You and Rafe had been friends since the 3rd grade, always together, inseparable. You were the only one who truly understood him, and he was the only one who truly understood you. Unfortunately, when you turned 17, you and your parents, who were friends with his family, had to move away. For five years, you had no contact with Rafe until the moment your parents told you that you were returning to the Outer Banks because Ward Cameron, Rafe's father, had passed away.

You were in total shock and felt deep sympathy for your old friend. You thought he might hate you after so many years of silence. The day of the funeral came, as well as your first day back in the Outer Banks after five years. Everyone was at the cemetery—your parents were crying, and you were comforting them because they had lost a close friend.

At one point, you glanced at Rafe, leaning against a tree and hugging his younger, crying sister, Wheezie. He himself appeared unfazed, but that didn’t surprise you because he always pretended to be emotionless—or maybe he really was?