Breathe Out (Just Breathe, #2)(110)

Eighty Eight


The day after Halloween, I oddly get a knock on my door around eight-thirty in the morning. I’m not expecting any deliveries and if it was any one of my bodyguards, they would have texted. Logically, my brain concludes that there is only one person who would be at my door this early in the morning.

Pulling the door open, my mouth begins to blurt a greeting, expecting to see Joe. Surprisingly, my jaw drops in shock when I see an older woman standing in front of me holding a vase with all-white roses and a single red rose in it.

“Good morning,” the woman greets with a smile. “Are you Ms. Emma Peterson?”

“Y . . . Yes,” I fumble.

“Great,” she says. “These are for you, my dear. Happy Birthday!”

“Thank you,” I barely say, taking the flower arrangement from her.

“Have a lovely day,” she offers and then turns, walking away.

“Wait,” I announce after her.

“No tip is needed, sweetie. The sender took care of that,” she informs as if she’s reading my thoughts.

“Thank you!” I shout as she disappears around the corner to the elevators.

I place the flowers on my breakfast table area and open the note. It reads:



        One white rose for each day it’s not your birthday,

        And, one red rose for the day that is your birthday.

        Happy Birthday, beautiful!

            xoxo

            Joe



My heart skips a beat at his sweet gesture and I stare at the card for a long while before smelling the exquisite roses. A knock at the door pulls my attention away, but a smile remains on my face as I move to answer the door. I do my best to compose myself, but I can’t help but feel giddy.

“Did you forget . . .” I say as I open the door, expecting the delivery woman to return.

Joe steps in and kisses me. “Happy Birthday, beautiful.”

“It’s not my birthday,” I remind.

Joe doesn’t comment. He closes the door and greets Sadie. “I see the flowers arrived.”

“Yes. Thank you,” I return uncomfortably.

“You’re welcome.”

“You shouldn’t have,” I say.

“Well, I wanted to,” Joe admits.

My mouth opens to comment, but by brain falls short of coming up with anything. Joe leans in for a kiss, but I deny him. “Why did you have them delivered if you planned on coming over?”

“I wasn’t sure if you’d accept the gift if I brought it,” he confesses.

“I . . . just friends, Joe.”

“For now,” he says, stealing a kiss.

“No,” I unsuccessfully challenge.

“I’ll let you go,” he states. “I just wanted to see you before Jimmy and Allen wake up.”

I nod.

“I’ll see you and Maggie tomorrow,” he confirms more than reminds like he’s nervous I’ll cancel our business trip.


“Tomorrow.”

“See you then, beautiful.”

“See you.”





Eighty Nine


The next day, Maggie and I settle into our suite in Oregon quickly before heading to the hotel restaurant to have a late lunch with Joe. Maggie and I excitedly discuss business the majority of the time while Joe mostly sits and listens. When our meal concludes, we drive over to the building to supervise the delivery and installment of the equipment for the Raven Media servers.

It takes two whole days to get most things set up with the crew we’ve hired and six of our employees. By the time Joe, Maggie, Sadie and I head back to California, I feel certain my staff is capable of handling the remaining details. Once everything is triple checked, we can turn on the hardware and begin installing the software.

Other than mentioning that I had attended Ayana’s Halloween Bash, the media has calmed down considerably. I’m grateful that they seem to already have forgotten all about me.

During the following week back in California, Joe and I get together a few times in the evening, but we don’t have sex. It’s that time of the month again for me and I’m a little irritable — I’m not the best person to be around before, during or after my birthday. Joe’s a gentleman and tries to make me feel better, but my mood dampens when I find out that he’s heading back to New York for a long weekend with his family to celebrate his birthday. On top of that, Joe’s stay may get extended for business which then keeps him there past Thanksgiving.

Two days before my birthday, I shut myself off from the world. Jared, Nathan and Maggie are the only people who know what’s going on and what I’m about to do. I purposefully don’t inform my bodyguards until a few hours before my trip.

When I was eighteen, I took the train back to New Jersey to visit — to visit what, I’m not quite sure. Nǎinai’s advice to go and forgive sounded like a good idea, but as the hours get closer to my departure, I’m reconsidering my thoughts and feelings.

Once on the train, Sadie and I remain in our cabin the majority of the time, only exiting when there’s a stop to allow her time to stretch and pee. Taylor visits a few times to check in on me, but doesn’t press to know where we’re going and for how long. I can see the tension in his eyes about us being confined on a train as well as being shut out from our travel details. He does try to pry a few answers from me, but I never give him enough to fully know my plans.