Page 4 of June

I didn't knock.

May's studio door flew open with a slam and startled her enough to drop a brush into a smear of cerulean blue.

"June?"

she blinked, bleary-eyed, paint on her sleeve. "What—?"

"I CAN'T—"

My voice broke before the rest could come out.

"I CAN'T DO THIS!"

She rushed forward as I collapsed onto her paint-streaked couch, tears finally forcing their way out, unstoppable, furious.

"I gave him everything,"

I sobbed.

"everything. My time, my trust—my future! And he just—he just sits there and tells me he needs time?"

May crouched beside me, her hand trembling as it touched my back.

"June, breathe."

Her bedroom door creaked again—January walked in, eyes wide. She must've heard me screaming.

"What happened?"

she asked quickly, taking in the disaster I must've looked like.

"He wants to postpone the wedding,"

May said gently, rubbing my shoulder.

Jan stilled.

"Is he cheating?"

"He says nothing happened,"

I spat.

"but it's about Selene. His ex. He said his feelings just—came back. Like some wave he didn't see coming. I knew it. I KNEW IT when he went to meet her!"

Jan didn't say anything. Just crouched down next to May. Her eyes were stormy.

"I should've stopped him. I should've trusted my gut."

"You trusted your partner,"

she corrected.

"That's not on you."

December arrived ten minutes later, alerted by Jan's text. One look at me and she pulled me into her arms.

"We're calling the venue,"

she whispered, fierce.

"We'll handle the cancellation. You're not doing it alone."

"I don't care about the venue."

My voice cracked.

"I just want to disappear."

"No,"

Jan said, suddenly calm. Controlled.

"You don't disappear. Not for him. You walk away with your head up. You gave him the best of you—and he couldn't hold it."

When I got back home, Aaron was sitting on the couch like he'd been waiting for a fight.

"You just left?"

he snapped the moment I walked in.

"You couldn't even talk to me? You were supposed to stay—work it out."

I dropped my keys on the table. My eyes were dry now. Hollow.

"Work out what, Aaron? You already made your mind up. You said you needed time."

I folded my arms.

"What exactly are we going to work on when I'm not enough?"

He stood, defensive.

"That's not what I meant. I didn't say you weren't enough. I just— I'm confused, June. It's a lot. Selene came back and everything I thought was buried just... wasn't."

"So what? You need space to go reminisce?"

My voice sharpened.

"You want to go down memory lane, see if the magic's still there?"

He looked away.

I stepped closer, quieter now.

"During this time you need, you'll be seeing her... won't you?"

He didn't answer. He didn't have to.

Then.

"Well—it's a break, so..."

I froze.

He might as well have stabbed me.

I didn't yell. I didn't cry.

I turned and walked straight to the bedroom.

Locked the door. Pulled out my suitcase. I folded things with the kind of clinical calm that only shock could allow. There would be time for tears later. They were coming—I could feel them clawing up my throat.

But not yet.

When I opened the door again, suitcase in hand, he stood at the end of the hall, eyes wild.

"June, please—just wait. Let's talk."

I looked him in the eye.

"By the way,"

I said coldly.

"this isn't a break. It's a break-up."

I walked past him, my hand on the doorknob.

"I hope she's worth it."

And then I left.