Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart

Sarah pov.

I'll never forget the look on Richard's face when I told him he was in for a "casual" night.

He'd just come back from the beach with hair full of sand, and I'd told him to go rinse off and get ready for a surprise dinner. He'd arched an eyebrow, squinting at me in that way he does when he's trying to figure out if I'm joking.

"You? Planning a dinner? Who's helping you?" he teased, grinning.

I rolled my eyes, pretending to be annoyed. "I can plan a romantic dinner, Richard," I shot back, trying to look as serious as possible.

His laughter echoed through the room. "Alright, I'm trusting you! But if this involves takeout from that burger place down the road..." "Oh, you just wait," I said, shooing him off to get dressed.

Once he was gone, I took a deep breath and gave everything a last look.

I'd spent hours setting up this sunset dinner-just the two of us, on the beach, with candles and fairy lights strung up around a small table, and a local chef prepping fresh seafood nearby. I wanted this night to be special, to show him how much he really meant to me.

By the time Richard came down, the sun was just starting to set, painting the sky in shades of pink and gold. He looked around, a little stunned, and then his eyes landed on me. "Wow," he said, his voice soft. "You really did all this?"

I nodded, feeling my cheeks warm. "Surprised?"

He pulled me in for a hug. "More than surprised, Sarah. This is... perfect."

I smiled, breathing in the ocean air, feeling the warmth of his arms around me. I wanted to hold onto this moment, this feeling of peace and love.

I pulled away, leading him to the table where two plates of grilled fish and tropical salads waited, along with a bottle of sparkling water chilling in an ice bucket. "Look at you, going all out," he said, eyeing the food. "This is way better than the burger place."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "I told you. I know how to be romantic."

As we started eating, the waves lapped gently against the shore, and the sky continued to change colors, becoming deeper and richer as the sun dipped lower. We talked about everything and nothing, just like we used to. He told me about the time he tried to cook his mom breakfast in bed and set off the smoke alarm. "So there I was," he said, gesturing with his fork, "holding a burnt frying pan, the alarm blaring, and my mom looking at me like I'd just broken her favorite vase."

I laughed so hard I nearly choked on my water. "I can't believe you tried that."

"Hey, I was ten," he shrugged, chuckling. "Back then, I thought I was a genius."

As the night went on, our conversation grew a bit quieter, more serious. I watched him as he spoke, his face glowing in the candlelight. There was something different about him here, something softer, more open. "Can I tell you something?" I asked, feeling a little nervous.

He reached across the table, taking my hand. "Always."noveldrama

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. "I don't know, it's just... I feel like we've been through so much. And sometimes, I'm scared that... that we're going to lose this, you know?"

His thumb traced gentle circles on my hand, grounding me. "Sarah," he began, his voice steady, "we're here because we both chose to be here. I know things haven't always been easy. But I love you, and I don't plan on going anywhere." My heart fluttered, a warmth spreading through me. "I love you too," I whispered, squeezing his hand.

We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the sounds of the waves and the flickering of the candles creating a bubble around us.

"So," he said after a beat, breaking the silence, "what's next for us?"

"Next?" I repeated, a little thrown off by the question.

"Yeah," he said, leaning forward. "Where do we go from here? What do we want?"

I thought about it for a moment, glancing out at the horizon. "I don't know. I mean, I want us to keep doing things like this. Taking time for each other, making memories."

He nodded, his face serious. "Me too. I want us to be a team, no matter what."

"Then let's make a promise," I said, feeling a surge of confidence. "That we'll always make time for each other. No matter how busy things get, or how complicated life is, we'll always come back to this."

He smiled, lifting his glass. "To always making time."

I clinked my glass against his, feeling a sense of contentment settle over me. It felt like a fresh start, a new beginning for us.

After dinner, we walked along the beach, the soft sand cool beneath our feet. I leaned into him, feeling his arm wrap around me as we strolled.

"This has been the best night," I said, glancing up at him.

He smiled down at me. "All thanks to you, Miss Romantic Dinner Planner."

"Hey, you better appreciate it," I teased, giving him a playful nudge. "Not everyone gets a candlelit dinner on the beach, you know."

He laughed, pulling me closer. "Oh, I appreciate it, believe me."

As we made our way back toward the hotel, I couldn't shake this strange feeling, like a prickling on the back of my neck.

I glanced over my shoulder, half expecting to see someone behind us. But there was nothing, just the shadows and the faint glow of the hotel lights in the distance. "Everything okay?" Richard asked, noticing my expression.

"Yeah," I said quickly, trying to shake it off. "I just... thought I saw something."

He chuckled, giving me a reassuring squeeze. "Probably just your imagination. There's nothing here but us and the ocean."

I forced a smile, nodding. "You're right. Just my mind playing tricks."

But as we continued walking, the feeling lingered, a small gnawing in the back of my mind.

I shook it off, reminding myself that it was just the stillness of the night, the quiet stretching out around us, making me jumpy.

When we finally reached our room, I was exhausted in the best possible way. We climbed into bed, and Richard wrapped his arms around me, his warmth comforting and grounding. "Goodnight, Sarah," he murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Goodnight," I whispered back, feeling my eyes grow heavy.

But as I drifted off, that strange feeling came back, just for a second, like the faintest whisper in the dark.

I told myself it was nothing, just a leftover thought from the walk. But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that something-or someone-had been watching us.