June’s racing thoughts pinged off the inside of her skull.
“I can see that you packed your office,” Beth said softly, addressing
Arabella. “I’ll go do the same with mine. I’m sorry I even considered letting
you lose you job for me.”
“No one is losing their jobs.”
Beth and Arabella’s heads whipped around in unison.
“This is a mess and we’re going to figure it out, but no one is getting
fired. I really wish you would have come to me. Both of you.”
Beth’s mouth dropped open. “It’s not her fault. Don’t make Arabella pay
for what I did.”
“I wish you would have trusted me enough to talk to me,” June said. She
knew she sounded hurt and maybe it wasn’t entirely fair, but she was and
that was how it was going to be until she could sort out her thoughts in
privacy for a few hours. Maybe even a few days.
“But she’s—no!” Beth declared. “She tried to do something amazingly
nice for me. If I lost this job, we wouldn’t be able to send Amelia to that
school. Arabella didn’t even know the half of it, but she was willing to help
me. That’s very…it’s so noble. I-I can’t thank you. That’s not even the right
word. Either of you. But please, June, don’t be annoyed or mad at her. None
of this was her fault.”
Maybe June should follow her own advice and employ some of her own
truth. She’d been hiding for long enough, and Beth wouldn’t understand.
She knew what she was going to say wouldn’t leave Arabella’s office
anyway.
“She’s my girlfriend,” June whispered. “We’re dating. That’s why I’m
just…why I’m off.”
“What?” Beth, to her credit, was able to actually hide most of her
surprise.
Arabella said nothing. June realized she shouldn’t have said it like that,
just put it out there without even asking her if that was okay. Arabella didn’t