The Affair

Chapter 21

Jake let out an exaggerated sigh, his voice turning into a childish whine. “Come on, Kenny. Just give me a second chance. You know how good we were together. You can’t just throw away three years like that.”

Kendra’s fingers curled tightly around her coffee mug as he kept going, his voice dripping with fake sincerity.

“Remember all the good times we had?” Jake continued, stepping closer. “Movie nights, road trips, how we used to stay up all night talking about everything? We just worked together.”

Mark could see it—the way Jake was chipping away at her defenses, the subtle shift in her posture.

Then, suddenly, Kendra blinked.

Like snapping out of a trance, her expression hardened, her jaw clenching as she set her coffee down with a sharp clink spilling some coffee on the table.

Her eyes darkened with fury as she spat, “Then why did you f*****g cheat on me?”

Silence.

Jake’s smirk vanished.

Rebecca gasped softly. Ethan’s friends paused their game, eyes wide as they glanced toward the kitchen.

Mark just folded his arms across his chest, watching Jake closely.

Jake scrambled for an answer. “Kendra, you know it wasn’t like that—”

“Like what?” she snapped, her voice laced with venom. “What exactly was it like, Jake? Because I seem to remember walking in on you and some random girl in our bed—”

“It wasn’t random,” Jake blurted out, immediately realizing his mistake.

Kendra let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, well, that makes me feel so much f*****g better.”

Jake groaned, rubbing his temples like he was the one frustrated. “Babe, I messed up, okay? I was drunk, I wasn’t thinking—”

“Save it,” she cut him off, exhaling sharply. “Jake, I need space to think. Please. I’ll call you when I’m ready to talk, okay?”

Jake’s jaw tensed.

Mark saw it then—that flicker of irritation beneath the charming exterior.

Jake wasn’t the type of guy who took no as an answer.

And that didn’t sit well with Mark.

Still, Jake forced a tight smile, clearly not wanting to make a scene in front of her family. “Alright, Kenny. If that’s what you want.”

His tone was light, but Mark could tell—he wasn’t happy.

Jake threw Mark one last glance before turning on his heel and walking out the door.

The moment he was gone, Kendra let out an angry breath, tossing her half-eaten bagel onto the plate before storming out of the kitchen.

Mark’s eyes followed her, his jaw tightening.

Mark exhaled slowly, his fists clenched at his sides as he watched Kendra disappear down the hallway.

Rebecca let out a sigh, running a hand through her hair. “That was… intense,” she muttered, picking up Kendra’s abandoned plate and placing it in the sink.

Mark said nothing, his gaze lingering on the doorway Kendra had walked through. His gut told him Jake wasn’t going to let this go.

Ethan, who had been pretending not to pay attention, finally spoke. “I don’t like that guy,” he mumbled from the couch, eyes still on his game.

Mark turned to Rebecca. “You really think she should give him another chance?” His voice came out sharper than intended.

Rebecca crossed her arms. “I think she’s an adult, Mark,” she said firmly. “She’s going to make mistakes, and she has to learn from them. All I can do is support her.”

Mark bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping back. He wanted to tell her this wasn’t about letting Kendra make mistakes—it was about the fact that Jake was manipulative. And something about him made Mark’s instincts scream that he was bad news.

But he stayed quiet. For now.

Mark remained standing in the kitchen, his mind racing.

Mark, without thinking, walked down the hallway. He saw Kendra outside sitting on the edge of the pool with her feet in the water, her shoulders slightly hunched as if the weight of the world rested on them. He paused for a moment, marveling at her beauty. The way the sun kissed her skin, making it glow, the way the light breeze lifted a few loose strands of her hair—it was effortless, unintentional, and yet it stole his breath away.

He forced himself to move, stepping outside casually as if he hadn’t just been staring. “Want to talk about it?”

Kendra scoffed, kicking at the water. “What’s there to talk about? I’m probably just going to end up getting back together with him anyway.”

Mark frowned, lowering himself onto the edge of the pool. He kept his distance but let his feet sink into the cool water beside hers. “Why?”

She let out a sharp exhale, as if frustrated with herself. Then he saw it—just for a second—her walls faltered. A single tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. “I don’t know. Jake has this… way of getting what he wants.”

Mark stayed quiet, letting the moment breathe. Then, after a beat, he sighed. “I get it.”

Kendra turned her head, looking at him for the first time since he sat down. “Do you?”

Mark let out a low chuckle, though there wasn’t any humor in it. “Yeah. I’m not exactly good at relationships either.” He glanced at the water, watching the ripples from their feet. “I don’t trust people easily… not in that way. And even when I try, there’s always this part of me that holds back. Like I’m waiting for them to prove me right—that I was stupid to let them in.”

Kendra studied him, her expression unreadable. Then, almost too quietly, she whispered, “Yeah… I know that feeling.”

Mark turned his head slightly, meeting her eyes. There was something in her gaze, something raw and unguarded.

She swallowed hard. “Maybe that’s why I stayed with Jake for so long. He was familiar. Safe. At least, I thought he was.” She huffed out a laugh. “Guess the joke’s on me.”

Mark clenched his jaw. “You don’t deserve that, Kendra.”

She gave him a small, tired smile. “And you? Do you think you deserve love?”

His breath caught. The question hit deeper than it should have, and for a moment, he had no answer. Because the truth was, he didn’t know. Maybe that’s why he had never let himself settle down, why he had spent years convincing himself he was fine being alone.

Kendra tilted her head, watching him. “See? It’s not so easy to answer.”

Mark smirked faintly, shaking his head. “No, it’s not.”

A comfortable silence settled between them. The sun glistened against the water, the gentle sounds of the backyard filling the space where words failed.

For the first time, they weren’t just boss and employee. Or future stepfather and stepdaughter.

They were two people, both a little broken, both trying to figure out if they were even capable of being loved the right way.

Kendra leaned over, resting her head gently on Mark’s shoulder. He stiffened at first, caught off guard by the sudden affection. But after a moment, he let himself relax, breathing in the soft scent of her hair—vanilla and something else sweet, intoxicating.

Slowly, instinctively, he lifted his arm and draped it around her. His thumb brushed against her bare arm in slow, soothing strokes, and he felt her sigh, melting into him just a little more.

They sat like that, wrapped in an unspoken understanding, both savoring the quiet intimacy neither of them had expected.

Then—

“Oh, I knew you two would get along!”

Mark and Kendra jolted apart as if burned.

Rebecca stood by the sliding glass door, beaming at them.

Mark cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably, while Kendra tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, suddenly finding the water in the pool extremely interesting.

Rebecca smiled, completely oblivious to the tension that had just been shattered. “I was just coming to tell you it’s almost time to leave for dinner. You two should come inside soon.”

Kendra nodded quickly. “Yeah. Okay.”

Mark only gave a stiff nod, still feeling the warmth of Kendra’s body lingering against his.

Rebecca walked back inside, humming to herself.

Kendra let out a small laugh, though it was more nervous than amused. “Well, that was awkward.”

Mark exhaled, shaking his head. “Yeah.”

But as much as he wanted to brush it off, pretend like nothing happened, he couldn’t. Because the moment she had leaned into him, the way her body fit so perfectly against his… it felt right.

And that was dangerous.