Page 33 of Unfaithful

I laughed again.

"I take it you brought condoms everywhere you went?"

"You bet," he answered without missing a beat.

"Tell me another story," I demanded.

"Okay," he said, pausing as if deciding which story to tell. "I was at the airport, just back from an assignment," he began. "I was exhausted, desperate for a shower, starving because I'd slept through the flight and missed the meal. After grabbing my luggage, I headed to a restaurant just outside the airport and took a seat.

I must've looked rough—thick beard, long messy hair, tattoos, and a dirty shirt. A complete mess. People kept glancing at me like I was about to snatch their purse. Even the waiter seemed wary, probably wondering if I could even afford to pay. Still, I ignored them and ordered the biggest burger on the menu. When the food arrived, I ate slowly, deliberately, just to get on their nerves.

But when it was time to pay, I realized I didn't have my wallet. Either someone stole it, or I left it somewhere. And I had broken my phone, so I threw it away."

I gasped. "Then what did you do?"

"I told the waiter about my missing wallet and promised to transfer the payment later. I even offered to leave my ring as collateral." He held up his right hand, showing me the ring onhis finger. "It's worth way more than the meal. But they didn't believe me. They threatened to call the police."

I held my breath.

"Then this girl stepped forward. I hadn't even noticed her before. She paid for my food without hesitation. The waiter glared at me but took the money from her anyway. The girl's actions shocked me. She wasn't like the others who kept watching me with suspicion. But she just... left before I could even thank her.

I asked the waiter where she had been sitting because I couldn't understand how I hadn't noticed her. She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, and somehow, I hadn't seen her at all."

He pointed to a table, so I walked over. Her plate and glass were still there—the waiter hadn't cleared them yet. And she'd left something behind."

"What was it?" I asked, completely captivated.

"A small plastic bag," he said, his voice quieter now. I watched him swallow, and suddenly, something clicked in my mind.

"Inside, there were—"

"Peaches," I finished for him, the memory crashing into me. I stared at him, stunned. It was me. His story was about me. It had been so long ago that I hadn't even thought about it. It was even before I met Cole.

"Yeah..." He smiled softly, then slid off the bed. Leaning over, he pressed a gentle kiss to the top of my head. "Good night, Peaches. Try to get some sleep."

CHAPTER NINE

Sara

I kept thinking about what Archie told me the other day. About why he called me Peaches. The words lingered, refusing to fade.

It turned out I met him first. Even before Cole.

And yet, he had kept that secret all this time.

When I asked him why—why he never said anything—he only shrugged and said, "There was no point, was there?"

I had no answer to that. And I still didn't understand why.

What would have changed if I had known? If he had told me back then?

Would it have mattered?

I wasn't sure.

It had been a week since I started staying at Archie's house. I was grateful to him and his parents. Patient and thoughtful, they made sure I ate well, rested enough, and stayed occupied with minor tasks, helping Janet manage the house.

If I had been alone in all this, I wasn't sure I would have made it through.

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