CHAPTER FOUR á°.á LATE NIGHT CALL
WARNINGS á°.á alcohol mention, rafe being condescending and rude, bitterness toward women/ex-wife, power imbalance, slow burn tension. heâs kinda funny in a very petty manner
SUMMARY á°.á when eli needs help with his literacy reflection, you expect to talk to the nanny â not rafe cameron himself. instead, he calls directly, leaning into his usual condescending, arrogant persona.
the first ring of your phone nearly makes you jump out of your skin. itâs lateâtoo late for a parent to be callingâand youâre halfway convinced itâs a mistake. but then you see the name flashing across your screen: rafe cameron.
you hesitate. usually, any concerns about eli came through eliâs nanny, not directly from his father. in fact, rafe had made it very clear, in that condescending tone of his, that his time was âfar too valuable to be trading pleasantries with teachers every other day.â
still, you answer. âmr. cameron?â
âms. y/l/n.â his voice comes through smooth, low, and tired, but not without that usual bite. âgood, youâre awake.â
you glance at the clock. âitâs almost eleven.â
âyeah, well.â you hear the faint clink of glass, the lazy drawl of a man who knows he should be asleep but isnât. âmy sonâs still up. said he needed help with some projectâsomething about reading logs or⌠whatever it is you people assign. figured youâd be the expert, sweetheart.â
your eyebrows shoot up. âitâs called a literacy reflection, and it was sent home two weeks ago. i gave very clear instructions in his folderââ
âright,â he cuts you off smoothly, a smirk audible in his voice. âthe infamous folder. trust me, sweetheart, iâve seen it. full of bright papers, stickers, all very⌠elementary. i donât exactly keep tabs on what gets pulled out of eliâs backpack every afternoon.â
you bite your tongue. âperhaps you should.â
thereâs a pause, then the faint sound of him chuckling. âcareful. you almost sounded like my ex-wife just now.â
the words hang there, heavy and cutting.
you clear your throat, pushing past it. âif eli needs clarification, iâd be happy to walk him through it. usually the nanny helps, butââ
âthe nannyâs off,â he interrupts again. âand apparently iâm the only one available. so youâll have to walk me through it.â
you sit back in your chair, staring at the ceiling. âmr. cameron, with all due respectââ
âthere it is.â he sounds almost smug, like heâs been waiting to hear that phrase. âyou teachers love that line, donât you? âwith all due respect.â as if it cushions the judgment.â
âiâm not judging,â you snap before you can stop yourself.
âsure you are,â he drawls. âi can hear it in your voice. you think iâm some negligent parent, too busy counting money to sit down with a second-grader and a stack of books.â
you donât answer right away. because the truth is⌠he isnât wrong.
you hear him shift, leather creaking faintly under his weight, and picture him leaning back in some massive chair, drink in hand, eyes half-lidded and amused at your silence.
âms. y/l/n,â he says finally, voice dropping low, smug. âare you still there? or did i lose you to that little apartment of yours?â
your jaw tightens. âhow would you know where i live?â
âplease.â you can hear the smirk. âi make it my business to know. teachers arenât exactly hard to track. one of eliâs little friends at school mentioned you live near the bus stop on ashland. modest place, right? cozy. bet youâve got more books than furniture.â
heat rises in your face. âthatâsââ
âcute,â he says simply. âvery on brand for you.â
you exhale slowly through your nose, trying to center yourself. âare we going to talk about your sonâs assignment, or are you going to keep criticizing my living situation?â
the worst part: you can hear the faint sound of his smirk stretching wider across the line.
