𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗲'𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘃

flowers. check. breakfast for her. check. going over my checklist in my head.

lilith's inside preparing for opening shift. making my way to the front door i knock against the door frame, it's been a week since we last saw each other studying, and finals for the semester are coming up.

"my prince what are you doing here?"

"surprising you with" my lips find hers ever so quick "this and this" handing her the flowers and breakfast.

"thank you prince such a lovely surprise!" she kisses me again as she puts everything on the counter for now. picking her up i place her there to make us feel closer. a loving tender make out comes alive.

"how i've missed you princess" i nudge her nose with my own.

"missed you too rafe" her attention is pulled away. soft reggae can be heard from outside this long van beat up volkswagen brown or tan if you will just pulled up.

"rafe. go. hide. now" she spoke every word super slow.

"what! princess but we were just getting in the mood" i kiss her neck this time almost luring her back to the subject of sin.

"you think she'll be happy to see us" jj spoke he's the first to exit the van.

"now! hon! now!" she swatting me away with hits to my chest.

"ok i'll be in the out of order employee bathroom" i salute her as i walk around the corner she's the boss.

"find me when you want some mischief babygirl" i speak as i look her in her eyes from my place on the wall.

𝗹𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗵'𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘃

"she's gonna wanna see us jj, kie's even with us for once" pope is speaking to jj as john b exits. kie comes from the passenger side eyeing the car that's behind the wreck all the while yawning & grabbing our boys around the shoulders to come in.

"the pogues have landed! lili! we've missed youuu" jj is loud and free this morning.

"my peeps how have you been?" we do our handshake i continue "kie girl i've been meaning to ask you about my brother. pope how's the family? john b how's papa routledge? jj come" i hug him as we get the answers. end up hugging everyone.

"who are these for?" kie asked winking at me. kie must've known that's rafe's car.

"brought them for myself"

jj and pope are looking at the back of the wreck, praying they don't spot the car.

john b has his arms around my shoulders as he says, "you've been chipper anything new?"

"not really why?"

"smiling at you're phone, disrupting customers by daydreaming it must be a guy" he continues.

"maybe"

"what?!"

"it is!"

𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗲'𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘃

i hear john b's loud voice as i'm scrolling through my phone.

my elbow bangs into the stall wall. pope says something, this is the exact moment i realized the mistake i made.

"it came from in here"

"yoo lili someone in here"

"mr.c told me a maintenance guy was suppose to be here when i came in so thats probably him"

i begin to pretend i have a accent and have tools, "нет.нет i need a big load for next week" pulling off the best accent i thought of on the spot. i fidget to make it sound like i'm using tools.

it works because they go back to conversing away from my vicinity. i kept up pretenses for twenty minutes until they leave the wreck.

"you can come out now" lili is sighing as she comes to haul me out of my trap.

"the accent wasn't bad"

"thank you thank you, i now humbling accept my oscar" bowing i make lilith laugh.

"breakfast was delicious, thank you again for these and surprising me, i missed you"

"i missed you too" spoken with the best intentions.

my hand finds its way to her soft cheek, "so where were we before we got interrupted" pulling her into me, kissing her slow to savor every moment of our entwining lips. she smiles as we break my thumb caressing.

its always in the small intimate moments i realize how much i've change with her in the short amount of time we've been in each others lives. in the back of my mind i can't help but doubt the happiness, that i'm bound to fuck up that deserving this is wrong.

"hey you're in here again" her finger touches my forehead a light feeling.

"sorry um i'll see you later ok princess" lilith nods as she hugs me. i'm leaving as i see her smell the flowers.

on my way home i stop to get breakfast for myself, and my family when the 'billionaire boys' text chat is going off.

topper and kelce want to hang out in a hour, so after i drop off breakfast like uber eats i use my gps to get me to the address kelce sent us to go hang out at.

"the ghost has returned. where the fuck have you been cameron? shit i was starting to miss you" kelce is smiling at me as he hands me a golf club. mini golf another pass time we can never not do. topper is coming with the lemonades as he says, "he's not wrong we've missed our boy"

"i've missed you both, been where i'm consumed of my time. plus sober rafe is very different i'm getting used to it"

"a joke you're telling me a lie" topper is looking at me astounded his club resting on his shoulders as kelce is making the first put.

"not a joke, no lie been sober for at least two weeks now. proud of myself with my whole heart a long time coming"

"sobriety looks good on you rafe who am i to question it" kelce slaps topper on the arm as my turn comes up.

"i know someone who'd help me prove it if you don't believe top"

"no man, no need i believe you"

"ok" sipping my lemonade i feel my phone vibrate ready to smile if its lili on her lunch break but it's my sisters. still maintaining a smile picking up "yes girls"

"how'd you know we wanted this for breakfast plus dad's happy with his tacos and rose is pleased with her salad and chicken and waffles"

"happy to feed you guys this morning"

"hey guys!" topper and kelce wave at my sisters on FaceTime as they stuff their face with acai bowls and pancakes from our favorite diner.

wheezie quicker than lighting says "hey" as sarah nods their way mouth full of food.

