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

Chapter 48

Sarah's

pov.

I told myself over and over again, "We're just friends." That's what I had to believe.

But the truth was, every time I saw Richard, my heart did this annoying little flip, and I hated it.

We weren't supposed to be here-on the edge of something more. Not again.

It had started small, of course. Casual meetups, business dinners, nothing that screamed romantic.

But every time we sat across from each other, laughing about the most random things, I couldn't ignore that spark.

The way his eyes softened when I spoke. Or how he'd occasionally touch my hand, as if testing the waters.

I brushed it off. After everything we'd been through, there was no way I could trust him again. No way I could let myself feel that way. Right?

"Sarah, you're overthinking again," Emma had told me the other day on Facetime, her usual no-nonsense attitude shining through.

"Just enjoy it for what it is. You don't need to have all the answers right now."

But that was the thing. I did need answers. Because the longer this went on, the blurrier the line between friendship and... whatever this was, became. One night, after yet another business dinner where we somehow ended up talking about everything but work, Richard walked me to my car. It had become a habit at this point, something he did without thinking.

"Thanks for tonight," I said, fumbling with my keys. I was trying so hard to sound casual, like my heart wasn't racing just standing there next to him. "Anytime," he replied with that smile-that smile that used to make me melt. It still did, apparently, because I felt my face heat up.

There was a moment of silence, the kind that's supposed to feel comfortable but just felt loaded instead.

I cleared my throat, trying to break the tension. "Well, I guess I'll see you next week? We've got that meeting with the investors."

"Yeah, definitely," he said, but he didn't move. He was standing there, looking at me like he was waiting for something. And it made me nervous.

I turned to unlock the car door, needing an excuse to look away. But before I could reach the handle, Richard spoke again, his voice softer this time.

here. I mean, that we're... talking like

I paused, my hand hovering over the door. There it was-that shift, that emotional

want to go there. Not tonight. Not

cautiously, turning back to him.

hands in defense,

thing, but the way he was looking at me

was searching my face for permission, for some kind of signal that

least, I was

temples. "It's not that

he replied. His voice was calm, but there was something in it-an undercurrent of frustration maybe? Or hope. I couldn't quite tell. "Richard..." I started, but he interrupted me,

said quietly. "I just...I need you to know that I'm still here. I know I messed up. And I

really looked at him, for the first time in what felt like forever. He did seem different. More open, more vulnerable. But could I believe

I could stop myself, I whispered, "Have

gaze softened.

between us seemed to shrink. My heart was racing

I hadn't let myself feel in

to push it all down, but it was too late. We were too close

I-" Richard started, but before he could finish,

voice softened, or the look in his eyes, or the fact that I was just so damn tired of fighting

me, his hand warm against my skin, his eyes searching mine for any sign

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

stop it, his lips were on

tentative-so light, so careful, like he was afraid I might push

indifferent

touched mine, it was a

he was waiting for me to decide what

told him that this wasn't going to happen, that we

we were both testing the waters, unsure of where this moment was going to

mind was screaming at me to stop, to pull away and remind him of all the reasons we shouldn't be

was telling me something

hand slide to the back of my neck, pulling me

that shouldn't have happened but felt too right to stop. When we finally pulled