Mark sat on the edge of the couch, his knee bouncing as he stared out the window. The evening light filtered into the room, casting long shadows across the walls and photos they’d hung together over the years. The air was thick with an awkward stillness, one that Mark felt almost entirely on his own. He glanced over at you – you were just sitting there, relaxed, scrolling through something on your phone, completely unaware of the turmoil that had been festering inside him.

His heart pounded, a guilty, relentless reminder of the mistake he’d almost made. He could still picture the scenario that had nearly crossed the line – a moment of weakness that had somehow spiraled too far, too close to shattering everything he had with you. He had pulled back just before things had gotten out of hand, but the guilt lingered, gnawing at him, keeping him up at night.

He rubbed his hands together, trying to still the nervous tremor, before he looked over at you again. It wasn’t just the fear of confessing that made his heart race. It was the fear of hurting you – of the disappointment and pain he knew this would bring. And yet, despite the fear, Mark knew he couldn’t carry the weight of this alone anymore. He couldn’t keep something like this from you. He took a steadying breath, gathering the courage to begin.

“Hey,” he said, his voice quiet but insistent. "I need to tell you something," he continued, his voice barely holding steady. He glanced down at his hands, unable to hold their gaze. "I’ve been carrying around this…guilt for too long. And I can’t keep it hidden anymore."

He hesitated, swallowing hard. “A while back, I almost…almost cheated on you.” The words felt bitter, but there was a strange relief in saying them aloud. “I didn’t go through with it,” he added quickly, almost desperate for you to understand. “I stopped myself before anything happened. But it doesn’t change the fact that I was in that situation. That I let things get that far, even for a moment. I’m so sorry. Can we talk about this?"