My only one-Rafe Cameron

Chapter 7

Lily slowly opens the front door of The Chateau and takes a deep breath.

"Lily?" Someone asks from afar.

Lily began to move down the hall with her head in the clouds. She couldn't put her thoughts aside. What happened with Rafe somehow remained in her memory. Weird, right?

"Lily?" Kiara says to her, moving closer. "You didn't hear me when I called you?"

Kiara came and stood next to Lily, meanwhile Lily still couldn't take her mind off what had happened tonight.

"Lily?" Kiara says, nudging her by the shoulder.

"Hm? What?" Lily says finally snapping back to reality.

"Why are you so pensive, Lily? What happened?"

"Nothing, Kie. Just, I'm so tired." Lily adds taking off her coat and sneakers.

"Well did you get the map?" Kie asks.

"Ah. Yes, here it is." Lily replies, showing it and handing it to her. "I'm going to sleep now. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Wait. What about John B? He should know you're back." Kie adds.

"Tell him I came back and also tell him we'll talk tomorrow. I'm going." Lily says as she walked down the hall to her room.

Lily walked into the room and closed the door behind. She sat down on the edge of the bed and exhaled.

She thought about everything that could happen since she took the map. But why did she take it? Is all of this true? She took a deep breath and got up from the bed, put on her pajamas and lay in bed.

SKIP TO AFTERNOON:

Lily is at the dock. She quietly admires the water as she thinks twice about her life.

"Lily." A familiar voice comes from behind Lily.

She turns around. "What do you want, Rafe?"

"Fancy seeing you here." Lily eyes him warily.

"I said, what do you want Rafe?"

"Just a chat. No need to be so defensive." Rafe adds.

As Lily gets back to her thoughts, Rafe breaks the silence.

"You know, Lily, there's more to life than Pogues and Kooks drama." Rafe says as Lily raises an eyebrow, curious yet cautious.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I like you, Lily. You're different from the rest. Maybe we can find a way to bridge the gap between our worlds." Rafe says confidently. Lily, taken aback, considers his words.

"You, bridge the gap? That's a stretch, Rafe." Lily says teasingly.

Rafe chuckles, his charm on full display. "I might surprise you. Let me help you with this whole gold business. We can change things together."

Lily, conflicted, contemplates Rafe's offer. "Why would you want to help us?"

"Call it a change of heart. Besides, it's not every day a Kook and a Pogue unite against the odds." Rafe says grinning.

"So, the notorious Rafe Cameron has a soft spot?" Lily says teasingly.

They both share a conspiratorial laugh, the afternoon holding the promise of unexpected alliances.

"You, Rafe, wanting to help Pogues? Color me skeptical." Lily says as she arches an eyebrow.

Rafe chuckles. "I know, surprising, right? But things aren't always as black and white as they seem."

Rafe feels sincerely. "I've grown tired of the same old conflicts. Maybe it's time for a change, and you seem like the catalyst for that." Lily, sensing a hint of sincerity, softens her gaze.

"So, what's your grand plan, Rafe Cameron?" Lily asks.

"I don't have one. I just want to show that Pogues and Kooks can work together." Rafe says confidently.

"You really think we can make this work, Rafe?" Lily asks worryingly.

"Why not? Stranger things have happened before." Rafe says smiling at Lily.

As they continue walking down, Rafe opens up about the pressure of being a Cameron and the loneliness he feels within the confines of Kook society.

SKIP BACK TO INSIDE OF THE CHATEAU:

The atmosphere in the chateau is tense as Lily gathers her courage to share Rafe's unexpected proposition with John B. The plat map sits on the table, a silent witness to the impending revelation.

"John B, there's something I need to tell you. Rafe... he wants to help us. He thinks we can make a difference together." Lily says nervously.

John B, already on edge, narrows his eyes at Lily. "Rafe? You trust him now?"

"He seemed genuine, John B. We could use all the help we can get." Lily says.

John B's frustration boils over, and he slams his hand on the table. "Are you kidding me, Lily? You're willing to team up with him, of all people?"

"It's not about him or the Pogues, John B. It's about breaking these senseless divisions." Lily says defensively.

John B, pacing angrily, glares at Lily. "You're being naive, Lily! Rafe has his own agenda, and you're falling right into his trap."

Lily, hurt by John B's accusations, stands her ground. "I thought we were in this together, fighting for something more. That's what our dad would want." Lily says teary-eyed.

"Well, maybe I don't want to fight alongside someone who can't see the danger right in front of them!" John B yells.

His words hang in the air, a heavy silence engulfing the chateau.

"If you trust Rafe more than me, maybe you should go join forces with him." John B says showing to the door.

Lily, shocked and hurt, leaves the chateau, the door closing behind her with a painful finality. The map, now a symbol of shattered unity, remains on the table, untouched by the rift that has just formed.