PARTY 4 U!
PREV CHAPTER 8 NEXT
w/c: 3.2k
SYNOPSIS
Rafe had charm, wealth and a reputation that would turn heads wherever he went. He had never even heard of the word no - until he met her. The one woman he couldn’t buy, couldn’t charm and couldn’t stop thinking about. Now, he’s willing to risk everything to have the one thing he can’t seem to touch. You.
CONTENT
swearing, all characters are over 18 (Reader is 20, Rafe is 21), Rafe is an actual sap, Sharp objects mention! shitty writing, lmk if I missed any
A/N!
I’m not even gonna try and make an excuse… I’m so so sorry guys. But I’ve got like 3 more chapters written out so I’ll be sm more consistent
Also! I can’t find some accounts on the tag list so if you have changed your user or I’ve missed you out pls lmk so I can tag the proper accounts!
Rafe Cameron had never been the type to overthink. In his world, you saw what you wanted, and you took it. Simple. Clean. No questions asked. But as he sat in his truck outside a modest house on the Cut at nine in the morning, he was beginning to realize that maybe- just maybe, he’d been lying to himself about the whole “not overthinking” thing.
Because this? This was definitely overthinking.
He’d circled the block twice already, which was ridiculous. He was Rafe Cameron. He didn’t circle blocks. He didn’t second-guess himself. And he certainly didn’t throw last-minute parties just because someone happened to have a day off work.
Except that’s exactly what he was doing.
The party idea had hit him sometime around two in the morning when he couldn’t sleep, his mind inexplicably wandering to the day he saw you at Rileys. The way you smiled- it wasn’t the polite, practiced smile you wore at the country club, but it was real
You weren’t performing for anyone, you weren’t checking to see who was watching or trying to impress anyone
You were just dancing.
For yourself.
There was something magnetic about that kind of freedom, that complete lack of self-consciousness. While everyone else had been dancing at each other, you had been in her own world. No matter how hard he tried, Rafe couldn’t forget that night
4 AM, he’d convinced himself that throwing a party was a perfectly normal, a not-at-all-suspicious thing to do
6 AM, he’d already texted half of Figure Eight
8 AM, he was showered, dressed, and sitting in his truck
But now he was outside your house, trying to remember how normal humans knocked on doors
“Just knock” he muttered to himself, hands gripping the steering wheel. “It’s not that fucking hard. People knock on doors all the time”
But what if you weren’t awake yet? What if he woke you up and you answered the door pissed off? What if-
“Jesus fucking christ, Cameron” he said, finally pushing the truck door open before he could talk himself out of it for the third time
The walk to the door felt longer than it should have, the morning air was already humid, promising another scorching Outer Banks day. Rafe could feel sweat starting to prickle at the back of his neck whether it was from the heat or the nerves he didn’t know
He raised his fist, hesitated, then forced himself to bring it to the door. Three solid knocks. There. Done. No taking it back now
For a few agonizing seconds, nothing happened. Rafe stood there, hands shoved in his pockets, trying to look casual and not at all like someone who’d been sitting in his truck for the past twenty minutes
He was about to knock again- or maybe just get back in his truck, go home and forget this ever happened. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard movement from inside the house
The door swung open, and there you were
You were wearing an oversized t-shirt that hung off one shoulder and a pair of gray joggers that looked like they’d seen better days. Your hair was pulled back and away from your face, well most of it was anyway. You looked comfortable. You looked like you had just rolled out of bed
and god did you look absolutely beautiful. So beautiful that Rafe had to remind himself to breathe
“Rafe?” You blinked up at him in surprise “What are you doing here?”
“Hey,” he his voice cracked, trying to act casual but probably missed by a mile. “I, uh…I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d stop by”
Your eyebrow arched slightly, a small knowing smile made its way to your face while you crossed your arms teasingly “You were in the neighborhood? On the Cut?”
Okay, so maybe that excuse was weak as shit.
“Okay, fine,” he admitted, rubbing his jaw “I wanted to ask you something, but I realized I don’t have your number…” is voice got quieter
Your smile widened, and you stepped back from the door, gesturing for him to come in before walking towards the kitchen area
Rafe stepped inside, and immediately his senses were flooded with a warm and buttery aroma, his stomach grumbled and he groaned. As if he couldn’t embarrass himself even further
You chuckled slightly, looking over you shoulder towards him as he shut your font door “hungry?”
