Breathe With Me (The Breathe Series Book 3) (42 page)

“…three…wow…we can work with this. I think we may need to take our relationship to the next level…”

I shake my head, my stomach bouncing in laughter as I bring my hand over my eyes as if this topic is just too obscene to dive further into.

“So like do you…”

I peek out through my fingers, cracking up over how fast this conversation has amped up to a triple X-rating from my simple answer, yet there is something comforting that I can be completely myself with him, and him with me; free of fear or nervousness. Evan rambles on, asking more and more as I laugh, but all that repeats through my head is just how perfect of a day this is. I couldn’t ask for more.

“YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK
is sexy as hell?” I smirk, squeezing my arms around Piper right outside Academic Hall.

She quirks one brow, probably wondering if I may turn this into some sort of raunchy convo. I’ve been landing in the gutter a lot lately since she teased me last week with an answer I was not expecting. I’m not sure what gives me more pride as a boyfriend, her coming back with a smartass comment like that, the fact that she’s cool as hell or that she wears a size Double D and I can see those suckers any time I want now.

“My boobs?” She jokes as if she is tuned into the satellite signal that my brain runs off of.

I chuckle, looking down at her chest that is currently crushed against me and overflowing upward towards both of our chins as I hold her tightly and securely in my arms; it gives me the perfect view.

Flicking my eyes back to her seductively, I smile ridiculously with a warm sensation shooting through my body.

“Ahhh, yeah those too,” I pause, sighing. “I think the fact that you are so simple and don’t expect me to be taking you on big elaborate fancy dates complete with all these stupid ass gestures like flowers and chocolates…” I nudge my chin to the side as a girl walks by carrying a fluffy ass teddy bear that reads ‘I love you’ across it’s chest with a huge ‘Be my Valentine’ heart shaped balloon floating above it. Piper looks over and giggles as I go on, “But…I was thinking I just might want to take you out tonight.”

She’s never been one for going out on the town, just like me. Fast food and a movie is our idea of a perfect Friday night.

“You want to take me out for Valentine’s day?”

I draw my chin back, along with lowering my brows and mouth into a frown to mock my best offended expression. “What?! I do know how to be romantic…once in a while.”

Softening, her mouth twitches at the corners and her eyes brighten to a lighter brown like she just dialed them down.

“So just the two of us?”

I pulse my eyebrows upward, hoping she catches onto where those words lead my mind.
Just the two of us.

“If it is, do I get a reward at the end of the night?”

Her internal dial goes haywire with her eyes deepening and gleaming in exhilaration. “You just might,” her voice alone is enough to make me drag her off campus in true caveman fashion, minus the club. “If you play your cards right.” As always, her cool confident façade drops as if she’s scaling a high wire and suddenly lost her nerve. She zips it and goes into a shy smile with her lips pressed together and her eyes wide.

I squeeze her tighter, letting my fingertips linger at her waist between her shirt and jeans to soak up as much of her skin as possible.
This dry spell has got to go.
Since the last time we tried to cross that bridge, I’ve been practically playing the girl in this relationship, reciting phrases such as ‘no procreation’ or ‘I have a headache.’ She knows I’m just screwing with her, but it sure has been a swap in the needy department.

We’ve taken it slow, played around and had plenty of fun, but going all in is something I’ve held off on. There is still too much to discuss, and somedays I think it’ll never come up. She thinks she’s clever, switching the subject any time Trent’s name pops up or the day she shut me out of her life, but when she is diverting subjects, she’s totally on my turf at that point; I’m usually the king of avoidance, so she can’t fool me. I’ll respect her wishes and always go along with it. I keep hoping that there is a way to break through the wall she has built up over the years; a way that she can learn to let go of what happened and know the difference between the past and present. I wish I could help her with that, but I can’t.

The last few days I’ve been thinking about it and have decided to go with the flow. Used to be that when we tried to be a typical couple and give in to our horny little ways, it would result in her blacking out, halfway hyperventilating or soaking my sheets with a hysteria of tears. That in turn causes a wrecking ball sized knot to form in my stomach and a colossal cloud of guilt to roll over me like a ravenous thunderstorm about to wreak havoc on my conscience.

“Oh well if there’s something I do know how to do, it’s play cards. There’s no way I can lose. You better just plan to wear some edible panties and no bra to dinner tonight.”

Piper looks at me as if I just told her to chow down on a juicy ass cheeseburger and fries right in front of a homeless person. A grin breaks out over my face;
maybe I should swing by that gag store on the corner of third and Marshall Street and pick up a pair of actual edible undies; sure beats the hell out of teddy bears and balloons. Screw it; I’m not going overboard like Judd.
I left her something in her car that’ll make her smile; I’ll give her a real present later tonight.

The shock wears off her face as she speaks up, trying to match my sarcasm, “Well, let me get a pen and paper here and tell me where I can find this item. I assume you bought edible underwear before?” She tucks her bottom lip in as if she’s almost fearful for me to answer that question.

I kick my head back on a laugh; no way am I answering, instead I go for a more dramatic response, leaning in quickly to devour her lips.

“Wait just a minute…” Judd’s amused tone comes barreling at me, stopping me dead in my tracks just as I’m about to take a nibble of my Valentine. “I seem to recall you always telling me, ‘Oh, get a room, Judd’…’Stop making out in front of me, Judd’…’Don’t you two ever get enough of each other, Judd’…’Geez, why don’t you guys just throw down right here on the ground, Judd’…”

I roll my eyes, turning slowly to level him with a glare; it is possibly the same one he’s given me a time or two with that ridiculous excuse of a smile and that ugly ass dimple digging into his cheek.

