Page 125 of Almost Love

Rhiannon smiled. “I’m glad you’re putting this much trust in your staff, because that’s really important.”

Trust. She hadn’t said that out loud to Oakley, but that’s the thing she struggled with. That was what she was holding against him. She’d put all of her trust in him and he hurt her, or at least she believed that he had. She didn’t realize she was frowning until Rhiannon pointed it out.

“It’s a different kind of trust,” Rhiannon offered.

Sighing, Clementine closed her eyes. “Is it, though?”

“I think you put too much pressure ontrustwith Oakley and when he didn’t behave the way you expected, you reacted. I’m not saying that any of that is wrong, just thinking out loud.”

“Trust is important in every relationship. Even you said that.”

“Oh, it certainly is. Friendships, work relationships, romantic partners—trust is the one thing that carries all of that forward. You were hesitant about letting him into your life in the beginning, then you fell in love with him. Which means that, on some level, you trusted him. So what went wrong?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but slammed it shut with a frown. Dropping her eyes to her hands, tracing the burns and cuts marking her profession.

“What you did isn’twrong, because it was defensive. The important thing is to understand if you meant it or not.”

Clementine shook her head, because of course she didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean to brush him off or get into her truck and leave. She did exactly what he was afraid she would do—push him away and run. And it fucking sucked. The alarm rang, startling her and ending her chaotic train of thought.

Both of them got to their feet, Clementine smoothing down her clothes before she offered her therapist a smile. “Thanks for today.”

“Forgive yourself first, then talk to him,” Rhiannon said. “I’ll see you next week.”

She nodded and walked out to her truck, bracing for the rest of her day. Another one that would be filled with thoughts of Oakley and the mess she’d caused.

When she walked into the Pretty Baked kitchen, she switched her brain off. Morning therapy sessions always left her unsteady, but she needed it that day. After a quick check on how everything was going, including an update from Freya, she grabbed her things from the office. As she prepared to leave, Luna appeared and squeaked when she saw Clementine.

“Chef! Didn’t know you were here. Oakley came by earlier.”

Even hearing his name pinched her heart, but she shook her head. “I’m not here.”

“He looked pretty messed up.”

“Well, shit, Luna. You don’t see me complaining about how messed up I am, do you?”

The kitchen went silent and Luna sucked in a sharp breath, hurrying out of the kitchen.What’s one more mess for me to clean up anyway?Groaning, she closed her eyes and counted backwards to get her breathing stable. Without looking at her staff, she walked out to where her truck was parked.

“Is there something you want to talk about, chef?” Freya’s quiet voice came from behind her.

“I’m fine.”

“I can call Mack or your girlfriends if you’d prefer.”

“Please don’t,” she said with a heavy sigh. “It’s just complicated. That’s all.”

“So he did break your heart.”

“Or maybe I broke his.”

Freya scoffed, leaning against the truck with her. “For as grumpy as you might be, you’re not a bad person.”

“Good people can break hearts too,” she countered uselessly. She changed topics quickly. “Do you think we’re really ready for this festival?”

Freya nodded, mouth split into a big smile. “Fuck yes, we are. I see it like a wedding, except bigger and more chaotic.”

“You’re the only one who thinks weddings aren’t chaotic.”

“Everyone else is running around like headless chickens, but we’re not. We show up ready to slay and there’s a lot of sitting around.”

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