âfine,â you snap, a little breathless, âletâs talk about the assignment then.â
âoh, please,â he scoffs, low and teasing. âdonât act like you actually enjoy this. teaching second grade at eleven at night, in your apartment lit by that sad little lamp of yoursâŚâ his tone drips condescension. ââŚi can hear it from here. i can practically smell the ramen youâve been eating for dinner.â
you pause, blinking, âi made soup.â
âsoup?â his voice rises, incredulous. âfrom a can, no doubt. or maybe just hot water and a sad little cube of⌠whatever passes for flavor in your world.â
your fingers tighten around your pen. âitâs homemade.â
âsure, sure,â he murmurs, mockingly placating, âhomemade. of course it is. like everything else you do, perfectly modest. i bet the view from your window is exciting too â streetlights, the occasional stray cat. thrilling.â
âi can hear the smile in your voice,â you mutter, and for a second he actually laughs â soft, amused, entirely too confident.
âah, now weâre talking,â he says, leaning back further in the leather chair you can almost feel under his weight. âyouâre finally engaging with me. though, letâs be honest â your apartment couldnât possibly contain all that charm.â
you roll your eyes, voice sharper now. âiâm not here to charm you, mr. cameron. eliâs literacy reflectionââ
âright. eli. the project that supposedly canât be completed without my divine guidance,â he interrupts, tone sarcastic, playful. âi can see why the nanny is off. sheâd just coddle him, feed him ideas, pat him on the head. me? apparently, iâm the expert.â
âhe needs help understanding the reflection questions,â you explain, ignoring the jab at your living space. âcan we justââ
âfine, yes, yes,â he sighs, a little too dramatic. âread me the first one. enlighten me, ms. y/l/n. show me how your brain comprehends the needs of my son.â
your lips press into a thin line. âheâs asking about his favorite part of the book he read last week. i want him to answer in full sentences, not just say âi liked itâ and be done.â
âoh.â his voice lowers, mock-serious now. âso this is a character development exercise. fascinating.â
âexactly.â you grit your teeth. âand he struggles to expand on his ideas sometimes, so guiding him isââ
âtedious,â he finishes for you, the smirk audible, âi get it. yes. guiding children. the ultimate parental burden. somehow i survived my ex-wife and her endless book clubs and shopping sprees, and now i get to navigate a second-graderâs reflections. life is hard, isnât it?â
your hand tightens on the phone. âmr. cameronââ
âdonât âmr. cameronâ me,â he snaps lightly, amused by his own bite. âiâm trying to help you help my son. donât make me regret it. seriously. i couldâve been on the balcony, overlooking the city, sipping something smooth while thinking about mergers, acquisitions, billion-dollar decisions, instead of⌠this.â
you take a deep breath. âso we start with the first question: why did you like the book?â
he sighs, an exaggerated groan that makes you roll your eyes in frustration. âfine. eli, your teacher says you have to explain yourself in complete sentences. now, tell meâwhy did you like your book?â
a pause. you hear eliâs small, hesitant voice. âi liked it because george was funny, and he went to the zoo, and⌠um⌠the monkey was⌠curious?â
âcurious,â rafe repeats flatly, like tasting a word he finds odd. âyes. george, curious. see, heâs learning adjectives now. probably learned them from his mother, right? or was that the nannyâs doing?â
âhis mother isnât here,â you snap, sharply, âso weâre focusing on him.â
âsure, sure,â rafe mutters, but you can hear the half-smirk returning. âjust pointing out the obvious. i donât like to lie about obvious facts. keeps life interesting.â
you grit your teeth. âletâs move on.â
and yet⌠he leans in â figuratively, across the phone line â listening to every answer, prodding just enough to challenge eli to elaborate. he doesnât soften, doesnât coddle, but he pushes, gently, cruelly, in that exact way that forces progress.
âhm,â he says after the third question. âso george went to the zoo. he saw animals. he learned stuff. and⌠you liked that?â
âyes, dad,â eli answers, a little more confident this time.
