by K. T. Black
“Why didn’t you ever tell me? Why did you keep who you are, and what you can do, a secret from me?”
“Yes, Alex. Please elaborate.”
Alex gave Millie a dirty look. It would be so easy to shut her up.
“Well?” Chandler waited.
“I always intended to tell you. Our relationship, it was such an adjustment for you, I didn’t want to overload you with one more detail. When my parents return from Europe next month, I planned on taking you to meet them and the rest of my family. At that point, I intended to explain everything to you. But until then, I wanted us to have as much time as possible to be a normal couple. I knew things would be somewhat different once you knew about the magic, but I was going to tell you.”
Chandler seemed to consider Alex’s explanation.
“That sounds awfully convenient,” Millie said.
Alex’s temper flared. “It’s the truth.”
Chandler gave the impression she was starting to sympathize with Alex, but it was obvious that Millie intended to make her doubt her.
“Then that leaves us just one last thing to discuss. The antique mirror hanging in this room. I’m sure Chandler doesn’t realize how special it is.”
“What about the mirror?” Chandler looked over where it was hanging on the wall.
“In my family, it’s something that is passed down from mother to the eldest daughter.” Alex attempted to stall.
“As interesting as that is, I think you need to explain why it’s so special. Or better yet, let it show Chandler what it can do. Maybe something that happened before you two managed to get together. Something juicy, not something random or boring. An event you played over and over again.”
Chandler stared at Alex. Conflicted emotions crossed her features.
Alex didn’t want to activate the mirror. She knew what would come up.
“This is the last thing you have to do, Alex, and the spell will end and you’ll both be free of me.”
She had no choice but to do as she was requested. “Mirror, do as Millie has asked and show us.” She waved her hand and activated it.
When a scene of an earlier moment filled the mirror’s surface, Alex turned away.
“Oh my God,” Chandler gasped, horrified. “That’s me in my shower.”
Without looking, Alex waved her hand, clearing the mirror before it progressed too far. When she heard Chandler get down off the bed, Alex looked up as she approached her. They stared at one another. Chandler was glassy-eyed and looked disappointed, while Alex felt ashamed. The image wasn’t meant to be exploited like this.
As Alex was about to say something, Chandler reached out and slapped her across the face.
“I’m so sorry.” Tears spilled from Alex’s eyes.
Chandler didn’t respond, her own tears falling. Turning on her heel, she rushed out of the room. Alex wept as her heart broke. Zelda jumped down from the bed and followed after Chandler.
“I must say, that was most satisfying.” Millie appeared triumphant.
“Get out of my house!” Alex demanded, and then she left the room to chase after Chandler.
Alex ran down the stairs and out the front door. She made it to the middle of her yard in time to witness Chandler driving away. She stared at her vehicle until it disappeared from view, and wondered how she was going to fix things between them.
Chapter 17
Early the next morning, after waiting until she saw Alex leave for work, Chandler returned to Alex’s home. It felt strange being inside the house after the events of yesterday. What was even weirder was when Zelda came up to greet her.
“Go away,” Chandler told the cat, but Zelda didn’t listen to her. She followed after Chandler as she headed over to the room where her computer equipment was set up.
Once Chandler got her laptop and gathered up everything she needed for her meeting in Boston, she headed back to the front door. Zelda continued to follow her. Before she opened the door to leave, Chandler turned and looked down at the cat. They silently watched one another until Chandler felt a teardrop slip down her face. Sniffling, she took one last look around and then she left.
* * * *
Later that day, Chandler checked into the Harborside Inn in Boston. Once she got situated in her room, she decided to call her business colleague and let him know she was in town. She picked up her phone. With a quick glanced at her messages, she hesitated when she saw the ones from Alex, but didn’t open any of them. She scrolled through her contact list, selected the appropriate number and waited. By the third ring, the phone was answered and a familiar voice was on the line.
“Hey, Chandler. What do you need?”
“Hi, Allen. I was calling to let you know that I’m in Boston.”
“You’re a few days early, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I know. If it’s not a problem, maybe we could move the meeting up by a day or two.”
“I don’t think that would be too much trouble. When did you get in?”
“About an hour ago.”
“Are you going to come into the office?”
“Not today. I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of. I’ll be in tomorrow.” Chandler tried to sound more upbeat than she felt. “I understand Dave is having some technical issues. It’s easier to go over those kinds of things in person than it is over the phone. If you wouldn’t mind letting him know that I’ll help him with that tomorrow, I’d appreciate it.”
“Sure,” he assured her. “I’ll certainly be glad to stop hearing him complain about it.”
“Well, the fix isn’t as drastic as he’s making it out to be. Only a bit time-consuming.”
“Not that I’m complaining, but how come you decided to come in early? I know you don’t like providing any more of an opportunity to run into your stepmonster than you have to.”
“I was ready, so I thought I would.”
“Don’t want to tell me, huh?” he teased.
