Breathe Out (Just Breathe, #2)(98)

“Okay,” I nervously reply.

Joe lifts my right leg and presses it onto the break. “Once I hit this button, if you take your foot off the break, the vehicle may roll slightly. When you’re ready, take it off of the break and ease your foot onto the gas.”

“Got it,” I say, barely confident that I can handle all of this.

“You can do this, Emma,” Joe encourages. “I’m right here with you.”

My knuckles turn white from the iron-clad grip I have on the steering wheel. I take several deep breaths, steadying my shaking body.

Joe’s warm hand rests on the middle of my thigh. “You’ve got this, beautiful.”

My foot lifts from the break, but the go-kart doesn’t move. Tension releases a little in my shoulders. I count down in my head — three — two — one. The ball of my foot shifts onto the gas, immediately snapping back when the car jumps forward a little.

“Ease into it,” Joe instructs, guiding my foot back onto the pedal, gently pressing down on my knee.

The vehicle moves forward again at the same speed as before, but I don’t remove my foot after understanding what it feels like.

“There you go,” Joe coaxes. “Nice and easy.”

The go-kart is easy to steer as we travel at a snails pace compared to Joe’s previous speeds. My foot gradually presses harder on the pedal, making us move faster along the track. Joe’s hand reaches out on occasion, helping me steer. When I’ve made it one time completely around the track, my foot pushes down more.

“There you go,” Joe comments.

Instinctually, my head turns to face him and I suddenly panic. My foot comes off of the gas and I remember that there’s more to what I need to do to get the car to stop. By mistake, my foot hits the gas pedal again, launching us forward before I slam down on the break which causes our bodies to jerk in response.

“What’s wrong?” Joe questions with a worried voice.

“What are you doing?” I ask, staring at his phone that is pointed at me.

“Thought you might want to have evidence of your first time driving,” he suggests.

“Turn it off,” I command.

“No,” he chuckles.

“Joseph,” I scold.

“Fine,” he concedes.

I purposefully wait for him to slip it back into his pocket before driving again. My gaze darts to Joe several times as I resume the speed at which I was driving before I caught him.

“Faster,” Joe encourages with a laugh.

The competitive side of me takes the dare and my foot advances further down. After a successful lap, my leg pushes forward and the go-kart rushes down the track.

“Speed demon,” Joe teases.

“Shut up.”

“I dare you to go faster,” Joe challenges.

I maintain my current speed.

“I dare you to pass Hunter,” Joe says.

“He’s practically on the other side,” I remind.

“So?”

My foot bears down on the pedal until it touches the floor and we zip around the track. Joe instructs me when to slow down for the corners and when to punch on the gas while assisting with the wheel.

“Come on, slow poke,” Joe yells at Hunter as we zoom past him. “You drive like an old man.”

Joe and I giggle like children as we hurl over the road. When we catch up to Hunter again, he lets us pass him, but he’s quick to catch up.

“It’s a race now, beautiful,” Joe comments. “Don’t let him pass you.”

“How?”

“Stay out front and don’t give him the opportunity to sneak by on the corners,” Joe instructs.

“I can’t do that,” I say.

“Sure you can,” he suggests. “With my help.”

Several times around the track and my body is finally relaxed. “Is that all you’ve got?” I shout back to Hunter.

“Come on, Taylor,” Joe baits when we pass where he’s standing.

Taylor has been watching us from a distance.

When we’ve hit the second turn, I’m able to look back for a second and don’t find Taylor. At the forth corner, I see Taylor rounding the second. Shit he’s fast.

The four of us ride around the track until my go-kart literally runs out of gas.

“Nice job, Emma,” Hunter praises.

“Thanks,” I sheepishly accept.

“Not bad for a first time,” Joe cheers, hugging me.

I step out of his embrace after about five seconds, uncomfortable that Hunter and Taylor are standing right next to us and because I’m completely turned on.

As we’re leaving, Joe holds the door open for me to get into the car. We remain silent for the majority of the ride with only our hands and fingers dancing together.


Hopping into the elevator around eleven at night, Joe and I recap our adventure, laughing half the time.

“Where have you two been?” Jared asks, stepping out of a different elevator across from ours.

“Looks like you two were having fun,” Nathan adds.

“Did you go for a run?” Jared investigates.

“No,” I answer.

Jared and Nathan eye Joe and me. Suddenly Uncomfortable, I head toward my room.

“Kitten,” Jared calls after me.