In the weeks after her confrontation at Luke's apartment, Sara maintained distance to protect herself. Her anger and hurt slowly gave way to missing Luke. She hoped he would reach out so they could properly talk things through.
When her phone rang one night and Luke's name appeared, Sara's pulse quickened. "Hello?"
"Sara...hi," Luke said hesitantly. "How are you?"
"I'm okay," Sara replied. An awkward silence followed.
Finally Luke spoke again. "I miss you. Could we meet up to talk?"
Against her better judgment, Sara agreed. She couldn't deny she missed him too.
They decided to meet for coffee. When Luke arrived, Sara noted he looked drained, as if he hadn't slept well.
"Thanks for seeing me," Luke said. "I hate how things ended between us."
"You didn't give me much choice," Sara said with an edge of bitterness.
Luke winced. "My behavior was unfair to you. I was afraid of losing control."
"Control of what?" Sara asked gently.
Luke faltered. He changed the subject to her photography, seeming genuinely interested in her projects. For a moment Sara felt the ease between them return.
But the unresolved questions hung in the air. As they left the café, Sara longed to reach for Luke's hand, but held back.
"Could we try again?" Luke asked.
Sara hesitated. "Only if we're honest with each other."
Luke considered her words. "I'll try, Sara. For you."
Sara's heart lifted with hope. Maybe this was the turning point she had waited for.
The pain of Sara's broken heart lingered for weeks. She dodged Luke's calls and texts, not ready to engage. Her friends' pitying looks confirmed she had made the right decision to end things.
Late one night as she sorted through photos of her and Luke, her doorbell rang. She opened it to find Luke on her doorstep holding flowers.
"What are you doing here?" she asked wearily.
"I know you said we're through, but I had to see you," Luke said desperately. "Just talk to me, please."
Sara hesitated, then let him inside. Luke extended the bouquet. "These made me think of you."
"They're lovely," Sara managed. "But flowers won't fix this."
Luke raked his fingers through his hair in distress. "I never meant to cause you pain. I cherish what we had."
Sara steeled herself. "We clearly want different things. I can't keep waiting for you to commit more."
"You have every right to protect your heart," Luke said. "But what if...what if I could explain everything?"
Sara's skepticism must have shown on her face, because Luke's shoulders slumped in defeat.
"You'd never believe me," he murmured. "All I can say is I never lied about loving you, in my own way."
Sara felt fresh tears pricking her eyes. "Then why wasn't your way enough?"
Luke cupped her face in his hands. "You deserve so much more. Please believe that walking away hurts me too."
He moved to kiss her, but Sara pulled back. As much as it pained her, she had clarity now.
"I think you should go," she said quietly. Luke looked crestfallen but simply nodded.
At the door, he handed her the flowers. "Be well, Sara. You've taught me the true meaning of courage."
With that, he was gone. Sara finally allowed herself to fully mourn the profound connection she had lost. But she knew she couldn't dwell in heartbreak forever. One day she would be ready to open her heart again. Just not to him.