Strings of Fate

Cam 20- Numbers and noticing The next morning | wake up to about fifty missed calls from my mother and grandmother as well as calls from an unknown number. I'd bet anything the unknown calls are from Simon. I'm sure my family gave my number to him since they happily gave him my workplace. | guess it’s a good thing | haven't told them where | live although it’s probably only a matter of time. | groan and bury my head in my pillows as my phone starts to ring again. | know | didn’t want to cut them off entirely, but maybe it is tto start thinking about changing my phone number after all. | still know where they live. It’s not like | couldn't track them down if | wanted to. But no, unless | choose to completely cut them off and move away, far away, they will be able to trackdown eventually and they're just stubborn enough to do it. | drag myself out of bed and hop into the shower. | end up taking sextra twith my hair and makeup today, styling my waves carefully and applying more makeup than | usually bother with because I look just as exhausted as | feel and even if | don’t agree with her about everything | always did like my grandmother's advice when it comes to bad days. Control what | can. Which basically just means myself. | might be exhausted but that doesn’t mean | need to LOOK like a mess. It's amazing the difference that the confidence gained from taking a little extra tto get ready can actually make and how much easier it can make a day feel. | have to get to work early today because I'm expecting a delivery. | drag myself out of my house, shove headphones on and head to work listening to my playlist. Maybe if | play the music loud enough, | can drown out my own thoughts, specifically the voices of my mother and grandmother that seem to be permanently stuck in my brain.

| sort out the delivery then go to hang out in my work room. | should probably do something productive or useful, but I just don’t feel like it. | end up sitting on the bench in my work room, scrolling through my phone and reading the messages my family sent.

Mum- Did you get a chance to talk to Simon? He said he was going to track you down! See, | told you he hasn't given up on you yet.

Mum- Honey? How did it go? | know it’s been a few years but he hasn't changed. He's still very handsome, isn’t he? Not to mention he has THREE Witch sisters. Imagine that. Three new Witches to add to the coven! Plus it shows they have plenty of magic in their blood. You're practically guaranteed magical children. He's perfect! Grandma- Your mother and | have spent a lot of tsetting this up for you. Don’t waste the chance. You won't find a better match.

1/3 Cam 20- Numbers and noticing Mum- WHAT. DID. YOU. DO? | set everything up for you perfectly and you drive him away! And what's this Simon is tellingabout sIncubus boyfriend? | have assured him that he misunderstood the situation somehow.

I've given him your phone number and he’s going to call you to sort things out.

Unknown- What the hell is going on here? | was promised an explanation and now you won't even answer the phone? Bitch.

Mum- | don’t care what you're doing. You need to call Simon back.

Mum- Are you ignoring me? Answer your damn phone Camille.

It's like it hasn't even occurred to them that | would have been ASLEEP, or working. I'm still getting calls and texts right now and they're getting increasingly unhappy. I'm starting to regret my makeup after all because | am about two seconds away from crying and raccoon eyes are not a good look. | hear a tapping sound at the front of the building which jerks met out of my thoughts. Who is it? | already received the delivery and the bar doesn’t open for a few hours yet. I'm halfway to the door when | freeze in place. What if it’s Simon again? Or worse, my grandmother? The door rattles again and I'm about to dart back into my work. room to pretend I’m not here when a familiar voice calls out.

“Cam? | know you're in there. The lights are on and you were expecting a delivery today. Can | cin or are you really going to makewait out here until you open?” Harry speaks loud enough that | suspect the entire street can hear him. I roll my eyes. He's so tic. | unlock the door and let him in.

“Seriously Harry, was it necessary to announce your presence to the entire street?” | joke. He shrugs.

“Well how else was | meant to get your attention? It's not like | can call you since you keep refusing to giveyour number.” He says pointedly. Oh he has a point. | roll my eyes and can’t repress a smile.

“Oh all right. | guess it’s only fair.” | give him my number. What's he going to do? Texta hundred times a day? Calland try to flirt? Senda dirty picture? All of those things. would be a nice change from the constant harassment I'm getting now. Harry immediately enters it into his phone and calls me, except | left my phone in the other room.

2/3 Cam 20- Numbers and noticing “You have to save my number, okay? That way you can callwhen you want to test potions, or if you need someone to walk you home, or if you just want company. Really you should just call me. | don’t care why.” Harry insists.

“Yeah, yeah. I'll save your number.” | agree.

“Awesome! | need to text the group chat and tell them | finally got your number. Ryann has been teasingabout it for WEEKS.” He crows, absolutely delighted. It's sort of adorable that he is so excited about something as small as my phone number.

“What's this group chat you're talking about?” I ask curiously. Harry grins.

“It was originally just myself, Ryann and Megan, but they added their partners and Aaron plus Amber and it’s just slowly expanded. We use it as a sort of running feed on our lives and a place to ask each other advice. Mostly it’s just everyone waiting to hear about my romantic failures though.” Harry sighs.

“Romantic failures?“ demand. Harry shrugs.

“Well sure. | mean how many times have | asked you out and failed to make progress? It took weeks forto even get you to noticeat all. You seem weirdly resistant to my charms.” He points out. He thinks I'm ‘resistant to his charms’ like he thinks his magic doesn’t work on me? | can barely keep from throwing myself at him most of the time! And WEEKS to notice him? I notice everyone! It's what | do. | watch them, make drinks and make sure they're safe and having fun. Does he really think it was even remotely possible that | didn’t immediately notice him? He's not exactly subtle, is he? On the bright side, at least this means he hasn't realised how badly | want him. Because wanting something does not mean it's good forand | refuse to let him break my heart.

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