Scars To Your Beautiful : A Modern Beauty and the Beast retelling ✔

7. Things fall in place

"He dropped the charges?" Callie blurted excitedly. Naomi sent a quizzical look her way. Callie let herself calm down quickly. She still wasn't ready to share her problems with anyone, except family.

Aunt Georgia's response was just as ecstatic. "Damn straight, he did. How did you do it?"

Callie admitted. "It ended on a completely bad note and I was sure he was pissed at me. I'm just as surprised as you are."

"Well, we need to celebrate. I was hoping to send him a fruit basket to show our thanks."

Callie blurted the words out. "Let me do it." For a second, she wished she could take it all back, especially when she remembered how little the rich kid could stand her.  Still, Callie had a niggling feeling in her head telling her that she owed him a little bit of thanks for doing this.

Callie could detect the questioning tone in Aunt Georgia's voice, considering how high it went. "You want to send the fruit basket?"

"Yes. I was a little rude to him and I wish I wasn't. I want to apologize in person. I really didn't expect him to do any of that." It baffled the hell out of her that he changed his mind. What if he had an ulterior motive? She remembered the dark hues of his glittering, green eyes rimmed with flecks of light that seemed unflinched to her pleas. He looked hell bent on not changing his mind but this actually had her questioning his intentions.

Callie groaned. She was already sounding like dad. Doubting every action of a person. He was really rubbing off on her, more than she thought.

"Well, I'll send him another basket later on. It's good you're trying to make up for your actions." Aunt Georgia commented softly.

Callie said her goodbyes then hung up. Naomi raised an eyebrow. "I could ask what's wrong but I know you won't tell me, so don't bother."

While Callie couldn't completely deny it, she felt a pang of hurt buried in her. She protested. "Naomi, it's—"

"Come on, we'll miss first period. The alarm bell just rang and we'll be screwed if we get late for French." Callie could only sigh, as she followed her friend to class.

****
Edgar Callum frowned deeply. "We heard you dropped the charges."

Larkin's jaw ticked. "News travels fast."

Light blue eyes narrowed underneath his thick rimmed glasses. "As your lawyer and family confidant, I was hoping you'd inform me first, rather than hearing it from naysayers."

"I knew you'd oppose to it. I apologize if I skipped any of that. It was just something that had to be done."

Edgar Callum leaned into the brown leather sofa. His grey suit creased against its padded form, making it give a small squeak. "What made you change your mind? You were determined to remain on the good graces of the board."

Larkin pressed his lips together in a grim line, when he remembered the pleading look in her eyes that looked like sweet caramel plopped around white chocolate. He'd have to be crazy to tell his lawyer that he did it for a girl. Callum would go crazy.

Callum had been in the family for almost three decades. His once taffy brown hair had greyed into patches of tweed grey bristles entwined into it, and he had also managed to lose a lot of pounds on his once stocky body. Besides his little physical changes within the past decade, Callum's attitude never actually changed. He remained so stoic and wore his no-nonsense attitude as an accessory like the suede shoes on his feet. He certainly wouldn't approve of his reason. Hell, Larkin couldn't think of a more convincing reason for what he did. It was impulsive and reckless. Something Larkin hadn't let himself feel in a long while.