Breathe With Me (The Breathe Series Book 3) (2 page)

The screen door slams behind me and I turn, firmly gripping the rustic log banister and gritting my teeth. I’m already in a lousy mood and not sure I’ll be able to tolerate my brother the entire Christmas break.

“Your grandpa wants me to show you those heaters that need to be installed in the shower houses,” Dad’s smooth voice calls out behind me. He makes his way down the stairs and around the side of the cabin before I have time to move. “You coming?”

I shrug my shoulders to no one in particular and bounce down the three steps, joining him right as my ears pick up on the sounds of crunching gravel across the parking lot. Walking over by my camper, I glance around, catching a glimpse of Piper’s dad’s van.
Here we go. Let this torturous winter break begin.

After Dad shows me the three units I agreed to install in the shower houses, I make a quick run into the camper to check the heat and drop my bag, then head back to the porch. From here I have a great view of Piper unloading her bags.
A tad bit creepy maybe, but from afar is about the only time I can enjoy her presence anymore.
This past summer, she probably had no idea how much I watched her, wishing things could be how they used to be.

Her long, jet black hair catches in the wind and her arms immediately fold across her chest in an effort to warm herself. I can’t help but envy those arms; it used to be mine that would be wrapped around her.

Lifting the hatch of the old white van that her dad has driven for the past seven years, she pulls a red duffle bag out and hoists it over her shoulder along with a black case that looks like it houses her laptop. She crosses the lot and disappears into the cabin for a minute or two, only to return for more stuff. My eyes stay glued on her, waiting and wondering if she can feel my presence like she used to; if somehow she may be able to sense that I’m watching her.

At last, my curiosity is satisfied as she lugs a large navy suitcase out of the back of the van before slamming the hatch shut. The loud clank of the hatch echoes across the lake and back to me, but instead of turning and carrying on in the direction she has taken the last two trips, she comes to a dead stop, turning her head to look right at me. Standing a full twenty yards away, the anger in her piercing, deep brown eyes cannot be missed. Her dark brows dip down into a scowl as she stares right into my eyes as if she is shooting an arrow directly into my heart.
How do I make her not hate me, if she won’t hear me out?

I stare back in a deadly standoff, refusing to look away. Her gaze wavers as she looks down and then flicks her sights back up with a different expression; softer, almost sad. My heart is shredded by that look; torn from my chest, lying motionless on the ground bleeding out from the pain I have caused her.
She’ll never trust me again.

Once she turns and her sad, angry eyes leave mine, I watch her walk away with the suitcase rattling along behind her and I am reminded of the first day I ever saw her. The day I knew she needed to be in my life; in any way possible.

“Hey, did Grandpa tell you anything about the family that he sold cabin one to?” I call out to my brother as I hoist myself up onto the dock, feeling a sting in my biceps, and the heat from the sun already sucking up all the moisture that is dripping down my body.

My brother flops about in the water like a dog desperate to get to dry land. “A little. I know they have two kids, or well…I think one of them is their adopted nephew or something like that. The other is a girl around your age.”

I’m only thirteen, but my ears perk up at the mention of a girl my age. “Really?!” I ask, totally psyched to meet our new neighbors now. “When are they supposed to get here?”

Swimming around to the other side of the dock, my always-flexing-and-bragging-that-he-is-a-stud brother climbs up the metal ladder that is attached to the floating dock. I snicker to myself at what a wuss he really is as I sit on the edge, kicking my feet through the cool, misty lake water.

“I’d say that is probably them, now,” Mitch says, as he plops down beside me and vigorously shakes his head, spraying me with drops of water.

I snap my head up to the shore, instantly raising my hand over my eyes so that I can block the sun and get a better view. An older lady steps out first, followed by a man on the driver’s side then a guy that looks to be my brother’s age, from the back passenger side.

Then she steps out. Dark, black, tangles of hair hang down her back and nearly touch the waist of her jean shorts. She spins around as soon as her feet hit the gravel and gazes out to the lake, more than likely taking in the breathtaking beauty of this property.

Her ghostly pale skin tells me that she may need to invest in a boat load of sunscreen and her scrawny, boyish figure is a complete contradiction to the bright red girly bikini top that she is sporting.

As her eyes sweep the scenery beyond me, her mouth curves into a slight smile and I see a flash of color across her teeth; braces maybe. Her eyes continue on their journey until at last they land on me. Me; sitting on the edge of the dock, dripping wet in a pair of cut off jean shorts, my chestnut brown hair in bad need of a cut, a chest that has yet to discover puberty and legs that would make a chicken feel beefed up.

For a moment, our eyes lock and her smile grows, which instantly draws my mouth up at the corners to mock her expression.

“Piper, come on!” A shout sounds from the shore and she turns away from our trance.

My brother bursts out in laughter beside me and hops up. “Well, she’s a beaut! Good luck with that one! I’m out of here. Catch ya later.” With that he hops back into the water with a huge splash that soaks my nearly sun dried shorts and causes me to flinch, but I still don’t look away from the shore.

