Amelia and Cynthia.

Amelia picked up her glass from the top and swirled it around a bit. The sound of the ice cubes clicking inside the golden brown whiskey was always one of the small things she enjoyed about the drink. The fact that her friend had opened an expensive bottle for her made it even better, she had to admit. She took a small sip and tasted the subtle flavors of chestnuts, honey and other spices. God, it was good.

She set her drink down on the glass coffee table and spared a look outside the large, floor to ceiling window overlooking the brightly lit city at night. “I’ve always been a little jealous of your place,” she said. “Do you get tired of this view?”

“I admit it’s nice, but I have nothing but bitter memories in this place,” Cynthia answered with a small, appropriately bitter smile. “Want to buy it?”

“Maybe for reselling,” Amelia said, smirking. “My new place might not be as fancy, but it comes with plenty of nice perks.”

Cynthia’s apartment was a luxury penthouse with a modern aesthetic. Lots of black on white and a few parts of the walls painted with grays and teal colors. A very nice apartment that would make anyone jealous, Amelia included, but as Cynthia had just said, the bitter memories completely ruined it for her.

The blonde woman sighed and crossed one leg over the other on her seat across from Amelia. She took a larger sip of her own glass of whiskey.

“Right. You started living with him.”

“Different apartments, but we’re practically living together,” Amelia said with a satisfied smile. “We have breakfast together every morning and dinner every night unless I have to stay late for work.”

Cynthia chortled. “You sound like you’re bragging.”

“I am. Not even the first year married to Landon felt this nice. Overwhelmingly good sex and a handsome young man to cuddle with after. Normally I wouldn’t ask for more, but seeing that young man become more reliable each day is a special kind of treat on its own.”

Amelia saw Cynthia pursing her lips and pressing her legs tighter together as she looked out the window.

“He misses you, you know?” Amelia continued nonchalantly. “He keeps eyeing his phone in hopes you’ll message him. It’s become a bad habit of his.”

“Are you telling me the spirit thing doesn’t bother you? Or are you under his control, like I was under Jack’s?” Despite what she said, Amelia felt little to no venom in her words.

“And you’re telling me you don’t see the opportunities?” Amelia retorted. “I can feel some of the supernatural around us, Cynthia. It’s been here all along, under our noses. We just never saw it. Now that I can see it, I want to take advantage of it.”

Cynthia’s eye twitched. “So you’ll use Will to make business in that part of the world?”

Amelia couldn’t stop her own smile. “Worried about him?”

Cynthia flinched and looked away, drinking from her glass once again.

“It’s… tempting, I admit.” Amelia sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I’ve made it clear to him that, while I like him and I want him to fuck my brains out, I don’t exactly love him. Yet. I’m crazy about that boy, but who knows if I can spend the rest of my life with him. I married Landon because I knew together we could build our business, and I was right on that front, but it led to a very unfulfilling married life. And now here’s William, whom I can’t get out of my head AND is the door to a world of business opportunities I never knew existed. For the old me, this would’ve been a no-brainer. Now it’s not so easy.” Amelia sighed heavily. “I don’t want to use him. He seems strong on the outside, and he tries to be, but inside he feels… fragile.”

“...He could be manipulating your thoughts to make you feel this way,” Cynthia warned her, but her tone implied she didn’t believe her own warning.

“He could be. I want to say that I’d be able to notice now, but I don’t know enough about magic to be sure. Besides, he keeps growing more proficient with his powers. But even so… Tell me you didn’t feel like his heart was made of glass when you were with him? The lightest bump could probably break him, yet he’s still letting people in.”

Cynthia grimaced with a quivering lip. “He’s a fool.”

“Oh, certainly,” Amelia agreed, giggling. “And I’d rather trust my life to that fool than to my smart, cunning and coldhearted ex-husband. And for all he talks about wanting to protect us… He gives me the feeling of wanting to protect him, too. I can’t fight, I don’t know magic. I can’t protect him from monsters or other mages, but I want to try and protect that glass heart of his. Are you sure you don’t want to help me out with that?”

“...” Cynthia swallowed. “I can’t be used again, Amelia. Will… He makes me feel weak, like he could take everything away from me and I wouldn’t mind.”

Amelia chuckled and raised her glass in a toast. “Congratulations. You’re in love. And besides, if you believed that’s something he would do, you wouldn’t have let me into your house.”

“...” Amelia saw Cynthia’s cheeks reddened. The woman had very good **** tolerance, so it had nothing to do with her half-filled glass of whiskey. “I’ve… ignored him completely for two weeks.”

“So did I, once, and he was blaming himself all that time even though it was my fault. The more you put it off, the more he’s waiting. Either go and tell him you want nothing with him or go and ride him until he sees stars, but make up your mind soon. I told you why I’m here. I want to protect him in my own way. I won’t let you keep him waiting any longer.”

Cynthia clicked her tongue with a small smirk. “And you say you’re not in love.”

Amelia shrugged that off. Just because she wouldn’t marry the man tomorrow it didn’t mean she didn’t care about him. He was her boyfriend, after all.