The Affair

Chapter 17

Kendra didn’t kiss Jake back—not at first. Her body stiffened against him, and for a brief second, it looked like she was about to shove him away.

Mark held his breath, his grip on the towel tightening as jealousy burned through his veins like wildfire.

Then, to his utter disbelief, Kendra didn’t push him away. Instead, her arms loosened ever so slightly across her chest, and Jake—cocky bastard—took that as an invitation to deepen the kiss, his hands sliding down her arms.

Mark’s stomach twisted violently.

The boys in the pool groaned louder. “Aw, come on,” one of them whined. “Guess that means she’s taken.”

Ethan, floating on a pool noodle, rolled his eyes. “You idiots never had a chance.”

Maddie let out an exasperated huff beside Mark. “Seriously? After everything that asshole did?” She crossed her arms, shaking her head. “Unbelievable.”

Mark didn’t say a word. He couldn’t. His jaw was locked so tightly he thought his teeth might crack.

Jake finally pulled away, looking far too pleased with himself. His fingers brushed Kendra’s cheek, his voice smug. “So… what do you say, baby?”

Kendra let out a soft exhale, her expression unreadable. She didn’t look lovestruck, but she also didn’t look as furious as she had earlier.

Mark had seen enough.

Without thinking, he stepped forward, his presence suddenly looming beside them. Kendra glanced at him, startled, and for the briefest second, something flickered in her eyes—guilt?

Mark ignored it. His eyes locked on Jake, his voice calm but firm. “I think you should leave.”

Jake blinked, clearly caught off guard. He glanced between Mark and Kendra, then smirked. “And who the hell are you?”

Mark’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Her boss.”

Jake’s smirk widened. “Ohhh, so you’re the infamous Mark Bennett.” His tone was laced with amusement as he looked Mark up and down. “Huh. Didn’t picture you as the jealous type.”

Mark didn’t flinch. “I’m not. But I do have a problem with uninvited guests showing up and making a scene.”

Kendra shot Mark a warning look, but he ignored her.

Jake chuckled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Relax, man. I just came to talk to my girl.”

Mark’s expression didn’t change, but something dark flickered in his eyes. “She’s not your girl.”

The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

Jake scoffed but turned back to Kendra. “Guess I’ll let you think it over.” He winked. “Call me, baby.”

Before Kendra could respond, Jake turned and strolled toward the front of the house, his confidence infuriating.

The moment he was gone, Kendra spun toward Mark, her eyes blazing. “What the hell was that?”

Mark exhaled, forcing himself to unclench his fists. “That,” he said evenly, “was me getting rid of an issue before it became a bigger one.”

Kendra narrowed her eyes. “I can handle my own problems, Mark.”

Mark stepped closer, his voice dropping. “Clearly.” His gaze flickered to her lips, then back to her eyes. “You looked like you were really struggling to get him off you.”

Her breath hitched.

Maddie, still holding her chips, let out a low whistle. “Ohhh, this just got interesting.”

Kendra’s jaw tightened, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. “You didn’t have to do that, Mark,” she said through gritted teeth.

Mark exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You didn’t have to let him kiss you.”

Kendra’s nostrils flared. “Let him? Oh, I’m sorry—was I supposed to cause a full-blown scene in front of everyone? Or maybe slap him again? Would that have satisfied you?”

Mark scoffed, his eyes dark with frustration. “Maybe not kissing him back would’ve been a good start.”

Before Kendra could snap back, Rebecca’s voice rang out from the patio. “Burgers and hot dogs are done!”

The tension was suffocating. Kendra and Mark glared at each other for a few more seconds before she huffed and turned on her heel, making her way to the patio table.

Everyone gathered around, oblivious to the heated exchange that had just occurred. Mark sat across from Kendra, his expression unreadable as he took a sip of his drink.

Rebecca, completely unaware of the storm brewing between them, turned to Kendra with a warm smile. “So, Jake, huh? I was surprised to see him.”

Maddie nearly choked on her soda. “Yeah, us too,” she muttered under her breath.

