When Love Breaks by Jack

Chapter 292

We were adults and had cleared the art between us days ago. It was evident what Mark’s kindness and attention meant. I was at a loss. for how to respond. I had said everything I needed to say that day. Constantly turning him down would only make things awkward, and we might end up not even being friends.

Mark hesitated, “Jane, am I making you feel pressured?”

Ifiddled with my fork, about to speak, when he continued thoughtfully, “Like I said, you don’t need to respond to anything. Just think of it as something friends do for each other”

“When you’re ready to start a new relationship, we can take it slow,” he added.

My heart warmed at his words. I might have fallen deeply for him if I hadn’t gone through that disastrous marriage with Bryant and if I were still at the age of acting on impulse. But I was afraid. The cost of getting my heart involved was too much for me to bear

slowly let go of my fork. “What if

when we had come this far. Seeing his stunned expression, I put down my fork. “If Bryant and I had never divorced, what would you have

single, Mark replied with a forced smile, the soft

as perfect as they seemed online” He looked at me squarely, a hint of self–mockery in his voice. “Does that make me despicable? Hoping for

I said, caught off guard by Mark’s candidness, with my words barely escaping my lips. “But divorce doesn’t mean I’m ready to be with someone else again. Up to now, just like Chris, you’re important to me,

in his eyes dimmed a bit when I mentioned “a good friend.” But I didn’t want to deceive

his expression still gentle. “Jane, how about we set a timeline? Like six months, a year, two years. Fill give up if I

hesitated. “Let’s say six

over time. Sometimes, it was just there, or it was not. If it were possible to fall in love, the years passed, and the next six months should be enough. If

“Okay Mark agreed happily, “Let’s eat before it gets

door, and he glanced toward Gregory’s place, suddenly asking, “Jane, are you