Page 73 of Hazel and Elijah Find Out: First They F*cked Around

Nora was at the front desk, doing end-of-day paperwork. She glanced over her shoulder as I entered and jerked like she was going to go back to her task, but stopped. “You look not okay.”

I set my computer down gently, as if it might contain a bomb. Straightening, I opened my mouth, but words didn’t just fall out.

She assessed my face and body language. “You’re not going to go back into the basement, are you?”

“What? No.” I shook my head, trying to stave away the emotions that had put me in the basement to begin with. There were other fish to fry at the moment. “There’s money in the account.”

“That’s where we usually keep our money.”

“Like more than there should be.”

Her mouth formed a silentOh. She nodded. “That’s the community fund paying for Echo’s care.”

I leaned back, my eyebrows drawn together. “What?”

“The community fund.” She took in my confusion as if searching for understanding.

“I don’t know what that is.”

She drummed her nails on the countertop. I could practically see gears turning in her mind as she pieced together the information. “Elijah didn’t tell you?”

I’d gone most of the day without the threat of tears, but just the mention of his name had me blinking once or twice. Anger weaved into my voice when I asked, “What does he have to do with this?”

“He set it up as a surprise for you; I didn’t realize he never told you.” Her nails clicked on the laminated surface. When she continued, she sounded almost clinical, as if she’d surgically removed all her opinions. “He coordinated with Mrs. Simons at the library and Deb Creger at city hall for an account to benefit households that can’t afford veterinary care.”

Everything began shifting around me in a weird swirling motion. The floor rushed up, the walls squeezed closer, and the ceiling dropped.

“Sit down.” Nora pushed my shoulders, and I crumpled into a chair.

My head swam in a sickening, lightheaded way. I couldn’t identify what was happening with my senses. Was I going to be sick or pass out?

“Breathe,” Nora’s voice cut through the murkiness.

I sucked in a breath as if I’d been underwater for too long.

“Good. Keep doing that,” she said in a stern voice.

My stomach was somewhere near my feet. I felt like I had shrunk to a third of my usual size, too small.

Was he really gone?

I didn’t want him to be gone. Why did it have to hurt so badly?

I propped my feet up on the seat and hugged my knees, trying to comfort myself through the pain.

“Hey.” Nora sighed.

Her face came into focus.

“Your face is getting color again. I thought you were gonna pass out for a second.” She leaned back against the shelves.

“I think I was.” I still felt ill and queasy. My chest was still an echo chamber of agony, but I didn’t think I’d lose consciousness.

Mrs. Peters walked by, holding her cat carrier. Nora waved goodbye to her as I stared into space, wondering how everything had gone so royally wrong.

A few minutes later, Remi entered the office, covered in white cat hair. He halted at the sight of me. To Nora he asked, “Not the basement?”

“No, I don’t think so. She just found out about the community fund,” she said.

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