Read Barely Breathing (Just Breathe) Online
Authors: Heather Allen
Alex glances back, I hold a thumb up to let him know I'm good.
What is it about this guy? I know nearly nothing about him but he makes the butterflies flutter around. Definitely not a swarm like Jack but a few are floating around. I shouldn't even be thinking about this. My heart is forever twisted out of shape, ruined forever because of Jack's choices.
Jack
, sigh, his anguished face from my dream floats to my mind. I know from past experience these dreams are not always a good thing. Actually every one that I've had since this mermaid thing came about, has come true. Call it a tell-tale future prediction, who knows. The latest is not one I want coming true anytime in the near future. I am really angry with him but I don't wish any harm to come to him. That would just take my twisted heart and break it in half.
Alex rounds a corner and he's out of my sight. As I round the corner the immense castle sits in front of me. I swim down the path and approach a couple swimming the other way. They stare me down the whole time until I pass them.
What is it with the people here? They always make me feel so uncomfortable.
The look on my face must speak a thousand words because Alex swims up beside me and whispers beside my ear, "Don't let it bother you."
I shrug it away not responding to him focusing only on the beautiful glittering structure in front of me. When I approach the gate, two guards swim forth and ask, "What is your business here?"
Alex swims up behind me and tells them, "She's with me." They step aside and open the gate allowing us to enter.
Alex stops in front of one of them and claims, "Actually, this is Ever Harding, Seamus's Great granddaughter, she should be granted access always."
The guard backs away with his hands up and hesitates, "Um, Mr. Raver, that is an order that must come directly from Seamus." Alex shakes his head angrily, grabs my hand and swims toward the castle.
Once we're inside I pull my hand away and tell him, "Really Alex, it's no big deal, I won't come here without you or Amber anyway."
He looks down and shakes his head. I stop in front of him and his beautiful green eyes meet mine. I look away. He places his finger under my chin and forces me to look at him. I can feel the warmth from him through the water. Feeling, really uncomfortable suddenly.
He tells me slowly, "Ever, this is your home now, you aren't just visiting anymore. You do realize that, don't you?"
I back away and look anywhere but those eyes, "I um, yes, it's just..."
He swims forth again and places his hands on my shoulders forcing me to look at him again, "You have to take this seriously. You must stay in the sea. You made this choice and the choice to fight with the Lior."
I feel as if something just slammed me right in my gut. Suddenly the nausea is rising again and I can't stop it. I swim the other way looking for somewhere that I can have privacy. The first room I approach is to the right of the door. I enter and quickly shut and lock the door behind me. It's a sort of sitting room. I wretch in the first corner I can find. All those apples I ate, gone... UGH! Not so good in the water, actually pretty disgusting.
I hear the handle jiggle and Alex pleading on the other side of the door, "Ever, come on, sorry, I really didn't mean to upset you."
Like it's his fault, I did this myself, obviously I have a hard time dealing with reality. I rush to the door slipping out, closing the door quickly behind me, "Ummm, I wouldn't go in there anytime soon, if I were you."
Alex looks down at me with pain in his eyes, "I really am sorry." I wave his apology away.
Better to not face reality at the moment, I'm good at that.
I swim to where the hallways meet, three different directions and look back at him. He glances at the middle hallway and I take off not looking to see if he's following me. Embarrassment will do that to you.
I officially suck at shooting an arrow from a bow. We have been at it for the better part of an hour and I have hit not even close to our makeshift target.
Sara checks her watch and sighs, "It's 4:30, what time did you say your mom will be home?"
"She should be home soon, I think we should stop for the day." I can tell she's getting frustrated with me. My mom will be home so I decide to let her off the hook. Obviously this method of fighting isn't for me.
She turns to me with a serious look on her face, "You know we have to keep trying until we find the one you prefer."
I nod looking down, "I kinda figured, so no spear throwing, and no bows and arrows."
I take a deep breath and look into her beautiful eyes, "What's next?"
Her aqua eyes seem to glimmer as a smile spreads across her lips, "How about we try actual fighting next?"
I frown, "You mean like hand to hand combat? Who will train with me?"
She puts her hand on her hip and juts it out with a disappointed look as if I just completely insulted her.
Her frown changes into a look as if she has a secret, "You don't think I know how to fight."
Oh, she is just so gorgeous and spunky. Did I just call her spunky? Crap, what is wrong with me
? I stammer, "Well it's not that, just look at you." I gesture with my hands out in front of me, "You're like tiny and small, and I'm tall and...a lot bigger than you."
She shakes her head gathering the bows and arrows. Then she stops, looking straight into my eyes as serious as I have seen her yet, "James Harding, I am a serious threat when it comes to fighting, you should remember that tomorrow, when I kick your ass." She grins a wide smile as she finishes her sentence.
Then she punches me in the arm playfully and laughs, "And just for your information I am 5'4, on land and not so small in either of our worlds. You're just... tall and... big... in both of our worlds."
I shrug my shoulders, I can't really argue with that. I am tall, 6'2 and bigger than many of the guys in my class. It just runs in the male part of my family, I guess. My mom and Ever definitely didn't end up with that gene, probably good for them though.
I walk her through the house to her car. After she loads the bows and arrows, she turns before she climbs in and tells me, "I'll see you in school tomorrow."
I nod and add smiling, "And after school... I'm really scared about that ass kicking."
