Read Just One More Breath for Free Online Page B

coming and even made a few jokes about the major hangover she knew would be waiting for her in the morning. At the end of the night, Zena had planned to ride home with her man, who eventually showed up, so she was feverishly trying to find a way for Nicole to get home safely. I stopped Zena in her tracks.
    “I’ll take her ,” I offered. Zena looked relieved when I volunteered my services.
    “Oh , Shawn, that would be great. Let’s take her flowers and balloons to your car and then we can come back and get Nicole.”
    Zena and I carried all of the goodies to my BMW and then drove to the front of club so that Nicole didn’t have to walk too far. I grabbed my seriously inebriated friend and led her towards my vehicle. Her once friendly and playful mood had now gone somber and she wasn’t nearly as talkative as she had been all night. I headed off to Nicole’s place; she was silent and stared out of the passenger window the entire time. When we pulled up in front of her place, she gave me a tight smile and began opening the car door. “Thanks for the ride home, Shawn,” she mumbled dismally.
    I couldn’t identify her new mood but I knew I didn’t like it. I unbuckled my seat belt and walked Nicole to her front door. She looked up at me with sad eyes, and then reached for her keys.
    “Will you be ok ay alone?” I asked, feeling unhappy about the thought of her being by herself.
    A stunned expression slid across her face. It was clear this was th e last question she expected me to ask. Then she replied, “Uh…yeah, I’ll be fine.”
    The soft sounds of her pained words brought a dull ache to my chest. The thought of Nicole being lonely troubled me deeply. A woman like her didn’t deserve to be alone. She deserved to be held and loved through this dark time.
    “I can come in for a little while if you want ,” I offered.
    “No, it’s ok ay. We both have work in the morning. I’ll be fine.” She forced her lips into a smile, one that I didn’t buy one bit.
    “Well, I’m going to make it my business to start spending more time with you. I’ll text you tomorrow and we’ll make dinner plans ,” I said, trying desperately to lighten her mood.
    “Shawn , you don’t have to.” Her words were filled with reluctance and protest.
    “I know I don’t have to, but I want to. Now get inside and get some rest.” I leaned down and planted a soft kiss onto her forehead.
    “Thanks, but can you do me one last favor?” Nicole asked.
    “Sure , Nic. Anything.”
    “Can you get rid of these flowers? The smell and look of them remind me of funerals.”
    I nodded yes and pulled her in for one final hug. Then she opened her front door and walked inside. When her door clicked shut I felt anxious. Leaving her did not feel like the right thing to do. I wanted to stay with her, not just because the thought of her not having anyone made me feel unhappy, but also because my body craved it. Hesitantly I turned to walk back to my car but I couldn’t help but glance back toward her house after every few steps. As I drove to my place my thoughts were always on Nicole and how good it felt to be around her tonight. My arms missed the feel of her body, my nose missed the amazing smell of her soft curly hair, and I was still experiencing that jolt in my chest that I got every time she smiled at me. I had to fight my overwhelming urge to drive back to her place and hold her all night long, and I couldn’t figure out if it was my protective instinct, or if the feelings I had been harboring for Nicole Miller went deeper than I had ever realized.
     

Chapter Five
     
    Nicole
     
    The sleepiness I had been feeling disappeared as soon as I entered my house. I couldn’t get Shawn’s words out of my head. He had asked a really hard question. Will you be okay alone? I was still coming to terms with the fact that I went from living with my husband and son, to living by myself, but for some strange reason, it never dawned on me that I was