Keep Breathing

by Purdy, Alexia

  “Mom’s funny.” Leah sighed, dragging a French fry through the pile of ketchup on her plate.

  “Yeah, she’s pretty awesome. Just don’t go shopping with her. She’ll try to dress you up in terrible ways. It’s a form of torture!” We all laughed and I squeezed her tight before she stuffed another fry into her mouth.

  “You guys, check this out! I got a deal on some studs.” Joss bounced into one of the empty chairs before stealing a fry from Leah.

  “Hey!”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Ooh, not just one hot stud?”

  She frowned at me and rolled her eyes. “Diamond studs. But, the guy behind the counter could count as a stud.” She winked and held out the little box that held the earrings “What do you think? I got a killer deal.”

  “Can I wear them, Mom?” Leah tilted her head to admire the diamonds.

  “Yeah, but let’s wait until you’re bigger, okay peanut?”

  “Okay!”

  She was almost fully recovered, personality and all. She’d gotten released from the hospital fairly quickly. Seth was leaving tomorrow for Moldova, but seemed happy that he wasn’t leaving us in dire straits. Her left arm was still in a cast, but the heavy hunk of bright pink plaster didn’t slow her down any. There were no ill effects from the accident, thank goodness. I didn’t know what we’d do without her snarkiness to keep us all in line. She had found my prince charming and steered him right back to me. She’d knocked sense into my head when there was none. She literally was our guardian angel, still jabbering her opinions in my ear as the days went on. It reminded me why I had to cherish each moment as it came, live with an open heart and forgive readily. You never knew when something would be ripped away from you without warning.

  She was my soul sister, who’ll always keep my head on straight with all her conniving ways.

  Joss, you sneaky devil, you.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Seth

  “WHAT DO YOU mean, you’re not coming back, yet?” I heard Penny almost drop the phone, but she managed to keep it in her iron grip as I listened to her heavy breathing on the other end of the telephone. I’d been gone but a week and now was telling her I’d be gone much, much longer. “What’s going on?” she hissed. None of this was settling well with her one bit.

  “I am coming back, just not yet. It’s going to take a while. I had to help my brother pay off a gambling debt on top of everything else, but it’s taken care of. My Mother has decided to sell her estate and return to the United States with me. The paperwork alone will keep us a bit longer than I intended. She wants to see me and Cam more and not die alone out here. Her words, not mine.”

  “When will it be done?”

  “I don’t know…could be days, could be weeks.”

  “What?” Penny’s exasperated voice made me want to jump through the line and comfort her. My heart was convulsing, I could feel the seized-up thumping in my chest, and I just wanted to throw up. “So when do you come back? Cam’s waiting…I’m here. We’re waiting for you to come back.”

  “I know.”

  The pause made me think I’d lost her as the static waved in and out of the line.

  “Seth?” Her voice echoed back into a clear tone.

  “I’m here.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Her breath heaved into the speaker, making me want to reach into the receiver and touch her soft lips. “I want you to come here and spend some time with me. You and Cam. Here in Moldova.”

  “Say that again?” Her raspy voice came out cracked and shocked.

  “First, I need you to write this down. I already called my lawyer to give you guardianship papers for Cam and his passport. You need to get one, too.”

  “A passport? No. I can’t fly down there with Cam.”

  “Penny, please? You’ll love it here.”

  “I−I can’t…”

  “Think of it as the first stop in seeing the world, just like you wanted.”

  The static returned, but retreated just as fast. I prayed she’d say yes. To show her my country would be a dream come true. I had the ring with me, too, and I wanted to ask her to marry me once she arrived. It would be perfect in every way. I would love it if we could get engaged in Moldova.

  “Join me here, please? It’s high time you saw the world.” I waited patiently, hoping she hadn’t hung up.

  “Traveling with a kid across the world…sure, no problem.”

  “Really?” I couldn’t tell if she was serious or sarcastic to a fault.

  “Yes, really. I’ll go to Moldova with Cam…for you.”

  “Really? That’s great! Hey, don’t worry. It’ll be fun.” I let out a breath, relieved and ecstatic. “I’ll call you later to see if you need anything else. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she agreed, sounding apprehensive but happy. I couldn’t have been more elated. I almost jumped up and down with joy before I realized she couldn’t see me through the phone.

