Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 44

Richard's

pov.

She blinked, and for a moment, it was like I was seeing her consider my words. But then she shook her head, almost like she was brushing them off. "It doesn't change anything," she said quietly. "You didn't even try, Richard. Not once."

She was right again. I never tried. And now I was sitting here, a year later, trying to fix something I'd barely bothered to build in the first place. The truth was, I never let us have good memories. I didn't give us a chance.

When I married Sarah, I wasn't interested in building a life with her-I just wanted my inheritance and Susan-but it turned out to be something empty. And it took losing her to realize just how badly I had screwed it all up.

Now, every time we met for coffee or a quick lunch, I could feel the weight of all the things I should have done.

Every conversation, every smile she gave me now, it was tinged with the bitterness of what could had been if I hadn't been such a fool.

We talked about her business a lot, and I could see how proud she was of it. She lit up when she talked about the new deals she was making, and the expansion plans. And every time she did, it just reminded me how much I missed when we were married. I wasn't there for any of it. I wasn't there for her.

One day, after she was finished telling me about a new investor, I found myself blurting out, "I wish I'd been there to see all of this."

She looked at me, almost startled by my admission. "Well, you weren't," she said, and her words were blunt, but not cruel. "You were always somewhere else."

I nodded, because what could I say? She was right. Again. "Yeah, I was. And I hate myself for that."

just looked down at her hands, her fingers tracing the

Richard," she finally says. "I

a punch, but I knew they were coming. She's made it clear from the

what was broken. But that didn't stop

get that," I say slowly. "But can we at least try to...

a long look, and I could see the conflict in her eyes. She didn't hate me anymore-not like she used to-but she was not ready to let me in, either. Not fully. "Friends?" she

said, though I didn't even know if I believed it myself. "I'd rather have

smile played at her lips. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Richard."

'friends,' but you'll still try to get back together." She was not wrong.

my mouth to argue, but then I just shrug. "Can you blame

second real laugh I've

and I knew the boundaries are still there, firmly in place. But at least she was

maybe, that's

passed, and we kept meeting. Each time, Sarah set the

me get too close, never letting me cross any lines. I'd make a joke, she'd smile briefly,

now and then, we'd touch on something personal, something that reminded me of the past, and I could see the flicker of pain in her eyes. It was subtle, but it was there. She hadn't forgotten. How could she? One

the cabin? The

paused mid-bite, her expression blank.

must remember. We rented that place for the

gaze hardened. "Richard, we never went to a

right. I'd taken Susan there, not Sarah. What was