“That’s not what this is, Daniella, I swear. I know it looks like that, but I can prove it. I can prove it.”

Daniella couldn’t believe it. The bookstore was going under, and Eli had used it as an opportunity to steal. She said it again, her voice more steady this time. “You stole.”

“No, no, no. They’re not stolen, they’re fake.”

Daniella couldn’t believe that was any better. “You took the money from the store, Eli. That’s stealing.”

Eli shook his head again, held up his hands. “Wait, no, please. Let me explain. Please let me explain.”

“How could you possibly explain any of this?” Daniella knew Eli had gotten into trouble for stealing beer when he was a kid. But she never thought he’d do this. Go behind Jo’s back—behind all of their backs—and steal from the one place they all loved.

The nausea came back. But this was nothing like her hangover. It was a sudden and swift roiling in her stomach. Betrayal. Daniella hadn’t ever thought about it, but she realized then that she’d believed no matter who else she worked with, they were all loyal to this place. It was theirs, dammit. But Eli, he’d violated that. He’d destroyed her faith in something that Daniella hadn’t even realized she’d believed in.

Shattered. Gone. A puff of smoke.

Daniella pushed past Eli, began walking to the door. She had to find Jo. Bookstores weren’t exactly places that were flush with cash. If Eli had ordered this many shoes online, then it was likely to affect the entire store. She didn’t have to tell on Eli, but she did need to tell Jo, and fast.

But Eli grabbed Daniella’s arm. “Wait. Please. Wait. I was closing the store and I was checking the books and I didn’t mean to look but her email was the only thing open on her computer and I saw an email from Hunt Junior on there and I had to do something.”

“Had to do what? Blow money on a side hustle?”

“No. He’s selling the store.”

“Why should I believe you? You’ve been lying this whole time.”

Eli reached out tentatively for her hand. Despite her best attempts to hold on to her anger and her frustration, she couldn’t. Daniella took his hand.