  “Have a good day, and I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay.”

  ~~~~~

  Penny

  THE PHONE WENT silent and I stared at it. My life had changed drastically in the span of a few weeks, a lot more than it had in the six years prior. What was I going to do first? I gulped and glanced at the clock. It was barely ten in the morning, and the thoughts were already running amuck in my head and had me ragged. I was pretty sure that come nighttime, I’d collapse into my bed like a stone.

  So much to do, so little time.

  Did I even want to go to Moldova?

  Seth’s blue eyes flashed into my mind, bringing a small smile to my face. He was worth it though, I knew that now. He was worth every little thing because he’d fought so hard to get back into my good graces. The least I could do for him was this. Besides, he trusted me with his kid, how much more can a person give of themselves than their own treasured child? Cam had been with me since Seth had boarded the plane and I’d loved every minute I’d spent with the little guy.

  I missed Seth more than I ever thought I could miss anyone. At least by going to Moldova, I’d get to see his birthplace and cross it off my list of places to see. He knew I wanted to travel. I smiled at the push he had given me from across the sea.

  Sometimes dreams did come true.

  I straightened up and went over to the pillow fort Cam and I had created. It was time to get going, one way or the other. It would be the trip of a lifetime, and I was going to enjoy every second of it. It was funny how everything I’d wanted was happening. It was all so fast and unpredictable, and definitely not the way I’d wanted, but nothing ever went the way I’d planned it. I thought about calling Joss to get her opinion on all this, but I already knew she’d tell me to shut up and get the passport already. I grinned at the thought and let out a long, sweet breath.

  I already knew I would be going to Moldova, no matter what.

  Life goes on, and you must live it or bury yourself in one spot, paralyzed. I didn’t want that, I wanted to live again. I just had to keep breathing, that’s all you can really do.

  “Hey, Cam!” He peeked out from under the pillow and blanket fort that used to be my living room. “Ever ride in an airplane before?”

  Epilogue

  NO ONE EVER says it’ll be easy. All you can do is close your eyes and feel the wind sweep through your hair and savor the salty, sweet treats life tosses in your direction. Don’t become bitter, and never ever hold on too tight, because you’ll not only blister your hands, you’ll choke the precious love you hold within them.

  I let the cool November air run through my hair, hanging loose in long tangles of waves, fluttering along the breeze. Memories of our months spent abroad made my head swim. It felt like a distant dream, one that couldn’t possibly be mine. But it was. Seth had given me his mother’s engagement ring in Moldova, after a long day of sightseeing and a quiet row in a small boat off the nearby shore of a tiny, but beautiful lake near his mother’s estate. I’d been exhilarated, tre
mbling as he slipped the ring onto my finger and kissed me in the middle of the lake.

  The wedding was everything I’d imagined it to be. We’d held it at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, where our second first date had been. Our honeymoon included a trip to Tuscany, Italy, traipsing the countryside and trying every Italian dish we could stuff into our mouths. We’d also included this small deviation, a side trip to the same beach we’d enjoyed in our college days off the Oregon Coastline. The same cold sand and frigid air raked its fingers across my skin and I shivered under its caress. I was wearing my jacket and my now-snug jeans, but the wind snaked its way under them and through the tiny holes in the fabric no matter what. I clutched my growing belly and hoped the tiny life stirring inside was toasty and warm.

  Suddenly, a flash of red and black hit my periphery as Seth swung a warm, flannel blanket over both our shoulders, pulling me close and wrapping it around us. His body heat instantly warmed mine and stifled the chill overtaking my shaking body.

  We stared out across the expanse of ocean, watching the tousle of wind-tossed waves foam and violently strike the shore. He leaned in to me, and I turned, meeting his lips and enjoying the heat of them on mine. He tasted like the briny air hovering about us and sweet like pixie sticks. We’d been gorging on junk food, a favorite habit of mine intensified by the pregnancy.

  My thumb rubbed against the cool metal of my wedding ring, bringing with it fiery warmth that grew as his kisses left trails of wet heat on my skin. Our breaths puffed out into small, steamy clouds as we continued to embrace, inhaling each other as if never satisfied.

  “I love you, Seth.” I whispered into his ear, letting the wind carry my voice.

  “I love you back, Penny.” His smile was brilliant, and lit my grey skies until I’d forgotten what the darkness was about.

  I tugged at him, pulling him toward the beach house we’d rented yet again. It was so worn and beaten by the constant assault of rain and wind, but it was sturdy and took it year after year. The creaky wood and salted windows stood awaiting our return. Into its embrace we went, like meeting an old friend. Inside, we warmed ourselves and made love until the stars shone and the night brought the howls of violent wind with it. It didn’t bother me, though. I was in the arms of love again, and this time I knew neither of us would ever let go.

  Acknowledgements

  I want to thank several people who’ve helped me on this arduous journey as a writer. I’ve never met such amazing people in my life, and no matter what, you’ll be in my heart always. I got your back.

  My Indie Inked sisters… How I even belong in a room full of such talent, I’ll never know:

  Cameo Renae, Angela Orlowski-Peart, Lizzy Ford, Cambria Hebert, J.A. Huss, Beth Balmanno, Julia Crane, Amber Garza, Tiffany King, L.P. Dover, Komal Kant, Heidi McLaughlin, Tabatha Vargo, Ella James, Melissa Pearl, Kelly Walker, T.G. Ayer, Sarah M. Ross, Melissa Andrea, Brina Courtney, Alivia Anders. You guys rock, and I’ve had a blast treading the trenches with you!

