Breathe With Me (The Breathe Series Book 3) by Wendy L. Wilson Page B

this,” I shrug.
    “Oh…everyday?”
    Now she’s just being silly. “No, I mean, well yeah, I guess I do most days. Me and my brother go out on the boat and fish, but we go swimming too.”
    She glances over at the boats with a spark of excitement in her eyes.
    “Can I go out on the boat sometime?”
    With a cramp sneaking up in my hand, I shift my pole and loosen my grip as I stare at her surprised by her question. Those are Grandpa’s boats, definitely not the ones they rent.
    “Those are my grandpas,” I snap out before thinking about it. “He doesn’t let anyone rent these, but there’s ones for rent at the first dock over by The Snack Shack.”
    Glancing back to the boat, her shoulders fall and she cocks her lips to one side as if she is biting the inside of her mouth.
    “But I could take you out in the boat sometime,” I add, not wanting to hurt her feelings.
    This ignites a huge grin as her face springs back to level me with a thankful expression.
    “Really? Ok…maybe later today?”
    I don’t have much going on, but Grandpa won’t let me take it out after dark. “Ok,” I nudge my shoulders up undecidedly. “But not too late.” I point at her with one hand before bringing it back to my pole.
    Her lips curve into a wide grin showing off a mouth full of braces as she sticks her hand out between us. I look up, surprised to see a girl wanting to shake hands.
    “I’m Piper, by the way.”
    I snap my head back up to her face, a sense of excitement swallowing me up at her introduction. After years of bouncing back and forth from Army base to Army base and then even the last few years since I’ve been settled here, through it all, I’ve never found a friend. I’ve never had one. Sure, I’ve played with the other kids on base and talked to a couple in my class at school, but this…
    I look back at her hand and a smile rises over my lips. My heart pounds and my fingers fumble to keep the grip on my pole as I release one hand and take hers in mine. Keeping in mind on how Dad always says that handshakes should be firm and authoritive, I tighten my grip, immediately noticing how soft her skin is compared to mine. With that in mind, I look back at her and move my hand up and down with a slightly less sturdy hold than I would normally have. I bet she’s more fragile than a boy; besides, Dad will never know.
    “Hi, I’m Evan.”
    Her smile grows and so does mine with the thought of having a fishing buddy or someone to dunk into the lake. She takes a seat as if invited and even though there is a sign on the dock that states this is private property I don’t say a thing. If she hadn’t sat, I would have asked her to.
    Staring over at me, I draw my attention back to the lake water and the small colorful bobber that floats along the surface with a peaceful solitude coming over me. Just like that, she becomes my best friend; my only friend; someone whose face I look forward to seeing each summer and every single day she’s out here. If I go out in the boat, she goes out. If I go for a swim, she comes with me. I can’t take a breath without her by my side. Through pretend voyages to sea, made up shark infested waters that we can’t escape and endless nights roasting marshmallows, we play together, smile together, laugh together and never go anywhere apart. We’re inseparable; every single breath she breathes with me.
     

     
    Glancing to the side where I hold tight to the dock, I see the bright orange sign that under normal light reads ‘Private Property’. The subtle moonlight and dark night has turned it to a blurred black square, but I can still make it out; I know it’s there. My hand squeezes at the rough barn wood post that houses the entrance of the boat dock and I take a deep breath of courage. She doesn’t turn and may not even be aware of my presence, but she will soon enough.
    With shaky footsteps, I make a move to get closer to her. About twenty paces separate us and with each footfall,