Breathe


 
 BREATHE
 
 
 
 
 EVE VAUGHN
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2023 by Eve Vaughn
 All rights reserved.
 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
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 This story is dedicated to the people who do their best to make it through the day. You are seen and you are loved.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CONTENTS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 1
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 2
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 6
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 8
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 9
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 11
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 12
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 13
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 14
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Chapter 15
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Epilogue
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Also by Eve Vaughn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 About the Author
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1
 
 RORI
 
 
 
 
 
 T
 he brief pain in my chest makes me wince. I deeply inhale through my nostrils and breathe out through my mouth. I keep going until the pain subsides.
 Today, I’m at a solid 6.
 A 6 is just two notches below the level when everything starts to spin out of control for me. I focus on my computer monitor and peck away at my keyboard. Logging the weekly call reports for the IT department is basically grunt work. No one wants to do them so somehow, they always land on my desk. I don’t mind it though. It keeps me busy from thinking about the constant ache in the pit of my stomach, and the tightness in my chest.
 Sometimes I get engrossed in my tasks enough not to notice the constant discomfort in my chest. But a 6 is still pretty hard to ignore.
 “Henderson!” A palm falls on my desk with a heavy slap, snapping me out of my work trance.
 My gaze follows the trail along its owner’s arm to their face. Dark beady eyes stare back at me and hot breath that reeks of beef jerky and rotten eggs blasts me head on.
 I sigh heavily before answering. “Yes, Todd?”
 There aren’t many people I dislike. I simply don’t have the energy to give into that particular emotion, but if I had a list, Todd would be on it. Besides thinking he knows everything, he talks over people, he’s sexist and petty. The last part is the reason I’ve been tasked with doing the weekly reports. As one of the few women in the IT department, I dared to point out a mistake he made on a coding project and ever since then he has made it his mission to make my life miserable.
 Every team member is required to rotate on the help desk to support the tech needs of all the departments of OFS. That usually works out to a few hours a week for most of the team. For me, however, I work help desk twice as long. I’m also on call two nights a week whereas the rest of my colleagues only have to do it once every two weeks. He even isolated me to the ‘naughty corner’, the smallest cubicle in the department farthest away from the windows. It’s right beside a supply closet and has very little natural light.
 Joke’s on him, I welcome the extra work. It keeps my mind occupied. Keeps me from focusing on the ache. Being isolated from the rest of the team is an added bonus. Don’t get me wrong, there are some nice people in the department of twenty. But Todd has created an environment that stresses people out, so it often makes them snippy and on edge.
 Most days I can work in my little corner with my earbuds with no issue, but in my rush to get out the door, this morning, I left them at home. From the look in Todd’s eyes, today would be anything but peaceful.
 He purses his thin lips, deepening his seemingly permanent scowl. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for several minutes now. You don’t have the excuse of having your earbuds in, so were you deliberately ignoring me?”
 I sense that he’s looking for a reason to further scold me so I keep my response measured. “Of course not. I was just in the zone. What can I do for you?”
 Todd flares his nostrils and narrows his eyes making them even smaller. “You’ve been summoned upstairs.”
 I place my palm against my chest. “Me? I’m not