Right Now | Rafe Cameron

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FOURTY ONE
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"My little sister," John B yelled across the yard as Billie re-joined the festivities. His arms were extended, and he was clearly quite out of it because he was wearing his bow-tie around his wrist. This sophisticated wedding had quickly turned into a Pogue rager. But everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was what they signed up when accepting an invitation from the King and Queen of the Pogues.

Billie let her brother drag her to the dance floor, and watched amused as he danced in a circle around her like an idiot. When the music shifted to something a little calmer, she ushered him to go dance with his wife and was suddenly alone on the dance floor. She stood still after a while, and smiled softly as she watched her big brother embrace a glowing Sarah.

"He looks happy, doesn't he," JJ said from behind her. She turned around, surprised that he would come back, even more so that he was talking to her. He silently offered his hand and she looked at him for a few seconds before she gave in and accepted it. They rocked gently in each other's arms, waiting for the other to speak.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that on your own," JJ said after a while. Billie swallowed.

"I wasn't alone. I had Kiara," she said quietly.

"Well, I should've been there. I'm sorry you didn't feel like you could tell me."

"It's okay," Billie replied. "I'm sorry I used it as an excuse to leave."

They were both being vulnerable. It wasn't a shouting-competition like it used to be. They were healing.

"Maybe there'll be a baby around soon anyway," Billie tried to make a soft joke. JJ raised his head and looked at her with wide eyes. She frowned. "John B and Sarah's, dumbass." JJ exhaled in relief. Great. Good to know where he's at. Billie scoffed out a laugh at JJ's assumption.

"You know they're going to Barbados for their honeymoon tomorrow morning, the kooks," JJ smirked.

"Everyone's turning into kooks, eventually, it seems," Billie sighed. JJ shifted slightly.

"I'll be okay, you know. I mean... I hate him, always," JJ paused and lowered his voice. Billie was surprised JJ was re-approaching the topic Rafe Cameron. "But he can be... not that bad." Billie raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I will never speak to you again you if you tell him I said that," JJ warned.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Billie chuckled and leaned her head on his shoulder as they swung gently from side to side in pace with the music. After a while, JJ gently squeezed Billie's hand and she looked up.

"I'm gonna bounce," JJ whispered and looked behind Billie as he did a salute. Billie furrowed her brows in confused amazement at his weirdness but then felt that familiar presence behind her. Her body noticed him before her brain did, making her skin hot and tingly. She turned around and Rafe wrapped his arm around her waist as he took her hand gently in his.

"I'm surprised I didn't have to fight him off," Rafe said and smirked in the direction JJ had disappeared in.

"Were you giving him the scary angry Rafe stare?" Billie exaggerated and pouted her lips.

"The only one who can make me that angry is you, Billie," he said in a low voice as he pressed her closer to him. Billie scoffed. She knew how it was like. They both knew which buttons to press to make the other person's rage-switch turn on in a heartbeat.

But right now, Billie just leaned her head on his warm chest as they swayed with the music. They didn't get that much time though, before her friends from New York came to awe over them.