Chapter Eighteen
Neither Rafe nor Cameron was brave enough to go knock on that door at the moment. They walked downstairs to the gym.
"So. Did the dress code change since I've been down here?" Rafe asked, laughing.
"What do you mean?" Cam looked down at his button down shirt and khaki pants. He wore this all the time when he had been alive. Abby teased him about it, actually, called it his uniform.
"Nothing - it's just a bit more formal than anything I'd wear."
"Well. Not everyone slays vampires. Some of us have normal jobs."
"Really?" Rafe grinned.
"Your dad - he says hi by the way."
"How's he doing?" Rafe asked. It had been so long since he'd seen him.
"Just the same. He can be so incredibly annoying - the most annoying thing is - he's usually right."
"Almost always." Rafe said as he smiled.
Cameron glanced at the staircase, nodding his head. "So. I guess we're in trouble."
"Hmm. Yeah. A little." Rafe laughed again.
"She drives me insane. She won't ever listen. She asks me what she should do and I swear - she does the opposite."
"I never thought it'd be possible - but honestly - they are so alike."
"Well. I don't know Alison - but - from what just went on upstairs? Well, it was real easy to figure that out."
"Abby's in some sort of danger? That's why you're down here?" Rafe asked, concerned.
Cameron sighed, the thought making him crazy all over again. "Tons. More than I ever imagined."
********
Livvie glanced around their apartment, trying to figure out where Caleb snuck off to last night. When he came home he had seemed more at peace than he had in weeks. He was, as usual hungry but seemed less desperate. It was almost as if he had finally found what they had been looking for.
Livvie's mind raced, fearing the worst. If he had found the ring - why didn't he tell her? Wasn't that what they'd been hoping and waiting for? Could it be that he was losing his faith in her? Was he so angry that she had lost the ring in the first place that he'd keep the fact he'd found it a secret?
She wouldn't blame him if he had. Not in the least. She had betrayed him before. He had promised that it was in the past and behind them but those little voices, that sinking feeling of insecurity began to boil inside her.
God help the person that was nearby when she began to bubble over.
*********
"Jerk." Abby muttered, wiping tears from her eyes.
Alison watched her sister and sympathized. Rafe ordered her around all the time and it made her crazy. She truly had been angry a few minutes ago but she was over it now. That of course, didn't mean she might not make him squirm a bit. She loved when he tried to get on her good side again.
Abby paced back and forth and spoke furiously "Can you believe him? Alison - I mean can you? I'm dying to see him again - I want nothing more than to have him back with me and what does he do? He comes here and scares me half to death! My eyes are barely opened and he starts screaming at me."
"Abby." Alison tried to get a word in.
"Does he tell me he loves me? No. Does he even say hello before he starts ordering me around. Nope. He's - he's - he's." Abby trailed off and looked over at Alison in shock.
"OH MY GOD." She gasped, sinking into a nearby chair, her eyes huge. "He's here!"
"I know. Alison smiled, wondering when Abby would realize the most important thing.
"Why is he here?" Abby continued, shaking her head in disbelief. "How long can he stay?"
"I'm sure I don't know. Sweetie, did you ask him?"
"No. I- I - no. I just pushed him away. Alison - Oh my God!" She said as she jumped up - tears streaming down her cheeks. She ran to the door and ripped it open, she couldn't get to him fast enough.
Cam was just about to start the story of exactly what Abby had gotten herself into when he and Rafe could hear the sound of footsteps running down the spiral staircase. Cam walked a few steps closer to see who it was and caught Abby as she flew straight into his arms.
"Cameron." she cried, her hands first fisting into the fabric of his shirt, and then running gently over his face.
"Abby." He sighed as he pulled her to him and held her close.
"You're here." Abby whispered as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "You're here."
Rafe looked on for a moment, and then moved to walk upstairs, wondering if Alison was still mad at him. Perhaps he'd have to try and make up with her, he thought with a grin.
