The Enemy Beside Me

Chapter One

Constance

           "Right there, perfect!"

I snapped the picture of the young couple who I couldn't refuse to take a picture of. The setting was just perfect. On top of that, it was hard to ignore the way the guy looked at his girlfriend like she was the only woman in the world. It was one of those rare moments in time that had to be captured by a photo. Nothing else could capture a ripple in time as perfect as a still photograph. That's why photography has become my passion over the last several years.

The woman giggled excitedly. "Can we see?"

"Of course!"

I carefully rotated my camera around to let them see. This camera cost me a fortune, but it was necessary for my line of work. It wasn't easy trying to make a living off capturing perfect photos, but it was something I loved to do. The lady gasped when she saw the picture, telling me everything I needed to know. She loved it as much as I loved capturing it.

She smiled at me. "You truly have a gift with that camera. Not everyone can capture such beauty in a single picture. Do you sell your work? We would love to purchase this picture from you so we can hang it in our new home."

That was a question I had never been asked before. Most of my work was kept private. Not even my own family has seen the photographs that I have captured. That wasn't because I wasn't proud of my work. It's just that showing something so intricate and close to my heart to my family was a huge deal. It was a step that I wasn't quite ready to share.

"I'll tell you what," I started as I pulled out my phone and handed it to her. "Put your number in there, and I will send you over a copy free of charge. I don't do this to make money. I do it because it's my passion. I'll be more than happy to share that with the two of you as long as you give me permission to keep this photo for myself as well."

She looked into her boyfriend's eyes like she was waiting for approval. Once he nodded his head, her entire mood changed as if she were happier. "Great! Thank you for this, and good luck. I hope to see your work advertised in the city one day."

I said my goodbyes and continued to walk across the street. I was a part-time student in college studying photography. There wasn't much that I didn't already know about the art form but going to college kept me busy.

My parents didn't live too far from where I stayed now. My father wouldn't dare to ever let me live more than an hour away from them. He says it's because he worries about my safety, but I've lived in Milan my entire life. I wasn't naïve enough to think that bad things didn't happen in this city because they often did, but due to the power that my family had, no one messed with me.

Milan was beautiful and the ideal place to live for a photographer like myself. There wasn't a place in this city that wasn't worth capturing. The museums were massive in size and held the most beautiful works of art. Our restaurants were to die for, serving only the best cuisine the world has ever seen. Still, with all its beauty, I always felt like something was missing in my life.

I was a twenty-three-year-old woman in the heart of the city. Overall, my life was everything anyone would ever want, but it was always the same. Nothing exciting often happened in my life, but I clung to it when it did.

Most of the time that I was in classes, I daydreamed about what I would do that night or even over the weekend. Today was no different. As I sat in class, I wondered if a new exciting chapter in my life would present itself today. As much as I loved photography, I needed something new to keep me occupied, at least for a little while.

After class was over, I grabbed my camera and prepared to leave. I barely made it out the door before I heard my name being screamed through the hallway.

"Constance! There you are! We have been looking for you. It's Friday and it's girls' night out. Time to get wasted and make bad decisions. Tell me that you are in. You bailed on us last time we all decided to go out."

That was my good friend Angie. We had a small group of friends that got together some weekends to hit the bars and clubs to let loose after a long week of drilling classes. I hadn't been out with them in a few weeks for multiple reasons. I was busy scouring the streets, looking for my next big photo. On top of that, the last time we went out was a disaster. My friends tried hooking me up with this super-hot Italian. It wouldn't have been a problem if he didn't talk about himself in the third person the entire night. Not only was it strange, but it was also annoying as hell. I loved to let loose as much as any girl on a Friday night, but I couldn't get past the way he talked about himself. So, that night ended with me going home alone and scooping ice cream into my mouth while watching TV.

Angie hit my shoulder playfully, not patient enough to wait on my response. "Okay, Angie. I guess I will try again, but you know how it went the last time we hung out together. If you guys try to set me up with one more douchebag, I'm going to kill you."

She laughed and placed her arm in mine as we walked out of the building together. "I know that you love me. You don't have to say it out loud for me to know it's the truth. Besides, how was I supposed to know that guy was a total jackass? He was f*****g hot, and you know it. However, I promise to be more selective in the future. Scouts honor," she said as she held up two fingers stuck closely together.

"You are such a nerd," I laughed.

"Eh. I've been called worse."

Angie walked me to my apartment, which was only a few blocks from the school. She didn't live far from where I stayed, but she never stuck around my place for long. It wasn't in the worse neighborhood by far, but it wasn't in a great part of town. My parents offered to pay for my apartment, but I refused. I've never been one to take handouts from anyone. Earning my way was a lot more rewarding. The idea of not having to depend on someone was freeing. If I allowed my parents to pay for me a place, I would never be able to pay them back for it, and that wasn't something I could do.

"Catch you in a few hours. Same bar at eight o'clock. Don't be late this time, or we will start without you," Angie said as she continued to walk down the sideway, waving her hand in the air behind her.

As soon as I got inside, I placed my bags down on the kitchen counter and reached inside my fridge for water. Since I was practically broke, I had nothing else in my fridge to drink, so water had become my new best friend.

When my phone began to ring, I almost ignored it, thinking it was Angie calling to warn me one last time to not flake on her. However, when I picked it up, it was my mother. That was a call I would never refuse to take since we were so close.

"Hey, mama."

"Hey, sweetheart. How is school going?"

I brought my water over to my sofa with me and took a seat as I began flipping through the channels on my small TV to occupy me as I talked. "It's okay. You know how I feel about it. Sometimes I feel as if I can't learn anything more than what I already know. Then there are times where I feel like my ego is saying that to me, trying to keep me from seeing it through." I was always transparent with my mother. She knew everything there was to know about my life and always showed her support whether she liked the idea or not.

"You are a talented young woman, Constance. We will support you if you feel like it's your time to stop and do your own thing. You know that."

The thing was, I did know that, but I would feel bad because my dad paid for me to go to college in the first place. Since I refused to take his money for a nicer apartment, we came to an agreement where he could at least pay my way through college. My parents were wealthy and had more than enough money for both, but I wanted to earn it.

"Thanks, mama. How are things at home?"

Even through the phone, I could hear her smile. She loved it whenever I asked about home because it made her still feel close to me even though we weren't that far from one another. "It's wonderful as always. Your father has released a new line in his brand, which is keeping him busy."

My father owned his own clothing line. He didn't tell me much about his past, other than this isn't what he always did with his life. He was a tough man on the exterior but had always shown his love to his family. To others, not so much. Everyone knew my father as someone they didn't want to cross. I didn't blame them. If you didn't know him, he could be one scary guy. His size alone would intimate anyone.

"That's great. How is everything with the garden going?"

"Amazing, but I miss having you here to give me an extra pair of hands. It keeps me busy, so I don't mind it. You know that gardening is one of my many passions in life. So, I wanted to call you to see if you wanted to get lunch sometime next week. Your father will be around that area meeting some men for his new line. While he does that, I figured we could spend some quality time together."

I think a little time with my mom was exactly what I needed. "Yeah. That sounds great. I only have one class next week, so any day besides Wednesday will work. Have you heard from Brock at all?"

Brock was my younger brother. He was just as intimating as my father but lived a few hours from Milan, living a life of his own. He had accomplished so much at such a young age that you wouldn't believe we were siblings. He was only two years younger than me but had accomplished much more than I ever had. Brock took a more sensible career path and got into marketing. He owned his own marketing building, making him one of the wealthiest men in this area.

Mom laughed. "Forgive me, but I find it strange for you to be asking about your brother when you never have before. Are you feeling okay?"

Brock and I had that sibling rivalry down to a tee. We obviously cared for one another but were always in competition with each other. Whenever we were in the same room, most people couldn't stand to be around us. All we would do was fight and bicker. It drove my parents crazy.

"I guess you're right. Just making conversation. Well, I have to run off. Angie invited me out for a girls' night since last time went so well."

My mom knew about everything in my life and never judged me for any decision I made. I think she was happy that I was enjoying life and having fun. "Just promise to be careful and if you need anything, call me. Have fun, sweety."

Ending the call was bittersweet. I was ready to have some fun tonight, but I missed being at home and seeing my parents every day. It was a lot different being out in the real world and fending for myself, but I wouldn't have it any other way.