Rebecca continued, resting her chin on her hand. “I don’t think you ever really told me much about how you two met.”

Kendra, still tense from her argument with Mark, forced herself to relax. She exhaled and leaned back in her chair. “We met at college,” she began, twirling a fry between her fingers. “He played football—full scholarship, star athlete, all that crap. We started dating my freshman year, and it just… lasted.”

Mark’s fingers tightened slightly around his glass.

Rebecca smiled. “Three years is a long time.”

Kendra nodded, her expression unreadable. “Yeah, it was. Until he cheated on me with one of his coworkers.”

Rebecca’s smile faded. “Oh, sweetheart…”

Kendra shrugged as if it didn’t matter, but Mark could see the flicker of hurt in her eyes. “It is what it is. I should’ve seen it coming, honestly.” She gave a dry laugh. “He was always surrounded by girls. Football players get a lot of attention, and he loved it.”

Maddie scoffed. “Loved it a little too much.”

Rebecca sighed, shaking her head. “I had no idea…”

“Because I didn’t tell you,” Kendra admitted. “I didn’t want the ‘I told you so’ speech.”

Rebecca’s expression softened. “Honey, I would never say that.”

Kendra gave her mother a look.

“Okay, maybe I would have,” Rebecca admitted with a small smile. “But only because I never liked him much to begin with.”

Maddie smirked. “Yeah, join the club.”

Mark stayed quiet, staring at Kendra. He knew she was playing it off like it didn’t bother her anymore, but something about the way she spoke—the slight edge in her voice—told him it still stung.

Kendra caught his stare and raised an eyebrow. “Something you wanna say, boss?”

Mark held her gaze for a moment before shaking his head. “Nope.”

Liar.

The conversation shifted, but the tension between them didn’t fade. If anything, it simmered beneath the surface, waiting to explode.

Rebecca’s question hung in the air, thick with anticipation. “So, are you going to give Jake another chance?”

Kendra sighed, throwing a fry down onto her plate with an annoyed flick of her wrist. “I don’t know.”

Mark, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly leaned forward, his voice firm. “I think it’s a bad idea.”

Kendra’s head snapped up, her eyes locking onto his. “Excuse me?”

Mark didn’t back down. “Jake seems like a tool,” he said bluntly. “And bad for you.”

Maddie immediately nodded, stuffing another fry into her mouth. “For once, I agree with Mark. The guy’s a walking red flag. A full scholarship, star athlete, and still manages to cheat on you? If he was stupid enough to risk losing you once, he’ll do it again.”

To Mark’s surprise, Rebecca shook her head. “I don’t know about that,” she said, sipping her drink. “People make mistakes. If he’s truly sorry and wants to make it right, maybe he does deserve a second chance.”

Mark blinked at her, as if he’d misheard. “What?”

Kendra folded her arms, leaning back in her chair. “See? Even my mom thinks it’s not completely off the table.”

Mark’s jaw tensed. He didn’t like this—not one damn bit.

Rebecca continued, unaware of the silent war brewing between Mark and Kendra. “Look, I’m not saying you should just take him back immediately. But if he’s willing to prove himself, then why not hear him out? You were with him for three years. That’s not nothing.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. If some guy cheats, it means he knows he can get away with it. Second chances just give them permission to do it again.”

Mark exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. “Exactly. He made a choice, Kendra. A conscious decision to betray you. You really think a guy like that is going to change overnight?”

Kendra’s lips parted slightly, caught off guard by the fire in Mark’s voice.

He was genuinely pissed at the idea of her giving Jake another shot.

Rebecca, however, was unfazed. “I still believe in forgiveness.”

Maddie scoffed, waving a fry in the air. “Yeah, well, I believe in revenge. If it were me, I’d be slashing his tires, not considering a second date.”

Kendra let out a breathy chuckle, but her gaze flickered to Mark again. His hands were clenched into fists, his chest visibly rising and falling.

Why did he care so much?

And why did she like it?