“What is that smell?” he asked, following you deeper into the house
“Pancakes” you answered over your shoulder, leading him toward the kitchen. “I haven’t made myself a big breakfast in a while, thought id treat myself on my a day off”
The kitchen was just as cozy as he remembered, but now with morning sunlight streaming through the window over the sink he was able to take in small details, the slightly crumpled ‘bucket list’ stuck to the fridge, the discoloured cupboard handles worn from years of use
The counters were a mess, there was flour scattered across the surface, ingredients dotted around the room, a mixing bowl in the sink, a carton of eggs sitting open next to the stove. And on the stove itself, was a pan with what looked like the most perfect pancake Rafe had ever seen
You moved to the stove with ease, flipping the pancake with a quick flick of your wrist and Rafe nearly fainted on the spot
“So what did you want to ask me? Must be important if you drove all the way out here”
“Oh! Right, yeah,” Rafe said, leaning against the counter and trying to figure out how to make this sound slightly less pathetic than it actually was “So I’m throwing a party tonight. At my place. Nothing huge, just some people hanging out, you know. And I thought, I mean, since you have the day off and everything - maybe you’d want to come?”
You plated the golden pancake onto the plate beside you, a smirk playing on your lips and Rafe had the uncomfortable feeling that you could see straight through him “A party huh? What’s the occasion?”
“Yeah, well, you know how it is” he said, trying to aim for nonchalant (key word: trying) “Sometimes you just gotta be spontaneous”
“Uh huh.” You teased while you poured more batter onto the pan “And this spontaneous party just happens to be on my day off?”
“Pure coincidence” Rafe gruffly and a little too quickly
You let out a light laugh, and the sound of it made something warm unfurl in Rafe’s chest
“Sure…’ you tease “I appreciate the invitation, i’ll think about it. You want some pancakes while you’re here?”
“Oh no, that’s okay,” Rafe said automatically “I don’t want to impose or anything”
You suddenly turned to look at him, pointing your spatula, offense plastered on your face “I’m sorry? Is my cooking not good enough for you anymore, Cameron?”
“What? No, I didn’t-”
“Because I’ll have you know these are the best pancakes on the entire island” you continued, fighting back a smile “Multiple people have told me so. There have been awards”
Rare physically deflated in relief at your now playful tone “Awards for pancakes?”
“Obviously fake awards that I made up, but still” you muttered, plating the new pancake and sliding it in front of him along with a fork you swiped from the draw “sit down. You’re eating pancakes.”
Rafe found himself obeying without protest, awkwardly sliding onto one of the bar stools. You pushed a syrup bottle toward him and grabbed your own plate, taking the seat next to him. Your body sat sideways towards him, knees brushing the side of his thigh
“There” you smiled, cutting into your own fluffy pancake “I hate eating breakfast alone”
Rafes lips tilted upwards slightly while he cut a piece of his pancake and took a bite, and holy shit you werent kidding
They were fluffy and perfectly sweet, with just the right amount of butter and syrup He groaned in awe without meaning to
“See?” You said beamed “Told you! Best on the island”
“Shit, you weren’t lying. Might actually have to get you an award” Rafe admitted, taking another bite “These are really good”
They ate in comfortable silence for a few moments, and Rafe found himself relaxing despite his earlier nerves
He suddenly thought about the other night, the dark but comforting ambience of cooking pasta at 2am, watching shitty 2000s movies, and steamy kisses on the worn sofa. And now he was again, sitting in you kitchen, eating pancakes, with morning sunlight warming the room. It felt domestic in a way that should have scared him but somehow didn’t
“So about this party,” you began, breaking the silence “What time?”
“Probably around 8:30?” Rafe said. “People will show up whenever, you know how it goes”
“And by people, you mean half of Figure Eight?”
“Pretty much,” he admitted with a grin. “Topper’s coming, obviously” you rolled your eyes at that. “And I think Kelce mentioned something about bringing some people. Should be good”
Your eyes lit up at that. “Wait, is Kelce bringing Riley?”
