Catch My Breath Read Online Free Page B

after dinner when they finished for the night. Elliot could barely talk by that point, let alone sing another song, but his cheeks hurt from smiling, and he’d laughed more than he ever remembered laughing in his life. They packed up their stuff and headed for the front door of the studio.
    “What are you doing tonight?” Danny asked as they burst into the warmth of a late June evening.
    Elliot shrugged. “I have a long drive home ahead of me. It’s like an hour at this time of night.”
    “You wanna just crash at my place since we have that meeting in the morning?” He looked Elliot over. “You could just borrow some of my clothes. We’re about the same size.”
    “Yeah?” Elliot had to admit he was relieved at the thought of not driving all the way home. And a bit terrified at the idea of a night alone with Danny. He hoped he didn’t act like an idiot with a crush.
    “Sure. Just… yeah. Come to my place.” He turned. “Any of the rest of you guys have a long drive?”
    Webb and Reece both shook their heads.
    “I do, kinda,” Tate said. “But I’m going out to dinner with Felicia tonight, so I’m going to head home.”
    He got a few light punches and Reece mumbled, “Whipped” before he laughed and punched Tate again.
    “Hey, you jerks haven’t even met her,” he protested. “I’m not whipped. She’s cool.”
    “Bring her to our next rehearsal. We’ll be nice.” Danny winked as he tucked his jean jacket into the straps of his messenger bag. It was a hot night. Nobody needed a jacket.
    “Why does that scare me?” Tate asked as he waved with his keys. “See you guys in the morning.”
    Reece and Webb disappeared into their own cars, leaving Elliot there, standing with Danny. Danny in his effortlessly cool plaid shorts and a perfectly white polo, easy smile, and that shiny auburn hair he flipped off to the side. “Ready, El?”
    “Y-yeah. Sure.” Elliot tried not to feel awkward, but Danny did something to him. He wanted so badly for them to get along. “Let me text my mom real quick and tell her I won’t be home.”
    “Cool. My car is over there.” Danny pointed to a shiny black BMW.
    “Really?” Elliot slapped his hand over his mouth before he sounded any more like a dork.
    Danny chuckled. “It’s just a car. Let’s go.”
     
     
    E LLIOT tried not to be nervous in the cool expensive interior of Danny’s car and tried even harder not to gape openly when they got to his house, which had to be four times the size of Elliot’s. Danny didn’t seem to think it was a big deal—”It’s just a house,” he’d mumbled with a shrug.
    A few slightly awkward minutes passed while they decided what to get for dinner, but then it was like something clicked, some little or huge thing, and all of a sudden being alone with Danny was the easiest thing in the world. Elliot forgot about his huge house and expensive car and laughed . He laughed more than he’d ever laughed before, talked a mile a minute, got trounced in every video game Danny owned, and flopped, grinning, onto a guest bed only a few hours before dawn. Even with everything that had happened lately, it was one of the best nights Elliot could remember.
     
     
    D ANNY usually didn’t mind mornings. He’d never been much of a sleeper. But on those rare occasions where he’d managed to stay asleep for once an alarm blaring in his ear was less than welcome. He slammed his hand on it and was about to roll back over when he remembered. Sasha. The meeting.
    Shit. Get up!
    He bounced out of bed and grabbed his stuff for the shower before he remembered the second part. Elliot. Elliot was in the guest room down the hall. Danny had to make sure he was up too. Elliot. The kid killed him. It was like… like he didn’t know how much natural talent he had. Add the innocent little smiles and his killer looks? Man. Danny rapped on Elliot’s door.
    “You up, man?”
    A muffled “Yes” came from the other side of the door.
    “I’ll