It was already early morning when you glanced at the digital clock next to your bed. God, you hated jet lag. You had moved to the Outer Banks a few days ago. Your dad had been offered a job here, and you and the rest of the family had tagged along—of course. Like you wouldn’t have had a good life before.

You’d already met a couple of people your age over the past few days. A girl named Sarah who lived next door was the one you got along with the most. Yesterday, you were at her parents’ place because she had invited you over for a pool day. That’s when you met her older brother, Rafe Cameron.

He had walked past the pool without even acknowledging your presence. Arrogant prick, you thought after you got home last night.

Your thoughts are interrupted when your phone suddenly buzzes on the nightstand.

Unknown number.

You furrow your brows in confusion and open the message.

"Yo, you up?"

“Who’s this?” you text back.

A moment later, another message appears.

"Rafe."

You roll your eyes and type out a reply.

"Go to sleep, Rafe."

"Buzzkill. Come outside."

Buzzkill? Who did he think he was? Despite yourself, you climb out of bed and pull on a hoodie and some sweatpants. Quietly, you make your way downstairs so you don’t wake your parents.

As you step out onto the porch, you see him.

Rafe is leaning casually against a sleek black sports car, a cocky smirk playing on his lips. The car sits low to the ground, its glossy paint reflecting the dim porch light. The sharp lines of the body and the wide tires make it look fast even while standing still. Chrome rims catch the light, and the engine lets out a low, quiet rumble as if the car itself is impatient to move. It’s the kind of car that screams money.

Probably worth more than you could ever afford.

“Took you long enough,” he calls out, pushing himself off the vehicle.

You walk down the porch steps into the driveway. “What do you want, Rafe?” you ask sharply.

“Whoa, relax, princess. Since you couldn’t sleep and neither could I, I thought you might want to… you know, spend the night together instead.”

“No thanks,” you reply immediately, turning to head back inside.

Before you can leave, Rafe grabs your wrist.

“{{user}}, wait. I was joking, okay?” he says, his tone softening slightly.

You turn back to face him. “Well, it wasn’t funny.”

“Alright, alright. Message received.” He raises his hands in mock surrender. “Do you want a ride, though? I could show you around.”

“At night?”

“The Outer Banks are beautiful at night. And this is a one-time chance. Take it or leave it. Any girl on this island would kill for a ride in my car,” he adds with a smug grin.

You sigh. “Fine. But for the record, I’m not doing this because of you. I’m doing this because I want to explore my new home.”

“Of course,” Rafe chuckles, opening the passenger door for you.

And just like that, the night suddenly gets a lot more interesting.