My heart hangs for his sadness and everything we both lost through this whole thing.
He adds while I'm still processing, "There's a little more...Sara is the girl from Los Angeles. All of this is my fault. If I wouldn't have told her about the sea, we wouldn't be here in this situation."
I glance over feeling as if a rock just hit me in the chest at his admonition about Sara. He looks down at my hand and back up into my eyes. Then I feel his hand on mine and a jolt of electricity flows through my fingers. I pull away out of shock and confusion. Confusion over whether I still want this.
I look the other way and ask, "But James and...she seemed to be so into him."
"I know Ever, she's not right in the head. She wanted to make me jealous. She talked Jaspen into letting her go back to train James. I'm not sure if she really cared about him."
I look up into his eyes and see the sincerity in them. Warmth spreads through my face and down my neck. I look down to his hand and grab it. He sucks in his breath as a shock spreads through our touch. My eyes meet his again and he lowers his head slowly so we are only inches apart staring at each other. I watch as a wave of vibrant blue pushes away any green and I crash my lips into his. HIs hand comes back around my neck. Tingles spread through my body, the good ones not the darkness. I can feel again. Slowly my heart unwinds just a little.
Chapter 51
James
As soon as I'm healed, I weakly push up from the sea of bodies around me and begin to look for Sara. The fact that the sea floor is covered with silver and gold clad bodies makes me want to vomit. I'm usually good with gore but this is just too much. How can this be okay? Is anything really worth this many lives lost?
I decide to head for the Erebus caves. She's probably there feeling very bad about the accident that just happened. At least I hope it was an accident and she didn't really mean to aim her bow at my sister.
I know I'm kidding myself. Somewhere in this whole thing I must have missed something. The Jack thing, and now, attacking Ever. Do I really know her? I'm not so sure anymore.
I swim through the glass doors and fly down the hallway. Her room is in the far part of the caves, past the training rooms, on the opposite end of where my room is. When I stop in front of the door, I find it closed and locked. I knock and wait. There's no answer so I try a different tactic.
"Sara, hey it's James, are you in there?"
No answer.
"Sara, we need to talk. I think you owe me an explanation."
I hear the lock click. Slowly, I push the door open and glance around.
She's sitting on her bunk with her head in her hands. I approach her slowly.
"Sara, I just...I just need to know why?"
She looks up with tears brimming from her eyes, glancing straight at me but it doesn't seem like she's actually seeing me.
"He came for me. He wanted me to come to the sea with him. We were meant to be together."
I frown. This is ridiculous. She can't possibly mean Jack. Now I'm regretting not killing him when I had the chance and Ever is off with him somewhere. Great.
I crouch down by her bunk so we are eye level. I grab her hand, "Hey Sara, it's me, James."
She seems to shake herself back and looks at me. She pulls her hand away and shies away from me.
"I'm...I'm ...so sorry but she can't be with him. I was doing her a favor and you...you got in the way."
She looks down at my side and back up into my eyes, questioning me.
I stare at her unbelieving, where is all of this coming from?
I back up a little and tell her slowly, "Sara, I'm fine, it was just a flesh wound. Why would you hurt Ever?"
She looks back up at me glaring, "She can't have him, he's mine."
I feel like we're talking in circles and I can't get a clear answer from her. With each thing she says, my heart breaks a little more. She obviously wasn't who I thought she was. I back up and decide my questions won't be answered here. As I turn to the door, I feel a hand on my arm so I turn toward it with a tiny bit of hope. She's grasping my arm, squeezing tighter with each second that goes by.
She glares at me, "You were a game, and I won the game. Jack is mine and Ever is dead."
I pull my arm away and swim out the door. I don't glance back again. My heart has just been stomped on and I need some answers now.
***
I find Ever and Jack amid a bed of coral. They are talking and laughing quietly. I glance down and notice their hands are intertwined. The look on Ever's face is a look, I haven't seen in a long time. She seems genuinely happy.
As I swim up, Jack glances my way and whispers something to Ever. She nods and he swims toward me.
"Hey James, I think we need to talk."
I nod and follow him to a field of grasses far away from the coral bed. He turns finally and explains, "Please know that everything that has happened is my fault and I am so sorry."
I knew the douche was the cause of all this. I should just end him now, but Ever would kill me. So I hear him out. He explains that Sara was living on land before she met him and became infatuated. I'm relieved to hear that he's never touched a hair on her head. But I wonder if it's true because she is so enamored with him. He ends his story with an apology for everything. I accept the apology but it doesn't make my broken heart heal. He's admitted that the longer Sara has been here, the more delusional she's gotten.
I ask the only question that comes to mind, "What do we do then?"
He shakes his head, "About Sara, I don't know. But about this war, we need to end it."
I look at him not believing my ears. Ever swims up at that moment with a look of complete fear on her face. Did I miss something here? One minute we're talking about how crazy Sara is and the next we're talking about ending a fight that is just enormous, no other word comes to mind to describe it. We are three people, we can't possibly end it.
Jack pats me on the back and wraps Ever in his arms kissing her forehead, chuckling.
