Out of Breath

Every breath I breathe is because of you. Even when your weren't there to save me, you were my reason to breathe. And for that I will always love you. Always.

I love him more than he will ever know. And because of that, I choose his happiness.

Remember there is always a choice. I chose to live. I chose to love. I chose to breathe.

Living in the mistakes of your past isn't going to do anything but destroy your future.

I'm not supposed to live without you. And you're not supposed to live without me. We're in this life together. Without each other, we're not really living.

I don't understand. You still...love me?" "Yeah, I do. And I know you're not the same girl. But I'm in love with you, Emma. I fell in love with you all over again this summer. People change. I know this. And we'll continue to change. That just means I'll get to fall in love with you again. Because no matter what happens in our lives, what I feel for you will survive anything.

Maybe it's because once you put all the pieces together, you end up with something beautiful.

I couldn't catch my breath. I buried my face in his shirt. He was my reason for existing. It was his words that pulled me to the surface. His breath that saved me. And now, his arms that held me within this life, unable to give up. He was my strength, and the love I didn't have for myself. And I couldn't live without him more than he could let me go.

I was so tired of fighting. Tired of hurting. Tired of the guilt that never released me, and the regrets that could not be changed. I didn't want this life. They're were only so many times I could hear that I should never have been born, before I wished it to be true.

In the uneven balance of life, I'd experienced love and loss. The loss challenged me to be strong, but it was the love that supported me when I was weak. I was a survivor.

This was just the beginning of our healing. Of being forgiven. I knew I would struggle with it at times, and feel like I was fighting for every breath. I just had to remember, there was always a choice. And I chose to live. I chose to love. I chose to breathe.

I can't..." Her voice broke. "I can't do this any more." "Then I'll do it for you," I rasped, my throat closing. "Let me love you enough for the two of us, until you can accept you're worth it. Because you are, Emma. I don't know how to convince you. But I'll spend the rest of my life trying. You can't give up on me now. I won't let you.

Every breath I breathe is because of you.' His eyes flickered, still peering into mine. 'Even when you weren't there to save me, you were my reason to breathe. And for that I will always love you. Always.

Evan Mathews, you can tell yourself and everyone else that you're here to get answers, for closure. But the truth is, you love her. You will always love her. You're here because you can't walk away. You saw how broken and empty she was back in Weslyn, and you had to follow her. You'll never be able to let her go. You're here because ... it's where you belong, with her.

I'm stuck. I'm stuck in yesterday, and you're tomorrow.

This was the first house where I'd unpacked every single box, wanting to stay. All because of a girl with a fiery attitude and a blush that let me know exactly what she thought of me. That's all it took, and I was hers.

It always comes back to forgiving, doesn't it?

You were my reason to breathe.

I just had to remember, there was always a choice. And I choose to live. I chose to love. I chose to breathe.

I cried for the little girl who lost her father but never had a mother. I cried for the girl who only wanted to be accepted, but was never enough. I cried for the girl who suffered unfathomable pain at the hands of hate. I cried for the girl who deserved to be loved but didn't know how.

In the uneven balance of my life, I'd experienced love and loss. The loss challenged me to be strong, but it was the love that supported me when I was weak. I was a survivor. And now I wanted to focus on living my life. This was just the beginning of our healing. Of being forgiven. I knew I would struggle with it at times, and feel like I was fighting for every breath. I just had to remember, there was always a choice. And I chose to live. I chose to love. I chose to breathe.

You can’t keep it all inside, Emma. Cry. Scream if you have to, but don’t let it destroy you. I wish you wouldn’t underestimate your strength.

I never gave him a chance to decide if I was worth loving. I'd taken that choice away from him - because I feared what it would be.

I can still run faster," I murmured, my lips pressed against his smooth skin. Evan laughed softly in my ear and whispered, "But you'll never lose me.

Emma, there was never a choice. I will always choose you. Always.

There was only something to fear if I had something to lose. And I had nothing.

What were you running away from, Emma?" he asked, seeing right through my answer. "Me," I answered honestly, avoiding his gaze. He waited for me to continue. I took a deep breath and said, "I don't want the past to define me anymore. I don't want what happened to me, or all the wrong decisions I've made to keep me from becoming someone better. I want to be better.

You can't keep pushing everyone away." She stood up from the chair, her body tense. "You can't keep doing this, because one of these days, you'll wake up and have no one.

People change. I know this. And we'll continue to change. That just means I'll get to fall in love with you again. Because no matter what happens in our lives, what I feel for you will survive anything.