The Opposite of Love

Ch 38

Once I found out where I was, I slowly but surely made my way back to Riggs' jewelry store, where Charlie's car was waiting. It was easy to remember the address now that I had that handy substitution cipher.

I was relieved to find Charlie waiting for me in his car, and even more relieved that Riggs and Harrison were nowhere in sight.

The first thing I noticed was that Charlie didn't look sad anymore. He didn't look angry, either. He didn't look anything. He was emotionless. A robot.

"What do we do about Harrison and Riggs?" he asked, barely glancing at me as I got into the passenger seat and buckled my seatbelt. He began driving, I assumed back to Brommendale.

All business, then. I could handle that. In theory, it would be better that way.

"I have an idea, actually." I waited for a 'do tell,' or an 'is that so," but he stayed silent.

I understood what he was doing. But that didn't mean I had to like it.

I continued. "Riggs said I got some photos of Goodman on my camera. I think they automatically uploaded to somewhere after I took them. If I can find them, maybe that will be enough to convince my dad, or maybe even yours."

"Maybe. Maybe not. We'll have to see the photos first."

"So take me home, then. We can look around on my computer and see if we can figure out where they upload to. I think there was a website or something."

"You think?" Normally, he would have said this in a teasing tone. Or maybe even playful. But this time, it came out almost angry. But not quite, because anger is an emotion, and he was emotionless. All the better to push me away.

"I probably wrote it down somewhere, so if I look on my desk, I might stumble across it, and then it'll be a piece of cake."

"You probably wrote it down, and you might stumble across it. That doesn't sound like a piece of cake."

"Well, it's the best we've got," I said, sounding slightly bitter. I was getting frustrated at this new coping mechanism.

"It wouldn't have to be the best we've got if you were a little more organized."

"Well, I wasn't expecting to have my camera stolen, now, was I? I would have had an SD card filled with photos if I still had my camera, and then I wouldn't need to use the website. It's not my fault."

"A fraction of it is not your fault," he corrected.

I took a deep breath, doing my best not to punch him in the face. Not that it would do any good. With my luck lately, his face would be as stone cold and hardened as his expression.

The way he was acting, I didn't want to be around him any more than I needed to. It was exactly what he wanted, but at this point, I didn't care.

"Why don't you just drop me off at my apartment, and I'll let you know when I find it," I suggested, my voice almost calm enough to pass as polite. Almost.

"Fine."

We rode the rest of the trip in silence.

When we finally arrived on my block, I unbuckled and gathered my stuff, opening the door to dash out the second the car stopped. He apparently felt the same way; he drove away the second the car door closed.

When I got inside my apartment, I momentarily thought it was tossed again. There were papers everywhere, more than I recalled ever owning. But then I remembered that that was exactly how I left it. The files Charlie and I had been looking through earlier that afternoon before we figured it all out.