Ambivalently Yours

Ward Cameron: A Snake in the Grass

Your parents were a little pissed that you were just up and leaving suddenly to go somewhere they'd never heard of to visit someone they'd never met on a whim, but what could they really do?

You got ready and packed as quickly as possible, then took off. Rafe sent you his full address via text, so all you had to do was tap the address to open it in Apple Maps. You gassed up your car, grabbed a quick bite to eat in a drive thru, and hit the road. The app said it would be about a five hour drive, and you figured if you really floored it, you could make it in a little over four.

With a long car trip and nothing but the open road in front of you, you turn on your TSwift playlist on Spotify and sing your absolute heart out as you drive. Rafe calls about three quarters of the way through your trip.

"Hello?" you answer through the car audio, your voice just a tad hoarse from screaming lyrics for the past few hours.

"Hey, where are you?" he asks.

"Um, seven miles til I exit the interstate and take that two lane road all the way to the ferry," you reply. "I was going to call you once I got to the dock."

"Sorry, I'm just excited for you to be here," he says. "Why does your voice sound all scratchy?"

"I've been listening to music and singing along," you say.

"What music?" he asks.

"Taylor Swift," you reply.

He sighs. "Oh no. Which album?" he asks warily. "I need to know how you're going to feel about me by the time you get here."

You laugh. "It's on shuffle, so all albums," you tell him. "I haven't heard All Too Well yet, so I can't promise I won't have a 'men ain't shit' attitude by the time I get there."

"Just remember it's about Jake Gyllenhaal, not every guy is like that," he says.

He can't see you, but you still make a face at his comment. "How do you know it's about Jake Gyllenhaal?"

"I have two sisters, y/n," he says. "I know way more than I should about Taylor Swift and her song inspirations."

You laugh again. "Poor Rafe."

He chuckles. "So I'll see you in a little over an hour?"

"Yeah, looks like it," you say, confirming the trip time on your app.

"Cool. Later, y/n."

"Bye Rafe."

~

It's a full fifteen degrees warmer once you hit the coast, so once your car is on the ferry, you strip off your jacket and toss it in your passenger seat. You get out and sit on the hood of the car to watch the island come into view, and before you know it, you're on Kildare headed towards Tannyhill.

You were nervous to meet Rafe's family. Even though you were rushing before you left, you had made a point to put on a decent outfit and fix your hair and makeup so you looked presentable. It was the most effort you'd put into your appearance (minus Thanksgiving day) all week.

You call Rafe when you're outside the gate so he can open it for you. You drive up to the front of the house where he waits for you. He points to a spot where you can park, and once your car is in place, you cut the engine and get out.

"Hey," he says warmly, coming to greet you with a quick kiss. "Everyone's inside ready to meet you."

"Great," you say, trying to sound enthusiastic. He sees right through it.

"Don't be nervous," he says. "Seriously."

You sigh and nod. "I'll try."

You head inside to find everyone gathered in the kitchen, expecting you. The introductions go well enough; his stepmom is a little cold towards you, but she seemed to treat his sisters the same way, so you didn't let it bother you too much. Both sisters were nice and pleasant, but the show stopper was his dad, Ward.