âcurious little boy,â rafe mutters. âhe probably inherited that fromââ his voice cuts off, almost bitter, like thinking of his ex-wife is a flavor he canât quite swallow. ânever mind.â
you donât comment, because you can hear it â the tension, the history, the bitterness dripping in that single clipped word. itâs enough to make your stomach flip, but also⌠intriguing.
he shifts, you imagine the glass in his hand tilting slightly, the faint clink of ice, the echo in that enormous mansion bedroom. âyou know,â he continues, âitâs funny. youâre sitting there, in that little apartment, helping my son at midnight. iâm⌠well, iâm sitting in the best chair in the city, drinking something good, thinking about how little you understand how easy your life could be.â
âand yet you called me,â you point out, voice low but firm. âyou could have asked the nanny. you couldâve handled it yourself.â
âah,â he hums, slow, deliberate. âyou noticed that? clever. yes, i couldâve handled it. but then iâd miss your little commentary, wouldnât i? the sound of your voice explaining things like youâre some tiny oracle of literacy.â
you flush, trying not to react. âiâm not an oracle. iâm a teacher.â
âdetails, details,â he says, almost mockingly. âdoesnât change that youâre efficient. precise. and terrifyingly⌠principled.â
you bite your lip. âiâm just doing my job.â
âah, yes. your job. noble, quiet, in a cramped little apartment. mine? juggling empires, ex-wives, my son, and apparently⌠your endless patience.â
he pauses. you can almost hear him sipping the drink now, letting the ice settle. âi could hang up anytime,â he murmurs, âbut iâm not. because you intrigue me. and, apparently, eli does too.â
you grip the phone, exhale, and try to focus. âwe still need to finish the reflection.â
âyes, yes,â he hums, mock-serious, leaning back, smirk audible. âletâs continue this epic saga of a second graderâs thoughts.â
âall right,â you say, trying to steady your voice, ânext question: what did you learn from the story?â
eli hesitates, and rafe interjects before you can guide him. âhm? tell me, little man. what pearls of wisdom did george impart upon you?â
âhe learned to share with his friends,â eli mumbles, quiet but firmer than before.
âah, sharing,â rafe echoes, almost tasting the word. âso heâs learning cooperation, teamwork⌠hmm. sounds suspiciously like my ex-wife taught him that lesson too, doesnât it? except she did it in a more⌠tedious, long-winded way.â
you bite back a sharp retort, focusing on eli. âjust repeat the sentence fully, please.â
âwhy are you so strict?â eli asks, frowning.
âbecause your father insists,â you answer lightly, trying to keep the tone playful but firm.
âah, yes. strictness. that old chestnut,â rafe mutters. âi come from a long line of people who know that rules exist for a reason. unlike some⌠well, never mind.â
eli giggles softly, and you hear rafeâs smirk through the phone. âyes, there it is. laughter. precious. i suppose it makes all this tedious guidance worthwhile.â
âmr. cameron,â you say, voice tight, âplease focus. itâs just a reading reflection.â
âfocus? right,â he hums, mock annoyance heavy in his words. âiâm focusing. very⌠seriously. nothing distracts me more than the sound of your little voice scolding me. truly, the epitome of discipline.â
you roll your eyes. âyouâre impossible.â
âimpossible? why, thank you,â he replies dryly, and you swear you can hear the chuckle, slow and deliberate. âi do try, sweetheart. honestly, someone has to balance the chaos. otherwise, eli would run wild, and the world would crumble under unchecked second-grade energy.â
âheâs a child, not a dictator,â you snap, exasperated.
âchild, dictatorâsemantics,â rafe drawls. âi prefer efficiency. learning. structure. all that tedious adult nonsense.â
eli sighs. âi donât like tedious stuff.â
âhm,â rafe murmurs, low and deliberate. âneither do i, son. neither do i. which is why iâve spent decades building a life that avoids it whenever possible. unlike some, sitting in a cramped apartment at midnight, grading papers by lamplight.â
your cheeks flush, and you bite your lip. âyouâre condescending.â
âtrue,â he admits easily, smugly, sipping from the glass. âi am. but consider it⌠honest condescension. truth, wrapped in a velvet glove of charm. see, thatâs where you differ from the rest of your kind. you listen. you push back, but you⌠stay engaged. admirable, really.â
eli giggles again. âdadâs funny.â
âhm, i am,â rafe agrees, smirk audible. âfunny, devastatingly intelligent, occasionally bitter from failed relationships. all rolled into one complex package. your motherâs influence aside, iâd say your genetics are⌠promising.â
âmr. cameron!â you hiss softly, trying not to laugh despite yourself.
