Page 125 of Balancing Act

Shehadwatched Lily’s competition.

A fragmented memory surfaced—Lily’s routine on her phone’s tiny screen, the crowd’s sound muffled through the speakers, her fingers clumsily typing notes, corrections, encouragements.

She hadn’t been there, but shehadn’tlet Lily down.

Her eyes shot up—finally—and the second Beth saw her face, her fury broke into something else entirely.

Her expression shifted, eyes widening in realization.

“Jamie. What is it? What’s going on?” All the sharp edges of her voice gone in an instant.

Jamie could feel the tremor in her hands, the way her breath came too fast, too shallow. She’d spent two days running fromthis, Beth, herself, and everything. And now, standing here, it was all catching up to her at once.

Beth’s gaze dropped to her hands—still shaking—and her brow furrowed in alarm. “Jamie.”

She sucked in a breath, tried to force it down. Tried to be still. Tried to hold herself together.

Beth’s fingers brushed her wrist.

And Jamie shattered.

Her chest caved in. The tears weren’t just falling—they were spilling out of her, hot and unchecked, burning down her cheeks and dripping onto the floor.

She watched through hot tears as Beth’s expression crumpled.

“Jamie.” Her voice was softer this time, gentle and warm, and it made Jamie bristle because she didn’t deserve this. She deserved to be yelled at.

Jamie squeezed her eyes shut. She had no plan, no script, no escape.

And Beth was right here. Seeing everything.

“I—”

But the words wouldn’t come. Instead, her body folded in on itself, her knees buckling, her breath coming in sharp, gasping sobs.

And Beth was there. Catching her. Keeping her upright as Jamie finally fell apart.

TWENTY-SEVEN

BETH

The moment she saw Jamie’s car pull into the driveway, she had beenready. Ready to lay into her, to demand an explanation, to let out two days’ worth of frustration, worry, and anger in a way that sheneverdid.

Because Jamie deserved it.

Because Beth had spent the last forty-eight hours waiting—for a call that never came, for Jamie to care enough to tell her what the hell was going on. And because instead of calling, instead ofshowing up, Beth had been left to lie to Lily, left to scramble for excuses to cover for Jamie’s absence.

So, yeah, she had been ready to fight.

But then Jamie had finally looked up.

And Beth saw her face.

She had never seen Jamie cry before, not like this.

Beth had seen her upset. Frustrated. Pissed off. She’d seen the way Jamie clenched her jaw when she was holding back, the way her fingers twitched like she wanted to punch a wall but wouldn’t. Jamie was all sharp edges and stubborn walls. She was controlled. Composed.

But this—this was different.