Page 45 of When We Breathe
Whenever I say the wordlove, in any context, she almost flinches.
And I get it. With the childhoods we both had, trusting love isn’t easy. But I need her to know that she’s everything to us. That we are her safe place, and we’re never letting her go.
“I also want you to give up your apartment,” I tell her, needing to see her reaction. “I want you to move the rest of your things here, to our home. Toyourhome.”
She scowls.
“I’m not ready to do that.”
“Why not?” Gabe demands before I can. “You haven’t spent any time there in more than two months. It’s a waste of money, Alex. You live here, with us.”
She’s shaking her head and paces away from us. The blood is rushing through my veins. This isnotgoing the way we thought it would.
I reach out for Gabe’s hand and give it a squeeze, silently asking him to trust me.
“Whenwouldyou be comfortable letting the apartment go, Alex?”
She’s still shaking her head, facing away from us, staring out the window to the mountains.
“I don’t know if I ever will,” she admits softly.
Gabe starts to walk to her, but I hold him back and lean over to kiss his cheek, then whisper in his ear, “Hold on.”
I turn back her way. “Have we missed the mark here, Princess?”
She sighs, her shoulders sag, and she turns around tolook at both of us. Her eyes fall to our linked hands, and she winces.
“Shorty—”
“You know, I think I need a break.”
My heart stutters to a standstill. “What the fuck does that mean?”
Chapter Seventeen
ALEX
I’m going to hyperventilate. How did this amazing day go so horribly wrong? I don’t want to give up my apartment for so many reasons. A million reasons. And they’ve decided that I have to let it go, move in here, andtrustthat they’ll never break my heart and leave me fucking homeless?
I can’t do it.
“I need a break,” I say again and take a couple more steps back. “I’m going to pack a bag and go home for a couple of days.”
“Youarehome,” Gabe says, crossing his arms over his chest, looking pissed as fuck.
I can’t even look Adam in the eyes. He just looks …hurt.
“Just for a few days to breathe and think.”
Without another word, I turn and walk to the bedroom, my phone already in my hand. I need a ride. I don’t have a car because I got too drunk to drive last night.
Holden is too far away, out at the ranch.
So I text Dani.
Me: Hey, I need a ride ASAP from the guys’ house to get my car in town. Do you have time to help me?
The bubble bounces immediately, and when her reply comes in, I almost cry.
