Breaking Through (The Breaking Series Book 3) by Juliana Haygert Page B

racing heart.
    “Sorry,” he repeated, his accent thick, thicker than usual.
    “It’s okay.” I straightened, suddenly embarrassed about being here.
    I noticed Gui’s eyes gliding over me, taking in my outfit. That was when I noticed he was wearing his practice clothes—tight white pants, the Montenegro polo shirt, and black knee-high boots.
    A smile spread on his lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed like that. It suits you.”
    “Um, thanks.” I wiped my sweaty hands on my jeans. “What are you doing here?”
    He cocked his head to the side. “What are you doing here?”
    “Looking for my sister.” I lowered my eyes so he couldn’t see my lie stamped on my face.
    But Gui was smart. “You wouldn’t have come all the way here looking for you sister, knowing she could be out. No, you would have called first to make sure she was here.” He glanced to the white board on the wooden wall between two stalls. “And I see here she’s out right now. In fact, she’ll be out for a long time.” He crossed his arm, his chin jutted out. “What is it? Why are you here?”
    I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Two feelings I knew too well, embarrassment and fear, engulfed me and I couldn’t bring myself to say the truth. “It’s nothing, really.” I hooked my thumbs on my jeans’ front pockets and started walking past him, to the stable’s main gates.
    Gui’s hand shot out and, gently, he closed his fingers around my wrist, making me stop and instinctively jerk back. He pulled his hand to himself. “Sorry.” He frowned, looking unsure. “About grabbing you like that. I know—”
    “I-it’s okay,” I said quickly, hoping he would take the hint that I wasn’t up to talk about it. “I should just go.” I started walking again.
    “Hil, wait.” Gui turned with me. “I know you’re not a fan of horses, so if you’re here, it must be for a good reason. What is it?”
    I narrowed my eyes at him. “Why all this curiosity?”
    “It’s not just curiosity. It’s intriguing. You always intrigue me.”
    First, I gasped, shocked. Then rage course through my veins. “Oh, like that girl is so crazy, it’s intriguing.”
    “No.” He gave a step closer, his eyes on mine. “Like that girl is amazing, but she’s hiding behind a wall. If only she would let someone break through.”
    The rage faded as fast as it had surged up. I watched him as he watched me, confused and intrigued too. Gui had just called me amazing. If I were still my sixteen-year-old self, I would be doing an internal happy dance right now. The truth was, it did mess with my insides; I just wasn’t sure how.
    “Tell me,” he said, his voice soft, gentle.
    Something in his eyes or his stance or his voice, or all of it together, cracked me a little. I sighed. “I had a panic attack last week during one of my final exams, so I sought out my therapist to help me. I’m tired of the panic and the fear. She suggested I make a list of my fears, from any stupid little thing to the things that give me panic attacks. Getting close to horses and riding them is on that list.” I clamped my mouth shut, a little stunned that I had just blurted the truth out.
    “I see.” Gui narrowed his eyes at me. “And why didn’t you ask Hannah for help?”
    “I love my sister, but she wants to help too much. She’ll act like a therapist and I can’t deal with that. I just need to take this slow.”
    He stared at me for a moment, those blue eyes too bright, too interesting. “I can help you.”
    My heart skipped a beat. “W-what? Why?”
    “Because I would like to see you break through that wall you hide behind.” His eyes … his expression … he was serious.
    Why was he serious about this?
    “I don’t know,” I whispered, lowering my gaze. “This is pretty stupid.”
    “I don’t think it is, otherwise it wouldn’t be on your list.”
    He was right, of course. I just wasn’t ready—it wasn’t easy—to admit that out loud.