SOLVED. NA/Romance - About a boy who can hold his breath for a really long time. (15+ Minutes). [s]

[Eilidh]

I'm going to write everything I remember about this book so, SPOILERS AHEAD.



I probably read it 3-5 years ago on kindle
It might have been self-published.
It's a contemporary setting, but has some supernatural/magical elements.
I don't remember anything about the cover
The title might include a number? (the number of minutes he has to hold his breath)

- The characters live in America
- The story might take place over several years (starting when they are in high school)
- The Meet-cute happens at a local swimming pool, after hours.
- The girl thinks the boy is drowning and freaks out, but he is only practicing holding his breath.
- I think they live in a bad neighbourhood.
- The boy, (and maybe the girl) have abusive families.
- The girl gets a bad reputation from hanging out with this boy
- The girl may work in a diner at one point.

- At the end of the book, the boy is on the run from the police, when he is swept away by a river. The police assume he is dead and can't find the body. But he is alive (he held his breath in the river so long that the police left the scene) and he and the girl run away together.

I may be remembering this wrong, (or confusing it with another book) but I think the reason the boy is on the run from the police is because: his little cousin died/gets hurt. and he gets blamed for it.

- At the start of the book, the boy goes to live with his abusive aunt/uncle/cousins. (because his parents died)
- At one point the older cousin rips up an important letter/photo, which angers the boy.
- I think while in a fight with the older cousin, he accidentally hurts/kills the younger cousin
- And goes on the run from the police because of this.


The boy holding his breath is a really important theme.

- He practices a lot throughout the book. (with the girls help)
- He manages to hold his breath longer and longer every time
- The girl questions why he has to do this
- He says he doesn't know why, he just knows he has to make it to a certain time limit.
- Maybe 15/16/17/18/19/20/21 minutes? I can't remember
- This comes across as supernatural/magical.
- Like, he has visions/foresight about this number of minutes he needs to be able to hold his breath.
- He doesn't understand why, he just knows he HAS to reach that goal.
- The goal ends up being the exact number of minutes he needs to be able to evade police underwater.


I feel like that is a lot of information I remember about the book, and yet after an hour of googling I still can't find it. Which makes me think it wasn't well known, and maybe Self-published.

If anyone can help me find this book I would really appreciate it.
I don't know why it randomly came into my head today, but I can't let it go.
I need to know what it is.

Thank you, everyone!

[Ayshe]

Maybe How to Save a Life?

[Eilidh]

Thank you!
It is how to save a life. The cover looks so unfamiliar to me, I never would have found this book on my own.
Thank you.