“It’s really nothing.” Chandler tried to downplay, but couldn’t completely hide the emotion from her voice. They were friends, but not close enough that Chandler felt comfortable confiding in him about her personal life. What she wanted was a place away from everything so she could think about what to do.
“Okay.” Allen let it drop. “So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Sounds good.”
“Bye.”
Chandler turned off her phone and set it down on the table beside her laptop. Then she grabbed her purse and her room key card, and headed out in search of the closest store that sold ice cream and chocolate.
* * * *
A week passed and Chandler was still in Boston. As much as Chandler didn’t like being in the city, she wasn’t ready to return to Castleton.
Daily messages came in from Alex. She read them, but didn’t respond back. A part of her wanted to, but she wasn’t sure what to say. Hell, she still wasn’t sure what to think. She missed Alex. Missed what they had, but didn’t know if she still belonged in Alex’s life. Why did relationships have to get complicated? As much as she didn’t want to admit it, she loved Alex. Being around her, life had started to make sense, and then Millie showed up and everything went to hell.
Burying herself in her work, Chandler distanced herself from anything or anyone tied to Castleton. That even included her friend Kara.
Chandler was working late at the office when her desk phone rang.
“Chandler Gray.” Her reply was automatic.
“Chandler, it’s Kara. And don’t you dare hang up on me.”
“I wasn’t going to.” Chandler stopped what she was doing.
“Well, I didn’t know what to think. I haven’t heard from you or seen you in over a week. When you didn’t respond to any of my messages, I started to worry. Jake was the one who suggested calling your office.”
“I’m fine. Just busy.” She began to fidget, afraid where this conversation was leading.
“Don’t give me that. What the hell are you
doing?”
“I’m working,” Chandler answered like it should be obvious.
“I’m not talking about your job, you idiot. I’m talking about you and Alex.”
“Did she ask you to call me?”
“No. She’s not the type to openly ask for help. After making her have lunch with me today, I tried to get her to tell me what was going on, but she’s even more stubborn than you.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Not very much. It must have been some fight. Why else would you still be in Boston?”
“Because sometimes I do have to come into the office.” Chandler became defensive.
“I happen to know you are nowhere near crunch time.” Kara seemed unaffected by Chandler’s tone. “You never stay longer than you have to in Boston. Not when it increases the risk of you running into your family, especially your stepmother.”
Looking through the glass window of her office, Chandler could see a few other people working. Feeling the tears forming in her eyes, she was glad she wasn’t working out in the open at a cubicle. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
“Well, too bad, because I’m not going to leave you alone until we do. If that means I come to Boston to do it, then so be it. So, if I was you, I’d start talking.”
“Why are you such a pushy bitch?” The tears started to fall as Chandler felt her control slipping.
“Because I care about you, that’s why.” Her voice softened. “Now tell me what’s going on.”
“I doubt you’d understand.”
“What’s not to understand? I know about fights. Being married as long as I have, I’ve had my fair share of them. So, unless she cheated on you or killed someone, I don’t get why you’re being so dramatic.”
No matter how good of a friend Kara was, Chandler had no intention of telling her all the details of the day Millie showed up.
“Will you please talk to me?” Kara interrupted Chandler’s thoughts. “Let me help you if I can. I just can’t stand by and not do anything. You sound as miserable as Alex looked.”
“I don’t know if this can be fixed.”
“Why not? Have you tried, or did you just pack up and run away?” She didn’t give her a chance to answer. “Oh wait, we already know the answer to that.”
“That isn’t funny, Kara.”
“No, it’s not. This is your life we’re talking about. I realize when love finally found you it didn’t come in the exact form you were expecting. But it’s here, and you shouldn’t be giving up so easy on it. So unless you’re trying to tell me that you’d rather live your life alone and miserable, then I think you’re being a damn fool.”
Chandler sobbed, openly crying now.
“You don’t ever need to tell me what happened, and I know that sounds odd coming from me, but don’t you dare let Alex walk away without trying. Whatever this fight was about, there must be a way to resolve it.”
“I need more time.”
“The longer you put this off, the harder it’s going to be. If you wait too long, you may be too late. Do you want to risk that?”
Chandler let out a frustrated sigh. “I really hate you, you know.”
“No you don’t.”
“You’re a know-it-all busybody.”
“I know, and one day you’ll thank me for it. Now, please humor me and tell me you’ll try. Pack up your things and come back home. Whatever you decide to do with your relationship, be a grownup and do it face-to-face with her. No one deserves to be left wondering. Okay?”
“Okay.” Chandler gave in, and wiped her tears away as she sniffled.
“Good. Now I’m going to go and let Alex know you are planning on coming back. Don’t make me a liar or I’ll kick your ass.”
“All right,” Chandler answered softly.
“And don’t take too long. If I don’t see you within the next day or two, I’m going to call your stepmother and let her know you’re in town.”
“You wouldn’t do that!” Chandler felt panicked.
