Page 73 of Unfaithful

Every word he spoke was a vow, woven with patience, bound in devotion, a quiet promise of unyielding care.

Every feeling of not being enough, every whisper of failure that had clung to me washed away in that moment. The weight I had carried, the doubt I had let define me, unraveled beneath his words, dissolving like shadows fading at dawn.

He made me feel seen. He made me feel whole.

He made me feel worthy again.

And I cried. I couldn't stop myself anymore.

I pulled him down and wrapped my arms around him, holding on with everything I had. Thankful for him. Grateful for him.

Tears spilled freely, and I didn't care who saw. I buried my face in his shoulder, sobbing, my shoulders shaking. He tensed beneath my touch, his voice laced with panic as he whispered in my ear, "Did I say something wrong?"

I only sobbed harder.

It was as if everything crashed down on me at once. Every feeling I had buried, every ache I had silenced, breaking free all at once—unstoppable, overwhelming, pouring out of me like a flood I could no longer contain.

"Sara..." He stroked my back, his voice laced with concern. "What's wrong?"

I clung to him, my breath hitching between sobs.

"Thank you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Thank you for saying that to me."

He didn't reply, but the way he sighed in relief told me everything he couldn't put into words.

We held each other for a long time, neither of us willing to let go. Until I felt a finger poke my back.

I glanced over my shoulder and found Emma grinning at me, but her smile quickly faded into concern the moment she saw my tear-streaked face.

"What the fuck happened?" she yelled, her voice cutting through the noise. Then her furious gaze snapped to Archie. "What did you do?"

I shook my head, still unwilling to let go of Archie. "These are happy tears. Don't worry." I let out a shaky chuckle, a sob slipping through at the same time.

Emma's eyes widened. "Happy tears?"

The look on her face sobered me up a little. Taking a deep breath, I finally pulled away from Archie, cold air rushing in to replace his warmth, even though I knew the room was stiflingly hot.

"Not like what you're thinking," I told her, shouting a little so she could hear.

Emma's shoulders slumped. "It's not?" She looked downright disappointed.

I chuckled, wiping my damp cheeks. "No, it's not."

She pursed her lips. "Damn. For a second, I thought I missed something big."

Behind her, Julian stood, locking eyes with his brother in a silent exchange, the tension between them almost palpable. After a moment, Archie gave a subtle shake of his head before turning his attention back to me.

After that, we made our way back to the bar. Julian ordered something that made Emma's brows knit in disapproval. But, as expected, he ignored her reaction completely.

The four of us stood there, huddled close. Ice clinked against glass, the air buzzing with laughter, loud music, and the hum of conversation. Emma nudged Julian when he took a sip of his drink, her eyes narrowing in mock disapproval, but he only smirked and took another sip just to spite her.

Emma, never one to let silence settle for long, pulled me back onto the dance floor, and with an exaggerated sigh, Julian followed. We danced, we laughed, and for a little while, I let myself get lost in the moment, in the music, in the simple joy of being surrounded by friends. I laughed and danced until my feet ached and my cheeks hurt from smiling too much.

All the while, Archie stood at the edge of the crowd, a bottle of beer in his hand, his gaze never straying far from us, watching us closely.

I had fun that night. Silently, I thanked Emma for dragging me here.

Julian and Emma were an unexpectedly hilarious combination. Tiny Emma, barely five feet tall, with her innocent, wide eyes, rosy cheeks, and sweet face, somehow bossing around someone as big and intimidating as Julian. She ordered him to fetch drinks, find us a free table when we got too tired, and even smacked his chest when she caught him drinking something too strong.

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