Neither Rafe nor Cameron was brave enough to go knock on that door at the moment. They walked downstairs to the gym.
"So. Did the dress code change since I've been down here?" Rafe asked, laughing.
"What do you mean?" Cam looked down at his button down shirt and khaki pants. He wore this all the time when he had been alive. Abby teased him about it, actually, called it his uniform.
"Nothing - it's just a bit more formal than anything I'd wear."
"Well. Not everyone slays vampires. Some of us have normal jobs."
"Really?" Rafe grinned.
"Your dad - he says hi by the way."
"How's he doing?" Rafe asked. It had been so long since he'd seen him.
"Just the same. He can be so incredibly annoying - the most annoying thing is - he's usually right."
"Almost always." Rafe said as he smiled.
Cameron glanced at the staircase, nodding his head. "So. I guess we're in trouble."
"Hmm. Yeah. A little." Rafe laughed again.
"She drives me insane. She won't ever listen. She asks me what she should do and I swear - she does the opposite."
"I never thought it'd be possible - but honestly - they are so alike."
"Well. I don't know Alison - but - from what just went on upstairs? Well, it was real easy to figure that out."
"Abby's in some sort of danger? That's why you're down here?" Rafe asked, concerned.
Cameron sighed, the thought making him crazy all over again. "Tons. More than I ever imagined."
********
Livvie glanced around their apartment, trying to figure out where Caleb snuck off to last night. When he came home he had seemed more at peace than he had in weeks. He was, as usual hungry but seemed less desperate. It was almost as if he had finally found what they had been looking for.
Livvie's mind raced, fearing the worst. If he had found the ring - why didn't he tell her? Wasn't that what they'd been hoping and waiting for? Could it be that he was losing his faith in her? Was he so angry that she had lost the ring in the first place that he'd keep the fact he'd found it a secret?
She wouldn't blame him if he had. Not in the least. She had betrayed him before. He had promised that it was in the past and behind them but those little voices, that sinking feeling of insecurity began to boil inside her.
God help the person that was nearby when she began to bubble over.
*********
"Jerk." Abby muttered, wiping tears from her eyes.
Alison watched her sister and sympathized. Rafe ordered her around all the time and it made her crazy. She truly had been angry a few minutes ago but she was over it now. That of course, didn't mean she might not make him squirm a bit. She loved when he tried to get on her good side again.
Abby paced back and forth and spoke furiously "Can you believe him? Alison - I mean can you? I'm dying to see him again - I want nothing more than to have him back with me and what does he do? He comes here and scares me half to death! My eyes are barely opened and he starts screaming at me."
"Abby." Alison tried to get a word in.
"Does he tell me he loves me? No. Does he even say hello before he starts ordering me around. Nope. He's - he's - he's." Abby trailed off and looked over at Alison in shock.
"OH MY GOD." She gasped, sinking into a nearby chair, her eyes huge. "He's here!"
"I know. Alison smiled, wondering when Abby would realize the most important thing.
"Why is he here?" Abby continued, shaking her head in disbelief. "How long can he stay?"
"I'm sure I don't know. Sweetie, did you ask him?"
"No. I- I - no. I just pushed him away. Alison - Oh my God!" She said as she jumped up - tears streaming down her cheeks. She ran to the door and ripped it open, she couldn't get to him fast enough.
Cam was just about to start the story of exactly what Abby had gotten herself into when he and Rafe could hear the sound of footsteps running down the spiral staircase. Cam walked a few steps closer to see who it was and caught Abby as she flew straight into his arms.
"Cameron." she cried, her hands first fisting into the fabric of his shirt, and then running gently over his face.
"Abby." He sighed as he pulled her to him and held her close.
"You're here." Abby whispered as she stood on her toes to kiss him. "You're here."
Rafe looked on for a moment, and then moved to walk upstairs, wondering if Alison was still mad at him. Perhaps he'd have to try and make up with her, he thought with a grin.