She punches my arm again and gets in her car grinning. I watch her zoom off. That girl is something else, I have never met anyone like her before. I shake my head trying hard not to dwell on the feelings she makes me feel, and head back in the house to tackle the enormous amount of homework I have.
***
I'm still so glad to be waking up in my own bed. Now that I've been back a few days, I'm starting to feel like I don't want to go back to the water. It's actually really boring there. Yes, the swimming and 'wills' I have are amazing, but... I guess I'm just still more comfortable here.
A small knock on my door pulls me out of my thoughts, "Come in."
My mom walks in and sits on the edge of my bad. She turns toward me, "Honey, how are you doing? You know we are only giving you tough rules because we love you."
She always does this. She gets majorly upset, gives us a punishment and later feels bad about it.
I nod, "Yeah, mom I know." I assure her, "You know I pretty much deserved what I got."
"Well with everything that happened with Ever, we were afraid you were rebelling a little like she did."
I smile, "Maybe I was, but I know what I have here, it was stupid for me to go and try to join another band."
She gets up and smiles, "Have a good day today at school. Are you all caught up?"
I nod, "Just about." As an afterthought I add, "Hey, have you heard from Ever?"
I figure maybe she really is at my Gam-aw's, where my parents think she is. If that's the case maybe I can try this traveling thing to see her.
A cloud rolls across my mom's face and she frowns, " Um no, Gam-aw says she is good, she's coming home soon."
I think there is more to this based on the look on her face. Maybe I'll go see Gam-aw anyway. I haven't talked to her about his whole thing yet. Maybe she can help.
***
Lunch is interesting today. Garrett let the cat out of the bag about Sara so everyone at our table is harassing me. I glance around the lunch room trying to ignore them and spot her at a small table in the corner, reading a book. This is the first time I've seen her during lunch. She glances up as I spot her and smiles at me. I feel someone's arm move across my shoulders and her lips nuzzle my neck. I glance over and notice it's Jessica. We hooked up once after one of my band's gigs. She's cute but I'm not in the mood right now. I shrug her arm off of me.
She pouts, "Aw James come on, you aren't seriously into that chick over there, she is so not your type." I glare at her and get up to move away.
As I make my way around the table, Gabbi, my sister's best friend, steps in front of me.
She has a really uneasy look on her face, "Can I, um talk to you?"
I nod and follow her across the room. I feel eyes on me and turn to see Sara staring at me with a questioning look. I turn and follow Gabbi out the door.
We sit on a bench in the courtyard.
I ask, "What's up?"
She gets up and starts pacing in front of me. This is not typical Gabbi behavior. She is usually a free spirit and rarely lets things bother her. My sister on the other hand is bothered by everything, overly emotional.
When a few minutes pass and she hasn't said anything I ask, "Gabbi, is everything alright?"
She stops to look at me then starts pacing again, "James, I really don't know..."
She stops again, "Have you heard from Ever?"
Oh so that's what this is about.
"No I haven't but my mom just told me this morning that she's good. She's at my Gam-aw's in Chicago. I guess she'll be home soon."
She starts shaking her head and pacing again, "No, she won't."
"What do you mean, my mom just said this morning that she'll be back soon."
"No James, you don't understand..." She collapses beside me on the bench and puts her face in her hands. "I talked her into going after him....it's been over a week...she's not back...."
I'm confused at this point, what in the world is she talking about.
I rub her arm to comfort her, "Gabbi, I don't understand."
She looks up with tears running down her cheeks, great I can't take emotional girls. I keep rubbing her arm, "Why don't you explain it to me."
She breathes slowly, "I...told Ever she should go after Jack, he...left...he went..."
Now it's all starting to fall into place. Ever must have told Gabbi about the sea.
I smirk
, it figures, that girl can't keep a secret if her life depended on it.
I stop rubbing her arm and tell her, "Hey Gabbs, it's okay, I know about the sea stuff."
She looks up surprised, "You...you... do?"
I chuckle, "Yes, unfortunately what happened to Ever, well it happened to me too."
Her eyes grow wide, "You mean you' re a...mer...person too."
I laugh, "Yeah, me too. So, you're the one who told her to go back."
She shrugs her shoulders and smiles, "I guess so...she never took my advice before. I'm surprised she listened this time."
"Then really I don't know when she'll be back. My mom thinks soon. Wait, did you say she went to see Jack?"
She slowly nods as she wipes at the last of her tears.
This can't be a good thing. I just saw Jack and there was no sign of Ever. I glance over at Gabbi, she must have been feeling so guilty this whole week. I decide not to share that Jack and Ever aren't really together. I need to get some questions answered and I think I know exactly who will answer them.
I glance up toward the lunch room and spot Sara staring at me through the window.
When we get to the training cave, I make the decision to take it all in, one thing at a time. When I start to look at the big picture, I lose it. Amber and Alex don't deserve my breakdowns every time they say something that freaks me out. I continue my mantra,
Commit and deal, Ever, Commit and deal.
Alex swims up beside me with the bow and arrow. I smile and grab at it but he moves it out of my reach.
I frown, about to protest but he looks at me seriously and tells me, "Ever first I wanted to apologize for earlier, I really didn't mean to upset you..." I interrupt and grab for the bow again, "No big deal," He moves it again. "Come on Alex, I just want to train."