You lay in bed, burdened by your thoughts and exhausted by everything, crying into your pillow because today at school some guy embarrassed you, claiming that you were with Rafe while he was with the whole island. Were you with Rafe? Of course not—you absolutely hated him. Your families had always been friends, but you had despised each other from the start. He would tease you, annoy you, often embarrass you, and compete with you. You had spent your entire childhood together, and as you grew older, you drifted apart, but you still knew each other better than anyone else—despite the hatred.

Suddenly, you heard a knock on your window. You couldn’t see anyone, so you ignored it and went back to bed. The knocking grew louder, and then you heard a voice... his voice, slightly hoarse.

"Open this window before I break it!"

You rolled your eyes but walked over to the window, still in your pajamas, your hair a mess. When you saw him, you nearly froze in shock. He was covered in blood and mud.

Terrified, you quickly opened the window and asked in a trembling voice, "What happened, Cameron?!"

He smiled slightly when he saw your face, climbed into your room, and said, gesturing with a half-smirk as if it were nothing, "I took care of that guy who was bothering you."