Out of Breath (Breathing, #3)(75)

We continued to the second floor of the house and stood outside a closed door.

‘Close your eyes,’ he requested with a permanent grin.

My brows pulled together. ‘Are you serious?’

‘Yes.’ He nodded. ‘Close your eyes.’

I sighed and closed my eyes. A moment later I could feel fabric being wrapped around them.

‘Really?’ I shot at him in disbelief. Evan laughed. I would’ve rolled my eyes again if they were open.

‘Trust me,’ he said again. I stilled with those words. His words. My heart pounded faster just hearing them.

Evan took hold of my hand. His hand was warm and strong, wrapping mine within it. He gave it a small squeeze before saying, ‘Okay, take a few steps forward.’

I allowed him to guide me, unable to control the fit going on inside my chest.

We passed through the doorway and I led her to the centre of the room before letting go of her hand to shut the door. I waited a moment before I murmured quietly over her shoulder, ‘Breathe, Emma. Take a deep breath.’

She paused a moment, not understanding. Then I watched as she inhaled through her nose, filling her lungs while expanding her chest. She hesitated, as if she were surprised. Then she breathed in again, and the most stunning smile emerged on her face. It was the best reaction I could have hoped for.

Emma pulled the bandana down, and it fell around her neck. She took in the room around her and turned to me. For the first time, I swore I saw a hint of light in the soft brown of her eyes.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered.

I nodded, the lump in my throat making it challenging for me to speak as well. I swallowed and said, ‘Let it all out, Emma. Find your way back to us.’

Emma smiled brighter, causing me to do the same. ‘Okay,’ she said, and turned from me. I went back out the door, leaving her in the room.

I bit my lip as a tear slipped down my cheek. I inhaled, absorbing the calming scents once again. I had no idea how he’d done it, how he’d gotten the room to smell like it did, but it made my heart swell until I felt like it might burst.

Sitting on the stool, I studied the blank canvas, remembering his words. Let it all out, Emma. Collecting myself with a quick breath, I twirled the paintbrush thoughtfully in my hand. The rest of Evan’s words settled within me. Find your way back to us. And a warmth spread through my body. I knew exactly what I was going to paint. I picked up a tube of paint, squirting the green along the palette.

I glanced around and noticed the small cooler with bottles of water and the tray that held a sandwich, a granola bar, and an apple. On the desk were a clean clothes to change into. My chest fluttered – a sensation I hadn’t felt in … years. At the same time, my stomach rumbled, and I picked up the granola bar as I continued to squirt colours on the palette. All I wanted to do was lose myself in the strokes of my brush. Gain control over the chaos that was tearing me apart. And find myself in the one place I would forever feel safe.

‘I got Sara’s note,’ Cole said when I answered the door.

‘Yeah, come on in.’ I walked back up the three steps into the living-room area.

‘So … where is she?’ Cole asked, glancing around uncomfortably.

‘Painting,’ I told him. He pulled his head back in confusion. ‘You didn’t know she painted?’

‘I don’t think she has in … well, since she left,’ Sara explained. She was sitting on the love seat with her legs curled under her. She’d paused the movie we were watching when we heard the knock at the door. ‘Evan thought that it would help her deal with her grief. That she could express herself through a paintbrush. It used to work for her in high school.’

‘Oh,’ Cole responded with a nod. ‘You thought of this.’

‘I did,’ I replied carefully. ‘It was a long shot. But it got her out of bed.’

‘That’s good, I guess.’

I knew he was still trying to figure out what my motives were, despite our conversation on the first night. And I couldn’t get a true sense of what his feelings were for Emma. I did know he wasn’t dealing very well with what had been happening the past couple of days.

‘She’s upstairs, if you want to see her,’ Sara told him.

Cole glanced up the stairs, his hands shoved in his front pockets. ‘Have you been up there?’ Sara shook her head. ‘Then I’ll just wait too. Will you call me when she comes down?’

‘Sure,’ Sara answered.

‘Thanks.’ He turned and walked out the door.

Sara looked to me with her eyebrows raised, ‘Umm … awkward.’ I shrugged and plopped back down on the couch so we could continue watching the movie.

‘You can go to bed if you want,’ Sara said to me as I started to nod off on the couch. The screen was flashing baseball highlights. I hadn’t slept much in the past few days, and it was taking its toll. I was fighting every blink to keep my eyes open.

‘No, it’s okay,’ I said, shifting to try to appear more alert than I was.

‘Evan, you can go sleep in an actual bed,’ Sara continued. ‘You don’t have to hang out on the couch. It’s after two in the morning.’

I glanced up at the stairs. She was still up there … painting whatever it was that she was painting. We hadn’t heard from her since I’d shut the door, except the couple of times she’d come into the hall to use the bathroom. But neither of us had looked in on her, wanting to give her space to … heal.