Page 111 of Unfaithful

That was it.

I had come out of respect, but that was all.

The next morning, Cole called me, sounding tense and unsettled. "My parents reached out to you," he said, his voice edged with urgency. "I'm sorry if they said anything that upset you."

"It's fine," I told him. "But I think you should honestly talk to your parents and clarify that we're truly divorced."

That was a month ago, and I hadn't seen him since. He had been utterly disappointed when I didn't respond to his attempt to kiss me. Maybe, at that moment, he realized he was moving too fast. Or maybe he had simply been too busy. From what I'd heard, he was in the middle of a major takeover. It wasn't surprising. Cole had always taken on more than he should.

"Hey, Sara," Dona's voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to find her standing beside me, her eyes filled with curiosity, likely wondering why I was sitting there, lost in my own world.

"Cole's here," she said. "He's waiting outside."

"I'll go see him," I told Dona. "Just let him know I'll be out in five minutes. Thank you."

"Okay," she said with a nod before turning around and heading to the front.

I quickly finished replying to my last email, then sat back, staring at my laptop, lost in thought.

I knew why Cole had come. He never said it outright, but the message was clear—he wanted me to remember his presence. To know that he was still waiting.

Closing my laptop, I got up and walked to the reception area.

Cole was sitting there, just like before, holding a single red rose and a pink one in his hand. When he saw me, he stood up, offering a small, hesitant smile.

"Sara."

I nodded and sat down beside him. The room was empty, with no one around managing the reception area. If someone arrived, they'd ring the bell, but for now, it was just the two of us. The silence felt heavy, but neither of us said anything at first.

For a moment, I just looked at him—the man I had once loved with all my heart. Even now, he still had an effect on me. That familiar pinch in my chest, a mix of warmth and pain, reminding me of everything we had been.

He was the love I had gained and lost. The memories that refused to fade, the good and the bad.

Cole was right here beside me, and soon, I would head to a party where there was a chance of seeing Archie again after all these months. The thought of it consumed me, my mind drifting to him constantly throughout the day.

I realized this was the moment I had to be certain about what I wanted in my life.

Would Cole remain in my past, or after everything that had happened, could he still be part of my future?

Or was it Archie, the man who had loved me unconditionally, the one I had refused and let go of so callously? From what I knew, he had moved on, continuing his life as ifI had never been a part of it. And maybe... he was better off without me.

A million thoughts battled inside my head as I tried to make sense of what my heart was telling me.

What did I truly want?

"Have you been well?" I heard him ask.

My thoughts scattered as I blinked back to the present. "I'm good, thank you," I replied.

"I'm sorry for dropping by unannounced. I have a project nearby, so I thought I'd come visit."

"It's fine," I said, though my voice felt distant. My mind still tangled in too many thoughts.

"I wonder if you'd like to have dinner with me?" he asked carefully, but it was laced with hope. "There's this new restaurant that's been getting great reviews, and I thought maybe we could try it together."

While he was talking, my mind cleared up suddenly.

All this time, the question lingering in my mind had been whether I could build a life with Cole after everything he had done. Could I still trust him? Could I learn to trust him again?

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