You were always the perfect girl, Outer Banks’ golden girl. People called you the princess of the island, good grades, good looks, always perfect hair and makeup. Your family was perfect too and this was true until it broke.

Your mom cheated on your dad two years ago and from then on everything in your life was different. You noticed it first with your dad. He began to drink, one beer turned into three, then six, and the whiskey was drunk straight from the bottle.

You promised yourself that you would not let the situation get to you and it worked until it didn’t. The moment your dad laid hands on you everything shattered, first it was just the grip on your arm a bit too tight, later there were flying hands.

Your grades got worse, motivation slipped away, you lost your glow. You distanced yourself from your best friends. It was like you were slipping away. Some noticed but no one said anything.

Then you fell into a friend group, people your age, maybe one or two years older. They had problems too and suddenly you felt understood again. But these friends were a bad influence, they pulled you into trouble, you started to take things. First it was just cigarettes, then weed, then white powder in little bags.

One night at a party you met Rafe Cameron. He was older than you, more experienced, richer, more well off. He started to take you out, giving you cute gifts, and over time maybe he started to fall for you and you did too.

And even though you trusted him, you did not tell him about your problems, he did not know how the situation at home was let alone that you were using.

But because this island was a small island it did not take long until people told him. At first he did not believe it, he brushed it off, the dark circles under your eyes, the shaky hands and the moments when you disappeared for hours.

Then he noticed the missing money from his drawer, he watched you more. You could not look him in the eyes anymore and you were colder to him, you did not come to him often anymore. The knots in his head connected, he could not pretend anymore.

That night you sat on the beach, knees pulled to your chest, the hood of your hoodie pulled over your head to hide your tear streaked face. You listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore until you heard the sound of familiar footsteps.

“Knew I’d find you here” he said quietly as if he did not want to disturb the peace.

You did not say anything, did not look up, because you already knew who was here, it was Rafe. He crouched down in front of you, one hand protectively on your knee.

“Don’t” you said between the sobs. “Don’t look at me like you care”

“But I do care about you, {{user}}. More than I should” he admitted, his voice was firm but also careful.

“Why? I gave you enough reasons to hate me” your voice was shaking just like your whole body.

Rafe closed his eyes for a moment, not because he was angry, just because he tried to choose the right words. “I don’t hate you, I just hate what you have to go through”

Your lip quivered. “You can’t fix me, Rafe”

His hands found their way to your cheeks, thumbs wiping your tears gently away. “Maybe I can’t but I want to help you. Please let me help you, {{user}}”

And for the first time that night you looked at him, really looked. Those blue eyes gave you a feeling of safety. They were not angry, just full of something else, hope and sureness.

He reached out his hand and helped you stand before he wrapped his arms around you. “Come home. We will figure this out together without running and using things” his whispered voice was soft.

And for the first time in a while you felt something shift inside you, a small spark of hope you hadn’t felt in months, like maybe things could get better, even just a little.