“And she tried to breathe.”

“As she looked into his eyes, the energy shifted between them. Her breath caught & she tried to smile like she was unaffected by their meeting”

“She tried to swallow, to take a breath, but her eyes met his, and there was nothing but aching intensity in his gaze. And she was drawn in, swept away.”

“The night, a living presence, was in constant motion, shifting itself, sighing, breathing. She wondered if perhaps it, too, was trying to get warm.”

“Sometimes he felt her watching him in return. Studying him. Once he heard her breathing stop, then start then stop again. 'What is it?' he asked, and she frowned a little. I'm trying to breathe with you.”

“She tried to compose herself then, with several deep breaths. I gave her as long as she needed, all the while mentally designing my tombstone. R.I.P, Captain Abraham R. Griswold. He was completely useless and made girls cry.”