“You need to have that damn thing surgically removed, you know,” I smirk, ready to kick up the sarcasm as Alyssa and Abby walk up behind him.

“No way,” she slides her arms around him from behind, staking her claim for all to see. “That is my favorite feature on him.”

I crack up. “Damn, burn!” I look at Judd, about to burst into stitches over her seemingly innocent and sweet comment. “Alyssa, even though that crater-like dip in his cheek may very well be the biggest feature on him, give the others a fair chance. I mean, he may just stop putting out if you don’t give the others equal attention.”

“Oh shut it, Evan,” she pipes up with the same sass that her sister usually exhibits.

I look over at Abby, currently clung to her phone in deep conversation.

“Evan, I give plenty of attention…” Alyssa stops midsentence as Abby hangs up the phone.

“Sure you do,” Abby giggles, teasing her sister.

“I thought you had to work,” Piper speaks up, looking at Abby. “Did you end up getting off after all?”

Abby bounces up on her toes like the Easter Bunny on speed, squealing and smiling like a fool. “Yep! I traded shifts with another girl, buuuuut…” She draws out her words, obviously super excited. I chuckle as she goes on, “I just got a call that I got a delivery of a huge vase of flowers.” She tilts her head side-to-side, sticking her tongue between her lips and doing some goofy ass dance.

I roll my eyes looking over at Judd, who’s got his arms wrapped around Alyssa as usual.
The sap level is turned up way too high here. What the hell am I talking about?
I just deposited a huge bouquet of roses in Piper’s vehicle a few moments ago; I have no room to talk.

“So what are your plans for the night?” Abby’s delight over the flowers that she has at the hospital seems to have made her millennium.

I hope the ones I left for Piper have the same effect. Actually, I hope they have a better one…like a super big reward at the end of the night. She looks over her shoulder to me, pointing with her thumb as if she’s preparing to hitch a ride.

“Going to dinner as far as I know. Evan, isn’t that what we’re doing?”

I release a huge sigh, dramatically rolling my eyes to the top of my lids and around, in what seems to be the entire perimeter of my eye socket, frustrated and knowing what the outcome of this will be. Sticking my tongue to the roof of my mouth with a smidgen of annoyance, I dart my eyes to Judd and Alyssa then back to Piper. “Yeah,” I breathe out.

Piper and Abby both begin to speak up, but Judd beats them to the punch, hopefully to my rescue.

“That’s what we are doing tonight too. I figured we’d keep it simple…dinner and that’s it. Everywhere will be packed more than likely. I made reservations at that new restaurant on fourth, Julianne’s. I heard it’s pretty good.”

My eyes widen, that’s the same damn place that I made reservations at. “Seriously?” What time are your reservations?”

“Is that where we’re going?” Piper asks in a giddy tone.

So much for surprises. How is it that Judd and I discussed stupid shit like sending them flowers and things we would prefer to get them, but never discussed the place we were taking both of our dates?
I cast Piper my best smart-aleck look, then turn back to Judd as he answers.

“Six o’clock tonight. You?”

I look quickly to the sky;
Why me?
Dropping my chin and shaking my head with my hands on my hips, I choke back the urge to laugh at the turn of events. Judd snickers and I look up. I don’t even have to say anything.

“Same time, huh?”

I nod, smiling about the odds of us planning the same thing, at the same time, and the exact same restaurant in town when there are a million others.

“Julianne’s?” Abby announces in an over-the-top enthusiastic tone that automatically makes me aware that this is going to turn into one big non-touchy-feely date. “I heard it’s awesome too. I bet I can get all of our meals comped.” She holds her phone up with a huge grin on her face, but all that’s repeating in my head is:
our. Yep, it’s gonna be a party.

“Oh yeah, that’s Lanie’s mom’s restaurant.” Piper’s eyes gleam as she joins in on Abby’s excitement.

“Yes and I guarantee if I tell her we are all coming, she’ll do us a favor. She’s been trying to get me to come try it out for a while now. Sound good?”

Well, at least this is getting better; free meal, I can handle that.
I look at Piper, who is obviously on board, then to Judd, who glances to me with the same look in his eyes as I’m feeling. Pressing my lips together, I shrug.
It doesn’t matter to me; might as well.

Judd shrugs as well, cocking his lips to the side and emphasizing that stupid dimple. “Sounds good. So, six o’clock at Julianne’s?” He looks back and forth at each of us, getting us all on the same page as we nod our heads in agreement.

“Cool. I’ll call Lanie then.” Abby announces, turning to Piper. “Ok if I swing by to get ready at your house?”

Piper snaps her head to me, skeptically as if I might have a problem with this. I want no part of girls getting prepared for a date. With all the junk piled on the counter of the bathroom at Judd’s place, makeup, hair contraptions, way more personal hygiene items than I thought one person would need and things that personally scare me. Unless it involves a long period of nakedness, leave me out of getting ready. I will be happy to wait for the finished product. I urge her on with my eyes, widening them with a go-for-it, have-fun sort of grin.

“Ok, yeah. I’m headed home now.”

That reminds me.
“Judd, hey, before you run off, I need you to swing by the worksite with me. Grandpa wants me to bid my own job and the clients are swinging by at 4:00. It shouldn’t take too long and then you can go…” I pause, taking note of how all over Alyssa he already is before going on. “…do whatever you plan to do before dinner.”