"hold this"

my turns here again and i make it in a third time, my lucks been on the up this game. kelce is making my sisters laugh so he keeps the phone for a good ten minutes before they get off the call.

toppers sharp focus doesn't do much he's still in third place. he is inquiring about the last time we talked and how i spoke about a girl and if she was still in my life.

as i try not to smile "his melanated goddess is in his life and she's too good for you my boy but she likes you so" kelce is right on the money.

we hang out for another hour or so before i have to make a stop then head home, entering the dingy trailer is one thing but walking in on barry fucking someone shit! damn "yo yo barry i had to talk to you sorry for interrupting"

barry wipes off a bead of sweat off his forehead before stating, "coun-- try clubb what are you doing here you wanna join?" he looks at me wiggling his eyebrows.

"nah nah i'm alright"

"baby let me holla at my friend then i'll get back to tapping that ass" he smacks her ass she leaves the room quick.

"so what can i do for ya? a kilo? an ounce? a baggie?"

"no i came to tell you i'm not gonna be coming to re-up for awhile tryna do this sobriety life can't sell if i need to be sober"

barry laughs "your girlfriend said the same but i know something you don't"

"what's that" i cross my arms over my chest and lean against his door frame.

"you'll be back country club.. that white snows got you on lock"

"no leave so i can get to clapping some cheeks!" barry continues.

"sayonara b" i salute while leaving on that cue and head home.

𒀭𒀭𒀭𒀭

wheezie is having a conniption over the fact that rose is in dad's ear about her being able to go out. "you and sarah get to hang with friends duning the day and i can't"

"it sucks ass rafe"

"i'm almost 16," cutting her off i laugh "no way squirt you are almost 14 one year away from the death that is high school"

"you got me there but is there anyway you can talk to dad for me without rose around and figure out a way for me to at least get three hours outside a day max"

"i can try but no promises did you ask sarah to try"

hugging her she heads up to her room she said, "yeah but she hasn't had time yet but your home and he's in the kitchen"

"alright" making my way into where we eat some nights even cook but just us kids "hey son! rafe how's your day going?"

"pretty good hung with the guys, had an eventful morning you?"

"property hunting for a new home for this family in the south that want to move here"

"make any headway" looking at him sipping my drink "two potential houses they want to open house"

"great dad, proud of you i have a request but it's not for me" he signals for me to continue "wheezie wants to ask for allotted time outside with friends three hours max a day in daylight, she'll check in every top of the hour"

"two and that's it she must check in or embarrassing father is on his way"

nodding, "ok thanks dad" placing my phone on the island must find those chips and dip plus make myself a sandwich ouu my thoughts on food.

"she's to pretty to be with you, she should be with me" my father ward cameron must have lost his mind. he said the last portion of this sentence under his breath but i caught it in time.

"what? repeat that last part" my temper simmering a scowl makes its way on my face as i look at the man who gave me life. why is he so fucked up?

"she works at the wreck" his not so subtle attempt to change the subject before he scurries away taking one last look at my lock screen.

rolling my eyes i find all my snacks and make my lunch before "lili, can we meet later? maybe after your shift meet me at the tree"

"ok i get off at 4:00. we haven't been there in a minute wow" she giggles like she's recalling a memory. my favorite sound besides her voice.

"see you then li"

"blahh no lili"

laughing i stutter "re—ally?"

"mmhmm li is something i do not want to be called again from time to time my mother call me that if she didn't use her name for me from when i was a baby which i won't tell"

"surrendering lili from now on"

"see ya"

"see you"

we hang up.

lilith is all smiles approaching her, we seat and talk for almost two hours about everything and nothing. sat silently for appeasing her comfort.

meanwhile at the cameron home while sarah, wheezie, and rafe are away for the night ...

wards setting up the refreshments for the guests he and rose are expecting.

the classical music boosting the ambience as rose gets into her outfit. a shimmery number with tassels at the ends.

this party is for investors while it's a side hussle for ward and rose to find a unicorn.

in layman's terms someone you call in to have sex with you as a couple. for two months now they've been on a hunt for someone. needing to reignite passions that either party doesn't want to fulfill.

ward had his eye on lilith until he found out his son was seeing her. something about her touched a primal unconscious desire in him that he hopes to find again tonight.

'soulmates can't die so spice it up'  the mantra he's maintained.

𒀭𒀭𒀭𒀭

✎𝗌𝗎𝗇𝗃𝖾𝗐𝖾𝗅☀︎︎ 𝗍𝗒𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 ．．．

if jj had opened the door and started looking in stalls oh lilith would've had some explaining to do.

thank you for reading, on to the next one.

anything you want to see???

✩ 𝖽𝗈𝗇'𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝖺𝖽𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗅𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗌, 𝗏𝗈𝗍𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍✩