Royals - Rafe Cameron

Chapter Four - Hard to Believe

The rest of their journey was trapped in an awkward silence. El had given him a second chance, but she wasn't going to speak to him. She held her bag close, eyes trained out of the window.

Luckily for her, Rafe knew the way to John B's place. Probably from the amount of times he'd been forced to pick Sarah up.

He pulled up outside and killed the engine. "What're you doing tonight?" He asked before El had a chance to climb out of the Jeep.

"Working."

"Give me a time and a place and I'll be there to keep you company." He watched El for some kind of reaction, a reaction he wasn't going to get. "You said you'd give me a second chance, so actually give it to me instead of ignoring me."

"I never said I'd give you a second chance. I just didn't climb out of the car."

"Actions speak louder than words."

Rafe wasn't bad, just misguided, El told herself. Not bad, just misguided. "I'm at the Wreck from five till ten," she said quickly and climbed out of the Jeep.

"I'll be there!" Rafe called before El could slam the door shut.

She could feel the rest of the Pogues watching her as she moved towards The Château. As usual, they were on the porch, Kie and JJ passing a joint between them, Pope listing something and Sarah on John B's lap.

"Whats going on, guys?" Asked El as she stepped onto the porch. She placed her bag down and took a seat beside her brother.

"Oh, nothing." Kie looked down at her nails, mocking the act of checking them for chips in the paint. "We're all just wondering why you didn't answer your phone last night, abruptly cut the call short this morning and why you climbed out of Toppers Jeep."

Els face paled. "That was Toppers Jeep? I thought it was Rafes."

"And why were you with my brother?" Sarah pressed.

El didn't really have an answer for that yet. "Bumped into each other," she muttered like a guilty child.

"Is he why you weren't picking up your phone last night?"

"Maybe."

JJ's face went red. He stood from the couch and stormed from The Château porch. "JJ, wait!" El called and ran after her brother. "It isn't like that! He's the king of the kooks, you know I wouldn't! He just bought me pizza, we talked and fell asleep." She grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

He stopped, arms crossed and haw clenched. "Still doesn't explain what you were doing with him in the first place."

"I don't have an explanation for that. He just showed up and I'm not exactly strong enough to move Rafe Cameron." But he still didn't look satisfied. "We've got the whole day to do whatever we want, okay? Let's leave this be until later and do something fun."

Moderately satisfied with her answer, JJ started back towards The Château. "Have you had breakfast yet this morning? He asked as El linked her arm through his.

"No time. I woke up late and forgot to walk Pickles until the last minute."

Getting to The Chateau, JJ left to go and make her breakfast while El took her seat beside the rest of the Pogues. "Thanks for covering for me last night," she said and offered Kie a smile. "Are you on a shift tonight?"

Kie shook her head. "We had a movie night planned, remember? You were supposed to ask my dad for the night off."

"Cocks," El whispered under her breath. "Guys, I completely forgot and I promised your dad I would cover the floor." The floor, it was another, politer way of saying waitressing. "But I'll make it up to you and bring you each something from the diner."

The diner was neutral grounds between The Cut and Figure Eight. It was where they had met with Kie before she was officially made a Pogue and had the best pancakes in the worlds. The waffles were pretty damn good and so was the coffee. "We'll make you a list," Pope said with a grin. Out of al of her boys, he was Els favourite. Always tried his hardest and did his homework, stayed away from drugs and mostly alcohol. El had never picked him up from detention or from the hospital. Unlike that idiot brother of hers.

JJ walked back out onto the porch with a plate stacked high with toast. "Holy shit, JJ. Is that bread even in date?"

"The mould just adds more flavour." He put the plate down in front of his sister.

El pushed it away. This was why she was the cook in the Maybank household. "I'll just get something to eat later." 

That was where the Pogues stayed. They spent their day on the porch, plans interrupted by a freak rain storm. 

Eventually, El was forced to leave. John B offered to drive her, but she  turned him down, claiming to enjoy the rain against her skin. It was bollocks, they all knew, but they let her go. There was nothing more stubborn than a Maybank.

El arrived at The Wreck a few minutes before five. She apologised to Mr Carrera for the night before, tied her apron around her waist and set to work. There were very few people in The Wreck that night. Their orders were ready to go and she ran them out before taking her place behind the counter. 

She began stocking up everything behind the counter, taking inventory and wiping things down. She placed the red and white napkins into the baskets and hung the display glasses up behind her. The Wreck rarely sold coffee, and the few white mugs were hung up above the coffee machine. 

At six in the evening, Rafe Cameron and Topper Thornton walked in. They were without their usual third party member, Kelce, and sat down at the first available table. Topper wasn't meant to be there; Rafe was meant to come alone. Not that El ever said that and not that Rafe ever agreed. 

Brushing off her apron, El brandished her notepad and pen and walked over to their table. "What can I get you boys?" She asked with a polite smile.

And that was how their night progressed. El brought them their food and would refill Rafes soda every time he looked at her. Somehow, he eventually got Topper to clear off and came and sat at the front counter.

It took El one minute to clear their table and wipe it down. She wiped her brow and came to stand back behind the counter opposite Rafe. "Why's you bring Topper?" She asked, mindlessly wiping it down.

"He wouldn't let me use his jeep," Rafe answered and took a sip of his soda. "What time do you finish, again?"

El looked up at the clock on the wall. Not soon enough. She placed the damp wash cloth back into the basket went to grab him another soda. On the house, she told herself, not quite sure if she had that kind of power. "I've got an hour left. I promised the boys and your sister that I'd get them some stuff from the diner on my way home."

"Great, I'll walk you."

That wasn't a very good idea. Nobody hated Kooks and the Camerons more than JJ. He was angry enough when El got out of a Kooks car; this would push him over the edge. 

"Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Spending time with me. A Maybank. A Pogue."

Rafe drummed his fingers against the counter. "El, I don't care that you're a Pogue. I like hanging out with you. Is that so hard to believe?"

Yeah, actually. It was.