The Affair Read online

  Copyright © 2020 by J.L. Berg

  All rights reserved.

  Visit my website at www.jlberg.com

  Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser, RBA Designs, www.rbadesigns.com

  Editor: Jovana Shirley, Unforeseen Editing, www.unforeseenediting.com

  Proof Reader: Katy Nielsen

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-0-9983912-7-4

  Contents

  Also By J.L. Berg

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Within These Walls

  Playlist

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also By J.L. Berg

  The Ready Series

  When You’re Ready

  Never Been Ready

  Ready to Wed

  Ready for You

  Ready or Not

  The Walls Series

  Within These Walls

  Beyond These Walls

  Behind Closed Doors

  Lost and Found

  Forgetting August

  Remembering Everly

  By The Bay

  The Choices I’ve Made

  The Scars I Bare

  The Lies I’ve Told

  The Mistakes I’ve Made

  Standalone Novels

  Fraud

  The Tattered Gloves

  Dedication

  For my grandmother.

  Thank you for the inspiration, the cookies and the many black binders.

  I miss you.

  Prologue

  It was so freaking hot outside.

  There was no other way around it. It was a muggy, sweltering, plain old miserable day, and as much as I wanted to stay inside and hunker down with a good book in front of the air conditioner, I had other plans for today.

  Big plans.

  Today, on this boring street, in the middle of nowhere, North Carolina, something amazing was happening.

  Today, we were getting new neighbors.

  And in a town like Pine Hurst, there was nothing more exciting than new people. As soon as the place down the street had sold, gossip had been spreading like wildfire.

  Who are they?

  What are they like?

  They aren’t … city folk, are they?

  A few of us had gathered in a large huddle, our bikes making a circle in the cul-de-sac as we waited for any sign of the newbies’ impending arrival up the street.

  I didn’t know how Macy had managed to find out the exact date they were coming, but that morning, she’d shown up at my house bright and early, ready for a stakeout, and I was more than happy to oblige.

  Not that she’d given me much of a choice.

  “I heard they have a son,” I said, hoping to sound cool in front of the two girls. I knew the only reason they were here was because I happened to be the only person they knew who lived on this street.

  Well, that, and the rumor I’d just mentioned about the son.

  “I heard they have two,” Sarah added, effortlessly flipping her hair back. It fell in delicate ringlets down her back, somehow defying Mother Nature entirely, while mine seemed to be doubling in size by the minute.

  Thank you, humidity.

  “Two?” Macy nearly squealed. “I wonder how old they are. Knowing our luck, they’ll be in high school.”

  “Or worse, they’ll be my brother’s age,” Sarah added, making her adoring best friend laugh.

  I joined in, not wanting to be left out, but honestly, I couldn’t find anything wrong with the idea of the newcomers being young. I’d just gotten my CPR certification, and I was trying to line up some babysitting gigs. Having two extra kids on the street would actually be kind of awesome.

  “Oh my gosh! I see a car!” Macy announced, instantly sitting up straighter on her bike.

  “Play it cool. Don’t look over there,” Sarah hissed.

  “But how are we supposed to see anything?” I stated the obvious, earning me an evil glare from the other two.

  “You can look, but just don’t make it obvious. Duh,” she advised me.

  “Oh. Okay,” I replied, not liking this stealthy stuff at all, but happy to be out of the house all the same. It had been a long, lonely summer with no one to entertain me but my nerdy younger brother.

  “I see them!” Macy announced. “They’re cute. And I think they might be our age!”

  Both girls squealed.

  “They heard us!” Sarah giggled. “Oh my God, how embarrassing.”

  I looked up the road, and sure enough, two boys were looking down the street at our little gathering. I had to squint to get a good look. Both had dark hair and were tall and lanky. For some reason, I felt my heart flutter inside my chest at the sight of one of them, and I immediately looked away.

  “Are you okay, Elle?” Macy asked to my surprise.

  “Yeah,” I lied, feeling unsteady. “Just the heat.”

  Following the girls’ gaze, I looked back up to see that the boys had disappeared. I assumed they’d gone in to check out their new house with their parents, and I felt a wave of disappointment, as did Macy and Sarah.

  “Well, I guess we can say we were the first to see them at least,” Macy said, always trying to stay on the good side of Sarah, who appeared to be slightly annoyed that the two boys hadn’t rushed down the street to bow down before her.

  I mean, that was what most people at school did, so it wasn’t totally irrational.

  “I think I’m going to head inside and get something to—”

  Before I could finish my sentence, I saw Sarah’s eyes light up like a child on Christmas morning. I turned just in time to see two boys flying down the street on bikes, their faces so similar that I wondered if they were twins.

