Memories From a Dead Girl
Twenty-Eight
Austin looked around, and as I crept closer to him, I could hear his heartbeat. It was frantic. He was panicking. He tucked his legs underneath his body and shut his eyes. Then he started to hum softly. At first, I didn't recognize the tune, but after a few moments, I knew.
It was the song he had written for me.
"What's that song called?" Chloe asked.
She was trying to keep him here, and it seemed to be working. He needed to be calm, to tell her what he knew.
"Still Here," he said, standing. "I wrote it for Olivia."
The silence that followed was heavy. But it was broken by the movement of glass on the wood floor. Austin was sweeping up the shards. He glanced back at Chloe and shrugged, like what he said didn't make a difference.
But it did.
"Olivia must have loved it."
Austin smiled a little. While putting the glass into the garbage, he answered, "I doubt she would remember it if she was still alive."
"That's not true," Chloe told him gently. She joined him by the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "She would love it, I know. It's very beautiful."
I watched Austin's body tremble as he hugged my sister back. He buried his face in the crook of Chloe's neck. The way they held each other was extremely intimate and it was only then that I understood why I was here, in this place, with them.
Though they had suffered greatly, their connection was strengthened because of my death.
The truth was the only thing that mattered now.
It was the song he had written for me.
"What's that song called?" Chloe asked.
She was trying to keep him here, and it seemed to be working. He needed to be calm, to tell her what he knew.
"Still Here," he said, standing. "I wrote it for Olivia."
The silence that followed was heavy. But it was broken by the movement of glass on the wood floor. Austin was sweeping up the shards. He glanced back at Chloe and shrugged, like what he said didn't make a difference.
But it did.
"Olivia must have loved it."
Austin smiled a little. While putting the glass into the garbage, he answered, "I doubt she would remember it if she was still alive."
"That's not true," Chloe told him gently. She joined him by the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "She would love it, I know. It's very beautiful."
I watched Austin's body tremble as he hugged my sister back. He buried his face in the crook of Chloe's neck. The way they held each other was extremely intimate and it was only then that I understood why I was here, in this place, with them.
Though they had suffered greatly, their connection was strengthened because of my death.
The truth was the only thing that mattered now.