Page 28 of Red Zone
But I can’t stop.
My lungs won’t fill right. My vision’s narrowing at the edges. My heart’s pounding like it’s trying to escape.
Everything’s too loud.
Too fast.
Too much.
“Lyla.”
A new voice cuts through the noise.
Lower. Calmer.
Familiar.
I don’t need to look up to know who it is.
Carter.
He steps in close, not touching me, but anchoring the space between the chaos and my shaking hands.
“Breathe.”
His voice is softer now. Not teasing. Not cocky.
Just steady.
“I am,” I whisper, though it’s barely audible.
“You’re not. Try again. In through your nose. Come on.”
I drag in a breath. It catches halfway.
“Slower,” he says. “Match me.”
He exaggerates a slow inhale, and I follow. Then an exhale.
And another.
I blink, the edges of the room coming back into focus. The noise dulls. My pulse starts to settle.
My hands are still trembling.
Carter crouches beside my desk, eyeing the mess but not commenting. “You okay?”
I nod, though I’m not sure it’s true.
“Yeah,” I manage. “I just…it’s stupid.”
He shakes his head. “It’s not.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
Eric hovers behind him, still apologizing under his breath like a broken record. Carter shoots him a look.
“Go find a towel or something,” he says, not unkindly. “We’ve got this.”
