Chapter Six
The thump of the ball echoed through the gym as Mark dribbled hard down the court, sweat slick on his temples. His chest burned, every step a little too fast, every shot a little too wild. David blocked his path, arms out, eyes watchful.
"You're playing reckless," David said, snagging the rebound when Mark's shot clanged off the rim.
Mark wiped his face with the hem of his shirt, trying to catch his breath. "Got a lot on my mind."
David didn't answer right away. He just dribbled in silence, then nailed a shot from the free-throw line. When the ball rolled back, he tossed it to Mark and waited.
Mark bounced it a few times, the sound hollow in the empty gym. Then he exhaled, words tearing out of him. "I screwed up, man."
David's eyes narrowed. "How bad?"
Mark let the ball drop and watched it roll across the court. Bracing his hands on his hips, chest heaving, he said, "I moved out last week—well, actually, Tessa told me to leave."
David didn't look surprised. Mark figured Rachel had already told him, but still, he asked, "You guys seemed solid. What happened?"
"There's this woman at work. Kate. We've become... friends."
David rolled his eyes. "Don't give me that garbage. Tessa didn't kick you out because you made a new 'friend.'"
"Okay," Mark admitted, throat tight. "We may have crossed some lines."
David's jaw worked, though he didn't speak right away. He walked across the court, picked up the ball, and held it against his hip. "You mean you cheated on Tessa."
Mark flinched. "It wasn't—I mean... not all the way. Just... kisses. Talking. " He shook his head.
David stayed silent, so Mark kept going.
"But it feels like I couldn't breathe, you know?
I've spent the last ten years buried in bills, kids, responsibility—married before I was even twenty, already a dad.
Now I'm almost thirty, and all I've ever known is carrying that weight.
It feels like life stacked the deck against me, like I never got a chance to just be young. "
David's gaze sharpened. "So how does Kate fit into this?"
Mark rubbed the back of his neck, searching for the words.
"With her, it's... different. She gets me.
I don't have to explain everything—she just understands.
And when we're together, it's like this other side of me comes out, a side that's creative, funny, interesting.
A side I didn't even know I had anymore.
I know it's a cliche, but I feel younger with her.
With Tessa, its kids, schedules, what's broken around the house, like I'm forty years old.
But Kate..." His voice faltered, guilt creeping in.
Mark swallowed hard. "I just... I needed something different. A reminder I wasn't stuck forever."
"Stuck?" David's voice cut sharp. "You think Tessa hasn't felt stuck? She's at home with your children, cooking your meals, doing your laundry, holding everything together while you chase your fantasy."
He suddenly fired the ball into Mark's chest, hard. "You didn't miss out, Mark. You have what most men wish they had—a woman who loves you, a beautiful family, a home to be proud of. You're blind if you don't see that."
Mark hurled the ball toward the sideline, defensiveness making him petulant. "You don't understand. It felt like I was losing myself."
David shot back, "What you were losing wasn't yourself, Mark. It was gratitude. What you found was selfishness dressed up as freedom."
Mark turned away, throat burning, unable to meet his friend's eyes. He didn't want to hear it—didn't want the mirror David was holding up. Not yet.
David retrieved the ball and took a shot. They played in silence for a few minutes before David stopped again. "So, what's your endgame? You think blowing up your marriage, your kids' lives, and running to Kate is going to magically fill up what you think is missing?"
The question stopped Mark cold. If he was honest with himself, he knew he had been avoiding thinking too far ahead.
He'd been living in moments, chasing the rush, ignoring where it led.
"I don't know. I'm confused. I tried to talk to Tessa, but she didn't want to hear me out.
" His voice sounded peevish, even to himself.
David let out a low whistle. "Huh. Weird. She didn't want to sit patiently while you explained how, after ten years of marriage, you've found someone you like better?"
Mark had no reply. He was done with this conversation. He wasn't ready to admit David was right. All he could do was dribble and shoot, chasing the sharp thump of leather on hardwood to drown out the truth.