Breathe Out (Just Breathe, #2)(52)

My eyes are drawn to Joe when I hear him laugh. Without a word, I turn on my heels and leave Joe’s room. I don’t bother turning around when I hear him calling my name. There’s a light knock on my door just as my back rests on it, but I ignore it. My phone rings, giving away my location in the room.

“Emma,” Joe calls from behind the door. “I know you’re there.”

I switch the phone to silent and head into the bathroom.

Spending at least ten minutes under the hot running water, my body is finally warmed up enough to start moving to wash. Memories of this morning reappear in my head, prompting me to get B.O.B. and Master P. After climbing into my pajamas, I grab my iPad and start going over emails for business. My phone vibrates several times, letting me know that Joe is still calling or texting.

By almost midnight, I’m laying wide awake in bed, unable to sleep without Sadie. I debate for at least ten minutes with myself about going over to Joe’s room. Convinced that I’ll be able to get Sadie to follow, I grab my phone and room key and head down the hallway. Right as I get to Joe’s door, my phone beeps with a text message that has a photo. My lip curls up a little seeing a picture of Joe and Sadie snuggled together.

“There you are,” Joe greets.

My attention snaps up. How did I not hear the door open?

“Well at least I know you like the picture,” he comments.

I do my best to wipe away my smile while trying to peer into his room. Joe steps aside, opening the door wider for me to enter. I take two deliberate steps forward, causing my feet to just breach the edge of the doorway. “Sadie,” I call, hoping that she’ll respond.

Two seconds later, I’m in Joe’s arms and the sound of the door shutting is heard behind me. Joe presses his lips forwards, searching for a kiss, but my head turns in opposition.

“I didn’t say that I’m joining you,” I remark, trying to sound mad and slip out from his embrace.

Joe surrounds my body with his arms, snatching a kiss before I get the chance to respond. I pretend to fight for a second or two before parting my lips to greet him better.

“Hi,” he sweetly greets after a lengthy kiss.

“Hi,” I return flatly.

“Am I in trouble?” he asks with a devious look.

“Yes,” I confirm, eyeing him.

“Enough for you to tie me up?” he inspects.

“And, leave the room, taking Sadie with me when I’m done . . . yes,” I verify.

Joe laughs. “Good thing I didn’t bring any ties then.”

“There are other things I could use to tie you up,” I playfully counter.

“Promise,” he baits.

“No, especially not tonight,” I say with the straightest expression I can manage.

“Looking forward to it,” Joe muses.

“I bet you are.”

Not long after we get settled under the covers, Joe strikes up conversation. “Do you mind me asking you something?”

“Maybe,” I reply.

Joe laces his fingers with mine several times before lifting our joined hands and kissing the top of mine. “Will you tell me something about you and your parents?”

“Why?”

“Just curious. You heard a lot of stories about me today and I would like to hear one about you . . . if you’re willing to share,” he explains.

“Like what?” I ask, oddly not bothered by him bringing it up.

“Anything,” he returns. “Something happy.”

My mind drifts back, trying to recollect a memory, any good memory, which is harder than I expect.

“We had a huge map on the wall in the living room,” I begin. “It was a world map that stretched from the ceiling to the floor and the whole length of the wall.”


“Interesting,” Joe comments.

“Just before my twelfth birthday, I told Mom that I wanted to travel the world when I grew up. She asked me why wait until I grow up? She said that each time I found a place that I wanted to visit during our lessons, to write them down. The next day, she and I went to the printer and ordered the map. She told me that for every place I wanted to visit, that on top of saving to go, we needed to learn each native language. Once we had enough money saved and all three of us could carry a conversation, we’d go.

“So, over the years, we ended up having thumbtacks pinned in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, down into France and Spain, Italy, Greece, Egypt, India, China, Japan and Australia. Later, we added locations from Africa and South America. We looped red string around each point, charting out different paths. Dad calculated that it would be about three months for us to hit every point on the map for each colored line, so as every penny was saved, we started learning every language for that route.”

“That must have been a fun way to learn all the languages,” Joe says.

“Yeah,” I agree. “I remember for my birthday, my twelfth, when they took me out to dinner and a movie, they gave me some gifts, I told them that I didn’t want them.”

“No?” Joe searches.

“No,” I chuckle. “I told them that I want them returned and all of the money that it cost for them to be added to the jar for our world trip.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Every birthday, or holiday after that, I wouldn’t accept gifts.” I pause for a moment, enjoying the memory. “When the Nelsons, our next-door neighbors, found out about it, they gave me money too for birthdays and holidays as well.”