The Dying Breath: A Forensic Mystery

nervousness did, too. Instinctively she knew to keep very still, like a rabbit in tall grass. Her breathing became shallow as she waited. Justin cleared his throat.
    “Cammie, you know—you have to know—that I care about you.”
    “I care about you, too,” she said reflexively. “Like you said, we’re friends, right?”
    “Yes. No, I . . . it’s more complicated than that. Cammie, I care about you more than I should. More than friends. Enough to land me in prison, since you’re underage.” Justin smiled his familiar crooked grin, but it was the look in his eyes that made her panic.
    No, not now. Not now. The conversation she’d both wanted and feared was actually happening and she couldn’t unlock her mind. It was too much and her thoughts refused to line up. Less than an hour ago she had stood over a body and read a note threatening her life. And yet here was a chance to walk away from that darkness straight into air and sunlight. Why not? she asked herself while another, louder voice told her she was crazy to even think of tangling up her life .
    Suddenly his hand was on hers, rough and warm. “When I realized how close you came to getting hurt, I had a certain . . . clarity. I know what I want, Cammie. I don’t want to wait any more.”
    As she looked down her hair fell into her lap in dark tendrils. Hiding behind that dark wall, she whispered, “Justin.” She wasn’t sure what she was about to say until the words came from her mouth. “This isn’t the right time.”
    His fingers were in her hair, gently twisting strands. “That’s just the point. It’s never the right time. When I tried to ask you the first time, you chose Kyle instead of me. I thought, good—it’s a sign, it means she’s too young. Then after Kyle left I decided to try my luck again.”
    She barely said the words. “You did?”
    He nodded. “Except that’s when your mother showed up in Silverton and I decided . . . I told myself, stop—Cameryn can’t take more pressure. But Hannah’s gone back to New York, and you’re here.” He moved closer, his eyes fixed on hers, as green as pine reflecting in mountain water. “I’m here,” he whispered. “And Kyle’s out there . I just want to keep you safe.”
    She couldn’t think anymore because she didn’t want to. He touched her cheek, his fingertip rough against her skin. Tracing the curve of her chin, Justin leaned close until his forehead lingered less than an inch from hers. It was the first time he’d ever touched her like that, like a man to a woman, and she closed her eyes, shivering at the possibilities. Almost ready to let herself go, she felt just as she had with Kyle, but that letting go had gone horribly wrong and she was too scared to try again. She pulled away, hating herself when she saw the look in Justin’s eyes.
    “What?” He sounded confused. “Are you saying no?”
    “I’m . . . I . . .” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I’m saying. No, that’s not exactly true. I’m saying . . . wait. Please. Until I can figure this out. Justin, there’s no way I can do anything more right now than survive. I’ve got to deal with the fact that Kyle’s trying to kill me. Can you understand that?”
    “Do I have a choice?” It was quiet for a moment. He dropped his head against the headrest and let out a long sigh.
    “I’m sorry,” she said in a small voice.
    “No, Cammie, I’m the one who is sorry. I made a mistake. Announcing my intentions right now was not the best move.” More silence filled the air until it ballooned into every crevice. Headlights from another vehicle slid along the road before they disappeared around a bend, and as Cameryn watched those lights she wished she could vanish, too. Justin’s quiet breathing intertwined with her own shallow breaths until finally, when she couldn’t take it anymore, she said, “It’s just—this day has been . . . surreal.” It surprised her when she realized tears had welled in her eyes. Something inside her had cracked and she could feel her control slipping. She was not a crier, never a crier. She tried to look up at the ceiling of the car so they wouldn’t spill over but she felt Justin’s hand on her cheek. He was suddenly only inches away. Gently, he wiped the hot tears with the pad of his thumb. “Cammie, it’s okay.”
    “No, it’s not. Whatever this is, Justin, it’s not okay. I make a mess out of everything. I mean—just look at what I did to the