“Riley?” Rafe tried to place the name “That girl he’s been hanging around with?”
“Yes! Oh my god, this is perfect!”
Rafe watched your excitement with an amused smirk. “Riley? Your roommate?”
“Yeah! so cute together. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get them in the same room without it being obvious, and this is literally perfect.” You turned to him with a grin “I’m going to wingman so hard tonight”
“You’re really invested in this, huh?”
“Someone has to be! Left to their own devices, they’d just make eyes at each other from across rooms forever without actually talking. It’s painful to watch.” You pointed her fork at him. “You should help me.”
“Me? I’m not a wingman.”
“Please, you’re Rafe Cameron. Half of being you is convincing people to do things they wouldn’t normally do”
“I feel like that’s not exactly a compliment”
You laughed “you know what i mean. It got us here, didn’t it?”
Rafe found himself smiling despite himself “Okay, fine. But if this blows up in their faces, I’m blaming you”
“Deal” she said, offering her hand for him to shake.
He took it, her hand warm in his, and held it maybe a second longer than necessary. When he let go, she didn’t comment on it, just went back to her pancakes like nothing had happened
They fell into easy conversation after that. She told him about the book she was reading, some thriller that she kept him updated on even though he’d never expressed particular interest in reading. He found himself listening anyway, watching the way her face animated when she talked about something she was passionate about.
“So she looks into the dollhouse, and the floor was made out of teeth! It was Amma the whole freaking time!” You said, gesturing with her fork for emphasis “Like, the whole time! ”
“That’s horrifying” Rafe said, and he meant it
“Right?” She paused “You should read it.”
“Me? I don’t really do the whole reading thing.”
”you can’t read?”
Rafe gave her a playful eye roll which you chuckled at
“Come on, you’d love it. It’s dark and twisty, lots and lots of morally gray characters. Very your vibe”
“My vibe is morally gray characters?”
“Is it not?” You raised an eyebrow at him, challenging, but there was no judgment in her voice
A year ago, maybe even six months ago, he would have blown up at that. Would have gotten defensive, insisted he was perfectly fine. But something about the way you said it, like you saw it but made it feel less like an accusation
“Maybe,” he shrugs but didn’t elaborate
They moved on to other topics, you asked about his plans for the fall, and he found himself telling you about the plans Rode made for him about taking over Cameron development
”you looking forward to it?”
“I don’t know” he admitted, surprising himself “but its what Ward wanted, so I guess it doesn’t matter”
“Of course it matters,” You frowned, biting of another piece of pancake “It’s your life, Rafe. You should get to decide what you do with it”
When he didn’t respond, you glanced up at him. Watching as he mindlessly tore shuffled bits of pancake around the plate
“I think you’d be good at whatever you decided to do. You’re smart, even if you try to hide it sometimes. And you’re determined. When you want something, you go after it.”
Rafe looked up at you “ and how would you know?”
“Because I’ve seen it” you shrugged “You’re not as hard to read as you think you are”
He wanted to ask what else you had seen, what else you had figured out about him in their scattered, small conversations throughout high school up until now. But before he could work up the courage, you were already standing up, and gathering their empty plates
“More pancakes?”
“I shouldn’t” Rafe said, even though part of him wanted to say yes just to stay a little longer
“You sure?”
“I’m good, thanks.” He checked his phone and was surprised to find it was already past ten. He’d been here for over an hour, and it had felt like no more than fifteen minutes “I should probably get going anyway. Still got some stuff to set up for tonight”
“the party” she said, loading the plates into the dishwasher. “I’m guessing people don’t turn up as soon as it starts”
“Yeah, people start showing up round 9, 9;30”
“Cool, I’ll bring Riley, if that’s okay?”
“Yeah, of course” Rafe said, standing up. “The more the merrier, I guess”
He followed you back to the front door, suddenly reluctant to leave. But he had things to do, last-minute party things that he definitely hadn’t thought through when he’d decided to throw this together
You opened the door for him, leaning against it with a soft smile “Thanks for stopping by, haven’t had company in a while, it was nice”
“Yeah,” Rafe agreed, meaning it more than he probably should. “It was nice”
He was halfway down the front steps when he remembered. The whole reason he’d been sitting in his truck having a crisis. He turned back quickly, catching you before you could close the door
“Wait! can I get your number?”
