Page 55 of Unfaithful

"But the worst part was..." I trailed off, my throat tightening. God, this was the hardest part.

I took a shaky breath, forcing the words out. "Was the feeling that I wasn't enough. As a woman. As a wife."

I turned back to the window, only then realizing that I was already crying. Blinking against the tears, I chewed on my thumbnail, my throat too tight to say anything more.

A heavy silence stretched between us.

"Next question," I whispered when I finally found my voice.

Archie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay," he murmured. "Do you think you're ever going to be okay?" he asked, his voice quiet, careful.

It took me a few seconds to think, but when I finally spoke, my voice was firm.

"I have to. I can't let him ruin me."

Saying it out loud felt like drawing a line in the sand, a promise to myself. I didn't know how or when, but I had to find a way to be okay because he had already taken too much from me.

"Good."

I didn't see his smile, but I felt it. I felt the warmth in his silence. I knew, somehow, that he was pleased with my answer. That he was proud of me.

I couldn't explain how I knew. I just did.

"Will you be willing to reach out to your friends when you need them?" He paused, glancing at me before adding, "To me?"

I caught his gaze and gave him a small smile. I nodded.

"Okay," he said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Then my next question is—what do you need from me?"

I paused, letting the thought settle. Archie had been there for me through it all, solid and unshaken. His presence grounded me, steadying the storm raging inside me.

I recognized that. I didn't take it for granted.

"Just be there for me." I offered him a small smile. "What you're doing now is more than enough."

Archie nodded, his expression softening. "Never doubt that, Peaches. I'll always be there for you."

My gaze lingered on him, something inside me shifting. I still couldn't understand why he was being so kind to me.

"Thank you," I said, genuinely feeling grateful for him. "For everything."

He didn't reply, but his smile widened, gentle and knowing. In that moment, I saw it for what it was.

I had never really noticed it before, but now I did. His smile was utterly beautiful.

There was a ruggedness to him, a roughness shaped by time and experience, yet beneath it lay something deeper—a kind soul, a gentle heart, and a steady presence. He didn't have to say much, didn't have to try. Somehow, just by being there, he had a way of holding me together when I felt like I was falling apart. Archie was my anchor—silent and strong. A refuge during all this turmoil.

"Can I say something?" he asked after the silence lingered for a while.

"Not a question?"

"Nope." He shook his head.

"Let's hear it." I straightened up.

"You, Sara, are more than enough," he said, his voice firm, leaving no room for doubt. "You're perfect just as you are."

He held my gaze, his expression speaking a million unspoken words as if willing me to believe it, to feel it deep in my bones.

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