“Ah June,” she says, with a strange breathlessness. “So sorry to barge in on you. Didn’t think you’d mind too much, though, as you did the same to me just the other day.” She laughs in an effort to lessen the slight, but I stay straight-faced, refusing to give her anything.

Taking her sun hat off, she fluffs out her curls, sending a whiff of perspiration and lavender my way, her bracelets jangling. “The place certainly is run-down after all of those years on its own, isn’t it?” She glances around the room with disdain.

“What do you want, Leslie?” I just can’t play nice, not after what Ezra told me about her. Not after the morning I’ve had.

She looks shocked at my bluntness but smiles through it. “I was hoping we might sit down again, have a cup of tea?”

“I don’t think so.” My lack of hospitality turns her smile to pursed lips, as though she’s eaten something sour. “Why did you come here, Leslie?”

“Well, I guess I’ll get right to the point, then, since we’re clearly not doing niceties today.”

“Please do,” I encourage, the anger building in me with each second that she’s still here.

“I’ve reconsidered your offer, June. The one to repay your mother’s debt.” I stare back at her blankly, not saying anything. The silence is uncomfortable, and she grips the brim of her sun hat so tightly it folds over. “I only want it for healing purposes, June, on both sides. You’d feel better; I would feel better. I’ll donate it, of course. To a favorite charity of my mother’s. You can pay me in installments. I mean, I—”

I put a hand up to stop her from blabbering on. “I think you need to get the fuck off my property, Leslie.”

My words actually cause her to gasp and put a hand to her chest. “My goodness, June. Where on earth is this hostility coming from? Surely we are more civilized than this.”

“But you see, I don’t consider you civilized, Leslie. I consider you to be vengeful, petty, and a liar. Ezra told me all about your attempts to destroy Avril Island. So I’m sure you can understand why I will feel the need to call the police if you are not off my property in the next three minutes.”

Her eyes go wide with shock, and she begins to shuffle her way backward toward the door. “That’s just ridiculous, me trying to destroy Avril Island. You should consider the source, June. You really should. Ezra Keen may be all smiles and handsome on the outside, but you don’t know what lies underneath that shiny veneer. Don’t fall for it, June. I warn you. ”

“And you should get off my property.” I take a step toward her.