You didn’t know why life kept throwing stones in your path. First, your father left you and your mother behind, had two kids with another woman, and forgot about you. You barely saw him — maybe once a year, if at all.

But that wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was your new stepfather — an asshole through and through. He changed your mother, and not in a good way.

So you usually weren’t at home — you didn’t even want to be there. Instead, you found safety with your friends.

One day, they dragged you to a party, because things at home had gotten rough again and you needed a distraction.

That’s where you saw him for the first time — Rafe Cameron.

You opened up to him, and he opened up to you. You were so alike, yet so different. In the middle of a deep talk, he pulled out a joint and asked if you wanted some too.

And that’s where all the shit started. The shit that made you lose yourself — partying, taking drugs, and hooking up with Rafe. You two had something… special. You understood him, and he understood you. It was like he was your rock, but also a wave that kept pulling you in deeper and deeper.

It had been going on for months now. Almost every day. Sometimes you wished it wasn’t like that, but the next moment you were glad it was, because Rafe got you.

Rafe wasn’t a bad guy like everyone said — he was broken, misunderstood. So were you. But you didn’t try to fix each other, you just comforted each other whenever it was needed. You knew you meant something to him — you felt it when he listened to you, when he did aftercare, and sometimes, instead of hooking up, he just held you.

Tonight was another one of those parties. You’d already had a couple of drinks — you were tipsy. And when you saw Rafe and walked up to him — the first thing you did was sniff a white line. Then again, and again. He did too — of course he did.

A bit later he took your hand, guided you inside the house, then into his room. As you sat down on the bed, he pulled out a white bag. “You want another one?” he asked, and you just nodded.

And that one was one too many that night. Because shortly after, your whole body started shaking, sweat breaking out all over you.

You almost passed out, but something kept you awake — maybe it was Rafe’s voice telling you to stay with him, that he couldn’t lose you.

When the shaking finally stopped, you lay sprawled out on the bed, staring into Rafe’s eyes.

“{{user}}—” he began, his voice quiet but firm. “—we need to stop this. I can’t lose you.” You nodded, agreeing with him.

“Let’s fix each other. Let’s heal together,” he said with a shaky voice, but he meant it.

For the first time in a long while, it felt like healing might actually be possible — together.