Page 21 of Till Forever Falls Apart
I gave him a weak smile, and he hurried out of the living room.
I suppose having Caspian around affected him more than I’d realised.
I was sure it would all settle down eventually, and he’d be back to his usual self.
8
Aria
Iwalked through the door, coffee in hand, and placed it on my desk, getting settled for another day of work, when a loud thud came from Sebastian’s office. I flinched, the sound taking me back to Jason slamming his fist against the wall for a moment.
“Is there something wrong with you?” Sebastian shouted from inside.
“You need to stop being so stubborn and look at the figures,” Caspian snapped back.
I jolted as if I’d just been hit by electricity, my heart picking up speed as I looked at them through the window, arguing with each other.
An uneasy feeling crept into my stomach.
“You need to remember who’s the boss around here,” Sebastian snarled.
I tried to take some deep breaths. My chest was tight, and I rubbed it with my hand.
No. I needed to get out. I needed air. I needed to breathe.
Rushing through into the main office, I hurried my steps to reach the lift and pressed the button a few times, as if that was going to make it come quicker. Resting my hand on my heart, I felt my breathing pick up speed.
Not now.
The lift pinged, and I bolted in, repeatedly pressing the button. I rested my back against the wall, bending to place my hands on my thighs as I tried to take deep, steady breaths.
It had been a while since I’d had a panic attack.
Finally. The lift reached the ground floor, and I picked up speed to get out of the building.
Breathe, Aria.
I leaned my back against the side wall of the office building, the cold hitting my flushed cheeks. I took a deep breath through my nose, holding it for a few seconds and slowly exhaling, fiddling with my sleeves as I focused on all the blue objects I could see around me—something my therapist had taught me to do when I felt anything coming on.
“Nyx? What are you doing out here? Caspian said he saw you rush from your desk,” Sebastian said as he reached me.
My heart sank. He was only here because Caspian had said something, not because he’d known what was happening. He’d normally notice even the slightest change in me.
“I got a little overwhelmed with the shouting.”
His eyes roamed over my face, and his features softened, then he took hold of my hands. “I’m so sorry. I should have realised. Are you ok?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t seem it.” He pulled me into his chest.
“I’m fine. I just needed a minute to breathe.”
“You should go home for the rest of the day.”
I looked up at him and met his eyes. “I just need to get my bag, and we can go.”
He sighed. “I can’t. I need to get this work sorted. I’ll get Logan to collect you, and he’ll stay with you until I get home.”
