Breathe With Me (The Breathe Series Book 3) (15 page)

Dad holds his anger at bay, simply glowering at Mitch and possibly noticing my artwork on his face as well. I look down, pushing my entire back into the door again and hoping that I could somehow camouflage myself within the grains of the wood or disappear entirely.

“You…” He snaps his hand into the air, pointed only a foot or so away from Mitch’s chest. “I want to know exactly what was going on out here!” His tone holds no amount of kindness or approachability. “Someone better start talking real fast.”

“Or what…” Mitch says slowly, pushing every one of my buttons.

Dad instantly steps forward, right into his face and although Mitch is more than likely twenty or so years younger than him, Dad looks menacing next to him. He makes no efforts to back away, almost testing him.

Dad’s hand darts back up, this time digging into Mitch’s chest. “Don’t try my patience, kid. You may be bigger than me, but you are still just a snot faced little punk. What did you say to my daughter and what would justify her giving you that pretty little mark on your face?”

I cringe at his icy tone and wait, worried that he may turn it on me once Mitch delivers the truth of what we were discussing. Dad makes no move as Mitch coolly looks down at the finger jabbing into him. He moves his hand up and brushes Dad’s finger away from his body and finally recedes back towards the edge of the dock.

“We were just discussing how your precious little angel gets around,” he says, teeth gritted and a tight face while locking eyes with my father.

“I suggest you reword that. I won’t have someone talk about her like that.”

Mitch sidesteps, raising the corners of his lips into a somewhat evil grin. My stomach sinks with what he may say the more Dad pushes.

“Dad, let’s just go.”

“We will go when I say…” he keeps his voice direct, but his eyes never shift to me; they remain still, dead set on Mitch.

Raising his hands, Mitch surrenders. “Listen, dude, I’m not trying to start anything. I was just looking out for my little brother since they are both so young…”

I don’t even think. “That’s a lie!” My eyes go wide as I step forward and let my words fly. I know better than that. He could really give a crap about his brother.

Mitch looks past Dad to me, a cocky surprised expression on his face. “Oh, you mean you weren’t just knocking boots with my brother about fifteen minutes ago in his camper?!

“That is enou…” Dad starts, but I don’t even let him finish.

“You aren’t looking after Evan and we didn’t…” I’m seconds away from denying one of the most life-altering, tender moments of my life.

“Whoa, whoa…careful what you deny, because I’m sure my brother will confide in me what really happened.”

“He would not!” I spit out, balling my fists so tight the blood flow to my hands is sure to slow.

“Piper, that is enough. Let’s…” dad starts in again; this time Mitch interrupts him.

“Or would he?! I’m sure your dad would be interested in knowing you got a little busy with Trent too.” He smiles as all air leaves my lungs.

I shift my eyes to Dad. His eyes go dead, lifeless as his entire face shifts to an indescribable expression that I’ve never seen before. My head whirls and spins and my heart plummets to the pit of my stomach like a stone being tossed into a river; I’m crushed, in absolute anguish and want nothing more than to run and to keep running until there is no feeling left in my body. Silence surrounds us for what seems to drag on for an eternity before Mitch opens his intrusive, uncompassionate mouth again.

“What, no denying that?” He chuckles and Dad’s face goes white as he turns slowly around to face him.

“I suggest you leave now.” It comes out as a whisper with the hint of a threat and something about the way he says it scares me more than if he would have screamed it.

“Mitch, hey…” I look past them and see that Mitch’s friend Tristan, decided to join in on my humiliation. “Let’s go, man.”

He doesn’t budge as his friend nudges him, placing his hand on his shoulder. Mitch and my father continue their stand off as I remain frozen in terror of so many people knowing my secret; knowing something that I have worked so hard to shove down into the very bottom of my soul; something I trusted to only one person and one person alone. Oh God. He told him; he betrayed me. He shared one of the scariest and most shameful moments of my life with his brother. Someone that is likely to tell anyone and everyone with no concern of whether it would make me look like a fool, or something dirty and vile for allowing it to happen. Who all knows? Why would Evan have told him? How could he?

Ice surges through my veins and the fluttering sensation that resided in my heart only minutes ago subsides. Mitch’s voice interrupts my thoughts and I realize Dad hasn’t moved a muscle or said a word.

“Oh what…” He places his hand over his mouth, mockingly. “You mean you didn’t know that?” His eyes dart to me, but Dad stays still, his shoulders slumped forward. Mitch looks back to him as Tristan reaches his hand back up to coerce him away from the scene.

“Man, let’s just go.”

“No disrespect, really,” Mitch ignores his friend and starts in with his best performance yet, however, I’m not fooled. He’s enjoying this, torturing me, for what reason I have no idea. I think he is one of those sick individuals that only get self-gratification at the mercy of someone else’s demise or utter mortification. “I just thought that’s something you might want to know about.”

Finally, Mitch turns to go with his pal, stepping away slowly in the direction of the convenience store at the end of the dock.

Dad remains in his stance and although I cannot fully see his face, I can make out the same humiliation and defeat in his posture that I hold in my own. He is ashamed of me; he thinks I am dirty and indecent. I look up towards the sky, wishing this whole day away…every…single…bit of it. There is nothing about this day that I do not regret. The stretched out silence that rings out in my ears is disturbed by an array of noises. All this time, the splashing of water in the distance, skiers darting by out on the lake with a whoosh, yells and laughter and the usual tranquil hums of nature that now just seem like an annoyance, all slam into my eardrums and snap me back into reality.

