Page 79 of June

“Yes,” she admitted.

Enid turned toward her and asked, “Was it too much? I shouldn’t have–”

“It was, yes. But it’s more that I don’t fit in at all with your friends.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Enid, you’ve met them. I was the youngest one there. I think Rory’s a little younger than you, but everyone else is a lot older than me.”

“Jill’s only twenty-six.”

“And, apparently, has a job she loves and a cool new apartment she was bragging about tonight. If I had anything to brag about, it was my jackpot win and the Tootsie Rolls in my purse.”

“You don’t need to brag about anything. They’re my friends. They just want to get to know you.”

“You mean Monica Arnette, the heir to the Arnette fortune, who is at least twice my age because she has a son who’s younger than me, I think, and is still somehow ahead of me in school?”

“Care, it’s not like that.”

“None of this is your fault, okay?” Caroline said. “I’m just in a weird mood right now. I felt like I couldn’t touch you or be on a date with you because I didn’t want to make Jill feel bad, and everyone was talking about their upcoming weddings ormovies being made about their lives, and I was just sitting there, wondering why you’d want me.”

“Care…” Enid said as she took Caroline’s hand. “Idowant you.”

“Jill is basically a Barbie doll in human form. Well, with realistic proportions, at least, but she’s cool. Enid, she’s, like,reallycool. I wanted to hate her, but I can’t because she’s so nice. Why would–”

“I don’t like Jill, okay? Not like that.”

Caroline turned to look out the passenger’s side window and said, “Can you drop me off here?”

“You don’t want me to walk you up?”

“Not tonight. I kind of want to wallow for an hour or something and fall asleep.”

“Caroline, talk to me.”

“I will. Just not right now.” She leaned over and kissed Enid on the cheek, which wasnotwhere she expected to be kissing her tonight. “I’m sorry. I meant what I said: none of this is your fault. It’s all me. And not in that ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ kind of way, I promise. Will you text me when you get home so that I know you’re okay?”

“Yeah, sure. If that’s what you want, I’ll text you.”

“Thank you,” Caroline said before she opened the door, climbed out of the car, and closed the door behind her.

CHAPTER 19

Enid sat at her small desk and reviewed yet another job listing, deciding if it was even worth it to wait tables. Yes, she would make money, and right now was a good time to give it a shot because the tourists were still in town, but she had no experience, and with every place being so busy right now, she wasn’t sure she’d have time to learn on the job. She’d watched waiters handle eight plates or ten drinks at once, navigating around crowded locations and not dropping a thing. She had heard them handle rude customers and the ones who argued about there being a no-refill policy and that they’d be charged for that second soda. There were signs posted all over the place at the restaurants that did this, and the waiters always explained before bringing them another drink, but customers still complained. Enid wasn’t sure she could handlethat, either.

She decided not to apply and found an opening as a receptionist at a law office. No way she could handle that. Not only would the hours not work for her classes, but she had seen enough movies with lawyers in them. Sure, some of that had been exaggerated for dramatic effect, but she’d watched the receptionist characters balance fifty phone calls, people walking in at the same time, and rude lawyers and their clients. That wasn’t her thing, so she knew she wouldn’t do a good job and would probably end up being fired within a few days. She leanedback in her chair and sighed, admitting to herself that her heart wasn’t in it, but she’d have to get over that and find a job anyway.

“Hey,” EJ said.

Enid turned to find him standing in her open door.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“So, you were right.”

He walked in and sat on her bed.

“About what?”

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