Chapter 70 Learning To Love Yourself
I stood frozen, unable to process his words for what felt like forever.
He said I deserved to be loved.
For as long as I could remember, all the attention had always been on Claire. Even my parents said she excelled at everything, while I fell short in every way.
The worst part? My husband cherished Claire too–ignoring me and my pain completely.
No one had ever told me I deserved love.
Could it be true? Could someone genuinely care about my feelings? Could I really be cherished instead of cast aside?
“I–I thought after Grandma passed and Toby disappeared, there wouldn’t be anyone left in this world who’d love me,” I said, my voice shaky as tears welled up.
“Who told you that?” Ryan said gently, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “My father adores you, doesn’t he? He cares about you deeply. And your son Toby, even though he’s missing now, must still love you from somewhere in this world.”
He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “And as for me–I care about you too.”
I froze, staring at him in disbelief.
“Relax,” he smiled softly. “I care about you as a friend.”
I let out a small laugh through my tears. I should have felt relieved, but somehow, there was a subtle ach of loss.
“Most importantly,” he said, locking eyes with me as if willing me to believe him, “the person who should love you the most is yourself.”
“Gabrielle, love yourself enough to never let anyone hurt you again.”
I nodded firmly, tears spilling over once more.
In the past, I’d loved Vincent so much that I lost myself. Now, I wanted to find myself again and make a fresh start.
Ryan was right–you can’t truly love anyone else until you love yourself.
“Thank you,” I said, wiping my face and offering him a smile. “You know, even though my marriage to Vincent didn’t work out, it wasn’t all bad. At least I gained you as a friend, right?”
Ryan smiled warmly, “Hmm, that’s true.”
“Wow, Mr. Hudson is not one to downplay his importance,” I teased, chuckling. “Though, I guess you do have reason to be proud.”
I noticed his shirt was soaked where I’d been crying and felt my cheeks heat up.
“Sorry,” I said sheepishly, “I didn’t mean to ruin your shirt.”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Ryan said, glancing at his watch. “But It’s almost time for work, but I
10:30
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< Chapter 70 Learning to Love Yourself
haven’t had breakfast yet.
Menu
“How about I treat you?” I offered, remembering how he’d ended up paying last time even though I’d in
vited him
“I won’t say no,” Ryan said with an easy grin.
We left the apartment building and headed to the parking lot.
He drove himself, and I slid into the backseat without hesitation.
He took us to a popular breakfast spot known for its hearty meals.
Ryan ordered some toast, salad, bacon, and milk. When the food arrived, he picked up his fork and knife, cutting into the bacon with practiced precision.
“Why aren’t you eating?” he asked, glancing at me between bites.
*I already had breakfast,” I said, resting my chin in my hand as I watched him. “You should hurry up, though you’ve got work soon. By the way, is your injury fully healed? Aren’t you jumping back into work a little too fast?”
“It’s fine.” He said, brushing off my concern. “I’ve scaled back my workload for now.”
“Mr. Hudson, ever the workaholic,” I teased, smiling. “But seriously, you should take care of your health. How are you going to woo the person you like if you’re not in a good health?”
“cough cough-” he suddenly choked on his milk, coughing hard. I quickly handed him a napkin.
He wiped his mouth and gave me a pointed look, his eyes glinting with amusement, “Don’t worry,” he said, his voice laced with confidence. “I think I’ll win her over soon enough.”
