Page 9 of Breathe for Me

My stomach hurts, and I curl forward in my chair.

When he finds out…

Dad. Think of Dad.

And I do, the familiar hot rush of anger tightening my chest—but it’s not enough. Not today. Regret tastes sour in my mouth.

When Levi’s office door closes, I’m still curled over, tired and miserable too.

* * *

By lunchtime, I’m furious. This is bullshit. Kill Bill lied to me.

Because vengeance is not fun, and seeing Levi Laurent suffer brings me zero joy. It just makes me feel bitter and gross and small.

The real kicker is that I haven’t even done anything big yet. You know, something life-ruining like I planned. I’ve been about as much trouble as the imaginary rat on the third floor, and already my resolve is crumbling.

Is this it? What about Dad?

Crap. I’m the world’s most disloyal daughter.

The elevator hums, rattling its treacherous way through the floors. A pipe gurgles in the wall. My desk chair squeaks as I move, blouse rustling.

Dad.

It makes no sense. How could Levi do that to him?

And suddenly, I’m too hot. Too stifled. My clothes are itchy and tight, the waistband of my skirt digging into my stomach, and everything’s wrong,I’mwrong, so restless andangry—

Lurching up from my desk with a snarl, I burst into the boss’s office, pushing the door so hard that it bounces off the wall.

“Georgina?” Levi blinks at me from behind his desk. There are contracts spread in front of him, and his tie is loosened. Black-framed reading glasses perch on his nose. “Are you alright?”

Am Ialright?

This motherfucker. How dare he.

“No,” I growl, stomping across the endless miles of open office. He watches me coming, bemused. “I am a giant ball of rage right now.”

“Oh.” Green eyes flick to my uterine region. “Are you…?”

“Oh my god, shut up. That’s so offensive!” And accurate. Ugh. How did he know?! When I reach him, I spread my palms on the desk. “Don’t push me, Mr Laurent. I will flip this table, I swear to god.”

My boss puffs out a strained laugh, leaning back in his chair, and even though I’ve marched in here uninvited to threaten him, his mouth curves up. Like he’s pleased to see me, even in my period rage. He looks so fond.

Although… I do feel better now I’m here. My chest feels looser, and I can breathe better. Turns out this man is soothing as hell.

Would he rub my lower back? Chase away the cramps?

Wow, I hate that he guessed that right. So obnoxious.

“I’m fucking this up anyway,” Levi declares, capping a pen and tossing it on the contracts. “All the words are blurring together. Want to get lunch in the park?”

Um. What?

Levi never stops working for lunch. Once he’s here, he works flat out for ten, twelve, fourteen hours. If I didn’t hate his guts, I’d really worry about him.

“The park,” I repeat, staring dumbly as my boss stands, plucking off his reading glasses and setting them on the papers. “Outside. Away from Ignis.”

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