  But before I could contemplate it further, one of the boys seemed to lose control, his face contorting and panic crossing his features.

  I knew he was shouting.

  I knew he was saying something … to me.

  But I couldn’t move.

  I was frozen, and the last thing I saw was his face careening toward mine.

  Chapter One

  Nothing quite said I’m sorry your dad died like a casserole.

  Standing there in the industrial-style kitchen of my family’s church, I took a long look at the abundance of casseroles that had been neatly lined up in rows on the stainless steel counter. I couldn’t help but wonder if my father’s death had caused a massive shortage of basics supplies at the local grocery store.

  Did the store have any flour left? Any shortening? What would we do if someone else had a major emergency and needed sustenance in the next twenty-four hours?

  It was excessive—the amount of food that had been brought—but despite the craziness that was going on, I knew in my grief-stricken brain that they meant well.

  They all did—each and every casserole-giver.

  My dad had been a well-loved guy around these parts—strong and simple with a heart of gold.
/>   My eyes stung a little at that realization—the idea that his name would now forever be linked to the past tense, like one of the antiques in our family store.

  “Is everything okay, dear?” one of the church volunteers asked as she entered the kitchen I’d hidden myself away in, trying to get away from all those casserole-making well-wishers.

  I immediately recognized her—Mrs. Baker. She wasn’t just a volunteer for the Second Baptist Church of Pine Hurst, North Carolina; she also happened to be my fourth grade teacher from way back when.

  “Yes, Mrs. Baker,” I answered politely. “Thank you for everything you’re doing for our family today. We appreciate it—”

  She was waving her hands in front of her and shaking her head before I had a chance to finish. “Oh, I’m happy to help Eloise; you know that. Your family has been part of this church for years, and I’m so sorry for your mom, hon. I know how difficult it must have been for the two of you, watching your dad fade like that.”

  I tried not to flinch at the memories she was threatening to bring back. So far today, I’d been the pillar of strength for my mom. I’d kept it together through the service as friends and relatives spoke of the amazing man my father had been. And then, during the burial, I’d held on to her hand as she shook and said her final good-byes to the man she’d loved for more years than I could fathom.

  As if she could see the memories churning under the surface, Mrs. Barker reached out for my hand. “I understand,” she said softly.

  I simply nodded. I knew she did. We might have drifted apart since my elementary school days, but this was a small town. I knew through the grapevine that she’d lost her own husband just a few years prior. I could see the same pain emanating from her that I saw in my own mom.

  And felt in myself.

  There was a sad sort of club I’d now joined—the one no one wanted to belong to because the price for membership was surviving the death of a loved one.

  “Can I help you bring some of these into the fellowship hall?” I asked, hating this useless feeling that had manifested since we lost Daddy.

  Before, I’d had a never-ending to-do list. With my mom constantly at his side, I’d made it my mission to take care of everything for both of them—the house, the store, whatever they needed. I was the loving and devoted daughter.

  Always.

  But since we had said good-bye days earlier, I’d felt kind of weightless. Since my father’s will and burial plans had been finalized way back when that first cancer cell was detected in his lungs, there was little to do beyond picking a date for this whole thing to take place.

  “No, dear,” Mrs. Baker answered, using the same sweet voice I remembered from my childhood days on the playground. “We’ve got it all taken care of.”

  I nodded. “Of course.”

  I walked away, unsure of what to do with myself, but then quickly realized I’d left my mom alone with our extended family for longer than I should have. My Aunt Sally had probably been talking her ears off about her at-home makeup business by now. An intervention was definitely overdue. I also wasn’t sure when she had last eaten, so it might be time for a few of those casseroles to be put to use.

  As I sped down the hallway of the old church, I caught a sideways glimpse of myself in one of the framed pictures on the wall. Seeing my reflection was not a pretty sight at all. I needed to make a pit stop at the restroom for a hot second. This face needed a tune-up. Badly. I had mascara under my eyes from holding back tears, and I was pretty sure my long-wearing foundation had worn out ages ago.

  As I rounded the corner though, I heard voices, which, at first, wasn’t unheard of. The church was packed with nearly half the town.

  But it was the tone of the voices that made me stop in my tracks.

  Hushed whispers in a place like this could only mean one thing …

  Gossip.

  “It’s just so sad,” the first female voice uttered.

  “I know,” said the second woman in a tone that suggested she was feigning empathy more than feeling it. “To first lose your husband and then your father, all in the same year. It’s a wonder she can even get up in the morning.”

  Oh, good. It was gossip. About me.

