myself.

“
Brie...everyone has demons.” Jordan paused and his eyes met intensely with mine.

“
Yeah, and her demon is going to kick your human ass!”
Storm bellowed.

Oh Lord, Storm! Stop, he’s trying to understand me.

“No, he’s trying to get in your pants,” Storm grumbled.

I ignored Storm’s unsolicited comment.

Jordan’s voice drew me back into our conversation. “Hey, no disrespect, but being a little freak behind closed doors is good if you catch my drift.”

“
I’m going to kick your drift,”
Storm yelled.

“
No, not really.” I glowered at Jordan. Poor Jordan, if only he knew how much trouble Storm could’ve caused him, maybe he would have behaved a little more politely. At the time, it didn’t seem fair that we had to have Storm’s watchful eyes peering over our shoulders.

“
I just thought—if you date me and all—nothing, not a thing will ever happen between us until you’re ready. I know you’re not like Tracy. She’s a slut...and I’m a very patient man when I like a girl,” Jordan said so sweetly.

Inevitably, Storm ranted on,
“The only patient you will be is one in a hospital when I’m done with you.”
His voice drummed against my head.

God, Storm, Jordan can’t hear you, but you’re giving me a headache.

“Relay the message,”
Storm quipped.

Forget it. You do it yourself,
I demanded..
Good luck with that one,
I said in a smartass tone. Later, I’d live to regret that I’d even uttered the words. Storm loved a challenge. I sighed both inwardly and outwardly to stall for time with Jordan.
Fine, Storm, I’ll handle this if it will keep the lion in you quiet,
I stammered, feeling defeated.

“
Jordan, I appreciate hearing that you’re this kind of guy, but Tracy has never been promiscuous. That’s kind of mean of you to say so,” I tenderly scolded Jordan the best I could to keep Storm a bay.

“
I’m mean?” Jordan asked, his tone heated. “She’s the one who’s acting like a bitch. Do you know she’s spreading all kinds of lies about me,” he argued his side, nostrils flaring, and his eyes narrowed to small slits.

Storm fumed, “
That’s because she wouldn’t—”

My inner thoughts interrupted him.
I can’t hear you, Storm. So butt out!

Storm wore on, pleading his case,
“He’s lying. Tracy is hurting because of this narcissistic creep—”

“
Stop, I don’t care,” I yelped out loud, quickly covering my mouth. Too late the words had spilled out.

“
Wow. I thought you liked me and would be on my side.” Jordan pushed up to leave.

“
No, it’s my—yes, I do like you. I don’t care what Tracy has said. I’m sure she is lying as you say.” My voice quivered as I motioned for Jordan to sit back down.

“
Are you sure? You don’t sound too convincing to me,” Jordan pouted.

I placed my palm over Jordan’s hand. “The truth will come out if she is lying. I promise,” I said, reassuringly.

Jordan said, frowning, “I’m no angel, Brie.”

“
That’s an understatement,”
Storm butted in for the umpteenth time.

“
Who is?” I said pointedly, hoping Storm would get the hidden message. “Are there really such things as angels, anyway?”

“
Compared to him, I am a god!”
Storm bellowed so loudly it caused my brain to shake.

A god...of what, Storm? Earthworms?
I laughed inwardly.

“
No way. Angels are for losers. They’re a joke.” Jordan cracked up laughing, flapping his arms like wings.

A knot twisted in my stomach, sickened by Jordan’s lack of spiritualism, combined with what Storm might do.

Storm warned Jordan in his own way.
“You won’t be laughing when one carries your ass to the dark side.”

The wind kicked up and caused Jordan’s hair to spray out like someone was pulling it in all directions. A buzzing noise filled the air around us.

Jordan swiped his hands wildly into the air.
“Fuck, what is that, is there a bee around me?”

I leapt to my feet but saw nothing there.

“It’s just me, relax,”
said Storm, followed by a drum roll of laughter.

Cute, Storm.
I rolled my eyes upward as Jordan jumped up, ran in a circle, and then sat back down, trying to look cool about it. He didn’t.

Jordan laughed off this sudden scare. “I’ll kill anything that tries to sting me.”

I studied him for a second, suppressing a smile. Guys are so complicated at times. They’re so afraid to show emotion or fear, especially over something or someone smaller than themselves.

“
I don’t blame you, I’m allergic to bees,” I said, followed by an uncomfortable pause. “Are you too?”

“
Yeah, did you notice how he ran for cover and didn’t give a whirl about you?”
Storm pointed out the obvious. It was unfair that Storm used his egotistic powers to make Jordan look like a fool.

Storm was determined to ruin my love life. My stomach knotted and turned.

“I don’t like anything that has wings,” Jordan admitted carelessly.

“
Not even birds?” I asked, adding a pitchy emphasis on the word birds.

“
They’re disgusting, dirty creatures,” Jordan said bluntly. “I used to shoot them with my BB gun when I was a kid.” He released a sinister laugh.

“
Aww, boys will be boys.” I teased. “I think birds are one of the most beautiful creatures soaring through the skies.” I had my opinions too and wasn’t afraid to express them, even if they didn’t concur with Jordan’s.

“
Hmmm,” He growled under his breath, casting his eyes over his shoulders, still on the lookout for the imaginary bees Storm had conjured up.

“
I wish I had wings. Wings like an angel to fly.” I barked a laugh that embarrassed me.

“
You are an angel.”
I heard Storm whisper in the recess of my mind. I suppressed a shiver running up and down my spine, brought on by the caress of his deep voice. It was ridiculous that my body had even reacted to his comment.

Jordan’s response was that of many people. “I don’t believe in angels...they’ve never helped me. Everything I’ve accomplished has been on my own.” He squared his shoulders proudly.

“Well, I would like to believe angels are real...but who knows, right?” I said dully. Despite how much I liked Jordan, and I wanted him to like me just as much, I couldn’t deny my beliefs.

“
That’s cool. Believe in angels if you want to. I have bigger issues right now. All I know is that what Tracy has been saying is bullshit!” Jordan hit the ground with his fist.

“
It’s okay. It will all blow over I’m sure. Most rumors do,” I said methodically. According to Jordan, apparently my peers talked about me all the time too. It didn’t rile me up as Tracy’s rumors did Jordan. Testosterone rules men! I kept my eyes glued on him, unable to concentrate, and worried that Storm would interrupt any second.

“
I hope so—and if you have any pull with angels tell them that this bitch is lying her ass off,” Jordan inflamed.

“
About what, Jordan?” I hesitantly asked.

“
It doesn’t matter...just tell your angels to make this whore vanish.”

Sure enough, Storm interrupted again.
“He’s the one who should vamoose!”

I lashed out,
Shut-up Storm, he’s confiding in me.

Focusing with all my might, I said to Jordan, “Whatever is going on with Tracy it’s going to be okay, Jordan. I will talk to my angel for you.”
I couldn’t believe I just blurted that out. I held my breath, fearing what Jordan would say.

“
That’s kind of weird, Brielle, but damn, I like your cuteness.”

“
I really like you, too.” I lowered my eyelashes, blushing and swallowed hard. Unexpectedly, Jordan hugged me.

“
What...I didn’t know you liked monsters,”
Storm growled.

Quiet...honestly, Storm. He’s hurting.

I heard a heavy breath escape from Storm’s lungs, if that was what they were. I’d always imagined he had gills instead of lungs.

Jordan said pointedly, much to my surprise, “Really? I didn’t think you liked me at all.”