She ordered a local ale for herself again. For me, she hesitated, then glanced at the bartender.
“He’ll have the whisky,” she said. “The same one.”
The bartender poured without comment.
I lifted the glass, the scent sharp and familiar. The first sip burned, then spread warmth through my chest.
Artemis watched me over the rim of her glass. “Still good?”
“Yes,” I said. “Very.”
She relaxed fully then, sliding one hand out of her pocket to lace her fingers with mine on the bar. She thought this was a sentimental return, a quiet revisiting of a moment we had once shared.
She did not yet see the subtle shift in the room—the way the bartender lingered a fraction too long. The way the fireplace table behind us had cleared slightly.
She was smiling at the bottles lined behind the bar like trophies. She leaned closer, lowering her voice. “You’re being very intense.”
“I’m always intense.”
“That is true.” Her smile softened. “Thank you for bringing me back.”
I swallowed. “It’s only the beginning.”
She frowned slightly, confused but amused. “Beginning of what?”
I squeezed her hand. “Of honoring you properly.”
Caliban had positioned himself precisely where I asked. Near the fireplace. Back straight. Coat immaculate. Dark wool tailored within an inch of reverence. Helooked like he was attending a diplomatic summit instead of a surprise celebration in a human pub.
Eloise stood beside him, one hand threaded through his arm, the other holding a champagne bottle with the confidence of a woman who had never once doubted she deserved to take up space.
I had told them no banners.
No balloons.
No spectacle.
Artemis hated spectacle.
So instead, I opted for candlelight and firelight. A small side table near the hearth that held four glasses and a chilled bottle of champagne. And a single handwritten card propped against the wall in elegant ink.
Dr. Artemis Ripley.
That was all.
It was enough.
Artemis turned slightly toward the fireplace, drawn by the warmth. She hadn’t seen them yet. She was still narrating something under her breath about how the bartender’s eyeliner was structurally impressive.
I loved that about her. Her mind never stopped cataloging.
Then she saw them.
Eloise lifted her glass first.
“About time you showed up, Dr. Ripley.”
Artemis froze.
