Married To My Ex-Husband’s Rival by Jobet GraySon

Chapter Ninety One Amber's POV.

| sat across the table from Richard, the remnants of our pizza dinner laid out before us. The ambiance was cozy, with dim lighting casting a warm glow over the room. But despite the comfortable setting, my mind raced with thoughts, and my heart was still reeling from the unexpected question Richard had posed earlier.

As | picked absentmindedly at a stray piece of mozzarella on my plate, Richard's words echoed in my mind, a constant loop that refused to fade into the background. How would I feel if he toldhe loved me? The question had cout of nowhere, catchingoff guard and leavingspeechless- jumble of emotions swirling in me.

Instead of responding in the moment, | excused myself to retrieve our pizza, a simple task that providedwith a moment of respite to gather my thoughts. Since then, the air between us has been thick with unspoken words, a tension hanging heavy in the silence that settled between us.

Richard, too, seemed lost in his own thoughts, his depressed and detached expression from earlier replaced by a quiet contemplation that mirrored my own. The space between us felt charged, and it didn’t seem like either one of us was ready to take the first step to speak up.

Suddenly, Richard cleared his throat, pullingback from my spiraling thoughts. His voice was hesitant and cautious as he broached the subject that had been hanging in the air between us. “Amber, did I... Did | make you uncomfortable with the question earlier?” His words struck a chord in me, a rush of panic welling up in my chest at the thought of addressing the question head-on. | felt a knot form in my stomach, uncertainty clouding my mind as | searched for the right words to say. Swallowing hard, | met his gaze, my voice coming out in a whisper: “Which question, Richard?” A flicker of nervousness crossed his features as he scratched the back of his neck, his eyes avoiding mine for a moment before meeting them once again. He stumbled over his words, a hint of vulnerability seeping through his usual composure. “I... I'm not sure if it’s okay forto repeat myself. | don’t want to make you more uncomfortable. Richard's tone was uncertain.

| took a deep breath, steeling myself for the conversation | knew we were about to slowly but surely get into. With a resolute nod. | mustered the courage to address the elephant in the room, wanting him to know that he could repeat himself without thinking I'd go mute again, 15:45 Mon, 4 Mar GGG.

Chapter Ninety One 36% Up to 30% off “Richard, you can go ahead and repeat the question if you want to. It’s okay,” | stated. | watched him closely, waiting for his response, unsure of what to expect.

Richard remained silent for a moment, his expression unreadable as he let out a tired sigh. “I can tell that my question made you uncomfortable, Amber. I'm sorry; | shouldn't have brought it up at all.” 1 frowned slightly, tilting my head in confusion at his words. “Why are you apologizing, Richard?” | asked. “All you asked was how I'd feel if you toldyou loved me. Yes, it caughtoff guard, but 1. but I don’t think it’s something worth apologizing for. I'm just curious why you asked such a question out of the blue.” Richard ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture that betrayed the uncertainty in his words. “I..

. I asked without thinking, Amber,” he confessed. “And now, I'm not sure how to explain why | asked without sounding... weird.” | couldn’t help but chuckle softly at his admission, the tension between us momentarily broken by the hint of cluelessness in his words.

With a shrug. | decided to take a leap of faith, blurting out the words that had been lingering unspoken between us. “Maybe you asked because you're in love with me, Richard, and you wanted to know how I'd feel if you toldyou were,” | said.

“Amber, are you sure you wouldn't mind if | was...” His voice trailed off.

| arched an eyebrow, a hint of exasperation seeping into my tone as | interrupted him. “Richard, just be clear with me. Stop overthinking how I'd feel or react to what you have to say. If you have something to tell me, just say it.” Richard let out a weary sigh at my words, his gaze dropping to his hands as he struggled with his next words. | watched him closely, a mix of patience and anxious anticipation churning inas | waited for him to speak.

Finally, after a long moment of silence, he met my gaze with a mix of vulnerability and seriousness.

“Amber, as surprising as it may be to you, | meant it when | asked how you'd feel if | told you I loved you,” he began. “Because... because | think I've fallen in love with you.” | froze at his direct confession, the weight of his words crashing over me. My heart raced, but | remained silent, giving Richard the space he needed to pour out his thoughts.

Richard continued, “I'm not... I'm not experienced when it comes to falling in love with someone and 15:45 Mon, 4 Mar BGG 36% Chapter Ninety One Up to 30% off telling them about it. I... | honestly don’t know what to say, and I'm trying not to say something wrong right now,” he admitted. “But | realized that what | feel for you goes beyond physical attraction. It's something...

something deeper.” As he spoke, a torrent of emotions surged in me-a mix of disbelief, uncertainty, and happiness. His next words struck a chord deep in me, his admission takingby surprise. “Ever since you've cinto my life, Amber, contrary to what Elena said tonight, my life has stopped revolving around just CLOSE AD Earn Online: Marketing Automation Start Earning With Marketing Automation LEARN MORE wanting to hurt Kayden. Protecting you, making sure you're safe and happy-that’s all | could think about. You consumed my thoughts, and... and it just dawned onthat | had fallen hopelessly in love with you.” | sucked in a deep breath, processing Richard's confession with a mix of shock and disbelief. As | struggled to find my voice, a question nagged at the edges of my mind.

“Why tonight, Richard? Why are you choosing to tellabout your feelings now, of all nights? Is there a reason?” | finally managed.

| locked eyes with him, searching for a glimpse of understanding in his gaze as | awaited his response.

His expression softened, vulnerability flickering across his features as he took a moment to collect his thoughts.

“Amber, the thing that has been botheringthe most about what happened at Bianca's place... was Elena’s insinuation that our relationship and how we potentially feel about each other weren't real because of our shared hate for Kayden,” he said.

“You really don’t need to reassureabout that, Richard. Elena’s words didn’t hold any weight in my mind. | know how | feel about you, and that’s all that matters.

Richard’s gaze met mine, gratitude shining in his eyes as he responded, “I appreciate that, but regardless of anything, | don’t want you to misunderstand. If what | feel for you now isn’t real, then | have no idea what else could ever be real, and | don’t want to know. That's how serious | am right now, Amber” 0 Comments for this chapter