You paused, that knowing smile made its way back onto your face “My number?”
“Yeah, I mean-” Rafe shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to look casual “Just so I can send you the address for tonight. My place can be hard to find if you’ve never been there”
You held back a chuckle, TannyHill, the biggest house on the island was hard to find? Sure…
“Uh-huh” you drew out the syllables “kinda blends in with all the other mansions”
He pursed his lips and gave you a stiff nod
You pulled out your phone anyway, unlocking it and handing it to him silently. Rafe suddenly sprung into action, almost tripping over one of the steps before clearing his throat and taking the phone from your hands almost sheepishly
He typed in his contact information, trying not to let his hands shake from the stupid adrenaline rush this was giving him. It was just a phone number. People exchanged phone numbers all the time. This wasn’t a big deal
Except it felt like the biggest deal. Ever.
He handed your phone back and immediately felt his own buzz in his pocket as she sent him a text. He saved your contact, trying not to think too hard about the fact that he now had a direct line to you whenever he wanted
You tucked your phone back into your pocket, your smirk now widened into a grin that you couldn’t contain no matter how much you tried “Now you can send me that very necessary address that I definitely couldn’t find on my own”
“I’ll send it later” Rafe said, fighting back the same smile
“Looking forward to it”
You both stood there for another moment, neither quite ready to say goodbye. He went to turn away fist but decided against it, turning back to you with a hesitant expression
“So I’ll see you tonight?” he finally said
“Yeah, definitely. Is it BYOB?”
“Not for you”
“I’m holding you to that” you promised with a laugh
“Please do”
You pushed off the doorframe, giving him a small wave “Drive safe”
“Always do” he lied, because they both knew his driving was actually kind of terrible
He made himself turn and walk back to his truck before he could find another excuse to stay. As he climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, he could see you still standing in the doorway, watching him with that soft smile that made his chest feel tight
He lifted his hand in a final wave, and you returned it once more before stepping back inside and closing the door
Rafe sat there for a moment, engine running, staring at the modest house that somehow felt more like home than his own place ever had. His phone burned in his pocket, and he immediately pulled it out to see her contact information staring back at him, just her name and number, simple and straightforward, but to him it felt like the most important thing in the world
He should go. He had a party to prepare for, people to text, supplies to buy. He had approximately nine hours to make this hastily thrown-together party look like something he’d been planning for weeks, and he couldn’t do that sitting in his truck staring at a paint-chipped door
But as he pulled away from the curb, already mentally typing out the text he’d send you later (just the address, obviously, nothing more) Rafe suddenly come to terms with something he had been avoiding this entire time
He was in trouble. Big trouble.
Because somewhere between the first party, the 2AM pasta date and the way you let him in for breakfast with no hesitation, he’d realized something terrifying.
Rafe really, really liked you.
Not in the casual way he’d liked other girls, the way that faded as soon as they weren’t in front of him anymore,This was different. This felt important. Like it mattered
But Rafe Cameron had never been good at handling things that mattered.
However, As he drove back toward Figure Eight, already having had planned what he’d say in that text later, he found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe, he wanted to try. For you, he wanted to try being someone who could handle this Someone who could take this fragile, new thing between them and not fuck it up completely
His phone buzzed again, and he glanced at it at a red light. Texts from you, just a simple:
would it be overkill if I brought pancakes?
It’s actually concerning how much I over estimate portions fml
Rafe smiled, a real genuine smile that he couldn’t have hidden if he tried, and typed back:
wouldn’t be against it
Yeah, he was definitely in trouble. But as he drove through the summer morning with her text still on his screen and plans already forming for tonight, Rafe found that he didn’t mind nearly as much as he thought he would.
For once, trouble felt like exactly where he wanted to be.
TAGLIST!
@rafeysangelbaby @https-suzuki @cokewithcameron @jinxatdawn @lobot0mies4sale @sunsn0w @silkylovey @wiredswanxoxo @ssugartalkin @lynst91
