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“It’s always about one person that does.” Bette jumped through the portal and whispered in a broken voice, “Goodbye Fenmore.”

CHAPTER 8

B ette wrung her hands together nervously before knocking on the white apartment door. Emma had known it was her and buzzed her in anyway; hopefully that meant her friend would at least hear Bette out.

The door flew open, and her best friend stood there, still stunning with her curls pulled up into a silk bonnet, wearing her mermaid flannel pajamas that she’d had since they were twenty-three.

“Bette.” She smiled; her face going vibrant the way it always did when she smiled.

Light would glow off her brown cheeks, her eyes would crinkle at the corners, and she became the center of the room.

Emma was light when she was happy, and she was happy to see Bette.

Bette promised herself she’d keep it together long enough to apologize, but she couldn’t, not when the warmest person she knew was beaming at her like she hadn’t ignored her texts for four months. She broke right in front of Emma as she said, “I want to talk about it.”

“Oh honey.” Emma pulled her into the tightest hug she’d ever had, stroking her hair gently. “Come in. We’ll have tea and you can talk for however long you want.”

“Can we have wine?”

Emma’s laugh was like medicine. “Oh, thank God. Yes, let’s have wine.”

After a long night of reminiscing about her parents, remembering them fully with someone who’d known them and loved them too, Bette fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

The next day, at the end of her shift, she felt lighter, happier. She’d decided to pause her plans to leave the city. She wanted to re-learn it without grief and anger clouding her judgement, wanted a chance to start fresh and live her life again, keeping the memory of her parents alive and well.

Randall was possibly the only thing ruining her calm and tranquil peace of mind. “Betty, what do you say we get a drink after we clock out tonight? I think a night with me would…loosen you up.” He slung an arm around her shoulders. His overwhelming aftershave made her nauseous.

She didn’t pretend to not know what he meant this time. Bette shoved him away and rounded on him. “Randall, I think you are disgusting.”

Randall’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“I think you are rude, disrespectful, and just plain repulsive. I do not and never will want to be around you beyond a professional work capacity, and to be honest I don’t even want to do that either. My life would be happier if I never laid eyes on you again.”

Randall’s nostrils flared, his face turning bright red. He raised his clenched fist, as if to strike her. “You rude bitch!” But his hand was caught by someone looming behind him. Someone who was squeezing the life out of Randall’s wrist.

Someone tall, with red locks and blue eyes hard as granite.

“Fender?” She gaped, shocked at seeing him there, in her world. That Randall was seeing him too and not enjoying it, by the look of fear on his face.

“What did you call her?” Lord Fenmore released Randall’s hands and shoved him against the wall.

The only other server who’d stayed on for closing was a college student named Christy, who looked a little like she was watching a soap opera unfold. “Who’s the guy dressed like Mr Darcy?”

Bette choked and surged forward, grabbing Fenmore’s arm. “You can’t hit him.”

Fenmore softened when he turned to her, but hardened as Randall tried to run. Fenmore shoved him against the wall again. “You called my girlfriend a bitch.”

“Your girlfriend?” She was hallucinating again. She really needed to get to the doctor.

Fenmore furrowed his brow as he looked her up and down. “That’s what mortals call it, yes?”

Bette felt dazed in her response. “Yes but—”

Fenmore gripped Randall’s shirt and raised him up the wall. “If you ever make another mortal feel uncomfortable and I find out about it, I will send you to the realm with a thousand poisonous spiders and let them devour you slowly.”

Christy clapped. “Oh, that’s a very creative threat.”

“Christy, stop it!” Bette chastised. “Fenmore, please let him go.”

“Not until he promises.”

“I promise, man! Just leave me alone!” Randall whined.

Fenmore nodded. “Very well.” He dropped Randall like a sack of potatoes before putting himself in front of Bette, dropping to his knees.

Christy gasped. The gossip in the kitchens tomorrow was going to be wild.

“I’ve come to beg your forgiveness and ask you please, for a second chance,” Fenmore said, head bowed in deference.

“You came to the mortal world…for me?” She blinked back tears as Christy dragged Randall away to give them privacy in the empty restaurant.

“As soon as you left, I realized what a fool I’ve been.

I’ve held my resentment of mortals for so long I panicked at who I’d become without it.

” He stared into her face, with affection and longing that made her come down to her knees too.

He put his hands in hers. “You were right about all of it. It’s not about the people who do wrong, we must focus on those who do right.

On choosing to be good and kind, not existing that way.

Apparently even immortals make mistakes, because I foolishly let you go when you were offering me everything I’ve ever wanted. ”

“You did make a huge mistake,” she said seriously.

His hope visibly dwindled. “I did.”

“You’ll probably make more.” Her lips curled upwards, and he caught on to the path she was leading them down immediately.

He took one of her hands and placed it over his heart. “I absolutely will.” He grinned his widest, most brilliant grin. “I am relying on your mortal goodness to kindly allow me to learn from them.”

Bette kissed him, then, with a smile on her own face. He sighed into her mouth, hands cradling her head as he leaned his forehead against hers. “You lost the bet.”

He kissed her again, whispering, “Happily.”

She pulled back, feeling euphoric and full of hope. “Well, you have at least a year here before we go back to visit the magic realm. What do you want to do first?”

Fenmore looked sheepish and adorable as he asked, “I’d like to try pizza, I think.”

She took his hand, both rising from the floor together, looking at each other with a powerful emotion neither of them named.

But they both knew what it was.

She smiled, taking his hand. “I know just the place.”