Strings of Fate

Cam 43- Love and longing It's my day off and | am lying on the couch and scrolling through the messages Harry has sentover the last week and fighting the urge to just invite him over. | could ask him out, but I doubt | could resist the urge to invite him hwithafterwards and besides that, he’s been spending all his twith me. Even working in my back room, | doubt he’s totally up to date with his own work. It isn’t fair ofto monopolise all his time. Not to mention he has other friends that he’s probably been neglecting because he spends so much twith me. | know he has lunch plans with Ryann so I should let him be. Everyone says that Harry is the clingy one, followingaround and demanding attention, but I'm starting to think that I might be just as bad. One morning away from him and I'm antsy, missing him and his constant presence. Usually Harry is my distraction, but now | need a distraction from thinking about him! Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but | open my muted conversation with my mother to see what she’s sent me. If she’s decided to get over her issues then I'll be thrilled and if not... well at least I'll be distracted.

Mum- Cam, when you're done sulking | would like you to cover for dinner this weekend..

Mum- Dinner will be served at six, don’t be late! Mum- Cam, are you running late? Mum-Dinner is getting cold! We're waiting for you! Mum- This is very immature of you. All | wanted was a nice family dinner and because of you everything is ruined. Your father is very disappointed. He misses you.

Mum- Would it really have been so difficult to sit through a single meal with Simon? Mum-You never really gave him a chance.

Mum- We only want what's best for you darling...

Mum- Look sweetheart, Simon is leaving town and going hat the end of the week. You should at least see him before then. Say goodbye, don’t completely burn that bridge. But if you REALLY don’t want to see him | guess that’s okay.

1/4 07 Cam 43- Love and longing.

My heart leaps. Is my mother finally giving up and accepting that | am not going to let her just marryoff? | keep reading. The most recent message was sent yesterday.

Mum- Simon isn’t the ONLY acceptable option. If you cby sometthis week we can talk about sother appropriate choices. There are at least a couple more acceptable prospects, although none who live so close. But you are a talented Witch so they might be willing to relocate. We can still find you a decent husband.

| don’t understand why she doesn’t see that | have no interest in marrying a stranger. The only man | could imagine spending the rest of my life with is a mouthy Incubus and- woah. | cut off my own thoughts as my brain stalls. Did | seriously just think that? | know I've gotten attached to Harry, but to want to spend my life with him... to think that | wouldn't mind MARRYING him? Incubi don’t DO long term relationships. | couldn't have chosen a worse man to fall for. But at the st| don’t think | could have picked a better man either. How the hell am | going to face him now? | love him, I'm in love with him. | have been for a while and I've just been denying it. But would it really be so bad to try? As it is, my heart is going to be broken when he leaves either way, | might as well just give it my y all in the meantime. It's tforto stop just going along with things and to actually try for what | really want. The first thing | do is message my mother back.

Cam- Mum, | have told you before and I will tell you again, | am not going to agree to marry sguy that you pick out for me. | actually already have feelings for someone else. You won't approve of him but | just don’t care.

My love life is none of your business. I'm happy and | don’t need your help to find myself a partner.

+1 I'm actually furious. Since I'm already pissed off, | decide to just roll with the anger and read my messages from Simon as well. There are literally hundreds of them and the more I scroll the more alarmed | become. | should have looked at this earlier. He is beyond obsessive. He has clearly been stalking me, there are several photos of Harry and | out and about, there are pictures of him kissinggoodnight which haveshuddering realising that all those private moments had a very hostile audience. Simon insults Harry and his messages get more. and more threatening. As | look back through the older messages | find pictures of the vandalism on my bar. Freshly painted. | thought that Simon was too proud to do something. like that but clearly | was wrong. He is proud, too proud to lose a woman he thinks he is entitled to, particularly not to an Incubus. But apparently that pride means he thinks that he is justified in whatever ridiculous behaviour he feels is necessary. The more messages | read with him becoming increasingly threatening and disrespectful the angrier | get. He's gone too. far, he vandalised my bar and then SENTEVIDENCE? Clearly he’s an idiot. | am going to Bo 07 2/4 Cam 43- Love and longing have to report him to the police. But not tonight, first | need to go talk to Harry. Simon’s idiotic ranting has just madeeven more determined to tell Harry how | feel. I'll go to the police first thing in the morning. | can ask Harry to go withsince he’s seen Simon going off atbefore, plus he’s being threatened in these messages just as much as | am.

Still in a temper, | call Harry. It rings for less than three seconds and he answers quickly.

“Cam! | didn’t expect you to call. What's up?” he greetscheerfully. | hear muffled speech in the background and Harry responds quietly.

“I'll tell her.” He turns his attention back to me.

“Ryann says hi and that she wants to catch up sometsoon and you should text her when you're free.” | am about to make sgeneric polite response, but | actually genuinely do want to see her. It would be nice to get to know Harry's friends a little more. | already know that | like them, but the more involved | becin his life, the harder it will be when he moves on. But it’s worth a shot: Maybe I'll get to keep him a little longer with his friend's encouragement.

“I'll definitely do that. I'm sorry to interrupt your lunch, but | wanted to know if you wanted to go out for dinner tonight?” My voice tilts up towards the end in a question. Harry is weirdly quiet for a moment. Does he not want to go? “Harry?” | prompt.

“Oh sorry! | was just in shock. You've never invitedout before. I'm always the one who calls you. And | thought that you were taking a break fromtoday.” | never actually TOLD him that | was trying to get sspace, but Harry is a lot more observant than people give him credit for.

+1 Bo 07 “Yeah, | did want space, | thought about it and changed my mind. Space is overrated. | want to hang out. So, dinner?” Harry agrees and we make plans to meet up. As | hang up the phone | can hear him basically gushing to Ryann that | asked HIM out. His excitement and honesty makesmile and | know that I'm making the right decision.