The Last Heartbeat by Katerina Simms

Author:Katerina Simms [Simms, Katerina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Paper Planes

16

Agathe slid into her temporary cubicle at Tiluma and cringed at the squeak of her chair beneath her. The nerve-grating sound added to the heaviness already dragging at her tummy. Today, of all days, she needed every last ounce of strength to survive the next eight hours at work.

She had plans to observe employees, get progress updates from anyone willing to talk, and corner Max so she could check on how his management training was doing. All while fighting an overwhelming need to crack.

Because all she truly wanted to do was curl into a ball and cry.

The gnawing at her stomach grew. The band pressing at her ribcage tightened, not letting up since she’d opened her eyes this morning, and certainly not now that the date on the calendar to her left glared back at her.

June twenty-third.

That date syphoned every last drop of her energy; she’d known it was nearing but blocked out every reminder. Because every June twenty-third left her world decimated.

She’d spend her entire year rebuilding, only for this day to always swing by too fast. The day I lost Elsie.

Sickness wound its way through her stomach, and she pressed her hands to her diaphragm. A breath surged forth, rendering her motionless. Stunned.

Last year had been the first time she’d managed to pry herself out of bed and actually make it to work. Every year before that, she’d taken three days off just to process her revived grief. This year, though, she’d regressed. And even as she sat at her desk, staring at her black computer screen, her legs twitched with a need to stand and walk all the way back to her home in South Yarra.

She’d been so happy yesterday, talking to Daniel and Caroline, and then Luke. So full of hope. Like for a moment there, she’d found friends, glimpsed a future that didn’t have to be so empty after all. Like she belonged.

But today…

Today was the opposite.

Today her heart slowed, as if threatening to stop beating altogether. Worse still, she didn’t care all that much if it did. Maybe then she’d see her Elsie again.

Would she even want to see me?

She leaned her head back against her chair. Maybe a short break would help her past her emotionally clouded state. Maybe just a few deep breaths. But she couldn’t pause for too long; someone would see, they’d stop and ask if she was okay. That question alone held the potential to tip her over the edge and into the icy depths of breakdown territory.

A high-pitched laugh cut through her sad haze. The loud excitement of a young boy’s giggle. She refused to look.

“Hi, Agathe!” Two childish voices yelled in unison from across the office.

She pressed her eyes shut, swore under her breath, and then willed herself to straighten. Dylan and Claire, the two children she’d met in the courtyard weeks ago, ran toward her. Claire wore a school uniform with red and blue tartan stripes; Dylan was in casual cargos and a blue t-shirt.

Claire waved with rapid enthusiasm, her scrawny legs charging forward.

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