  The first female took back the reins. “We all thought she and Reed were like the golden couple too. But I guess it’s true what they say—”

  I couldn’t take any more.

  The mascara that had barely been clinging to my eyelashes was now wet as I bit my bottom lip, trying to will away the tears. With my arms wrapped around my chest like a protective blanket, I tried to speed past them, hoping that I’d somehow develop special powers and zap them away with my death stare.

  But I was never that lucky.

  Instead, all I managed to do was summon my evil foe—or as others liked to call him, my ex, Reed Gallagher.

  “Elle?” he called out, seeing the distress written all over my face. He always was good at the knight-in-shining-armor bit.

  And I had always been his favorite damsel, growing up.

  “You okay?” he asked, his gaze moving over my shoulder to the flock of gossiping women I was desperately trying to flee.

  I didn’t need to stick around to see who they were. I’d recognized them the minute I blazed past. Just two rivals from high school I couldn’t ever seem to get rid of, even now, fifteen years later.

  One of the many benefits of never leaving your hometown.

  “Um,” Macy blurted out, hoping to save face in front of Reed. She’d had a thing for him since he moved here in middle school.

  “I’m really sorry,” Sarah finally added. “We didn’t mean for you to hear that.”

  “Yeah,” Macy agreed. “We’re really sorry about your dad.”

  I thought about attempting some witty comeback, but it wasn’t worth it. They weren’t worth it.

  And I wouldn’t ruin the memory of my dad for it.

  Reed seemed satisfied with their halfhearted apology as they both made a quick exit. At least one of us was. I just wanted to get away, but unfortunately, the big beast of a man was still standing in my way.

  “What do you want, Reed?” I asked, trying not to make eye contact with those dark blue eyes or the subtle curve of his jaw.

  “I wanted to see how you were,” he said, sounding genuinely concerned. His voice still had the power to make my stomach clench and my knees wobble, and I hated that.

  “My dad died, Reed. How do you think I’m doing?”

  He ran his hands through his dark brown hair. “Yeah, sorry. That was a stupid question. I just meant—”

  “Why are you here?” I asked, my question instantly making his face blanch.

  “He meant a lot to me, Elle,” he answered, sounding incredulous. “I wish I could have seen him before—”

  “He asked about you.”

  “He did? But I thought—”

  I shook my head. “He never knew.”

  His eyes widened. “How? But—”

  “The man had cancer. Do you think I wanted to break his heart, too, by telling him what you did to me? What you did to us?”

  Finally, the shame came pouring back. “No, I guess not.” Reed could only nod, his head lowered, obviously upset.

  I wanted to feel bad for him, I did. Growing up, he’d been a part of our family. Ever since he’d nearly run over me with his BMX bike, I had known Reed Gallagher was the one for me.

  Like some moronic fairy tale come to life.

  “I need to go find my mom,” I said, unwilling to go down any more memory lanes today, especially with him.

  “Right. Of course. Will you tell her I said hello?” he asked before realizing what he was saying.

  My mom had once loved Reed like a son.

  When she’d found out he’d cheated on me with some barely legal waitress at the local bar just a week after my father had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, she’d told me she’d never felt so betrayed in her life.

  That made two of
us.

  I didn’t even have to respond before he did.

  “Never mind,” he said. “Take care, Elle.”

  I could tell he wanted to say more. Whenever we met like this, whether it was between the aisles of the grocery store or picking up takeout at one of the local restaurants, there was always something more waiting on the tip of his tongue. Maybe it was another apology. Perhaps it was a plea for me to come back home and pretend like nothing had happened, or maybe he just wanted to say he still loved me.

  All I knew was, I wanted to hear none of it.

  Not a goddamn word.

  Because there was nothing he could say that could take back what he had done, and he knew it, which was why he kept quiet and I walked away.

  Again.

  The universe couldn’t grant me just one tiny break today, could it?

  Finally getting past the toxic women and the cheating ex, I’d thought I might be able to quietly sneak into the restroom for a little peace and quiet. But sadly, I’d forgotten that when gathered together in large groups, women tended to flock to the nearest restroom.

  And this one happened to be packed.

  Hoping to go unnoticed, I ducked into one of the stalls and quickly did my business.

  Thankfully, the talk among the ladies stuck to mainly church socials and the new restaurant that had opened up on Main Street. It was a pizza place, and everyone was super excited.

  I was fairly certain we already had three other pizza joints in town, but this one was new, so obviously, it was better. According to one woman in the stall next to me, who’d decided to join in the conversation mid-stream, they had over thirty beers on tap and five flat screens. Some of the other women lost interest after that, claiming they didn’t need another distraction for their husbands’ attention, while a few others welcomed the idea.