âwhat? itâs true,â he murmurs, low and teasing. âyou can hear it in every word i say. efficient, precise, principled, and now⌠apparently, entertained by this little midnight escapade.â
you let out a breath, exasperated but secretly aware of the pull of his voice, the way heâs leaning back, the faint clink of his ice echoing in your imagination. âweâre still not finished.â
âno, weâre not,â he hums, voice dropping. âbut letâs pause for a second. you, in your apartment, juggling papers and late-night soup. me, in my palace, bourbon in hand, listening to you. tell me again why this is so⌠unequal?â
âitâs not about inequality,â you say, trying to sound firm. âitâs about⌠teaching a child responsibility.â
âhm,â he murmurs. âresponsibility. yes. and yet, here we are, and iâm enjoying every second of it. funny how that works, isnât it?â
you bite your lip. âyouâre impossible.â
âperhaps,â he admits, voice smooth, deliberate. âbut youâre engaged. and intrigued. donât deny it, sweetheart.â
you inhale sharply, exhale slowly. âletâs finish the reflection.â
âof course,â he murmurs, almost reluctantly. âbut just know, every word you say, every sigh, every correctionâitâs⌠memorable. yes, memorable. and that, my dear, is why i keep this call going long past any rational hour.â
âall right,â you say, forcing a steadying breath, âfinal question: whatâs one thing youâd do differently if you were george?â
eli thinks for a moment. âiâd⌠share more. and maybe tell the monkey itâs okay to be curious.â
âhm,â rafe murmurs, almost approvingly. âcuriosity. bold, daring, slightly reckless. good lesson. your son has a good head on his shoulders, iâll give him that. better than some⌠well, never mind.â
you sigh, tension in your chest easing slightly. âthere. weâre done. reflection complete.â
âdone?â he echoes, tone both amused and reluctant. âalready? just when things were getting interesting. when i was finally hearing your voice scold me, tease me, correct me⌠and now itâs over?â
âyes,â you say firmly, hiding a small smile. âeliâs done. and so should you.â
âhm,â he hums, leaning back with a sigh you can practically feel. âvery well. but, just so you know, this little midnight escapade has⌠lingered. not unpleasantly. curious, isnât it, how quickly a teacherâs voice can worm its way into oneâs⌠thoughts.â
you bite your lip, cheeks warming. âmr. cameronâŚâ
âdonât,â he interrupts, low, smirk evident in his voice. âcall me that. itâs late. iâll allow your annoyance to linger a little longer instead. consider it my gift.â
eliâs small voice pipes up, sleepier now, âgoodnight, dad.â
âgoodnight, son,â rafe replies softly, and for a fraction of a second, you hear something warmer, something beneath the carefully constructed arrogance and bitterness. then the smirk returns. âand goodnight, ms. y/l/n. try not to burn your apartment down with all that late-night work. wouldnât want your heroic little lamp to go up in flames.â
you laugh softly, shaking your head. âiâll survive. goodnight, mr. cameron.â
âhm,â he hums one last time, a contented, lazy sound. âgoodnight.â
and then the line clicks, leaving you with silence, the faint echo of his voice lingering in your mind. you sink back into your chair, exhale slowly, and canât help the small, reluctant smile tugging at your lips. heâs impossible, infuriating, condescending⌠and yet somehow, undeniably memorable.
you glance at the clock. nearly midnight. your apartment feels smaller somehow, cozier, filled with the echo of a voice that shouldnât matter as much as it does. and for the first time that evening, you allow yourself to admit⌠that youâre looking forward to the next time he calls.