TWENTY SEVEN
no wars starting tonight.
Billie woke up in a daze. For a second she forgot where she was, then she thought it was a dream. And then Sarah came bursting through the door and threw herself on Billie's bed with a clipboard.
"There's so much to do, Billie I don't think you understand," Sarah panted as she frantically listed everything on the list. Billie rubbed her eyes.
"Eh, good morning?" Billie croaked sleepily.
"Oh were you sleeping? Sorry," Sarah said not very genuinely and then quickly went back to listing what she needed Billie to do before the engagement party.
Billie started to suspect they'd just wanted her home to make appetisers or run errands for wine spritzers. Sarah, bless her, acted this was her actual wedding. It made Billie shiver to think about what terrors they'd have to be exposed to then.
"Good morning bird," John B said jollily as Billie walked into the kitchen, dragging her feet. She just gave him a look of disdain and sat down by the kitchen island.
"Why are you so..." she extended her tongue in lack of words. "Honestly this house is like a carnival on molly." Billie rested her cheek in her hand and looked out the porch doors as John B seamlessly slid a cup of coffee in her hand, hoping to not rouse the cranky beast before her caffeine hit.
To Billie's surprise, JJ and Pope had already been put to work and stood balancing on ladders as Sarah directed them where to put up the lights around the veranda.
JJ accidentally hit Pope in the head with a lantern, causing an argument to heat up between them. Sarah yelled louder than the two and told them to shut the hell up and keep decorating. Billie caught JJ's gaze and he gave her a cocky smile and a wink. After poking her tongue out to him, Billie swallowed and looked away quickly.
"Five hours 'til show time people," Sarah yelled and Billie looked at John B, who was gazing lovingly at his hollering fiancé.
"Aw," Billie sighed and leaned her head to the side. "You've found someone just as psychotic as you, how sweet." His face turned annoyed and he threw a kitchen towel in Billie's face, causing her coffee to spill all over the counter, and her. John B laughed hard until Sarah came inside and gaped at the two siblings.
"What are you doing?" Sarah looked agape at the messy kitchen.
"He just threw a towel at me and spilled my coffee for no reason. Oh and now it's all over the white counter. Sarah I'm so sorry I'll get it," Billie laid it on thick. John B looked at her like he would when she'd get him into trouble by putting on her victim-face in front of their dad - with spite and shock.
"Oh no sweetie John B will get it," Sarah looked at John B with daggers in her eyes. Billie stuck her tongue out at John B with a smug face.
"Ah," he exclaimed and gestured his hand towards her, causing Sarah to swing around, seeing Billie's teasing face.
"I don't have time for this today. Be children under someone else's nose, okay. John B clean this up. Billie go get dressed."
"Okay mom," Billie muttered and ran away laughing to the guest room before Sarah could hit her with her clipboard.
***
"So who's coming to the party?" Billie asked Sarah later when they were driving over to Tannyhill to get some more chairs.
"Oh just the Pogues, some people from school, some people we work with."
Billie stayed quiet. Sarah sighed and glanced over at Billie. "And Rafe."
"Oh yeah? I wasn't gonna ask," Billie cleared her throat awkwardly.
"I didn't know if you knew already," Sarah said, keeping her eyes peeled on the road. Billie hummed and shook her head.
"These chairs, Sarah?" Billie shouted from the dining room. Tannyhill was empty, deserted, dead. It smelt of dust and every footstep echoed too loudly. Billie shivered just being left alone. Sarah shouted a response from the basement. "What?" Billie yelled and reached for her phone. She realised she could just call Sarah.
"She won't want the dining room chairs."
"Fuck," Billie exclaimed and swung around, hand on her chest. Rafe stood leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed. "What's wrong with you, sneaking up on people."
"Sorry," Rafe smiled, clearly not sorry. Billie couldn't help but smile at the look of him. His sleeves were rolled up, his large arms exposed as they crossed over each other.
"What are you doing here?" Billie asked finally, to distract herself from the thought of just jumping him. Rafe pushed himself off the doorframe and walked closer to her. She swallowed in response to the intense look in Rafe's eyes. Her eyes flickered over him, checking to see anything that might reveal if he'd seen Barry. Then she reminded herself that Barry probably didn't want to just catch up. If Rafe had seen Barry he'd look much worse, if he'd even still be here.
"Oh just checking up on the house." An obvious lie. He hated it here, apparently. Billie narrowed her eyes at him.
"What are you really doing here?" she dared and bit her lip. They were standing so close now she could smell the sweet tang of his breath. Slowly, he lifted his hand and grazed her naked arm softly with his fingers as he thought.
"Isn't it obvious?" he whispered and looked into her eyes intently. She bit her cheek in amusement, holding in a smile. He leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips. But that wasn't enough, they both felt it. Roughly, Billie put her hand behind his neck and pulled him in. His hands went to her hips, digging into the familiar curves of her body. They breathed heavily as their tongues explored each other.
"Okay so I couldn't find..." Sarah said as she walked into the room. Rafe and Billie shot away from each other, putting several feet between them in a heartbeat. Rafe wiped his mouth and cleared his throat as he looked up to the ceiling in faux innocence. Sarah stood frozen in her tracks, eyes wide.
"I didn't know you were here," she said finally, her eyes darting between Billie and Rafe.
"Eh I just needed to check on some things," Rafe scratched his head. Billie closed her eyes and sighed at his pathetic attempt to act casual.
"You don't want the dining room chairs?" Billie cleared her throat and placed a hand on one of the chairs that stood lined up around the large oak table.
"Eh," Sarah sighed. "No. We'll just use the extra ones in the garage." She turned to her brother. "Can you help us load them into the truck?"
"Sure, yeah," Rafe nodded, too eagerly.
"Okay, I'm gonna see if Rose has left any serving plates..." Sarah started but stopped herself and gave them both an apprehensive look. "None of this at my engagement party. Okay?" she gesticulated towards them. "There will be no wars starting tonight."
She then started waking down the hall. After a few steps she turned around again. "And please, don't ever do that when I'm in any kind of proximity again or I will vomit. Okay?" she pleaded. Then she disappeared to get on with the party planning.
Billie's face had turned blushed pink while Rafe awkwardly stared at his shoes. Then he cleared his throat and looked at Billie.
"Shall we?" he gesticulated towards the door.
"Yeah, yep," Billie sucked in a breath and walked quickly out the door, Rafe following closely behind.
A/N
Shit going down in the next chapter.
xx
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Right Now | Rafe Cameron
FanfictionIt's been seven years. Is she naive to think he could have changed? It's been years since she left Kildare for New York - seven years since she called herself a pogue. So what happens when her past enemy arrives at the party? Has he really changed...