The girl runs off with a suitcase nearly as big as her, bumping along behind her. Once she gets to the cabin door, she turns back one more time; I assume for another look at the lake, but instead her eyes look to me and that amazing smile flashes across her face again.

No sooner than it happens, she darts inside, leaving me puzzled, curious and smiling from ear to ear with the hopes of finally…

…making a friend.

COZYING UP IN MY GRANDMA’S
rocker, I kick my feet up on the banister and watch as yet another vehicle pulls across the lot and parks right on the bumper of Piper’s van. The car door opens no sooner than it slams into park and out hops Abby. She hollers something into the car and the passenger side slides open. I would assume maybe Alyssa drove with her sister, but I know better. Judd had big plans and no way would they be driving separate; not unless his surprise didn’t go as planned.
That would suck! Here I have big plans for a quiet apartment soon!

Right then a muscle-bound, sandy-haired guy steps out of the side door and walks around to the trunk to join Abby. He looks familiar. I think I’ve seen him in a few of my classes and maybe even at Alyssa’s Halloween party. He and Abby gather gifts and bags, giggling and carrying on as they make their way to Piper’s cabin.

Once the door closes behind them something occurs to me and has my face crinkling into a disturbed frown from the thought.
Whose green truck is that, then?

Abby scurries back out, over to her car and happens to catch me watching. Fixing her eyes on me, she slams the trunk closed and crosses the lot as another car pulls in. I follow her eyes as she waves at the silver car with Skylar bopping her head like a freak to music I can’t hear.
Just what I need.

After this past summer, Skylar has become relentless in her pursuit of me. It’s not a bad thing. We did hook up a couple of times and she is completely insane in the sack, but it put me in an awkward position wondering if she has disclosed this information to Piper. I guess in the back of my mind, I haven’t closed the door on that, yet.

“Hey, Evan!” Abby’s spunky voice calls out as she walks up the stairs on the porch.

All of Piper’s friends are pretty cool, but Abby has always been my favorite; probably because she was around the summer that Piper and I became an item. She more than likely knows more details of our past relationship than anyone else, including Judd. I haven’t even told Judd all that happened that summer, three years ago. It was a memorable one for us all; the year Judd’s mom died, the year Tristan and Mitch became pals and even bigger jerks, and the year all hell broke loose here at the campground, thanks to my big mouth…

I smile and get up from the rocker, looking out in the distance as Skylar waves her arms in the air to get my attention.

“New guy?” I casually wave at Skylar and then nudge my head toward the blonde brute that had unloaded from Abby’s car earlier, which is now helping the rest of the girls with their bags.

Abby looks back and a warm smile covers her face as soon as she makes eye contact with him.
I guess so.

“Oh yeah, I think you met him at the Halloween party at Alyssa’s old apartment. That’s Hayden.” She looks back at me and there is no hiding that she is crazy about him.

Abby always seemed to fall hard, though. Hopefully, this time the dude is a good guy. She also has a knack for falling for the wrong ones as well.

I nod my head, remembering that I had indeed seen him briefly at the Halloween party before I had stormed out. “So, I guess it’s serious?” I smirk glancing back at the guy. At least she is moving up from my brother.

She looks at Hayden and shrugs her shoulders. “Who knows, but I like him,” she pauses and steps up a stair to smack me on the shoulder. “I better go. You gonna join us later on the beach? We’re going to have a huge bonfire.”

I nod my head, not knowing what my plans are for the evening, but I’m sure I’ll make an appearance.

“I’ll see you later then!” she hollers over her shoulder, racing off to join her guy.

The screen door slams shut behind me and I hear Mitch let out a low whistle.

“Mmmm…I miss that tail.”

I grit my teeth; he’s talking about gallivanting around with Abby a couple years back, when he treated her like complete crap.

Another snap of the door sounds and I glance back, seeing Dad.

“So what are we going to do today?” he says, stretching his arms above his head.

Mitch nudges his chin towards the beach where everyone has gathered, busy throwing logs in a pile. The girl’s giggle and laughter kicks up, bringing forth an array of flashbacks of this past summer; of just how miserable I was watching Tyler paw all over Piper. The same pain bolts through my heart as I put two and two together of who the owner of the green truck is, as he lazily arranges his hands around Piper’s waist. My jaw tightens and anger starts to surge through my veins as he slides his hands down further to her hips.
I know that shit isn’t going to fly with her.

One…two…three…

Piper spins around and shoves him away playfully, but I know better. I can tell she is playing off how uncomfortable she was when he touched her. I know all about it; been there.

“Well, well…I think I see something that could take up my time. She seems feisty.” I snap my head over to Dad, who has walked up beside me against the banister, currently eye-balling Piper.
Not cool!
He smirks, and the anger I was feeling only seconds ago magnifies.