“No, I wouldn’t. But I am serious about this.”
“I promise. I have something I have to finish up tomorrow and then I’ll come home.”
“There’s something else I want you to do for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Shut down your computer, get out of that office and go relax.”
Before she could reply, Kara had ended the call. Chandler stared at the phone, wondering what had just happened, before hanging it up. It was apparent that Kara wasn’t about to be ignored.
Chapter 18
Alex sat in Chandler’s chair in the room that she'd used as her office. She stared at the computer equipment that was left behind. Alex had taken it as a positive sign that Chandler hadn’t gathered up all her things when she left. It meant at one point she’d have to come back.
During Chandler’s absence, Alex barely slept or ate. For the first time in her life, she worried that the best thing she’d ever found was beyond fixing. She couldn’t help what she was, but she should have been more up front with Chandler as soon as things became serious.
Each day, Alex sent Chandler a brief text message and hoped for a response. Each day she was disappointed. Today, when Kara forced her to have lunch with her, Alex was more relieved than irritated. It was true that Kara was an interfering busybody, but she had good intentions.
Even though Alex knew Chandler loved and trusted Kara like a sister, she had no intention of going into detail about what caused the fight. Maybe Kara would manage to keep the information to herself, but she couldn’t take that chance. People were more accepting of her sexual identity than they were of her magical abilities. Besides, she wasn’t in the habit of blabbing her personal business to anyone not directly involved. The only exception she ever made was with her mother, and even then, she resisted.
When the doorbell rang, Alex sprang to life. Her heart pounded and her palms became sweaty as her mind was filled of images of Chandler. She got to her feet and sprinted to the front entry. Expecting to see Chandler on the other side, her hands fumbled with the lock as she prepared to open the door.
After she pulled the door back, her face fell when it was Kara, not Chandler, who was revealed.
“Well, don’t look so happy to see me.”
“I’m sorry, I was hoping—”
“That it was Chandler.” Kara filled in the obvious. “I may not be her, but I do have news for you about her, if you’ll invite me in.”
“Of course.” Alex stood back, and opened the door wider. “Please come inside.”
“Thank you.” Kara stepped inside the doorway.
“Would you like something? Glass of wine, water?”
“Ever the proper hostess, even in crisis. I may invite you over the next time my in-laws are in town.”
Alex gave her a half-hearted smile before she shut and relocked the door.
“Why don’t we go sit down and talk?”
Alex nodded and then led the way into the kitchen. Once they neared the kitchen island, Kara pulled out a chair and took a seat, while Alex moved around to the opposite side. She stood leaning against the countertop and faced Kara.
“Are you sure you don’t want something?” Alex felt like she should be doing something.
“If you’d like a drink, go right ahead, but I’m fine, thanks.”
Alex went over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. She unscrewed and removed the cap before she returned to her original spot. After a quick sip, she set the bottle down on the counter and cupped the bottle in a possessive grip. The simple act of keeping her hands occupied provided a calming effect for her.
“So, I just talked with Chandler.”
Feeling her stomach do a nervous somersault, Alex asked, “What did she say? Is she still mad at me?”
“She’s stuck inside her head. So stuck she’s not listening to her heart. The thing is, with Chandler, her family really screwed her up. They made her believe that she didn’t dese
rve to be loved. The fact that she’s spending so much time in Boston shows how frightened she is that what the two of you have isn’t real.”
“But it is. It is real.”
“I’m not the one you need to convince. Chandler is.”
“How do I do that?”
“That’s for you to figure out. Deep down you know what she needs to hear, if you’re honest with yourself.”
“But she won’t answer any of my messages. How do I get her to talk to me?”
“You’re going to have to do this face-to-face, not via technology. And, you’re going to get your chance.”
“When?” She felt hopeful and panicked at the same time.
“Probably in the next day or two. She made some excuse about having to finish something up at the office first, but I’ll be honest with you. I think she’s stalling because she’s afraid to face you.”
“Why would she be afraid of me?” That didn’t make any sense to her.
“Because she’s in love with you, and she’s afraid you don’t feel the same way.”
“Did she say that?” Alex focused on the in love part of what she said.
“She didn’t have to.” Kara paused as she scrutinized Alex. “You’re in love with her too, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Then fix this.”
Kara stood and walked around to where Alex was standing. Alex turned and faced her.
“I’ll help you as much as I can, but this is up to you two.”
Alex smiled and nodded.
Taking Alex a little bit by surprise, Kara pulled her into a hug. In a motherly tone, with a hint of sarcasm, she said, “Now try to get some sleep. You look like shit.”
Alex laughed. “Thanks, Kara.”
Chapter 19
She loves you. Three simple words and they said everything. Chandler reread the brief text from Kara again.
Smiling to herself, Chandler closed the message and selected Allen’s number. It was early yet, but she knew he’d be up. He was one of those evil, happy morning people.
“Chandler?” Allen sounded perplexed when he answered the phone.