The shuffling of fabric joins the symphony of sounds as Dad gradually turns to face me. I glance up, straight at his face, scared to death to stare him in the eye, yet I look anyways. His eyes don’t even make contact with my face, they focus on the dock below his feet as if he is studying it or thinking.

With a deep breath, he opens his mouth and I cringe. Tears begin to flood my eyes before he can even say a word.

“Piper…” it comes out through what sounds like gritted teeth. He’s mad at me. “We are leaving…now.” The same whisper he used with Mitch is now being turned on me, free of the threatening tone, but replaced with an urgency.

“Dad,” my voice quivers and I barely hold the tears back. “I didn’t…”

“I know. We will talk about it when we get back to the cabin.” Finally, he looks around, glancing from side-to-side as if he is just now aware that we are in plain sight of everyone in the camp ground. Oh God, who all heard? “Let’s go.” He moves past me without another word.

I don’t move as he walks around me like I’m some stranger he is passing on the street. All I want is for him to throw his arms around me and tell me it’s ok. I’ve kept this pent up inside me for so long, only trusting one person to keep my secret, yet here it is; it’s out. Dad knows, but now, rather than the comforting arms of support that I’ve always hoped for had he found out, I’m hit with the same wave of disgrace that I felt back then, only it’s being tossed in my face. I’m being made to feel that it was in fact my fault. Am I misreading this?

I stare down at the dock where Dad’s feet had been, only he is now walking in front of me, heading off the dock.

“Dad,” my voice vibrates once more. “I need to explain. What he said about Trent…”

“Piper!” he snaps with the tapping of his shoes against the wood surface of the dock immediately coming to a stop. “Let’s go now,” his voice cracks, telling me he is not mad; he doesn’t necessarily blame me. He knows; he doesn’t want to hear an explanation; he already knows I didn’t do it of my own free will.

Just as my tears spill over, running down my cheeks and dripping down my chin I see the one face that I have come to look forward to each and every time I am out here, only now, it turns my blood cold. Every fiber of my body tenses.

Evan looks at my dad and although I would think Dad would want to punch him or tell him to stay the hell away from me, he does nothing. He moves off the dock and keeps on his path to our cabin. My gaze leaves Dad and returns to Evan; I look right into his eyes.

Instantly cocking his head back, he shoves his feet into the ground and abruptly stops. Nothing about him looks the same to me anymore. The corners of his mouth tick with the hint of a smile before going blank. Alarm quickly takes over every curve of his face as his forehead crinkles in confusion. Grinding my back teeth together, the subtle scraping sound furthers my craze over this entire situation. I suck in a shaky breath, trying my best to remain calm even though my adrenaline level is pushing me forward. It is urging me to get in his face after having to hold it back with Mitch. I wanted to punch him, not just slap my hand across his face like a pissed off woman in one of those old movies. Now that rush of anger is spilling out of me and directed right at the one who started it all.

“Everything ok?” He seems clueless and that makes my temper flare.

“How could you?!” I hiss in a quiet yet venomous tone that makes him wince.

“I don’t…”

“I trusted you.” Both of my hands ball tightly at my sides, glued to my hips as I lean forward so that maybe my words will hit him like a punch to the gut. “How could you?” The same words are on constant repeat in my mind, echoing over and over. I don’t understand.

The mere thought of him trying to comfort me in any way, or touch me, or even the thought of how we were earlier stirs an uneasy feeling within me as if I’m back at that night. This whole thing does; all of it…his deception, his brother’s intrusive way of telling me and now my dad finally knowing the truth.

I hold my hand out to stop him from making contact with any part of my body.

“Don’t touch me,” I whisper, squeezing my eyes closed on my words. I hate feeling this; I don’t want to feel this. Why would he do this; why? How could he?

“Piper…” his voice carries an innocence that I’ve never heard before.

It pulls my eyes open, but it does nothing to shake the stronghold that the betrayal, lies and deception have on my heart.

“I don’t understand, but I’m sure I could explain if you…”

“Evan…don’t talk to me…” I continue in on my line of new rules in our relationship; on our now non-relationship. That thought rips me in two. The one person in this world that I knew I could trust and I now find out that he has violated me and left me with a crushed, more oppressed feeling than what Trent did.

I open my mouth again as Evan remains completely still with a pained expression painted on his face. “Don’t ever call me or come see me.”

I look at him as his eyes widen, emphasizing the heartache in them. That would usually stop me in my tracks, but not this time. This cannot be undone; this kills me.

“What do you mean? What about us? I mean…Piper, what’s this about?”

“How could you, Evan…How could you? I thought you…” I stop, realizing he’s never even said it to me. He doesn’t love me.

He shakes his head, still not getting it. I walk past him prepared to leave as Dad looks back from across the lot, motioning for me to follow along.

I turn one last time, to make it all clear for him.

“How could you tell anyone something so personal, something that I only told you? Why would you?”

“What?! Oh, no, no, no…” he looks around panicked, putting his hands up to try and stop me from leaving.

I back away. “This…” I point at him and back to me slowly, clamping my jaw closed for a second with a lump forming in my throat and my eyes misting over. “…is over. I don’t want to see you again.” I take a deep breath and let the tears fall, hoping they will wash away the dirty feelings. “I will never trust you again.”

“Wait, no…” he shakes his head and moves forward but I can’t, so I turn and run; again. I run from the pain; from the torment that night brought me when I was too innocent to know who not to trust. I had no idea that someone could be so cruel and vulgar in their actions. I race away with dread vibrating through me for what awaits, facing Mom and Dad; to know that they will finally see this deep dark secret that I’ve tried to erase for years. Will they hate me? …look down on me? …blame me?