'Safe with Rafe' Y/N x Rafe Cameron

Chapter LVI

The closet kiss with Rafe made you feel warm inside, reminding you of how happy you felt with him and making you reconsider your whole ordeal you had this morning at the beach.
Maybe it wasn't air that you needed but Rafe exclusively instead, only to be with Rafe.

As you near the study rooms door, you release your hand out of Rafes. The loss of his warmth feels uncomfortable as the houses regular coldness rushes to where his hand used to be and it feels lonely.
Rafe feels the same as his lips press into a frown at the very much expected but sudden movement of your hand as it finds its place on the door knob, turning it with a click which puts Rafe into a state of seriousness as he rearranges his messy clothes quickly, his posture straightening into a professional one as he dreads meeting his father and the rest of the unwanted company being the Beckets.

You push the door open to see Zane and his father huddled around a white board where your father had drawn a diagram of property plans, the creak of the door gathering their undivided attention.
"Your fellow henchmen." You say, gesturing towards the four men with a mockingly bow.
Rafe flashes a nervous smile towards you before looking up to meet his fathers gaze that was almost unreadable but a hint of delight behind his otherwise stone cold eyes, happy that Rafe at least showed up to anything business related.
"Son." He greets with a nod.
"Well, if it isn't Rafe Cameron." Mr.Becket says, "how are you?"
"Just peachy sir." Rafe responds. He looks towards Zane, giving him a subtly deceitful stare before nodding to him a hello and Zane does the same.
"Hello, sweetheart! Aren't you just a sight for sore eyes." Your mother says as she pinches Rafes cheek, slightly tipsy with alcohol on her breath, her famous bourbons to be exact. Rafe only smiles into her adorning and motherly touch but Ward doesn't find it at all impressive.
"Would you like one?" Your mother asks, offering him a fancily garnished beverage.
"Thank you, Mrs.Y/L/N." He smiles as he takes the glass from her outstretched hand, "you always do make the best drinks."
Your mother smiles dearly at Rafe before turning her attention towards you beside him.
"Are the vegetables done?" She asks plainly, a tone very different from the one she just used with Rafe.
"Yes, they're boiling now and then dinner will be ready." You answer, causing Mr.Becket to rub his hands together excitedly.
"Mm! Can't wait!"

After the three fathers conclude their meeting, dinner was pronounced ready while plates and utensils can be heard clinging together as your mother sets up the table.
You and Rafe seated side by side while Zane sits opposite of you two and the three other men at the very end of the table with your mother.

Rafe pulls your chair out from underneath the table, letting you take a seat before pushing you in gently and then taking his own. You look beside you to face him, smiling at him and his gentlemanly etiquette you had no idea he even had and he smiles back, his eyes full of love towards you as he secretively rubs his hand on your thigh beneath the table. Not passionately but securely, letting you know that he loves you dearly.
Zane seems to be the only other person at the table to notice this as he glares at the space where your arm and Rafes disappear out of sight. Your father realises Zanes hardened face, starting a conversation while everybody else happily digs into their dinner.
"So, Zane, your thoughts on the project?" He asks.
Zane whips his head up to your father, wide eyed at the sudden interest in his opinion considering he was only acknowledged as a little guy in the whole thing, an underling to your father especially.
"Uh, yeah. It's good." He responds shortly before turning his attention back to you again, "would be great to see some involvement from Y/N."

Both you and Rafe look up from each other to towards Zane, confused at the mention of your name in a project you had no part in. Suspicion sparks from Rafe once again as he removes his hand from your thigh and onto his knife, cutting into his food at last and almost aggressively as if he was hoping it was something or somebody else instead.

"From my daughter?" Your father asks as he turns towards you, "I didn't think you'd be interested in it, Y/N."
"She'd love it being partnered with me sir, I can teach her the ropes if she'd like." Zane adds, a crooked smirk plastered on his face as he switches his attention between you and Rafe, desperate for a reaction from either.
"Actually, she's more into wildlife conservation." Rafe says confidently as he thinks back to the books you had stacked up in your room. The smallest of details he had even bothered to take note of made you smile to yourself.

Your father smiles an entertained smile towards Rafe while Rafe didn't seem too chirpy himself. Your father however, was proud of him for putting Zane back into his place.

"Oh! That reminds me, Y/N, have you taken up my wife's offer?" Mr.Becket asks as oblivious as always, his ability to read the room for whatever reason was nonexistent.
"Umm, I haven't really given it much thought to be honest with you Mr.Becket." You reply.
"It'd be a great opportunity for you, and for us. You'd be something of eye candy for us to see every morning, a young girl like you could really up our stocks." He says with a jolly laugh as he lifts a fork full of potato into his garbage talking mouth, making you cringe.
"Hahahaa..." you force an awkward laugh before glancing up to Rafe who was staring down at the table, unimpressed at the old mans disrespectful choice of words towards you as his jaw muscles visibly clench with every chew of his food, angrier and angrier by the second.
"Yeah, I can come in too, show you how it's really done." Zane says with a proud sigh, leaning back into his chair and observing the expression on Rafes face as it becomes harder for him to conceal his infuriation.
"That would be great son, more the merrier."
"Then I don't supposed you'd be alright with me tagging along too, Mr.Becket?" Rafe speaks up at last with an innocent smile yet fraud while his hands tighten around his utensils.
"Then you'd be juggling three projects, Rafe." Ward says with a glare of warning behind his just as fake smile.
"Two of which I couldn't care less about." Rafe adds sternly, surprising Ward and leaving the table silent with crickets.
"It's your job as a Cameron, Rafe. That's just life."
"Not my life." Rafe says, implying the fact that his father had done nothing but shove his own life expectations down Rafes throat since a young boy and disregarding Rafes own dreams.