Break Through Read Free Page A

here? I suppose it didn’t matter. The answer to both would be a resounding “no.”
    “I guess,” I finally squeaked out.
    “We can get some shots of you on the couch. Maybe a couple by the window.” He flashed me a quick smile. “I promise to make it as painless as possible.”
    I was sure he thought his little joke would make me more at ease, but he was wrong. In fact, sarcasm and teasing usually made me more uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to do. I’d missed out on too many years of it, I guess. Besides, right now I wanted to get this whole thing over with.
    “ Okay.” I fidgeted with the bottom of my dress. The smile slipped from Carter’s face and he stared at me a minute, his lower lip puckering out a little. Unnerved, I looked away, my eyes landing on the window once again. A bird flew by, its wings flapping in the breeze. As it careened across the blue sky, my chest tightened as longing filled me.
    “You know what?” Carter’s voice forced me back into the room. I turned in his direction. He held his camera in one hand, and ran the other through his thick, brown hair. “The lighting isn’t that great in here. Why don’t we go outside?”
    It was like he told me I won the lottery or something. My heart swelled, and I could already feel the sun beating down on my skin. Smiling, I stood and then ushered him to the back door. The minute my sandal-clad feet hit the back deck my chest expanded. Warm air brushed over my skin, as clean air filled my senses. My lips curled slightly at the edges as I walked across the deck toward the stairs leading to the grass. As I stepped onto it, I longed to take my shoes off and feel the feathery reeds in between my toes. Lifting my head, I allowed the sun to warm my face.
    “Now this is perfect. Much better than the family room.”
    I craned my neck to look at Carter. His gaze was trained on me, and my cheeks flushed slightly.
    “The lighting?” I asked.
    “Yeah,” he said, continuing to stare at me. “Among other things.” Without expanding on what he meant, he lifted the camera until half his face disappeared behind it.
    My breath hitched in my throat. Was I supposed to be posing or something? “Um…what do you want me to do?”
    “Nothing yet. I’m going to take some test shots. Just act natural.”
    Natural? Nothing about this was natural . As I watched him I found myself fascinated by his job. What would it be like to take pictures all day long? To be a part of recording moments in such a profound way. Even though I’d been irritated with Mom for buying all those magazines, the truth was that I’d enjoyed looking at Carter’s photographs. They were stunning. Self-conscious, I rubbed my lips together and fingered the bottom of my hair.
    Carter took the camera down, uncovering his face. Once again, I was struck with how good looking he was. “It’s beautiful out here.” His gaze swept the yard. “Ah, I thought I smelled sweet peas.”
    I followed his gaze to my bright pink flowers lining the back fence. Their fragrance reached my nose as if his words had conjured up their scent. “You know flowers?”
    “A little.” He dropped his camera, holding it by his side.
    “I spent my morning pruning those rose bushes over there by the guesthouse.” I pointed in the direction of them.
    “Is that where you stay?”
    I nodded. “It gives me some freedom at least.” Lowering my head, I felt stupid. What kind of adult lives with their parents? “I’m not quite ready to be on my own.”
    “That makes sense.”
    I bit my lip. “I know it’s been ten years, but it’s still hard, you know?”
    He moved closer to me. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re very brave.”

THREE
    Brave.
    In the weeks and months following my escape, I’d been called brave more times than I could count. But I never felt brave. Not at all.
    Eve was the brave one . Not me. She was the one who risked her life to get us out of that hell-hole. All I did was take advantage