Royals - Rafe Cameron

Chapter Seven - Giving Her This Chance

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"You swindled him, El."

"I did not swindle him!"

"Yeah! You distracted him and we got out with the maps. That sounds like a swindle to me."

Maybe it was becoming a habit. Running away from Rafe Cameron when things were going well. He buys her coffee, El runs away. He kisses her, El runs away. It wasn't as if she wasn't enjoying it or something, quite the opposite, actually. But as soon as she spotted the Pogues running out of the house, she took off running.

El launched herself into the van and crashed into Pope. "It happened again," she said with a groan. Her head fell into her hands and she squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't believe it happened again."

The rest of the Pogues, everyone but John B (who was driving) turned to her and raised their eyebrows. "Did something happen with Rafe?" Asked JJ. He climbed over his seat and placed his arm around El. "What did he do? I'll beat the shit out of him."

"He didn't do anything," she mumbled and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her cheek fell onto her knee and she looked up at the window, eyes wet with unshed tears. "He kissed me and I ran away. Why did I run away, JJ? Why the fuck did I run away?"

JJ squeezed her shoulder and gave her a grim smile. He couldn't tell her, but he was relieved. Rafe Cameron was a bad guy and JJ couldn't see why El wasn't seeing that. "You're too good for him, El," he said like Rafe had just broken her heart.

"No I'm not." Her words were muffled behind her hands.

El suddenly pushed her brother away and got to her feet (rather unsteadily in the moving vehicle). "JB, stop the van!" She called over the noise of the engine. "Stop the van and let me out!"

Slowing the van, John B pulled over. He and the rest of the Pogues watched as El threw the door open and ran back the way they had just come. "You're not going to stop her?" Asked Sarah Cameron.

JJ shook his head. "She's a Maybank. Nothing can stop her now."

***

Running to the Cameron House in the middle of summer definitely wasn't one of Els best ideas. By the time she made it to the front door she was a sweaty and dishevelled.

But there was no backing out of it now.

She pressed the door bell, waited impatiently for an answer and then resorted to banging her fist against the door. "Rafe, open up!" She shouted between knocks. "Please, its El!"

After a couple more minutes of this, the door finally opened. Rafe stood there, his once perfect hair a mess. He leaned against the door, one hand in his pocket, his face expressionless. "I'm sorry," she said instantly and looked up at him with wide eyes. "I did it again and I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

For a moment, Rafe considered it. He looked down at her, arms cross over his chest. He wasn't going to forgive her. El's lip quivered. He suddenly opened his arms and El launched herself into his embrace. "I don't deserve this," she whispered against his shirt. "Why are you giving me this chance?"

"Has anybody ever given you a chance before, El?" He asked softly. 

She shook her head. "I've never needed them to. I've never needed anybody."

"Now you've got me."

There they stayed, huddled in the doorway. El held his shirt in her fists, her face against  his chest and Rafe kissed the top of her head. Baby steps, he told himself, desperate to keep her there and not scare her off. "You said we used to dance together," El mumbled. "Can we dance now?"