Page 54 of Unfaithful

"Yes," he said with a nod.

My head snapped toward him. "To where?"

"There's this little coffee shop my friends, John and Jeremy, own in the next town over. It's small, but the view is incredible. I think you'll like it."

I glanced down at my outfit, then back at him. "But I'm wearing this!" I gestured at my shirt, frowning. "And I didn't even put on makeup! I haven't washed my face or brushed my teeth!"

Archie chuckled. "If we pass a convenience store, we'll stop and grab some face wash and a toothbrush."

I leaned back against the seat, mumbling, "You could've at least warned me."

He nodded solemnly. "I should have, but then you would've said no."

I shot him a look. "What's so great about this place?"

"The view," he said simply. "And the food."

I frowned. "But do we really need to drive this far just for that?"

He glanced at me, a gentle look in his eyes. "It also gives us time to talk."

Archie sighed when he saw me hesitate. "You need to talk about this, Sara. Just let it out. You have Emma, me, and even my parents—we all care about you. You just have to trust us more."

He paused, choosing his next words carefully. "I know I was Cole's friend, and maybe that makes it hard for you to trust me completely. But I need you to believe that I'm here for you."

I looked away from him, my gaze fixed on the endless stretch of green fields rolling past my window. The blur of grass and trees felt safer than meeting his eyes. I chewed on my nails, a nervous habit I hadn't been able to shake.

I had never been a person who confided in others. Keeping things to myself had always felt easier, safer. Words had a way of making emotions too vulnerable, too raw. And once spoken, there was no taking them back.

When I didn't respond, Archie tried again. "How about this. I ask you a question, and you answer?"

I glanced at him, curious but still hesitant. "Okay," I said reluctantly.

He gave me a reassuring look. "Only if you want to. You don't have to answer if you're not ready."

"Okay," I murmured again, unsure of where this was leading.

"Good." He smiled at me. "First question."

I held my breath.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Such a simple question, yet it felt impossibly heavy. How was I supposed to answer that? Fine? That would be a lie. Terrible? That felt too vulnerable. Somewhere in between? Even I wasn't sure where I stood.

"Be honest with me," he said gently.

My fingers tightened in my lap. Words hovered on the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't seem to push them out.

"Devastated," I finally admitted, choosing to be honest with him. "Angry. Betrayed."

I paused, drawing in a shaky breath. "Helpless."

Archie glanced at me briefly before focusing back on the road. He said nothing, but I could tell he was still listening, waiting for me to say more.

"I feel like I've lost everything," I continued, surprised by how easily the words were coming. "I feel like I wasted years of my life on something that was never worth it. Like I was blind, stupid, for not seeing the signs. How did I not suspect anything? How did I not realize what he was doing behind my back?"

The more I spoke, the more the emotions surged forward, raw and unfiltered. I had tried so hard to bury them, convinced that ignoring them would make them go away. But now, they refused to stay hidden.

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