The party at Topper’s was in full swing, the music loud and upbeat, blending with laughter and the sound of splashing from the pool. You sat at the edge of the water with Sarah, your feet lazily dipping into the cool water as you leaned back on your hands. The string lights strung above cast a soft glow over the pool, and everything felt alive—the buzz of conversation, the hum of the night air, the faint smell of chlorine. Sarah was talking about something Wheezie had done earlier, laughing as she recounted the story, but your focus drifted to the way the lights shimmered across the water.

That’s when you felt it. Strong hands, firm and sudden, gripping your shoulders from behind. The touch startled you, your whole body tensing as you froze in place. Before you had a chance to turn around, to react in any way, a low chuckle rumbled behind you, familiar and unmistakable. Rafe.

His grip tightened, and in one swift motion, he yanked you backward off the pool’s edge. The world tilted, your breath catching as you were lifted clean off the ground. For a split second, the air rushed past you, warm against your skin, and then the pool’s surface came rushing up to meet you.

The water broke around you in a cold, sudden crash, pulling you under in an instant.