He leaned over and kissed her cheek, his hand squeezing hers, and he walked away.
The numbness in her lips spread to the rest of her body and the pain in her chest became the rapid thud of her heart.
The door shut behind him, nothing more than a quiet click, but it may as well have been a gunshot. Astra’s body jerked at the sound.
For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do. Her mind wouldn’t stop, but her thoughts were slow and fuzzy, as though coated in molasses. Black spots danced in her vision, and she realized she was holding her breath.
She inhaled, short and painful, and the numbness that encased her shattered.
God, it hurt. More than she imagined. More than wounds she’d sustained over the years.
He walked away from her. He left her.
Because she was a coward.
Finally, the pain inside her crested and a ragged sob burst from her lips.
Astra laid her head on her arms and cried.
* * *
Two days later, she still hadn’t left her house. She’d called in sick to work for the week, citing flu as the culprit.
Her father had believed her because her voice was hoarse from all the crying she’d been doing. Then, there was the constant ache in her chest and stomach, leaving her unable to eat or sleep.
Funny how a broken heart mimicked a virus.
Astra stayed in her pajamas. She didn’t brush her hair. She didn’t shower. She either holed up in her bedroom or hid under a blanket on her couch.
It was early summer in Texas, but she swathed her body in flannel pajama pants, long-sleeved t-shirts, and fuzzy socks. She cranked the A/C down and cocooned her body in blankets.
She needed the comfort and the softness.
She missed Rune the way she would miss a part of her own body. His absence was an actual, physical pain.
Astra had never felt like this before. As though she couldn’t function. She’d always been able to pull her shit together and go on as though nothing was happening inside her.
But not anymore.
Astra sat on her couch, wrapped in a soft blanket, and stared at her television. The TV wasn’t even on, but she couldn’t bring herself to get up and look for the remote. She knew she should eat something, but the thought of food made the knot in her stomach tighter.
She was about to give up and go back to bed when she heard the faint clink of keys at her door. Maybe it was Rune. A wave of hope crashed over her.
Without thinking, she rose to her feet, padding toward the sound. The top deadbolt turned when she was a few steps away, sticking before it loosened completely. A female voice cursed as the person on the other side of the door fought with the lock.
The hope in her chest vanished without a trace. It wasn’t Rune. It was her sister, Sylvie.
Another female voice replied, and she sighed. Devorah was with Sylvie, it seemed.
Astra turned her back to the door and returned to the couch and her blanket. It seemed her sisters had realized something was going on and decided to come check on her.
She supposed she should be grateful her mother wasn’t with them.
Astra had just stretched out on the couch, covering her entire body from chin to toes with the blanket, when the front door swung open to reveal not just Devorah and Sylvie, but Sirena also.
Huh. Her other sister must have returned from her trip early.
They were all talking as they entered her apartment. Sylvie called out, “Astra!”
