Barely Breathing (The Breathing #2)(33)

"Finally." He pulled me toward him, my hand still on the door knob, barely closing it behind me. I breathed him in as he pressed his firm lips against mine. I melted in relief, needing this connection more than he realized. "That bad, huh?" Then again, maybe he did realize.

"You got out just in time," Evan relayed, sitting next to me. "The cops showed up and broke up the party."

"Yeah, we saw them," I muttered, still feeling guilty about what I'd said to Sara. I sat down on the top step, not caring that I was sitting on a sheet of snow.

Evan sat down next to me. "Are you okay?" He nudged my shoulder with his and took my hand.

"I have no idea what's wrong with Sara. She's miserable." Then I considered it and realized, "She's been a little off for a while now, but it wasn't that bad until now. Something happened and she won't tell me what."

"Huh," Evan breathed in contemplation. "I think I know what to do."

I looked at him hopefully. He pulled out his phone and looked at the screen.

"What? What should we do?" I demanded desperately.

"Oh, sorry," Evan replied, distracted as he texted. "It's Jared."

Then he put his phone back in his pocket and said, "Maybe we can at least make her smile."

"I'll try anything."

Evan leapt down the stairs, sinking into the snow up to his shins.

"What are you doing?" I asked, like he was insane.

"How about we make a snowman?"



       
         
       
        

I laughed. "You are crazy."

"True," he agreed with his infamous smile, "but that's why you love me."

"You're probably right." I smiled wider and joined him in the snow, sinking up to my knees.

I fell over several times, losing my footing while rolling the large ball around the front yard. Evan kept chuckling at my inability to stay upright. Sara probably would've been rolling in uncontrollable laughter if she'd seen me. I hoped this ridiculous semblance of a snowperson would at least crack a smile.

As Evan was lifting the head to place it on the other two body parts, I slipped for the millionth time and slid down the small incline on my back. I let out a loud yelp and began laughing when I finally slid to a stop. Instead of helping me up, Evan opted to lie down next to me. From above our heads, light spread across the second floor windows, and a curtain pulled back.

Anna spread the curtains wider and opened the window.

We remained still, hoping she wouldn't notice us. She squinted, "Emma? Is that you? And …  Evan?"

"Good evening, Mrs. McKinley," Evan waved from our flattened position on the snow covered lawn.

"What are you … " she stopped herself when she saw the snowman beneath her window. "Come in soon, Emma. It's late. And try to keep it down please."

"Sorry," I cringed guiltily.

She shut the window as Carl asked, "What are they doing … " A moment later, the windows darkened and all was still.

That's when I realized the snow had stopped. I looked up at the wisps of clouds quickly passing over us, weaving through the stars. Evan lay quietly beside me, our hands clasped between us.

"I'm not sure I can feel my legs," I shivered as the cold ground seeped into me, but I still didn't make a motion to get up.

Evan sat up, and just when I thought he was going to pull me up too, he leaned down and found my lips, melting the crystals of snow that had landed on my face. His mouth moved gently along mine, warming my entire body.

"You make me forget how much I hate the cold," I breathed with my eyes still closed.

"Let's finish the snowman," Evan finally said, pulling me to my feet. I looked down at my snow caked jeans and tried to brush them off without success.

While I packed snow between each layer, Evan rifled through his car and pulled a bag of candy out of his backpack.

"Sweet tooth?" I accused when I saw the massive amounts of chocolate, licorice and jelly beans in the white paper bag.

"You could say that," he confessed with a grin.

We pulled red licorice and jelly beans out of the bag to create a face and waves of hair. 

I took off my scarf for the finishing touch after he inserted the excited stick arms that looked like they were reaching for the stars. We stepped back to take in our creation. I couldn't stop laughing.

Evan admired it proudly. "She has to at least smile."

"I hope so," I sighed.

Evan left to drive home as it started to flurry once again. I seriously had lost feeling in the majority of my body and desperately needed to thaw.