"You two don't understand. Why do you think they let you go to the land anytime you want? Why do you think they went to such great lengths with kidnapping and planning? You guys are the key to this. If you set your mind to it, you can end it all.
I glance over at Ever, meeting her eyes. She looks as unbelieving as I feel. She backs out of Jack's arms and asks, "What do we do then? It isn't fair that people have died. I'd like to prevent any more deaths."
Jack looks back and forth between us seriously, "The first thing you have to do is decide which side you're on."
Ever sighs and sinks to the ground. I rush to her side and realize she didn't faint, she slid to the ground on purpose.
She whispers, "This has been the problem through this whole thing. I can't choose a side."
Jack picks her up and holds her face in his hands staring into her eyes, "I think you made your choice a long time ago. You just let too many things get in the way and cloud your judgment. Just choose Ever."
She looks over at me as if asking for my opinion.
"Don't look at me. This is your decision. I will back you up, whatever you choose."
She gathers strength and seems to straighten her posture. She reaches down for her bow on the sea bottom and fastens it around her body and takes a deep breath smiling slowly, "Well boys, we have a war to win for choices. If we have any chance of staying in our new home, the Erebus need to win this war."
I smile at her. There's my sister, it took her long enough.
Chapter 52
Ever
This fight has been going on for three days. When Jack, James and I arrived in the city, the sight was unreal. Everyone had joined the fight. It didn't matter if they were a fighter or not. As the Erebus took over the city, the physical fighting was less and fighting with 'wills' took over. There are more things to use as weapons in the city so it's understandable. But the damage became unbelievable. The rundown building the Erebus kept me in a few days ago would look right at home in the middle o
f the city now.
Jack was somewhat right. James and I are stronger than the rest of them but we couldn't just stroll in and end it instantly. I guess it was more wishful thinking on my part.
We are going on little to no sleep now in about three days and I'm losing the battle with my eyelids.
Jack comes up behind me while I'm taking a break behind a building. He wraps his arms around me and nuzzles my neck. This is my home. I've finally come to the decision that this is it for me. It took me long enough but better late than never.
I twist in his arms and meet his lips. Electricity flows through us and we explore each other. I savor every taste of him.
The water around us ripples quickly. We pull away ready to fight whoever it is. James is out of breath and looking at us, shaking his head.
"You do know we are having a war here? Get a room later."
I smirk and smile at Jack raising my eyebrows in question.
He comes up grasping me by my hips lowering his lips to mine once more for a quick peck. He whispers in my ear, "I think I might take you up on that offer later."
My face reddens in a blush and he lets me go, "Okay, let's go win this war once and for all."
James and I follow Jack around the corner.
As soon as we round the corner he grasps his chest and falls to the ground. I lower myself beside him but he yells out pushing me away, "Swim, Ever, Swim!" Something familiar strikes me. The dream. I turn to James but he's not there. Instead I meet the turquoise eyes that I know. Of course, the Erebus from the building. He uses a will and slams me into the side of the building. It knocks me for a minute. I'm confused because I'm on his side now, why is he attacking me? I gather my strength and try to focus on him but Jack's voice distracts me, "Swim, Ever, swim!"
I start to swim away from Jack but I turn back not sure what to do. This is all wrong. The Erebus grabs me by my shoulders. Then I feel it, how could I have forgotten about this part? The pain is sudden and excruciating. It spreads from my side and emanates through my chest and down into my fin. I look down and see an arrow sticking out exactly as it was from James' side, a few days ago. Blood spreads around me. I grab and hold it looking up. I spot the origin of the arrow, of course, Sara. I let go then and find myself falling. Falling but not grasping as I did so many times before. I know now, I know where I belong and where I'm going. I watch as the light slowly disappears from my vision. I welcome the peace because I finally know where I belong. There's no more grasping for the unknown, I know now. Right before the darkness overtakes me I feel strong arms around me and I hear the voice I longed for, the voice in all of my dreams that has been out of reach whisper in my ear, "I have you Ever, and I'm never going to let you go again!" Jack. I smile and darkness settles over me.
The End
Barely Breathing
Book 2 in the Just Breathe Trilogy
Acknowledgements
My Thanks!
I have complete gratitude for my family. You are my grounding place. Everything always comes back to you. Thank you to my boys for the many days and nights I was away, deep in the ocean and you took over in making meals and watching your sister. Thank you to my husband, Richard, for believing in me and encouraging my pursuit of a dream.
Much more gratitude than I can utter to all of my first readers. My very first, Shannon Longarzo, you were the true test to whether this trilogy would work at all. Thank you to Amber Hayes, and Karen Watson for being the best beta readers ever. Stephanie Hayes, thank you for the multiple edits and encouragement, it meant so much in my journey.
About the Author
Heather Allen fulfilled a dream with the completion of her first two books. But don't be discouraged, she's not finished with Jack and Ever. Her 'Just Breathe' novels will be a trio when finished. She lives in Melbourne, Florida with her husband, two sons and daughter. Heather has been a teacher for fifteen years now and aspires to continue touching the lives of children through education but also taking them on a journey with her books.
You can find Heather on:
Twitter- hashtag- kelconcar
Her blog at heatherallen127.blogspot.com
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Barely Breathing (Just Breathe) Page 20