Page 37 of Tangled

“Beneath every true romance is a foundation of friendship. Friendship you are capable of, so you start there. And as the intimacy grows, you’ll find yourself more willing to open up your heart.”

I sit back against the couch, a deep sigh leaving my nostrils as the weight of my anxiety starts to leave my chest. This was the clarification and direction that I needed.

I know that I have opened myself up to other people since being bitch-slapped by my best friend and fiancé. And if I don’t want to lose my chance with Olivia, I have to be willing to do that with her too.

“My greatest fear is ending up alone…” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, and finally voicing them out loud feels freeing, like a bird escaping a cage and spreading its wings for the first time in an eternity.

“Because you know that’s what you fear, you won’t let it happen,” the woman sitting across from me says, letting me know that the hundred dollars an hour that I pay her is worth every penny.

Chapter 17

Olivia

High school. I work at one every day and the emotional distress I’m currently feeling makes me believe I’m reliving it.

It’s been almost a week since the Ashland-Emerson game where I stormed off and left Kane behind. But sadly, the only way I retreated from him was physically. He’s still very much present in my thoughts.

It’s like having a crush on a boy back in high school. You get dressed that day with the thought of running into him in the halls, wanting to leave a killer impression on his memory of your aptitude for fashion sense. You avoid locking eyes with him at the same time, pretending you both weren’t searching each other out in a crowd. And any conversations you absolutelyhaveto partake in, you over-analyze every word you speak in fear of looking stupid.

Well, I’ve managed to bypass any interaction with him so far, until today. It’s Thursday, which means the restaurant class bakes treats for the teachers and leaves them in the lounge for us to pick up at our convenience. After the sample I devoured last week, let’s just say I set a reminder on my phone to make sure I got one of each pastry this Thursday.

“Good morning, Olivia,” Drew greets me as I step through the door to the lounge, the overpowering smell of sugar and cinnamon wafting through the air.

“Hi, Drew. How’s it going?”

“Oh, you know… just living the dream,” he chuckles and then shoves the rest of his scone in his mouth. “I swear, these kids might not remember to bring a pencil to class, but they sure can bake the hell out of some flour and sugar,” he mumbles around a mouthful of food.

I chuckle as I watch the crumbs fly out of his mouth, preparing to agree when someone else joins our conversation.

“Jesus, dude. Finish chewing before you speak.”

That voice. I don’t even have to turn around to know who that deep rasp and sinful body belongs to. My entire body stiffens, my senses heighten, and my pulse spikes knowing Kane and I are in the same room since our encounter Friday evening.

“Sorry, Mr. Etiquette. But dude, seriously… these things are amazing. It’s a snickerdoodle scone! And there’s blueberry lemon, raspberry and white chocolate, and pumpkin. You and Olivia better grab some before I eat them all.”

“If you do, I’ll tell Tammy. I know she’s making you watch what you eat, man.”

Drew narrows his eyes at Kane. “You wouldn’t dare.”

Kane snickers. “Try me.”

“Fine. I’ll just take one more,” he reaches through both of us and grabs a blueberry lemon scone and then another, offering it to me. “Want one, Olivia?”

I snatch that scone right up, trying not to act too eager. “Thanks.”

“How about a pumpkin one?” Drew grabs one to offer it to me again, as if I can’t serve myself.

I crinkle my nose in disgust. “Eck! You can keep all the pumpkin ones far away from me, sir. I don’t understand the hype about pumpkin-flavored everything in the fall.”

“Dude, that disgusting. Don’t offer people pumpkin,” Kane chimes in, surprising me.

“Really? I thought all women were in to pumpkin. Candles, decorations, pumpkin spice lattes? You chicks usually eat up all that fall shit, right?” Drew asks before turning to Kane for support.

I still haven’t turned around to register the look on Kane’s face. Obviously he knows I’m here, but he hasn’t addressed me either. Then I think he’s got a perfect view of my backside right now, and I wore my black slacks today that hug every curve on my lower half. Point for Olivia.

“The decorations I can handle, but the pumpkin flavor is way overdone.”

“See, told you,” Kane says before he grabs a few scones for himself on a napkin, then proceeds to make another stack.

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