  Back to my roots, you guys always are there for me. No matter what, thick and thin, we persevere: Jenna Kay, Linna Drehmel, Madison Daniel, and Kyani Swanigan. Family to the end!

  Special thanks to Michael K. Rose. Your insights always keep things grounded, and I appreciate all your excellent work to mold my jumble of words into something comprehensible and readable. Thanks!

  About the Author

  http://alexiaepurdy.blogspot.com

  IndieInked.com

  Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada–Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and Italian food.

  Books by Alexia Purdy

  Reign of Blood

  Disarming (Reign of Blood #2)

  Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)

  Ever Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #2)

  Ever Winter (A Dark Faerie Tale #3)

  Omnibus:

  A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus

  Short Stories:

  Evangeline (A Dark Faerie Tale #0.5)

  The Cursed (A Dark Faerie Tale #3.5

  The Faery Hunt

  Never Say Such Things

  Poetic Collections:

  Whispers of Dreams

  Five Fathoms

  Anthology:

  Beyond the Never

  Soul Games

  Faery Worlds

  Dangerous Shades of YA

  Connect with Alexia Purdy

  Alexia Purdy’s Blog

  Twitter

  @AlexiaPurdy

  Goodreads Author page

  Alexia Purdy’s Facebook Fan Page

  Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) Facebook Fan page

  Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page

  Sneak Peek!

  Falling For Hadie

  By

  Komal Kant

  Chapter One

  Lincoln

  I felt like an exhibit at the zoo. Or a side show act at the circus. Or one of those toddlers with a leash backpack.

  Everyone was staring at me like I didn’t belong here.

  Which made sense because I really didn’t belong here. I was the new boy. New in school, new in town.

  I was trying real hard not to let it get to me. I’d told myself that it didn’t matter what the kids at Statlen High thought of me, but the irregular twisting in my stomach indicated otherwise. I was nervous as hell, whether I wanted to be or not.

  “They dress so plain here,” my twin sister, Becky, said from beside me, her voice dripping with disdain.

  We walked into a large courtyard that had benches placed in the center. A low wall ran around the edge of the area and, aside from the shrubbery growing beyond the wall, the surroundings were pretty bare. The students were milling around in small groups, openly staring at us like we’d just stepped off the mother ship.

  I stopped to glare at her. “It’s high school, not a damn runway.”

  “Whatever, Link,” she said, rolling her eyes. “You have, like, no la moda.”

  Her terrible French accent rattled my nerves, and I resisted the urge to strangle her. “It’s la mode.”

  “It doesn’t matter what it’s called,” she snapped, flipping her dark brown hair over a shoulder. “What matters is you don’t have it.”

  This time I chose to ignore her because her vain talk made me want to kick myself in the face.

  Brown hair and blue eyes was just about the only thing my sister and I had in common. There were all these theories that twins had some special bond, but obviously that twin bond had skipped Becky and me because we couldn’t be any more different if we tried.

  Becky was obsessed with her reflection. She was always putting on way too much make-up and trying to impress guys. Popularity was equally as important to her. She had been somewhere around the middle of the social scale at our last school, but I knew she was determined to change that here. She was like a vulture, hungry to be a Queen Bee or whatever those girls called it.

  As for me, being on the football team had automatically put me on top of the social scale. Eventually, I’d lost interest in that kind of stuff and realized that there were more important things in life than bragging about how many girls I’d slept with in a week. It was complete crap and something that didn’t matter to me anymore.

  I wasn’t interested in making friends or impressing anyone. I was here to get through my senior year with as little trouble as possible. There would be no interacting with anyone and no socializing unless it was completely necessary, and then I was out of here.

  But, damn, I wish these knots in my stomach would disappear.

  When it became clear that Becky was going to be no help in finding the Admin office—she was already sidling her way towards a bunch of jocks—I began to study the red-brick build
ings, trying to figure out where the Admin office was. They all looked the same, and the letters on the buildings gave no indication as to their purpose.

  At my last school, there were signs everywhere directing you to the various buildings, but my old school had been a lot bigger. Heck, I was pretty sure my old school had been bigger than this entire town.

  Swearing underneath my breath, I took a step back and slammed hard against someone. There was a squeal, and I recoiled as hot liquid seeped down my back.

  “Hey!” I cried, spinning around to face the idiot who’d run into me.

  When I couldn’t find the perpetrator at my five-foot-eleven line of sight, I lowered my gaze. And lowered it. And lowered it.

  A girl, who couldn’t have been more than five-foot tall, was looking up at me with scorn on her face, and gripping a cup of coffee like it was a weapon. She was slim, with brown hair that was swept back in a messy ponytail and chestnut brown eyes that stared at me fiercely. She’d also spilled the coffee all down the front of her sweater, staining the light blue fabric.

  “Watch where you’re going!” she snapped.

  I was taken aback by the hostility in her tone and stepped back, folding my arms across my chest. “You’re the one who knocked into me. Do you need your eyes checked or something?”

  Her lips gave an angry twitch. “What sane person walks backwards? Maybe you need your legs checked.”

  I couldn’t help but smirk. “You wanna check them for me?”

  Two pink spots appeared on her cheeks, and she gave me a look intended to kill. “No, I do not want to check your legs, you perverted jock!”

  She threw that last word at me like it was an insult. Did she have something against jocks? I mean, sure I’d been a jock once, but I wasn’t any more so it didn’t offend me nearly as much as she’d probably intended.