Page 90 of Unfaithful

I knew she would leave me.

"I want to give you everything you need, Sara. And if—by some miracle—that's me, I'd be the luckiest man alive." I swallowed hard, my chest aching. "But if it's not... I'll still give you whatever you need, even if that means letting you go. And no matter how long it takes, I'll wait for you. For as long as you need. Even if you never come back to me."

A quiet sigh slipped from her lips, barely there, yet it spoke volumes in the silence between us.

One beat. Then another. A breath. An eternity stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words. Until, at last, she spoke again.

"I loved you with all my heart, Cole. I felt like I was born to love you, like you were made just for me." She paused, the weight of her words settling between us. Then, slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet mine.

"And you shattered my heart to pieces." Her voice trembled, but she didn't look away. "I've tried so hard to let you go, to move on, but my heart won't let me. No matter how much I fight it... I still can't get rid of you. From my heart, from my mind."

I held my breath, every inch of me frozen in place, praying, hoping, wishing—desperate for her to say she would give us another chance. That she would let me prove myself again.

"But I'm going to try harder," she said, her firm voice laced with quiet determination. "Because trust is everything to me, Cole. You know that. Without it, love means nothing. And I wouldn't be able to stay by your side if trust didn't exist between us."

And just like that, everything in me splintered, crumbling into dust.

The hope I had clung to slipped through my fingers, leaving nothing but the cold weight of reality. I had done this. I had shattered us. And now, no matter how much I wanted to hold on, I realized this was the moment I truly lost her. That there wasn't any hope left.

She rose from the bench, her movements slow, deliberate. Then, with a gentleness that nearly broke me, she placed her hand on my cheek.

"I'm sorry you lost Elena, Cole," she said gently. "I know this is hard for you. And I truly hope you find happiness someday."

She hesitated just for a moment, her gaze lingering on mine. Then, with quiet finality, she added,

"But you have to let me go."

And then, she turned and walked away.

I sat there, motionless, watching her disappear into the distance, leaving me alone with nothing but the wreckage of what we once were. My heart lay in pieces, but through the ache, a decision formed.

I would give her time. I would give her space.

But I wouldn't stop taking care of her, even if she never knew. And no matter how long it took, I would wait for her. Until the day she remembered me, until the day she came back.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sara

I ran, tears falling, heart shattering.

Leaving him took all I had.

I ran faster, putting distance between us—from the man who had my heart.

The man who loved me, then broke me, heartlessly.

A few people noticed my tears. Some recognized me, but I didn't stop running.

I just needed to get home, lock myself in my room, cry until there was nothing left, and emerge only when I felt a little stronger.

"Sara!" a voice called behind me, footsteps quickening as if to catch up. "Sara!"

A hand grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop. I turned, breathless, and found Maria standing there, her face etched with concern.

"Oh, sweetie, what happened?"

I couldn't answer her. If I spoke, my voice would break, and I would fall apart right there, in front of her, in the middle of the busy street.

---