He didn’t answer. He just passed it to her with a shaking hand.
She read it.
Her lips parted. She looked up, eyes wide, and started looking around too.
That was my moment.
“Hi,” I said. My voice sounded calmer than I felt. “Cute dress.”
I stepped out from behind the plant and walked toward them.
Tessa saw me first. Her chair scraped loudly as she stood.
“Natalie,” she choked out. “I—”
Mark slowly stood up too.
“Natalie, sit down,” he said in a low voice. “Let’s talk about this.”
“We’re talking,” I said. “My stepdad and my best friend are on a date. What’s there to clear up?”
A few nearby tables fell silent. I could feel people staring.
“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t you dare say that. I watched you kiss him.”
Tessa’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s not what you think—”
“Adults?” I repeated later, when Mark tried to minimize it. “You’re a married man, Mark. To my mother. She calls Tessa her second daughter. You’re almost 15 years older than she is. But sure, ‘adults.'”
Tessa reached toward me. “Nat, please, we didn’t want to hurt you or your mom. We just… connected. It got out of hand.”
I let out a humorless laugh.
“Cheating doesn’t ‘just happen.’ You both made a choice. Every text. Every secret meeting. Every kiss. Choices.”
“Here’s what’s happening,” I said. “I’m leaving. You’re paying the bill. Then you’re going home and telling my mom exactly what you did. If you don’t, I will.”
“Try me,” I said when Mark called me dramatic.
And I walked out.
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