Breathe In (Just Breathe, #1)(47)

“Mom?” my throat squeezes out in a raw, breathy, hoarse tone.

“We’re almost home, dear,” her voice replies in a low sluggish tone.

I internally smile at her comforting words, though her voice sounds peculiar.

A sudden rush of nervousness enters my belly. The car feels as if it’s flying down the road like a rocket ship as the speed of the flashing lights zooming above my head all blur into one.

“Mom,” I try to shout, but not a single sound escapes my mouth this time. Confused, I try again. “Mom!”

She doesn’t hear me. I don’t hear me.

A single, bright white light races towards us, growing larger by the second. My mother turns her head towards me smiling. Why doesn’t she hear me? How does she not see the light?

Again, with all my might. “Mom . . . !” my voice trails in my head like a deafening siren, stabbing my ears like a knife.

Time stops in this very moment. I can see everything with perfect clarity as I stare in horror into my mother’s eyes. My mouth is left open, still screaming without a sound. I can’t hear anything except a piercing ring that echoes in my body. Why can’t she hear me? Why doesn’t she see the terrified look on my face?

My body lurches backward as I attempt to scramble to grab my mother and I suddenly become paralyzed. Then, it happens all at once — I see the face of the truck driver before I hear the sound of metal hitting metal as it wraps itself around and around. Joe? Suddenly, I see my mother’s and father’s bodies hurling forward toward the oncoming truck and bouncing around like ping pong balls getting dented with each blow.

My heart is filled with panic and fear as I desperately try to yell one more time, “Mom . . .!

Jerking up, I shout out in horror. My heart pounds, my lungs heave and my entire body shakes. Sadie is whimpering and scrambling to calm me down as my eyes search for something familiar other than her. Where am I? I’m not at home.


The door to my right flies open just a split second before the one in front of me, both causing a thundering sound to echo in my ears. It’s too dark to know who’s standing in either doorway as a familiar voice rings through the air and the bed under me shifts.

“Emma?” Maggie yells with fright, wrapping her arms around me. Looking to the silhouette in the other door, she instructs, “Go get Jared.”

Rocking my shaking body, Maggie strokes my hair trying to calm me, “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

I hear another voice that sounds vaguely familiar approaching but it's muffled, causing me to not be able to decipher it.

“She’ll be fine . . . once Jared gets here,” she soothes.

Less than a minute later, Jared is on the bed to my left and wraps me in his arms as he always does. The sensation of his familiar touch brings peace to my mind and body, starting to still my pounding heart.

“She’ll be fine,” Jared announces quietly.

I’m not completely coherent yet to know who exactly he’s talking to other than Maggie.

“This is too often,” Nathan whispers with a shaky tone.

“Not now, babe,” Jared directs.

I hear sounds in the background, but I stay focused on the sound of Jared’s beating heart that is pressed up against my left ear. The lights go off and I’m consoled by the presence of my friend, my brother, until sleep over takes me again.





Ten


I wake to find Jared and Nathan sleeping next to me and Sadie perched across my belly. It happened again. I don’t understand why, which scares me, especially since I just had one yesterday. Why did it change again? Yesterday, the driver was Maggie and today it was — Joe.

I shift gently to check the time on my phone that I left on the nightstand. It’s five thirty-three in the morning and I’m wide away. Sneaking out of the bed, Sadie and I head to the bathroom and I grab some clothes on the way. After relieving myself, I change into workout clothes and turn off the light before I open the door to the bedroom. Good, Jared and Nathan are still asleep and Jared has repositioned himself by spooning Nathan.

Tiptoeing to the kitchen to make Sadie’s breakfast, I move slowly as my eyes adjust to the dimly lit condo. I gulp down my clay as Sadie munches down her food. Once we both finish eating and drinking, Sadie follows me when I head to the bathroom one more time before going for our walk.

Careful to close the door quietly as I head back into the living room, I don’t notice Sadie walk away from me until a noise from the couch catches my attention.

“Hey Sadie,” Joe says in a hushed, sexy, gruff tone. “What are you doing out here?”

Sadie snuggles her head up on his chest, tucking her nose under his chin.

“Sorry,” I whisper, walking over to get Sadie.

“It’s okay,” he hums as I get Sadie off of him. “I don’t mind. She can stay.”

“I doubt that you’ll want her to. She just ate and I have to take her out.”

“I’ll join you,” he replies, rushing to get up and find his shoes.

“No, it’s okay. Go back to sleep,” I encourage.

I’m really not in the mood for company other than Sadie right now.

After checking his phone, Joe answers, “No, it’s okay. This is when I usually get up anyway.”

I nod in agreement despite not liking the idea at all.