“So itwasBetty?”
Riley nods.
“Why did she lie? Why would she throw you under the bus like that?”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
My eyebrows crash together. “There is no plausible reason for?—”
“Betty was forgetting things,” Riley blurts.
The ire raging through my blood putters out and I stare at her, speechless.
“She genuinely didn’t remember leaving the hair clip in or even working on that plane, but she had every intention of taking responsibility for it. Betty pulled me into her office and said that she would tell the manager the truth and that she would retire.”
I put the puzzle pieces together. “Betty knew all along she was getting sick, didn’t she?”
Riley gives me an imploring look. “She had no family, no friends, no loved ones to take care of her. She’d been trying to hold out for one more month to qualify for benefits and she was very close to reaching her goal. Practicallydaysaway. But if she was stuck with this mistake and got fired, she’d lose everything.”
“But she’d deserve it. It’s irresponsible to work on planes when you’re forgetting things. What if something devastating had happened because of her?”
Plus, Riley still looks broken justtalkingabout what happened that day in the airport hangar. She had to endure the abuse of her supervisors for something shedidn’tdo. It doesn’t sit right with me.
“It was risky, but nothing had happened before the hair clip incident. Betty was excruciatingly particular—more so than anyone else in that hangar. And it got even worse the months leading up to her retirement. Aviation repair relies heavily on human sign off and redundancy. The reason they caught the mistake in the first place is because there are several levels of sign off. Betty was wrong, but she was doing the best she could given the circumstances.”
“Alright, I hear you.” To prove it, I raise both hands in surrender.
Riley’s shoulders, that were hiked to her ears, relax. “Sorry. I get worked up about this. I just… I know it doesn’t make sense, but Betty was like a mother to me. I wanted to help her. I could always find another job, but she had nothing else to fall back on.”
“I understand, Riles.”
“I couldn’t do it, Nat. I couldn’t throw her out to the wolves like that.”
I pull her into my arms and she relaxes all the way into my chest.
I’m seeing a pattern with Riley. When she stepped in to help Chance and April’s proposal, that wasn’t a fluke. She has a habit of going over and beyond for people. She’ll move the entire world and fall on her own sword if it’ll protect someone else.
“I was so terrified of telling my family,” Riley admits, her words half-muffled against my shirt.
I smooth her hair in response, massaging her scalp and giving her the best comfort I can.
“If my parents find out, then Uncle Will might find out and he’ll raise a stink. He might demand a re-investigation and Betty might get in bigger trouble.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I won’t tell Chris.” My eyes shift to the airport below us. The lights twinkle in the night, like a reflection of heaven. “I just hate that you lost something you loved.”
“Maybe I gained something I loved even more,” Riley mumbles. “I got to meet Rebel, April and Cordelia. And I got to run the mechanic shop with Jimmy, Carlos and Blade. And I got to meet you.”
“Which is arguably the best part,” I tease.
Her words escape in a slow cadence. “Don’t make me regret it.”
“Never, Riles.” I continue to rub her hair as the wind picks up. “I’ll always be on your side.”
“So… will I.”
Emotions are stirring in my chest, and I know it’s too early. I know it’ll make me sound crazy, but I can’t hold back what I feel.
I take a deep breath and continue rubbing circles in Riley’s hair. “From now on, I’m going to be taking all the hits for you, Riles. You won’t ever have to sacrifice what you love for someone again.”
