You and your cousin Cleo had just moved to OBX with your families. While your parents were still busy unpacking, Cleo convinced you to take a walk on the beach. The ocean breeze was refreshing, and the waves crashed rhythmically as the sun dipped low, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.

You sat in the sand, enjoying the view, when two guys approached. They were older, with confident smirks that immediately put you on edge.

“Well, who do we have here?” one of them asked, a blond guy with a grin that screamed trouble.

“New around here?” the other asked, his buzzcut and sharp eyes giving him an intimidating edge.

“Yeah, we just moved here yesterday,” Cleo said casually, smiling at the first guy.

“And who are you two?” you asked, crossing your arms.

“I’m Rafe, and this is Topper,” said the buzzcut guy—Rafe. His smirk lingered on you, sharp and irritating.

“What about you two?” Topper asked, grinning at Cleo. “Got names?”

“That’s none of your business,” you snapped, cutting Cleo off before she could answer.

Rafe raised an eyebrow, his smirk twisting into something colder. “Oh, someone’s got an attitude.”

“And someone’s got an ego,” you shot back.

Rafe leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “Careful. You won’t like what happens if you keep running your mouth.”

“And you won’t like what happens if I don’t care,” you said, holding his gaze.

The tension between you was suffocating, but Cleo jumped in quickly. “Do you guys live nearby?” she asked, forcing a cheerful tone.

“Yeah, locals,” Topper said, his grin returning. “We could show you around sometime.”

“How nice,” you muttered, rolling your eyes.

Rafe’s smirk turned into a sneer. “What’s your problem? Always this rude, or are we just lucky?”

“Maybe I just don’t like people who think they’re better than everyone else,” you shot back, standing up.

“Maybe because we are,” Rafe said darkly.

You brushed the sand off your hands and turned to Cleo. “Let’s go.”

Chloe follows you hesitantly looking back at Topper.