Read Online Breathe for Me by Rhonda Helms - Free Book Online

and he steps closer. “You spend all your time in school or in your apartment, reading. Eating alone. You wanted adventure and freedom, Isabel. I’m giving it to you. Take it.” He’s so close now that I can see the flickers and shifts of gray in his eyes. “Having you angry with me doesn’t get me what I want. Or what you want.”
    â€œWhat do you want from me?” I whisper, standing stock-still.
    â€œI want you to want this.”
    â€œWhy? Why do you care so much about my feelings?”
    He glances away to stare off into the distance. “I have my responsibilities. There are pluses and minuses to my job.” Pause. “I spend a lot of time alone. Sometimes I’d like to feel like I’m… bringing something good to someone. Like what I do is desired.”
    I consider his words, the quietness of his being. Is Sitri lonely? Is this why he came to me today, why he brought me here? He must have sensed my loneliness, recognized it as his own. Realizing he has vulnerabilities—and that he’s showing them to me—shifts a small element of my view of him.
    I can’t let my guard down around him. But maybe I can be less standoffish to him. If I keep him on my good side, it might help my ultimate cause—breaking my curse.
    And when I do, I won’t have this anymore , something whispers inside my mind. Maybe Sitri’s surprise has another purpose, to remind me of his powers. Of what he can give me. As much as I hate to face it, there is something to be said for having whatever you want, whenever you want it.
    â€œThis is a cool place,” I admit. Not directly commenting on his last words but still giving a bit of ground. “I’d never get to explore it like this otherwise.”
    The smile creeps across his face again. “There’s so much of this city you haven’t seen yet, Isabel. Things that I can show you, places that regular people can’t go. But I can take you there.” He holds his hand out. “Let’s look at some more sculptures.”
    I lick my lips, and his eyes dart to my mouth. His heated look flares the panic in my belly. I’m not ready for this intensity in him, but I don’t quite know how to respond. Instead of taking his hand, I give a slow nod. “Okay, let’s go.”

chapter six
    O N M ONDAY MORNING , I make my way toward school. Samantha’s out front waiting for me. The streaks in her hair are bleached blond now, making her skin glow. Or maybe she’s glowing for an entirely different reason.
    She runs over and slips her arm into mine. “Okay, I know I didn’t call you back this weekend, but that’s because I was spending practically every second with Rick,” she says, her voice breathless and giddy. Her eyes sparkle in a way I’ve never seen before, and she clings to my arm in excitement as she speaks. “Isabel, he is awesome. And he kisses so, soooo well. It was the best weekend ever. Wait until you hear all about it!”
    â€œThat’s awesome,” I say. “So what did you guys do?”
    We make our way inside the building, Samantha talking nonstop about their date on Friday, then moves on to Saturday and Sunday. I nod and “mm-hmm” in all the right places, letting her rattle on.
    â€œSo, what did you do this weekend?” she asks.
    â€œI stayed inside most of the time. But I did go to the sculpture gardens at the NOMA.” Of course, I’m not going to delve into the specifics about it with her, since she doesn’t know the truth about me. The rest of yesterday evening went surprisingly well. Sitri was on his best behavior and showed me a number of metal sculptures in the gardens, talking about other artists he’s met over the years and which works of theirs he loves the most. Afterward he dropped me off at the apartment and left, like a perfect gentleman.
    Like a date .
    To be honest, I’m still a little