Past and Present

Anthony Moore sits on his couch, the light from his large projector cosplaying as a television casting a soft glow across the dimly lit room. He isn’t sure what he’s expecting as he tunes into Bethany Worth’s live press conference, but as her voice fills the room, he leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. Every word she speaks grabs his attention.

Just like the other videos of her that he watches from time to time. Pretty much every two days.

When she confirms that her parents are alive, he blinks in surprise, processing the revelation. Alive? After everything? He shakes his head slightly, but he continues to listen. Her calm demeanor, the poise she exudes, it’s all so typical of her. But when Bethany declares that she will remain CEO despite her father’s return, a flicker of admiration stirs within him.

And then comes her final statement.

“Yes, I am still getting married.”

Anthony freezes. His chest tightens involuntarily, and a small, unconscious smile creeps onto his face. She’s moving forward, he thinks. She’s finally going to admit that she needs him? She is finally going to come back crawling on her knees, back to him, begging him to take her back, flaws and all.

For a moment, he allows himself to linger in that thought, his mind replaying her words. But then, as if on instinct, he picks up his phone. Pulling up his last text message to her, he stares at the screen, his fingers brushing against the glass. The message he sent her two days ago sits unread.

The smile fades.

He leans back, the weight of disappointment settling in his chest. She hasn’t even read it, he realizes. Tossing the phone unto the stool beside him, he exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair before picking up the day’s unfortunate whiskey glass.

Bethany Worth is still acting coy with him, playing with his head as she had always managed to do.

*

Meanwhile, across town in the heart of the city, Oakland Restaurant glows warmly under soft chandeliers. Tucked into a secluded corner booth now, away from the staff’s prying eyes, Mandall leans forward, his fingers entwined with Bethany’s as the duo look into each other’s eyes, bothering on cringey. Before chuckling shyly, still unbelieving that, although rivals in business, they just got formally engaged.

He studies her face, the soft curve of her lips, the way the warm light reflects off her cheeks each time she glances down at her glass of wine. Bethany, for her part, feels the weight of his gaze but doesn’t shy away. There’s something about Mandall’s presence that makes her feel seen in a way she’s never experienced before.

Or maybe it’s just the shimmering of the ring.

“Its beautiful.” She comments for the thousandth time, admiring the small jewelry on her finger.

“So you have mentioned.” Mandall begins, his voice low and laced with curiosity, “I have a question.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“Why did you wait until now to get married?”

Bethany’s brows lift slightly at the question. She hadn’t expected him to ask something so personal tonight, but then again, Mandall has always been direct in the most unexpected times.

“I don’t think it was intentional.” He continues, his tone measured. “Life could have happened, you probably have a lot of reasons or excuses… or an incident? Or were you busy running the family business and dealing with everything that came with it and didn’t leave much room for anything else?” Mandall’s thumb brushes gently over her knuckles. “Still…” He says, tilting his head. “Someone as beautiful and accomplished as you? It’s hard to believe no one swept you off your feet sooner.”

Bethany smiles faintly, but there’s a shadow of something else behind it. Her fingers tighten around his ever so slightly but he feels it. “I wouldn’t say that no one tried.” She admits. “I was engaged once.”

Mandall straightens in his seat, his expression sharpening with interest. “Engaged?”

“Yes.” She says, her gaze dropping to their joined hands. Her voice softens, as if speaking the words aloud makes them heavier. “I was twenty-three at the time. His name was Anthony, Anthony Moore. We’d been dating for five years officially at the time, and everything seemed perfect. At least, I thought it was.”

Mandall waits, sensing there’s more to the story. He sits still and not interrupting, waiting for her to continue.

And she does.

Bethany takes a sip of her wine before continuing. “We had the date set, the venue booked. Invitations had gone out. But just two days before the wedding, I found out…” She pauses, swallowing hard. “I found out he’d been cheating on me. For months. With someone I thought was a friend.”

Mandall’s jaw tightens, his grip on her hand firming in silent support. “I’m sorry, Bethany. Im sorry you had to go through all of that.” he says quietly.

She shrugs, though the betrayal is still evident in her eyes. “It’s in the past. I called off the wedding, broke off the engagement, and moved on. But it took me a long time to trust anyone after that. Especially men.”

Mandall nods slowly, his mind turning over her words. He can see the strength it took for her to get through something like that, and it only deepens his admiration for her. That explains a lot about her then. She had never voiced it but he knows.

“What about you?” Bethany asks, tilting her head. “Why did you wait until now to get married? You seem pretty ripe for marriage to me.”

Mandall chuckles softly, a wry smile playing on his lips as it raises the tension about the story she just shared. “As you might have been able to tell, I am not must of a socializing guy. It tells on a person after all, look at me. I’m getting married to the lady my car almost hit. That’s the closest I’ve been to a woman in years..”

“Have you been in a relationship before?” She inquires teasingly, her tone lightening with every word.

He leans closer, his eyes locking onto hers. “Maybe I have,” he says, the sincerity in his voice catching her off guard. “I’ve had relationships before, sure. But nothing… nothing like this, or even leading to something as close as this.”

Bethany’s breath catches. “Nothing like what?”

“Like you.” he replies simply. “You’re different, Bethany. You’re strong, intelligent, driven. You challenge me in ways no one ever has. And when I’m with you, it feels like I’ve found the person I’ve been searching for all along. You make me want to stay and find every hidden level in you. Sorry, I had my nerdy game playing era.” She laughs. “But seriously, my longest relationship lasted a week. I think is has beaten the record already, don’t you think?”

Her cheeks flush, and for a moment, she’s at a loss for words. But the warmth in his gaze reassures her, wrapping around her like a soft blanket.

“Mandall…” She whispers softly, her voice barely above a note. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m glad you found me. I’m glad I ran into your car that day.”

He smiles, lifting her hand to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “And I’m glad you said yes today.”

She blushes, the shimmer reminding her that she is, once again, taking the step

to marriage and this time, its Mandall Hall and he is here to stay.