Chapter 110


    But I quickly shake off the idea. No, he doesn’t have enough experience. It would be silly for me to


    choose him as my sous chef.


    Right?


    …


    The next morning, Chloe greets me with a steaming cup of coffee as I walk into the restaurant.


    “Morning, bossdy. How are you today?”


    “Good, actually,” I say with a grin, gratefully epting the frothy coffee. “Had a sessful nightst


    night.”


    “Oh?” Chloe asks, leaning on the bar as I take a seat on one of the stools, her own coffee in hand.


    “How so?”


    I shrug and take a sip. “I was struggling with a souffle recipe. But you’re not gonna believe this; Karl


    showed up and offered to help. It’s crazy. He’s actually a master at making souffles. Who would’ve


    thought?”


    Chloe’s face tightens. “Karl helped you?”


    “Yes, why?”


    “I told him to stay away from you, Abby. I thought I was doing you a favor. But apparently he just


    doesn’t listen.”


    I blink, surprised and a little annoyed. “You told him what?”


    Chloe shrugs. “He was moping about how you decided to go through with thepetition. I told him


    that he should just piss off, basically.”


    Her words make my head reel. While I understand the sentiment behind them, something about it


    makes me angry; maybe it’s because I only just told her that I needed to be trusted to make my own


    decisions, not have decisions made for me.


    “What?” she says, sensing my terse look. “Something wrong?”


    I swallow. The wordse out harsher than I mean them to. “Chloe, it’s not your ce to tell him to


    stay away from me.”


    “I was trying to protect you, Abby. You and I both know that you don’t make the best decisions when it


    Her words make me even angrier. Without meaning to, I stand abruptly, causing the barstool to scrape


    loudly on the floor and echo throughout the empty restaurant. “What do you know about good


    decisions?” I snap. “All you’ve ever done is hook up with anything that moves.”


    For a moment, Chloe is silent. Even as the words tumble out of my mouth, I realize how harsh they


    were. “Chloe, I didn’t mean—”


    She holds her hand up to stop me. “It’s whatever. You’re not entirely wrong. But I know you, and I know


    Karl—”


    “You don’t know Karl at all,” I bite out. “He’s changed, Chloe. Maybe it’s about time you realize that he’s


    trying to be better. And for the record, he apologizedst night.”


    Chloe scoffs. “So you’re just going to let him waltz back into your life after everything he’s done? Are


    you serious? Just because he ‘apologized’? As if it wasn’t just a tactic to get in your pants.”


    “I’m not letting him waltz back in, and I’m not ‘letting him in my pants,’” I snarl. “But maybe, just maybe,


    he’s bing something of a friend.” Even as I say them, the words feel strange on my tongue. But I


    mean it. Despite everything, Karl has helped me a lot recently. I can’t deny that.


    “A friend? So what does that make me, then? Chopped liver?”


    “No, Chloe, you’re not chopped liver. You’re my best friend, but that doesn’t give you the right to dictate


    who I can and cannot talk to.”


    “Well, if Karl’s your friend now, maybe you don’t need me anymore,” Chloe snaps, her eyes brimming


    with anger and something that looks a lot like betrayal.


    Before I can say anything, she turns on her heel and storms out, leaving me standing there. All I can do


    is watch her fading form and curse under my breath.