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“That’s good. Now feel your legs get heavy and your arms too.”
I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until Adam stroked my arm and called my name.
“Open your eyes, Chloe.”
“Did I fall asleep again?”
“Yes, you did, but not as quickly as last time. I see a difference in you.”
“You do?” I pushed myself up on my elbows. “Am I getting stronger?”
“No, your boundaries are still weak but I’m sensing something new.”
“What?”
“It’s almost like a bubbly feeling of spring. An excitement that wasn’t there the first time.”
“That’s good, right?”
“Yes, but I’m also sensing grief in you, and I feel we’ve neglected to talk about the part of you that is sad that your relationship with Niko ended.”
I scoffed. “He tried to murder me.”
“Yes, he did. But you loved him, didn’t you?”
“I used to,” I said quietly.
“Then it’s natural to be sad that it ended the way it did.”
I thought about that and pulled my knees to my chest “You know what I’m mostly sad about?” I asked and brushed the sheet on the bed.
“No.”
“I’m angry at myself and sad because I apparently have such poor taste in men.”
“How is your relationship with your dad?”
“Fine. He’s a good guy who treats my mom with respect. Truly, they have the perfect love story, so why am I so screwed up?”
“It’s most likely connected to your lack of self-esteem, but then again, people are complicated. Maybe you were so busy developing certain areas of your life that you neglected to develop this particular area. We can’t be experts in everything.”
“So how do I change it? How do I attract a quality man?”
Adam looked away. “What is a quality man to you?”
“Someone who won’t raise a hand to me. Or lie to me. You know, someone who’ll be good to me.”
“Why do you even need a man, Chloe?” This time he was looking straight at me.
“What do you mean?”
“You clearly don’t need to be protected, since you can afford to buy security guards to do that. You don’t need to be provided for, because you’re fully capable of making your own money. Hell, you don’t even need a guy to give you babies; you have the means to go to a sperm bank and have that little issue solved, or you can just adopt. And if you want sex, I’m sure there are plenty of men offering. You’re the prime example of an independent woman who really doesn’tneeda man.”
I gaped at him.
“It’s true, isn’t it?” he asked and threw off some weird vibes that I couldn’t decipher.
“No, that’s not how I feel at all,” I protested. “I want to be protected and cared for. Maybe not financially, but emotionally for sure. I want someone to cuddle up with and make love to. Someone who has my back, loves me, and shares my dreams. And I want to give the same to him.”
