Breathe Again by Joelle Charming Read Free Book Online Page B

my cousin. We were both
tenacious and severely realistic, and we both knew we had too much potential to
throw it all away.
    “I just like him, is all. There’s an attraction there, sure,
but it’s more than that. I can’t really figure out just what yet, but I will.”
    “I know,” Josephine said reassuringly. “It’s obvious you like
him, and maybe you should just give him a chance. He seems like a good guy.”
    I smiled. “He is. I’m just still trying to figure it all
out.”
    “There’s nothing to figure out,” Josephine said, completely
serious. “Don’t overthink this. Don’t overreact. You won’t make another
mistake, I promise.”
    I snorted. “Right,” I said, unconvinced.
    “Have you told your parents yet?
    “Are you seriously asking me that question right now?” I
asked. Josephine just raised an eyebrow. “Have you talked to your parents
lately?”
    “Touché,” Josephine said.
    “If this dating thing does work out, it’s only a matter of
time. The paparazzi are like vultures, and he’s warned me what could happen.”
    Josephine nodded in agreement. “You’re probably right. Maybe
you should call your dad first. He might at least answer the phone when you
call.”
    I looked up at my cousin. “How did you do it?” I asked. I
tried not to think about it too much, but sometimes the pain caused by being
completely ostracized by my family threatened to overwhelm me.
    “Do what?”
    “How did you deal with having to give up your family, just so
you could be yourself?” I asked.
    Josephine smiled sadly. “I didn’t deal with it. During my first
six months living here, I filled the void of not having a family by sleeping
with every woman I met. I made the rash decision to buy a café I couldn’t
afford. And a car I couldn’t afford. And a new set of boobs I couldn’t afford.
But it was by doing these things that I finally realized that I could do it on
my own. I needed to screw up a little so that I could concentrate on fixing
things. It took my mind off of everything that had happened back home, and I
threw myself into my work. Now I’m happy, successful. I can afford the things I
was about to give up just six years ago. I love my life.”
    “So, what you’re saying is that I need to sleep around a lot
and buy myself a car?” I asked, only half-serious.
    “Maybe,” Josephine said, laughing. “Maybe not. I think you
need to find your own way to deal with it. Just don’t hold it inside.”
    “But why not?” I asked. “Lord knows I’m good at holding it
in.”
    “It may be true that you’re good at it, but that doesn’t mean
that it’s good for you.”
    I laughed. “When did you become so wise, Josephine? I think I
remember you once saying that Grandma Jean had white hair because she ate
cottage cheese with every meal. Wow, how times have changed,” I said.
    “Excuse me, but I believe I was eleven when I said that. My
brother wasn’t nearly as nice to me as James was to you. Thomas also told me
that if I picked my nose my brain would fall out and that the characters in TV
shows lived inside the television,” Josephine said defensively.
    It was true. I remembered the long summer days when my
siblings and I, along with all of our nine cousins, would play in the tree house
behind our grandmother’s house, telling each other ridiculous stories to see
who was the most gullible.
    “But in all seriousness,” Josephine said, interrupting my
thoughts. “Everything will be fine. All that matters is that you’re happy. If
your parents and my parents can’t see that, then they don’t matter.”
    I smiled. “Thanks, Josephine. I needed that.”
    “Of course,” Josephine said, smiling back. “And look at it
this way: at least you’ll never be the least favorite in the family.”
    “Why would you say that?” I asked, confused.
    “Because at least Jackson has a penis.”

CHAPTER 7
    Jackson picked me up at exactly ten to
seven that night, only two days after he found