𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬| 𝑅𝑎𝑓𝑒 𝐶𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑛

eighteen

that morning, Banksie woke up to an empty room, the smell of breakfast hitting her nose instantly. she rubbed her eyes, and reached her hand to her hair to flip it to the side, looking around for her phone, finally seeing it on the coffee table, she reached for it and turned it on.

JayJay🦟
Left early to get Kie and Sarah

She rubbed her eyes in tiredness once again before she got up, dragging the blanket she used and wrapping it around her shoulders as she moved slightly, trying to drag herself to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Loey," her mother said as she entered the kitchen. "The boys left this morning, noticed Kiara wasn't with them," she said, setting down plates on the table.

"Yeah, they trapped her on a boat with Sarah for the night," Banksie said sleepily, sliding her body into a kitchen chair and slumping down at the table.

"What?"

"Morning," a voice spoke from the doorway.

Rafe.

"Oh, good morning, Rafe!" Mrs. Pérez spoke. "Would you like breakfast?" she asked with a smile.

"Uh..." He looked towards Banksie's tired self, slumped on the table with her arms crossed for her head to rest on. "Sure," he trailed off.

"Take a seat next to madam over there if you'd like," she said, nodding towards Banksie with a roll of her eyes.

Rafe nodded and did what was suggested.

He slipped into the chair that was next to Banksie, looking at her, his eyes lingering.

"I can feel you staring, Cameron," she said, sounding muffled, her head moving against the table as she did so.

"Am I not allowed to stare, Loey?"

Mrs. Pérez looked over at the two, her eyebrow raising.

"No, you're not," she huffed.

Elizabeth walked over with a plate of bacon, a smug smile on her face. "Rafe, I hope you don't mind, but I like to keep things as close to home here, so we're having English breakfast to the best of our abilities," she smiled.

"That's no problem with me," he nodded.

"I'm glad," she smiled. "Oh, and I hope you have no plans tonight," she said. "Daniel would like you both here, so we can have a full meal together," she smiled.

"Really?" Banksie deadpanned. "I had to go do something with the Pogues tonight," she sighed.

"Well, I'm sure they can wait."

"Unlikely," Banksie said to herself, watching as her mother finished plating everyone's breakfast.

"Loey, get your father, will you?" she asked.

Banksie huffed but nodded anyway and made her way down the long hallway to get her dad.

Banksie walked down the hallway, the sound of her bare feet tapping softly against the wooden floor. She could still feel the weight of Rafe's gaze on her as she left the kitchen, a strange warmth that lingered in the pit of her stomach. It was unnerving how much his presence affected her, how quickly he seemed to slip past her defenses.

She reached her dad's office and knocked lightly on the door.

"Dad, breakfast is ready," she called, her voice still groggy from sleep.

"Be there in a minute," came her dad's muffled reply from the other side.

With that, she turned on her heel and headed back toward the kitchen, her mind already drifting back to the strange, intimate moment with Rafe.

When she returned to the kitchen, Rafe was still seated where she had left him, but his posture had relaxed. He looked almost at ease, as if he belonged there in her family's kitchen, waiting for breakfast like it was the most natural thing in the world. Mrs. Pérez was bustling around, setting down coffee mugs and adding the finishing touches to the meal. Rafe's eyes found Banksie the moment she walked back into the room, and she felt that warmth in her stomach again.

"Dad's coming," Banksie said as she slid back into her seat next to Rafe, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

Rafe glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Warm?" he teased, his voice low enough that only she could hear.

Banksie shot him a playful glare, her lips twitching into a smile despite herself. "Shut up, Cameron," she muttered, but there was no bite to her words.

Mrs. Pérez brought over the last of the food and took a seat herself, just as Mr. Pérez walked into the kitchen, greeting everyone with a warm smile. "Morning, Rafe," he said with a nod as he sat down at the head of the table. "It's good to see you here."

"Good to see you too, Mr. Pérez," Rafe replied politely.

As they all began to eat, the conversation flowed easily, but Banksie couldn't help noticing how Rafe's leg brushed against hers under the table. It was a small touch, barely noticeable, but it sent a jolt of awareness through her. She glanced at him, but he was focused on his food, his expression neutral. Still, he didn't move his leg away, and neither did she.

"So, Banks," Mr. Pérez said, picking up his coffee. "Do you wanna come to work later? Harvey's been asking for you," he said, taking a sip.

Banksie rolled her eyes. "I can't stand him, you know this," she said, putting down her fork.

Rafe looked between Mr. Pérez and Loey. "Who's Harvey?" he asked, but was completely ignored.

"Come on, he's a great guy."

Mrs. Pérez agreed. "He's a lovely boy, much better than the other one, whatever his name was," she said with a sour face.

Banksie couldn't help but groan at her parents' suggestion. "Harvey is obnoxious, and you both know it," she replied, pushing her eggs around her plate with her fork.

Rafe's voice cut through the tension, "So, who's Harvey?"

Banksie looked at him, considering for a moment if she should even bother explaining. "Harvey's a guy who works for my dad," she finally said, her tone resigned.

"He's taken a liking to Banksie," Mr. Pérez added with a chuckle, clearly amused by the whole situation.

Rafe's eyes flickered with something Banksie couldn't quite place, and all he did was nod.

The rest of breakfast passed in a blur of casual conversation. Every now and then, Banksie would catch Rafe glancing at her, and each time, it would make her nervous.

Finally, as everyone finished their meals, Mrs. Pérez stood up, collecting the plates with a cheerful smile. "I'll get these cleaned up, and then you kids can figure out what you're doing with the rest of your day."

"Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Pérez," Rafe said, standing up and grabbing his plate to help clear the table.

Banksie stood up as well, wrapping the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "I'll help too, Mom," she offered, grabbing a couple of plates and heading toward the sink.

When they finished, Rafe turned to her, his voice low and meant only for her ears. "I'm looking forward to dinner tonight."

Banksie looked up at him, caught off guard by the intensity in his gaze. She wasn't sure how to respond, so all she did was roll her eyes.

As Rafe turned and headed for the door, Banksie watched him go, the weight of whatever was building between them lying heavily on her chest.

HEY MOTHERFUCKERSSSSS

sorry i've been gone for almost like 2 months or somet.

been very busy 😔

anyways, here's the 18th chapter, sorry it took so long.

works starting again soon, so ill try and get some chapters written before the new term starts.

and yeah,

hope you've all enjoyed your summer holidays and what have you, and ill see you next time.

TOODLES