The Opposite of Love

Ch 17

As I changed into my work clothes and messed with my hair so it covered my head injury, I tried my best to shake the feeling, and I would have guessed I successfully squashed about 90% of it. To distract myself, I started looking for my camera, but that only left me alone with my thoughts, which rarely ended well.

Charlie and I couldn't be friends. We couldn't even be friendly towards each other. Our families would never understand. I'd probably end up disowned.

On the other hand, if I could ignore that Charlie was a Stone and I was a Gordon, he would make a good friend. When we weren't fighting, we actually seemed to complement each other.

However, I couldn't ignore his heritage. It influenced who he was. I couldn't just forget everything he had done, either. The things I had made him confess to earlier were practically unimportant. There were plenty of much bigger things than hiding my sheet music and telling everyone I was afraid of fish; things that I knew he had done. I didn't need him to confirm them. My father had seen Charlie do plenty of horrible things with his own eyes. If it wasn't Dad who saw something, then it was one of my cousins, or my uncle. Charlie was careful around me, but I still knew. He wasn't my friend.

But still, within the past couple of days, he showed me kindness and understanding, even though I had been nothing but rude to him in the past. He helped me when I had nothing to give him in return. Was he changing?

I couldn't forget, but could I forgive?

Could I ever allow myself to forgive a blackened past, even if there was a guaranteed pearly-white future? Or would I be living in a constant state of grey?

No matter what I thought of him, I still needed his help to solve the case.

I also needed to find my camera.

It didn't turn up anywhere that I had looked, and I looked everywhere, including my car. As I drove myself to work, I retraced my steps in my head. I definitely used it the last night I followed Mr. Harrison, but that was the last time I remembered that I for sure had it. After that, I put it in my bag and went to Dad's for dinner. The next time I remembered taking things out was at the office the next afternoon, before I went to The Bromm. Which was where my clothes still were.

I guess I had a few stops to make sometime between work and meeting with Charlie that evening.

I had hoped that getting back to a semi-normal routine would be great, but after only a half hour, I was bored, and my mind was wandering again.

I had been telling everyone that I tripped on the sidewalk to explain away my injuries. I didn't want the pity and concern that came with the truth. It was much better that everyone thought I was clumsy than a helpless victim. I had a reputation to protect, after all.

Naomi usually didn't come into work until 10, so I was surprised when she showed up half an hour early. She seemed surprised to see me, too.

"Callie, what are you doing here?" she said as soon as she noticed my presence.

"I'm scheduled to work today, aren't I?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, but..." she sighed and set her tote bag down on the counter. "I heard about your sister. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thanks," I said. I had gotten a few of those already that morning.

"I didn't expect you to come into work today. You can take the whole week off. In fact, I think you should. I definitely don't mind."

"But the job shadow is today, isn't it?"

"Yes, but–"

"I'd rather be here, if you don't mind. It helps me keep my mind off things."