I bent down slowly and picked up my keys from the floor.
My hands were still shaking, fingers stiff and numb like they didn’t belong to me anymore. I stood there for a second too long, chest rising and falling unevenly, forcing air in and out like it was something I had to remember how to do.
Someone brushed past me, then hesitated.
“Hey, man… You okay?”
I didn’t answer.
I couldn’t.
If I opened my mouth, something ugly would come out. So I pushed past him instead, shoulder clipping his arm as I walked toward the exit.
The hallway felt too narrow. The lights were too bright. Every step echoed too loudly in my head. I didn’t look back. I didn’t slow down. I just kept moving until the cold air hit my face and the pressure in my chest loosened enough for me to breathe again.
I stopped
