You never expected the summer to change you. It was just supposed to be another family trip—two weeks in the Outer Banks, a break from reality, the same as always. But then there was him.

Rafe Cameron was never part of the plan.

You met him on a sun-drenched afternoon, the scent of salt thick in the air. He was trouble from the moment you locked eyes, standing near the docks with that effortless smirk, his sun-bleached hair messy from the wind. Everyone warned you—he’s reckless, dangerous, don’t get too close.

But it was impossible not to.

Nights blurred into stolen kisses under the stars, moonlit rides on his bike, whispered confessions on the beach. He made you feel alive—like the world was something you could touch, break, and put back together. He didn’t ask about your future. You didn’t ask about his past. It was just now.

But summer was never meant to last.

The day you left, he didn’t say goodbye. He just stood there, hands in his pockets, jaw clenched, watching as you drove away. You told yourself it was better this way—less painful, less complicated.

But now, back home, nothing feels right. The city lights are dull compared to the way the stars burned in the Outer Banks. The sound of waves is replaced by the hum of traffic. Your heart is still stuck somewhere between the dunes, waiting for him.

And then, one night, your phone buzzes.

“Did you really think I’d let you go that easy?”

Rafe Cameron was never supposed to be yours.

But maybe, just maybe, he still is.