Page 68 of Breathless

She stills and stares up at me. “What’swrong?”

“Nothing. I mean, it’s not the end of the world. Just some things I need to share with you and the family. Some things I’ve been meaning to for a while, but with the wedding…” I shake my head, already having said toomuch.

Two small lines form between her eyebrows. “Why after the wedding? Why can’t we discuss itnow?”

I shift uncomfortably. “I, uh, I need to talk to Ethan and my mom about this, and… I don’t want anything to fuck up my brother’s big day.” After marrying that shrew Allison and enduring a contentious divorce, Ethan deserves to be happy thisweek.

And my news will not achieve thatgoal.

Joey’s eyes fill with concern. “Is it about the business? You and Ethan have been working your little hearts out these past few years, and I know you’ve been worried aboutit.”

“It affects the business, yeah. But like I said, no one’s dying or anything.” Yet. Ethan might strangle me. And my mom? Fuck, I can’t even think about how she’llreact.

Joey gives me a reassuring smile. She strokes my jaw, and I lean into her palm. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You always do. Who dug me out of that well when I was eight and all of your friendspanicked?”

I shake my head. “Like I was gonna leave you downthere?”

“Silas did. His buddies did. But you didn’t. You came forme.”

The memory is seared in my brain like a hot cattle prod. That was one of the most terrifying moments of mylife.

We’d been playing cops and robbers near an abandoned property when Joey fell through the decaying boards that covered a well. I’ll never forget Jo’s scream or seeing her muddy and wet at the bottom of the dark well, crying and shivering in the waist-highwater.

“We were too far from the farm to get your parents,” Jo recalls, “so you cut the rope from the old tire swing by the pond and tied that to a tree trunk.” She shakes her head. “But I wasn’t strong enough to pull myself out, so you scaled down and gotme.”

“Damn right, I gotyou.”

“And then you carried mehome.”

“Your ankle was swollen twice its size. There’s no way you couldwalk.”

I don’t remind her of the rest. Of how she was afraid to tell her parents what happened because they’d be pissed at her. She told them she twisted her ankle when she tripped and fell into the pond. Because she knew, like we all did, that her father would find fault with her somehow. And since Silas was scared shitless Bill would beat the crap out of him if he figured out Silas was the one who suggested we play there, we somehow managed to keep Joey’s accident asecret.

She stares up at me like I have all the answers. I don’t, but I like that she sees me as more than I am. I want to become that man, the man she needs. I want to deserve her, and right now I don’t. I’m a long way from the kid who crawled down into a well. Unfortunately, I’m probably closer to being the fuck-up my dad thought Iwas.

I swallow thickly. “Let’seat.”

We settle on the blanket and unpack the roast beef. I open the chilled wine and fill our Dixiecups.

I’ll admit I’m not getting any points for style. I should think through this better next time. At least I took a shower at Ethan’s before weleft.

Everything’s delicious. I make a mental note to bring Tori and my mom someflowers.

I glance over at Joey, who’s nibbling on a strawberry. Her hair blows in the gentle wind, and I’m overwhelmed by how good it feels to be by her side. The sun has almost set, and she’s silhouetted against the darkness, but as my eyes adjust, I can see hersmile.

Once we’re done eating, I lie back on the blanket and draw her to my chest. She comes willingly, tucking herself against me. Around us, the trees rustle in the wind and cricketschirp.

Joey’s wearing a babydoll top and jeans that accentuate her perfect curves. I stroke her back and draw her leg over mythigh.

I don’t know who kisses who first, but it doesn’t take me long to want more. Since no one comes back here, I’m not worried about anyoneinterrupting.

Knowing Jo had a bad first time, I’ve kept the physical stuff to third base. I’ll wait as long as she needs to be comfortable. But I can’t deny the dance we’re doing around the main event is hot ashell.

Slowly, I unbutton her jeans and slide them down her toned legs. She helps me kick them off, and then I pull her over me so that she straddles mylap.

The moon is brighter in the sky now, so I can see her pouty lips and flushed cheeks. I drag a finger over her neck and catch the fabric of her top and tug it over hershoulder.

“Mm. Wanna bite you righthere.”

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