Stolen Breaths Read Online Free PDF Page B

breath. Color me impressed, Lily.” He looked back down, shaking his head in amusement. “You may be a lot of things, but predictable isn’t one of them.” He laughed again. “I’m almost afraid to ask you to tell me your favorite food now.” He checked his watch and then peeked his eyes back up like he knew there was a possibility I may whack him. And then he grinned that grin.
    “Shut up,” I chuckled, slightly embarrassed that I had rambled on like that. And I did consider whacking him, but I was too busy trying to find a hole to climb in instead.
    “Absolutely adorable.”
    “What is?”
    “You.”
    I chose not to ask him to explain why he thought that. Besides, one of my favorite songs was on the radio. “Oh, turn it up. Please. I love this song.” Eminem and Rihanna’s ‘Love the Way You Lie’.
    “Yes ma’am.” He leaned into the window on the driver’s side and turned the volume up. I sang along to Rihanna’s part. I closed my eyes and swayed to the music. Cooper walked back over and sat next to me on the car never saying a word. We didn’t talk much, mostly listened to the radio and learning to just… be.
    We watched the sun set and eventually decided that we needed to head back, still quiet and not saying much. It wasn’t an awkward silence though, more like drinking everything in slowly. We pulled up to my house and he walked me to the door.
    “Thank you, Lily, for today. It was one of the best days I’ve had in a long time; maybe ever.” His dark brown eyes were like pools of chocolate, and if I wasn’t careful I could fall into them so easily.
    “Back at’cha.” I smiled, trying not to be too serious. I wanted to keep the lighthearted mood going. It was comfortable and I needed comfortable. “I’m glad I didn’t have to use my elite kickboxing skills on you,” I said with a wink.
    “I don’t know. That might have been fun. Next time,” he joked.
    I turned the key, opened the door, and stepped inside recalling the last time we were standing here on my porch. I remembered that feeling of not being able to breathe, of not wanting to look at him too long, and unfortunately those feelings were rushing back to me.
    “Thanks again, Cooper. You’ve been really sweet. Today was…..” I was searching for the right word, but couldn’t seem to find it.
    “Yeah, it was.” He seemed to understand what I was trying to say. I wish I did. “Good night, Lily. Is it okay if I call you tomorrow?”
    “Sure. Friends can call each other,” still trying to keep it light.
    He looked at me like he wanted to say something. For a moment I thought I could see an internal battle being waged somewhere inside of him. I could see the conflict behind his eyes. The moment was over so quickly that I wasn’t even sure it was real. Maybe it wasn’t.
    “I’ll call you tomorrow.” He leaned in slowly, and barely touched his lips to my forehead. “Good night, Lil.”

Six

Be Fearless
    Spending time with Cooper was medicine to my soul. He breathed life into my spirit and it awakened me down deep. It was funny how you never really realized how lifeless you were until someone came along and gave you that shock to the chest that forced your heart to start beating again.
    Cooper was becoming my heartbeat.
    After Cooper dropped me off I tried to occupy my thoughts with other things. Anything. I cleaned my bedroom, changed my sheets, did a load of laundry, and organized the kitchen pantry. I stood in the kitchen, remembering all the times my daddy and I used to cook together and instead of feeling sad, I felt happy. I had good memories and I knew that if he were alive right now he would say, “Lily, be fearless!” That’s what he always told me. My first day of school every other kid had their mothers bring them, but mine couldn’t. Mine had died two years earlier. I didn’t know a soul, and I was extremely shy. My daddy pulled me aside, bent down to his knees so we were eye level and he said,