Page 84 of Unfaithful

"Archie..." Without realizing it, I reached for his hand, which was resting on the counter. "You said you'd wait... You said I'm your one."

"You are..." He flipped his hand, gently enclosing mine in his grip.

"It will not be fair to you. Cole was... is..." I stumbled over my words, unsure how to explain.

"You still love him."

"God, Archie... if only I could just switch it. But that asshole was my one. He was my love."

"Sara."

"Not that I'll be going back to him, though," I quickly added, squeezing my eyes shut, shaking my head. "He hurt me too much, and I'll never be able to move past that."

His grip on my hand tightened. "Sara."

I opened my eyes and met his gaze, the softness in his green eyes making my heart ache.

"What do you want from me?"

His question startled me, and he smiled gently, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "Whatever you want, Sara. I will do it."

My breath caught in my throat, and I felt the weight of his words settle over me like a soft, warm blanket. His gaze held mine, warm and comforting, silently urging me to say with all honesty what I truly wanted from him.

And then I realized. Maybe it wasn't about knowing everything right now. Maybe it was enough to just feel, to trust, to let him in, and see where this—where we—could go.

"You said you'll wait for me," I said softly, my voice trembling with uncertainty, worried that I was too selfish. Too greedy. "Until I'm sure. I really want that. For you to wait for me." I studied his face, anxiety knotting in my chest. "Am I asking too much? I know it's not fair, but—"

"Says who?" he interrupted gently, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Sara... you must know by now that I—"

And then the doorbell rang.

Archie's expression immediately sobered, his smile fading as reality settled back in. He pulled away from me, his gaze lingering for a bit longer. Slowly, he slid off his stool and leaned down, brushing a soft kiss on my cheek that stayed for a heartbeat.

"That must be Cole," he murmured, his voice almost tinged with sadness. "Coming here to beg you to forgive him."

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Cole

"What the hell are you doing, Elsa?" I snapped, spinning around again, refusing to look at her. Anger burned through me. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

She stayed still for a moment, but the sound of her footsteps sent a jolt through me.

"Don't come near me," I barked, my voice sharp with warning.

"Cole," I heard her whisper.

"Fuck, Elsa. Stop this. Please." I exhaled sharply, my grip tightening on the kitchen counter. "Whatever you're trying to do—it's not working anymore."

I leaned forward, bracing myself against the cold surface of the kitchen counter, my hands curling around the edges. I was shaking with fury. "I'm not falling for your trap. I was a fool once, but I won't be the same man again. The only reason I stayed is Elena. And the moment Leo moves in here, I'm gone."

"But you love Elena. You love her so much."

"I do," I said coldly. "That's exactly why I'm going to make sure Leo lives up to my expectations."

I straightened, but I still refused to turn around. I didn't want her to mistakenly think I wanted to look at her. "I'm going to support him, Elsa. I'm going to help him take Elena away fromyou. Because you're a fucking horrible mother. A despicable human being. And there's no way in hell I'm letting Elena be raised by you."

"You will not win, Cole. I'm her mother. I still have primary custody."

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