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It wasn’t until we got into the apartment that she threw her bag down on the floor in the hallway and shouted, “When were you going to tell me, Leah?”
I stopped in my tracks. She was angry, but that wasn’t all. Her words were tinged with hurt that I hadn’t told her I’d been with Radleigh. I was so used to the stabbing guilt pains, I should have been prepared, but I wasn’t. Not at all.
“Freya,” I began as I turned to her, and she held up her hands to stop me.
“Didn’t I deserve to hear it from you? You had the whole weekend to tell me! We talked on the phone, and you still said nothing!”
“It’s not what you think. It’s not what anyone thinks.”
“Oh, it’s not? You didn’t see Radleigh yesterday? You didn’t wake up with him this morning in Florida? How many more secrets do you have?”
“Yeah, both of those things happened. We spent yesterday with my family, and we stayed in the same hotel room last night. What people don’t seem to understand is that those things can happen and still be completely innocent.”
“Innocent? You already slept with him once and now you’re introducing him to your family? How is that innocent?”
It’s innocent because he doesn’t want me! I had to fight back tears as the thought ripped through me, tearing at my insides.
“I didn’t expect to go through this with you,” I said, more calmly than I felt. “I thought you’d believe me.”
“I believed you before. Now … I don’t know.”
I shrugged. “Then I guess there’s nothing else to say.”
“There’s one more thing,” she said, and this time, her voice wobbled, “I went to see Richard this afternoon. I told him that whatever was happening between you and Radleigh was nothing more than friendship because I was sure he was on the verge of firing you. He told me you’re handing in your notice.”
It was like I’d knocked her to t
he ground, then kicked her in the gut. Tears glistened in her eyes, and suddenly, I understood.
Her outburst wasn’t about Radleigh at all.
“Freya.”
“You should have told me.”
“I know, but it’s been a hell of a day. I was hoping to get through it without any more pain.”
Freya sighed. “I’m sorry for yelling. But all of this stuff with Radleigh, it'll blow over soon and then everything will be okay again.”
“No, it won't,” I said. “According to everyone here, I committed the ultimate sin by sleeping with him. People won't forget.”
“It won't matter,” she insisted. “It will all calm down, and people will stop talking about it.”
“I can't change their opinions of me though, Freya. They’ve labelled me as something I'm not. I won't put up with being treated that way. I'm going home.”
“Home,” she repeated. “To England?”
The words slipped out of my mouth before I’d thought them through, but I knew they were right. What was left for me in America?
“Yeah. If being with my brother this week taught me anything, it's how much I miss my family. If I'm not working here anymore, I may as well be back with them.”
Freya took a moment to process what I'd said, and I felt bad for springing it on her so abruptly.
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want things to end up this way.”
“Have you told Radleigh you’re leaving?”
