There was emotion there, a definite reaction but it wasn’t anger. Not on the outside. Certainly, inside he was livid with her for this embarrassment and for causing this to happen. However, what she saw was the opposite of that. Cole stared at her with the longing of a man terribly in love and in obvious pain. He did love Sasha, that was not a lie to any point. But he certainly was not in ‘pain’ without her and yet he’d mastered that look over time. That look that said they were dying inside without you. One that he’d kept especially for a moment like this as it was not one, she’d seen before.
“Sasha,” he said as he stepped forward noting that before when he’d done it, she hadn’t moved away from him. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I love you, you know that.” He said to her bringing his hand to her face. He was cautious with it, merely brushing a hand down her cheek before he dropped his hand that same ‘pain filled’ gaze on her as he stepped back giving her space once more. “I want to fix things but how can I if you’re gone?”
If nothing else told him that she hadn’t gotten over him, it was this. She could have left the second she received the envelope. She hadn’t. So she still wanted him and that was enough for him. “I’m not asking for anything special and if you don’t want to tell anyone I understand but give me a chance.” He said in a soft, almost pleading tone. “Let me show you that things can be better.”