Three Witches #1: Magnus and Magnolia

Chapter 32 (Magnolia): I'll Never Stop

Copyright © 2024 by GroveltoHEA

"Right. That's what I meant. Tahvo," I said, trying to cover my gaffe when Magnus had told me the third trial gave me the chance to be with the man I really loved. "I wasn't sure what you were saying because it was confusing and I didn't understand what you meant by what you said so it wasn't clear to me what you were talking about when you said that."

Shut up, Noli! Thank you for that rambling sentence that went on forever and made not one bit of sense.

Magnus gave me a strange look, but he looked around as if he expected to see someone.

"Is Tahvo here?"

What was with this sudden Tahvo obsession?

"No." He can't be here. I'll never see him again.

He nodded. "Good, because I'd like a minute with you, if you don't mind."

"For what?"

He reached for me, then checked himself and jammed his hands in his pockets. "To say good bye, Noli."

"Are you leaving town?"

Why did that cause my breath to hitch slightly? Why wasn't I waving wildly, yelling, "Have a good life; don't let the door hit you on the way out of town!" Why did the thought of him leaving bother me? Why had my first inclination been to say, "Let's talk about this before you decide"?

"No, but I know the rules, and I plan to abide by them so I don't fuck with your life more than I already have. They were very clear on what the choices were."

"They being the fae?"

"Yeah. They said it would be OK if I came to see you one last time."

One last time. Say good bye. It seemed like Magnus was deciding there was no hope for getting back with me. I mean there wasn't, but they'd told me they'd ask me, not put the decision in Magnus's hands.

"I have so much I want to say, Noli, but I need to begin with I'm sorry. For not treasuring what we had. For cheating on you."

Magnus took a step toward me. "For trying to justify the indefensible."

Another step. "For being such a shit person that I'd hurt you because I thought I could get away with it and told myself fucking another woman didn't have anything to do with us."

That big body was right in front of me. "For all of it, sorry isn't enough, but I am, Noli. For what it's worth, I regret it all. I just haven't figured out a way to take it back."

I nodded slowly. "I wish I could believe you, Magnus."

His eyes closed for a moment. "It's what I've said to you before. Nothing has changed. What if I told you that there was a way for you to know I was telling the truth?"

"I'd ask how."

"Every time I told the truth --" Magnus stopped abruptly.

I watched as his hand rubbed his left pec.

"They're not stopping me," he said softly to himself.

"Who isn't stopping you?"

"The fairies."

"Stopping you from what?"

His eyes looked into mine, and I could see so many emotions in them, but he shook his head, his eyes soft and sweet. "They're not stopping me from telling you one last time how much I love you."

I felt like he was holding something back from me, but it wasn't the kind of something that made me concerned, that made me feel he was hiding something bad from me.

"I want you to know that all the good memories I have are of you, Noli. Every single one. I remember the rides on my bike, with you behind me, laughing in my ear. I remember you curled up on my lap, watching TV. It's all the little things, the simple things that I think about with you. We never did anything big or wild; we just lived our lives together, creating real moments. I've never had days, much less months, of good so that's why I reacted so strongly when you said you could make me forget."

Reaching out his hand, he took a curl in his fingers. 

"I wouldn't forget you for anything, Magnolia. You're the very best thing to ever happen in my life, and I want to thank you for all the good you gave to me. It's locked in here for always," he said, tapping his heart.

I couldn't speak, his words weaving a spell around me. Warlock.

"Just know it was all on me, Noli. You're fucking perfect. You always were. I was the disaster who didn't try to be better and ruined us, but that was a reflection of me. Never you."

Leaning forward, Magnus pressed his lips to my temple, and I heard him inhale twice. 

"Noli, can you use that spell on yourself to make you forget me?"

"No, we witches can't spell ourselves," I explained. "And why would I want to forget you? We need to remember the lessons we learned, good and bad."

"I hate thinking of you thinking about that day and the pain it caused you."

"I've learned to deal with it, Magnus. But even though I heard what you just said, I still want to make that offer to you."

"Magnolia, I'd die before I'd give up those memories of you. I'll live on them for the rest of my life."

I couldn't stop the tears that spilled through my lashes. "I loved you so much, Magnus. You were my everything."

"Until I wasn't," he said. "That's why I made the choice I did. So you could be with...Tahvo."

Tahvo again. "What choices did you have?"

Magnus considered his words for a minute. "I could choose for you to be with Tahvo the rest of your life or with me."

At that, my stupid, traitorous heart fell for a second time because of this man. For all his talk, when it came down to it, Magnus hadn't wanted me. He could have had me but he chose to let me go.

"I see," I said, but really, I didn't. I didn't understand why this man would go through the trials -- insist on going through the trials -- only to walk away in the end.

I was obviously missing something.

"Be happy with him, Noli. I hope your life is nothing but good, like you deserve," he said before wrapping his arms around me.

I allowed myself to hug him back, and he held me for a long, long time before finally easing himself away from me. 

"What are you going to do now?" I asked.

"Continue with the landscaping business and join the Lords of Mayhem."

"What about --"

"I suspect they're already on their way to being non-existent. I'd already quit and distanced myself from them so I don't really know what's going on with them and I honestly don't care."

"But how did you get hooked up with the Mayhem? Even I've heard of them."

My mind was whirling, trying to make this leap to Magnus becoming one of the Lords of Mayhem on top of everything else he'd revealed to me.

"I met Butcher not too long ago, and it turns out he needed a money man and I'm one of those, so we worked out an agreement, or we will have when I contact him tomorrow."

"Butcher? Is he...safe? I've heard scary things about him."

"He's probably worse, to tell the truth, but I trust him."

Magnus gathered me into his arms again. 

"Be safe," I told him.

"I know I have to let you go," he said into my hair. "But I'll never stop loving you. Good bye, Noli."

Then Magnus let me go and walked away.