Page 97 of Dreamscape Therapies

He doesn't find one.

Every face is either wary, disgusted, or completely unimpressed.

“You're all against me,” he says, his voice breaking. “You're all against me because he's poisoned you. He's turned you all into his little puppets.”

Mia folds her arms behind the bar. “Or,” she says dryly, “we all have working brain cells.”

A few people laugh and that seems to be the final straw. Trent's composure shatters completely.

“FINE!” He spins toward the door. “I don't need any of you! I don't need this shithole bar or this shithole city or ANY of you!” He gets halfway to the door before turning around one last time. “FUCK YOU, VINCENT!”

The door slams behind him, rattling the glass. For several seconds, nobody says anything. Then Eric starts slow clapping, picking up the pace as others join in.

“And that, ladies and gentlecreatures, is what we call a narcissistic meltdown. Ten out of ten. Would watch again.”

A few nervous laughs ripple through the room, and I realize that my hands are shaking so badly I have to hold on to the bar to stay standing. The adrenaline is catching up to me now, making my knees feel weak and my entire body strangely hollow.

Mia notices. “You okay, Boss?”

“Yeah.” The word comes out quieter than I expect. “Just… processing.”

She nods and walks away to get back to work like she didn't just witness the most bizarre lunch rush in Whistler's history.

Eric drops back onto his stool. “So, that was your ex?”

“Unfortunately.”

“Yikes.” He makes a face. “Dodged a bullet there.”

“More like a nuclear missile.”

He snorts, then holds up his phone. “Where do you want me to send this?”

“To me,” I say, sliding onto the stool beside him. “I'll get it where it needs to go.”

“And?”

I look at him.

“And thank you.”

His expression softens. “You probably would've handled it fine without me.”

“I really don't think I would have.”

“Maybe not.” He shrugs. “I'm glad I was here. That guy is fucking unhinged.”

I stare at the door he'd just disappeared through.

“He wasn't always like that,” I say quietly. “Or maybe he was, and I just didn't see it.”

“Blinded by good omega snatch. Happens to the best.”

Hale smacks the back of Eric's head.

“Ow!”

“You're an idiot. He's reliving trauma, and you're talking about omega snatch. Be serious for once.”