Chapter Twenty-Two-Bella
At The Tasty Tart
“Oh, honey, of course he is your mate.”
Donny snorted.
Evie rolled her eyes like I’d just told her water wasn’t wet.
And Petyr, he growled from over in the corner.
“That very first night, I saw the two of you together and I know you felt it too. Hell, me, and Jaxson did too. I was just fighting it. But I thought you were smarter than me, Bella,” Evie said, patting me with the hand that was thankfully not covered in her special donut filling.
“You, wait, you think I’m smarter than you?” I blinked at her, floored.
Look—I’m blonde.
I can bake like a goddess, and I can charm a soufflé into rising with my voice alone.
But book smart like Evie? Not exactly my lane.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mouth-breather dumb, and Donny is quick as a whip.
But I always thought Evie had the big-brain energy in this trio.
“When it comes to a lot of things, actually,” she said, as if she hadn’t just dropped that truth bomb into my lap.
“Seriously, Bella,” Donny cut in, leaning over the counter with a cat-that-ate-the-canary grin. “I thought you and Conrad had hooked up months ago.”
“Well, funny story,” I hedged, avoiding their eyes as heat climbed up my neck. “We kinda did hook up right away.”
“AHHHH! YOU ARE SUCH A SLUT!” Evie squealed with delight.
“Way to go, girl!” Donny crowed.
And then they pounced.
Two giggling, squealing, cupcake-scented tornadoes of affection.
I twisted away from their tickling fingers, narrowly dodged the buttercream blob Donny tried to swipe across my nose, and the three of us ended up in a pile on the floor, breathless from laughter.
“Oh my Goddess, I need to go on a diet,” Evie wheezed.
“About that,” Donny started, but I pinched her arm.
Not our secret to tell—especially not when it most definitely involved a certain Wolf Shifter she was mated to.
“Oh my Goddess, I’ve been such a jerk about this, haven’t I?”
“I don’t know about being a jerk, Bells, but you sure are giving Conrad a run for his money,” Evie said.
“Hey, he’s a Shifter. They have wonderful stamina. Now how about we tackle this mess? I’ve got heads waiting for me at the salon,” Donny said.
With a bit of wandless magic and a flick of all our wrists, we cleaned up the chaos.
Which, frankly, made me feel a little guilty for how long I’d been doing every post-baking cleanup solo.
“So, you really hooked up like way back when,” Donny prompted, wiggling her fingers for more gossip.
“Yes, we hooked up,” I admitted, then sighed. “But you know what happened last time I had a man—I just don’t want a repeat.”
“You are NOT talking about that turd, Jameson Vorhees, are you?” Evie’s eyes narrowed like she was about to hex someone into the next county.
“Actually—”
“Bella!” they chorused, scandalized.
“Okay, Maribella Strega, I take that back about you being smart,” Evie declared, swatting my butt.
“Hey! I’m like the Scarecrow after he gets his brain! You can’t just take it back now,” I protested.
“Fine,” Evie huffed. “But you should know—Jameson Vorhees was a complete two-timing creep, and he did not deserve you.”
“He said he left because I wouldn’t change for him,” I mumbled.
“What? That is a complete lie!” Donny’s nose wrinkled. “Should we tell her?”
“Tell me what?”
“Bella, Jameson Vorhees came on to both of us countless times while you were dating him,” Evie said flatly. “Finally, he got the hint we were never going to betray you.”
I froze.
“It’s true,” Donny added. “And later, we found out he was dating Misty Palmer at the same time. And Misty’s Uncle Montgomery threatened to have his powers drained and his Warlock World Coven membership revoked if he didn’t leave town immediately—”
“Wait. What? He left because he was juggling two Witches and got caught?”
“Two that we know of. Yup,” Evie said.
“Oh Goddess, she hates us now,” Donny groaned. “Look, we didn’t tell you because we didn’t find out about Misty until six months later, and you seemed fine by then.”
“He told me I was fat,” I said, the words tasting like ash.
“What?” they snarled in unison, aqua and gold sparks dancing at their fingertips.
“Not in here, ladies,” I warned. “Anyway, he told me I was too big for a man of his standing to be seen with. Said things like if I loved him, I’d glamor myself while I worked on losing weight. I refused.”
“How dare he!” Evie’s voice cracked with outrage.
“That Warlock piece of shi—” Donny started but was cut off by Petyr strolling in like he hadn’t just dropped off the face of the earth.
He looked rumpled, a little singed, and smug as a cat with cream.
“I have avenged your virtue, my Witchy, and I have given permission to the Shifter to court one as yourself—but only if you wish.”
“You did what?” I asked, torn between laughter and alarm.
“Where I am from, fathers of daughters defend. Your father is not here—so I step in. Snake Shifter has proven to be a good man. His heart is true. But still, it is you who must decide. Now, I go back to dumpster to sniff out arson.”
“Uh, okay. Thanks?” I mumbled, wide-eyed as my familiar continued on his way.
“Wow,” Evie breathed. “That was so beautiful!”
“Oh great, she’s crying again,” Donny muttered, hugging her.
“So, Bella, are you mad at us?” Evie asked, tears running into her mouth.
I handed her a tissue.
“What? No! I love you girls. We’re besties and cousins, but I admit, I’ve missed you. Watching you both get close to your mates has made me kind of afraid, you know.”
“We will never abandon you,” Donny said firmly.
“And you don’t have to worry about being alone,” Evie sniffled. “You have Conrad too. That Snake loves you. I can feeeeel it.”
Then, she growled.
Actually growled.
“Oh dear Goddess,” I muttered, ushering them toward the back. “Get her home before she scares off my customers. And tell Jaxson to get his tail home and give his mate the news she needs to hear.”
“But I wanted to talk about the wedding cake!” Donny called as I shut the door.
“Too bad. It’s my gift, I have full creative control!” I hollered back.
Then I just stood there.
For a full minute, letting the truth sink in.
There was nothing wrong with me.
I didn’t drive a man away because I couldn’t keep him.
Jameson Vorhees was a lying, cheating, power-hungry Warlock. Period.
And Conrad Boman?
He was nothing like that.
Patient. Steady. Kind.
And maybe—if I asked nicely—Conrad would be mine.
Before I could lose my nerve, I grabbed my phone and texted him:
Bella
I think we should talk, Big Guy.
His reply came instantly.
Snake Man
Just tell me when and where, Sugar.
Bella
You pick. I’ll be finished at six.
Snake Man
I’ll be there, Sugar.
My heart pounded like a drum.
I wished I had time to shop for something slinky and spellbinding, but he’d have to take me as I was—Witchy flour smudges and all.
The bakery mystery still loomed large, but maybe that was the point—two heads (one belonging to a very large Python Shifter) were better than one.
After years of dodging commitment, I was about to dive headfirst into it.
Here goes nothing.