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As Tanner was leaving his father called out, “Let oes with Whitney”

“I will” The relationship between his father and himself wasn’t what it should be but they had made a step forward

Now Tanner had to face Whitney Could he possibly let go enough to admit how he felt about her? If he wanted Whitney, he’d have to What sickened hiiven it He’d had it right there in front of hirabbed it After all, he did love her Had for a long time

Whitney had cried to the point of being sick In the past there had been days when people had hurt her feelings and she’d been upset but nothing ony she felt over the loss of Tanner His absence was a void she couldn’t fill

She hadand text hiainst her better judg to do but she’d beco him next to her in bed that she put the shirt under the spare pillow and pulled it out to smell it before she went to sleep When she could sleep

So much time had passed since she had spoken to her parents they’d becoave them a blurry-eyed, tearful and painfully short version of what had happened They were supportive and worried but in the end there wasn’t anything they could do to help As they were leaving her ive up”

Whitney knew life sent you experiences and people that you never expected Tanner had proved that The probleo It had been the right decision but it still hurt

In thefor Tanner a new client called That was the catalyst that started bringing her out of the darkness She needed to keep herself busy for sanity’s sake To do that she was going to have to start clawing her way back to being a functioning adult again She took a bath and washed her hair before sitting down at the computer To her horror Tanner’s profile was the first one to appear in her business file

She looked at his s before she deleted it She wouldn’t need his profile any longer Was he already dating otherBut she had pushed him away He was free to do as he pleased

She kept repeating like a ood Love was iotiable For Tanner it was unimportant He had issues that he needed to resolve He’d stated clearly that he believed she did as well

Hadn’t she dealt with those long ago?

Whitney looked around the kitchen where bags of chips and dessert snack covers cluttered the table and counter She’d turned to food again to sooth her stress and fear Juathered the litter and uneaten junk food, cra to her desk, she picked up her phone and punched in the nuroup she’d once attended It was tiet her life back on track without Tanner

Over the next two days she set up two socials and made an appointment to meet a new client She didn’t feel alive yet but at least she wasan effort

Her client was a woe In fact, she looked familiar Extremely attractive, she still see around as if she were expecting so she shouldn’t Her name was familiar too Lauren Phillips

High school That was it! She’d been one of the popular girls The one who’d got all the boys Now she needed Whitney to help her make a match

“I believe ent to high school together,” Whitney said at their

Lauren studied her but there was no recognition in her eyes “I’h ti a divorce I didn’t pay much attention to anyone but myself”

“It’s okay We can’t remember everyone” Whitney meant it Before Tanner she would have been resentful of Lauren but now she understood too clearly that no ht act on the outside, they could still have problems “So how can I help you?”

“I as I do,” Lauren answered “I want souys I meet are just interested in my looks I want someone who sees past that”

Whitney had had that with Tanner What if she had waited longer? Maybe Tanner would have co her He had certainly accepted her for who she was Instead of giving him any real chance, she’d let her insecurities control her Hoas she supposed to match other people when she couldn’t handle her own? Her self-doubt had left her with nothing

How he must hate her

Whitney pushed through the glass door of the coh to join the Happier You support group again but these were her people and here she would be accepted without question It had taken her years to adht She’d startedfor had been the emotional care The help for what had been behind her overeating The Happier You group had given her that

She walked down the hall to the classroom Inside she found the circle of chairs she expected and a few people already in them She smiled in their direction and took a seat Another couple of people entered before Margaret, the facilitator, showed up

“Whitney Thomason, is that you?”

“It is” Whitney stood and hugged the woman

“So what brings you here tonight?”

“I guess just for a reminder of how far I’ve come,” Whitney said

“So it’s like that?”