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⊰ 10 ⊱ Crossing the Line
Just as Cade said, Krina spent the better part of the afternoon teaching me how to implement firewall rules. Because of this, I had to stay later to finish up all the work I fell behind on since the time I typically would’ve used was allocated to Krina. It’s almost 6PM, and as I glance around the office, I realize that everyone except Cade and I have gone home.
Great. This is perfect. Juuuuust perfect.
Being alone with him, even if it’s just in a professional setting, always seems to set me on edge. I try to focus on wrapping up my work, but my mind keeps drifting to the man in the office across from mine.
I can’t help but steal a pair of glances at him through the glass walls, watching as he types away on his computer, concentrated, his eyebrows furrowed. He seems utterly unfazed by the fact that we’re the only ones left, his demeanor as stoic and professional as ever.
Must be nice to be able to act like nothing happened between us.
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Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 11 ⊱ Ava
After the confrontation with Cade in the parking garage, I threw myself into my work. I spent the better part of the week reading up on how firewalls work and how firewall rules are implemented on the company’s firewalls. And just as Cade asked, I submitted my change request to him.To my surprise, Cade approved my change request on my first try, and I managed to get through my entire presentation with only a little bit of armpit sweat and without crying through change management’s line of questioning.Look at me. Adulting and shit.Because of the direct impact that changes have on network infrastructure, all changes must be made overnight in the case of an outage. While any other week—especially after having worked last weekend—I would be annoyed at having to spend my Friday evening working, I’m particularly excited to finish implementing the configurations I planned out.I hold my breath as I make the final click t
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 12 ⊱ Hence the Loneliness
After a short weekend of doing ‘hoodrat shit’—which really consisted of Ava and I binge watchingBuffy the Vampire Slayerand eating about ten thousand calories—it’s Sunday morning, and I’m making cappuccinos while I patiently wait for my freshly baked chocolate chip banana bread to cool.“Alright, I think I’m good to go?”I smile softly as I avert my gaze to Ava, eyeing her as she emerges from my bedroom with her make-up bag in her hand. She stuffs it into her travel bag, zipping it shut before lowering herself onto the couch to slide her boots on.The hardest part about having less than a handful of friends is that they all live in different cities or states and I don’t get to see them very often. I’m a lonely person because I make it harder than it needs to be to connect with people on a deeper level than the surface, and it's intentional.I have a no-tolerance policy,
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 13 ⊱ Breaking Point
I stare blankly at the table, the chatter of my teammates fading into background noise as I sit in the conference room. My eyes feel heavy, my mind foggy from last night’s restless sleep. The conversation I had with Ava about Cade and his father has been haunting me, playing on a loop in my head. “Elysian,” Cade’s sharp voice calls for my attention, snapping me out of my daze. “What do you have for me?” What? … Oh, right! I blink, scrambling to gather my thoughts. “I, uh…I’m just finishing up some documentation,” I mumble, evidently unprepared. “But otherwise, I’m open to taking on any new projects.” Cade chuckles softly, a condescending smirk twisting his features. “Documentation? Isn’t that something you should’ve handled last week? Or have you been too busy daydreaming to get your work done?” Um..? I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, embarrassment and anger washing over me. “No, I
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 14 ⊱ This Is Fate
The next morning, as I drive to work, the cool, fresh air of a 6AM Tuesday morning hardly does anything to calm my nerves or settle the uneasiness in my stomach. I spent the better part of last night thinking about all the ways I could get caught doing what I’m about to do and how I could avoid being caught.The unfortunate truth is that the system automatically sends out a report of any firewall rule changes made. Fortunately, because it’s automated, hardly anyone ever looks at the report thoroughly. Most engineers merely glance over it to see if the change was successful, but no one ever takes the time to actually go through the report thoroughly.Ultimately, the odds of anyone finding out are about the same as the odds of someone not only thoroughly going through the report but also conducting a packet inspection on all traffic pertaining to the specific server.So…ten percent?…I’ll take my
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Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 15.5 ⊱ Crossing Thresholds
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What is he doing here..?…How does he even know where I live?Again, he knocks, and again, Bubbles emits a singular bark.I raise my voice, shouting through the door, “Just a moment!” I place my hands on the side of Bubbles’ legs, urging him to move with me. “Come on, buddy,” I whisper, guiding him to my bedroom where I point to his bed and tell him, “Go lay down.”With this, I shut the bedroom door and turn in the direction of the front door, my heart pounding in my chest. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation I know is coming. As I unlock the door and pull it open, my eyes lock with Cade’s. There’s a desperate, uncertain look on his face as he draws his hands into his pockets.“Hi,” I breathe out after a moment, my voice steadier than I feel.I won’t pretend that I have no idea what he’s here for. Th
Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 17 ⊱ A Fragile Agreement
I’ve never dreaded doing something as much as I do today. After a torturously short weekend, I find myself sitting in the parking garage outside of the office building, wishing that I had stayed home.I should’ve called in sick or used my PTO hours…I don’t know how I’m supposed to face him. It was easier before. I stayed out of his way, and he tolerated me. Now? Now, I don’t know if things are going to go back to how they were or if they should—if they ever could.With heavy steps, I somehow manage to find my desk twice as fast as usual.Well, itfeelsthat way, anyway.Between brief good mornings, the rest of the team sporadically trickle in, settling at their desks before 8:30AM—except for Cade.He’s never late…I’m not the only one that notices. Krina furrows her eyebrows, glancing up at his empty office.“Pst.&rdq
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- Heartprints in the Void ⊰ 17 ⊱ A Fragile Agreement
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