The salty breeze rolls off the Outer Banks as you sit on the porch, watching your older brother Rafe light a cigarette. He exhales slowly, his sharp blue eyes flicking to you.

“You shouldn’t be out here this late” he mutters, but there’s no real bite in his voice.

You shrug. “Could say the same to you.”

He smirks, shaking his head before leaning back against the railing. A moment of silence passes before he speaks again, quieter this time.

“You know I’d kill for you, right?” His tone is casual, but the weight behind it isn’t.

And you believe him.