The bonfire crackled, filling the night with warmth, but you were frozen in place. The sand beneath you felt like it was closing in, and not just because the heat from the fire was starting to get to you. It was the way JJ and Rafe kept looking at you, as if they both knew what was about to happen—and neither of them was backing down.

JJ’s laugh carried over the music, and you could practically hear the carefree energy in it. He was dancing around with the Pogues, just being, well… JJ. Always fun, always making you laugh.

But then there was Rafe. He stood apart from everyone, leaning against his truck with a drink in his hand, his eyes sharp and intense, watching everything. Watching you. You could feel the heat of his gaze even from this far away. There was something about the way he looked at you that made your heart skip, like he knew exactly what he was doing to you.

Your stomach twisted. You cared about both of them, but that didn’t make things easier.

JJ dropped down beside you, grinning wide. “Hey, you okay?” His voice was full of that playful charm.

Before you could answer, Rafe appeared behind you. “What’s going on here, huh?”

JJ stood up straighter. “Don’t you have somewhere to be, Cameron?”

Rafe stepped closer, his eyes narrowing, locking onto yours. “I’ll be right here. With her.”

You stood up quickly, trying to put some space between the two of them. “Can you both just-?” You started, but they weren’t even paying attention to you anymore.

JJ smirked. “You think you own her, Rafe?”

“I don’t think anything, Maybank.” Rafe’s tone was sharp. “She’s not some prize to win.”

The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Both were watching you, waiting for you to choose. JJ, with his wild energy, and Rafe, with his intensity and the way he made you feel like you were his—like the whole world could fall apart and he’d still keep you safe.

Your heart raced, the firelight casting shadows across their faces.

The question hung in the air: who would you choose?