Page 96 of The Professor's Wife

“You have the perfect life, don’t you?” June asked, appearing beside me in the bathroom.

Unlike me, she wore a large T-shirt. It was actually one of my old shirts. The kind of bum clothes we used to wear during our late-night sessions in front of the television.

It had been months since I’d watched anything, and it didn’t bother me. I didn’t miss the television. Not when I had Oliver to fill my time.

I didn’t want to tell her that, yeah, life had been coming together for me this past month because it was completely the opposite for June. She was overworked, understaffed, and always counting pennies to make rent and pay the bills. We used to share our stresses, especially the money part, but Oliver washelping me make ends meet, insisting the only thing I should stress about was school.

“No one has the perfect life,” I said, smiling sweetly as I leaned over to slip a pair of butterfly studs into my ears. “You just have to make the most of it.”

She eyed me for a few moments. Her voice was dry when she said, “It’s easy to make the most of it when someone else is taking care of you.”

I stilled as my eyes darted to meet hers. “June.”

She sighed and shut her eyes for a long moment. “I’m sorry. That came out rude.”

I put the next earring in. “Why are you upset with me?”

She shook her head. “I’m not upset with you. I just…”

“Just what?”

“How did you get him?” The question flew out of her mouth like she couldn’t contain it any longer.

I slowly turned to face her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

She looked panicked for a second, like she might have regretted asking, but then her eyes filled with wariness. “He’s handsome, educated, and obviously rich.”

My heart picked up. “What are you saying, June?”

“Think about it. Why did he chase you?”

My eyes ached as her words settled into me. “Why do you sound suspicious of him? You don’t think I could find someone like him—”

“No, that’s not what I said—”

“It’s exactly what you meant.”

She paused, and her hands came together. She squeezed them anxiously, her eyes also filling with tears. “Maybe I’m jealous, then. I’m sorry, Daisy. I shouldn’t have asked that. I just have this horrible feeling.”

“What feeling?”

“Like you’re going to end up heartbroken.” She was shaking now, and my heart hurt at seeing her distressed. “I love you so much. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

“Oliver treats me right.”

“He does. He really does. He’s a good man.”

I stared at her for a few moments, lost for words. “So it’s me, then. You think I’m going to mess this up.”

She shook her head again, but no words came out.

Oh, my God.

Anger rushed through me. I swallowed down my vicious words and walked past her. I didn’t want to say something I might regret. She had taken me in after our mother died and we lost the house to the bank. June helped me with Rowe and loved him. I knew she loved me, too, but she’d seen the other sides of me growing up. The ones I was too ashamed to even think about. The side of me with thoughts I would never utter aloud.

Maybe she was right, even though she technically hadn’t vocalized it. The message was loud and clear.

Oliver was too good for me, and I was going to mess this up.