SWEET VENGEANCE

ant nothing this morning. Her mind wasn't at work-it was still in her car, parked outside that down

r ago, but his warmth lingered

't part o

husband, and dismantle their fantasy piece by piece. But Ethan... Ethan had walked into

ring in Tessa's tiny kitchen. Ethan sat at the edge of the couch, fidgeting with the

red his

k I lik

ightly, brow ra

up, surprised

a twelve-year-old with a secret crush e

ed. "She's..

erent

try too hard. It's like she's got this whole world

ng her hands slowly with a dish towel.

ed on her, how he suddenly had less time to run her errands or linger around the

now

g about her," Tessa sai

hind work and silence and weirdly specific coffee orders," Eth

lightly, though she mas

aybe you

ked at he

morrow? I'll make that garlic chicken dish you pretend not to love. Y

d. "You'd be o

past him to grab her phone. "You're m

, looking for Vanessa's number, her expr

planning a

planning

o play games, Tessa would m

e walls were thin-she could hear muffled laughter from next door. Tessa's voice, lo

closed h

asual compliments like confetti at her phone screen. Probably

door opening br

r, there was a kno

fr

o... the knock

ned it

the light drizzle outside,

ted chickpeas and pasta earlier

inked. "Yo

e been YouTube ce

ore she could stop it.

ed aside.

e container and talking about things that didn't carry weight-fa

m was a demon," Ethan a

hed so hard

her she hadn't kn

nced at her. "You don't

er to l

ng, or because you're afraid s

ded slowly.

st nodded, accepting h

ay light flickered and Tessa emerged from her apa

han standing in the fra

ce sugar-sweet but tight.

just dinner. Valerie saved m

rward, calm. "We w

tched unnaturally.

ir. A tension. The kind th

he shift something was slipping out of he

ted, Vanessa stood by her window, watchi

this was

t come he

she was feeli

fying part? She di

in her hand as the streetlights flickered on be

-just something casual. Would love for you to come by

overed over

er from the mistr

h under her breath. Ironi

heart thudding-not from fear, but anticipation.

Tessa was oblivious o

than the invitation was Et

ld be

sion, the betrayal, the lies-he

sn't about Ethan. This was about M

ing water on her face. Her reflection stared back, unreadable

ther, seated just feet away from

he eye and not betray that, against

g to the table

ust accepted