Learning to Breathe Read Online Free PDF Page B

bunch of nine year olds swim confidently up and down the length of the pool, I wondered if it was as easy as it looked.
    I glanced at my watch and realised that there was only ten minutes until the kids had to get out of the pool. I noticed Danny looking at the large clock on the wall and then turn back to the pool of boys and girls.
    “Okay! ” I heard him shout. “Since you’ve only ten minutes left, I guess I could let you have some fun before you have to get out.”
    The kids all screamed in delight and proceeded to splash each other while Danny started to make his way towards me.
    “So,” he bega n, as he plopped down beside me. “I’m really sorry about being so forward in the café last week.”
    I shrugged. “It’s okay, really.”
    He smirked. “Good … but you should know that I really can’t promise that it won’t happen again.”
    I shook my head exasperatedly and laughed . “Cocky as ever, aren’t you?”
    I watched him laugh as he shrugged his shoulders and said, “You betcha! I gotta see if it’ll be third time lucky!”
    “Don’t hold your breath.” I told him, raising my eyebrows at him.
    Danny threw me that half-smile again. “Fair enough. But seriously, why won’t you go out with me? I really wanna know.”
    His hazel eyes looked puzzled as he watched me, waiting for a response.
    I sighed heavily. “I just don’t do relationships and that’s all you need to know.”
    He held his hands up in mock surrender. “Okay okay, I take the hint!”
    I breathed in relief and watched him look at me curiously – I could tell he was dying to ask me something else.
    “What?” I demanded.
    “I’m just trying to figure you out – that’s all.” He stared at me intently.
    “Well good luck with that.” I told him derisively.
    He sniggered. “Mock me all you want … but I will discover what it is you’re hiding.”
    “Whatever. ” I told him dismissively.
    His lips pulled up into that lopsided grin. “You don’t believe me? Well I should tell you that I love a challenge.”
    I shrugged at him – knowing it would be a long time before he would ever discover anything about my past – if at all.
    I watched him as his nose crin kled up while he chuckled at me. “Challenge accepted Gilmore … challenged accepted.”
    And with that, he walked off to tell the kids to get out of the pool, leaving me feeling worried … very worried indeed.
     
    The rest of the week passed without any further run-ins with Danny. This was mostly due to the fact that I had taken to sitting in the stands, as far away from him as possible. Tho ugh, I did catch him glancing my way every now and then.
    As much as I tried to convince myself that Danny would never discover anything about my past, I really didn’t feel confident. Sure, I could avoid hi m now but what happened in two weeks time when we were attending the same school?
    I was deeply troubled by the thought that he might unearth the secrets that I was determined to keep hidden. What if he started digging for information about my life in Langley Falls? I figured the only way I could prepare myself for such an occasion was to dig up some dirt on Danny himself.
    That very weekend, I tried my best to interrogate Harriet about him but she couldn’t tell me a lot. All I managed to discover was that he – along with his parents – had arrived in Dover Springs two years ago but nobody really knew a lot about his life before or why he moved here. Harriet just told me that he was a nice guy and a really talented swimmer, which was why he was captain of the school’s swim team.
    Honestly, it appeared that Danny wasn’t hiding anything but something kept telling me that there was a reason why he was so cocky and sure of himself all of the time – and there were his scars to consider too. What exactly it was, I didn’t know but I had an inkling that he was keeping something a secret and I was determined to prove that I was right.
    Then again, maybe I was