Chapter 55

　　Tabitha's POV 　　Under the soft lights of Duke Seafood Restaurant, Gloria and I sat facing each other. On the table before us were all kinds of fancy seafood dishes. 　　The meal was a pretty penny, but I couldn't care less. 　　I gently lifted my glass, telling Gloria, "You know what? The moment I failed to snag Hope Ranch, I realized all that cash meant nothing to me. Our friendship is way more precious than that. So here's to our friendship!" I clinked my glass with her. 　　We chatted as we savored the dishes, her laughter dissipating the gloom in the air. 　　She eased up pretty quick, but I had this nagging feeling of loss that I couldn't shake off. 　　After downing a few glasses of wine, Gloria got tipsy. 　　"Tabitha, you always look so tough, like nothing could ever hurt you. It breaks my heart to see you like that. Sometimes I wish you could just open up to me. Tell me exactly how you feel instead of forcing a smile to reassure me," she slurred. 　　She sounded boozed, but her eyes gleam