What was the point in trying to fib to either of them? They both knew the truth of it. Despite it all, she’d fallen for her fake husband.

“He just would have done it again, ignoring what I wanted or needed because he thought he knew better,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I mean, not only would he share my book, but he’d think he knew what was best for me better than I did.”

Karmel sat Mary Puppins back on the floor and reached across the table to cover Chelle’s hand with her own. “Just like your dad?”

“Exactly,” she said, all the raw feelings coming to the surface and making her want to put as much distance between herself and anyone who could hurt her like that. “I can spot all the signs from a million miles.”

“Is it that, or are you just expecting to see them and so you do?”

“That’s not fair,” Chelle huffed.

“Some would say you aren’t being fair, either.” Karmel squeezed her hand and shot her a sympathetic smile. “Look, I love you like my own sister, and you may not want to hear it, but it needs to be said. All of that bullshit your family inflicted on you? It was awful and you were right to get yourself out of that toxic mess, but don’t you think that your trauma scared you so that you are afraid to be vulnerable with anyone because that equates to losing all control over your own life? Letting someone else in doesn’t mean shutting yourself out. There can be a happy medium there.”

It was exactly the advice one of her characters would give another in her book. So why was it so hard to hear in real life? “How did you get to be so smart?”

“Honey,” Karmel said with a world-weary chuckle. “I’ve kissed more than enough frogs in my life to know when there’s a real prince in my immediate surroundings.”

A prince with rough edges and sharp corners? Yeah, Nash had those. But he also had the heart of someone who wanted to help care for the people he loved so badly he couldn’t stop himself from doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Logically, Chelle could see that. But in her heart, she was as scared as she’d ever been, and it made her entire body tense up. The instinct to cut herself off like she’d done with her family was so strong it made her palms sweaty. But Karmel was right.

Nash wasn’t like the Finches.

“So, what do I do?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Karmel finished her wine and stood up, lifting the thick strap of her airport tote over one shoulder. “Take the book deal.”

“And Nash?” Chelle asked, her voice trembling.