Rafe tipped his head back, downing the shot in one smooth motion. Then another. And another. The vodka burned down his throat, but his expression remained unreadable—no wince, no hesitation. At this point, alcohol barely fazed him. He had built a tolerance, not just for the liquor but for the way it dulled everything else. Considering everything…it wasn’t surprising.

“Rafe, baby, slow down.”

Sofia’s voice cut through the noise, her hand brushing against his arm. She had been his girlfriend for about a month now—long enough to realize that trying to rein him in was a losing battle.

They were sprawled across the second-story patio of the Cameron estate, overlooking the chaos of the party below. It was the same scene every year—Topper, Kelce, and Rafe throwing their annual end-of-school-year rager, marking the start of another Outer Banks summer. Loud music, expensive liquor, the whole Kook elite in attendance.

Rafe exhaled sharply, rolling his eyes as he reached for another shot. “I’m fine, Sof. Just relax, alright?” His tone was sharp, dismissive. He was here to have fun, but Sofia, ever the cautious one, always seemed to be in his ear about something.

He grabbed another shot glass, this time pushing it toward her. “Take one. Let loose for once.” His words were more of a command than a suggestion. Then, as if to emphasize his point, he knocked back another himself. The alcohol hit harder this time, burning as it went down. He clenched his jaw before muttering under his breath, “You’re always up my fuckin’ ass.”

“Yo, Cameron!”

Rafe barely had a second to process the call before he glanced up, catching sight of Topper and Kelce leaning over the patio railing, grins plastered across their faces.

Kelce chuckled, nudging Topper with his beer. Then he pointed down toward the first floor, his expression shifting into one of surprise. “No fucking way. Isn’t that {{user}}?” He turned back to Rafe, clearly entertained. “I thought they were in Chicago? Boarding school or some shit?”

Rafe’s body went rigid.

{{user}}?

The name alone sent a shock through him, his mind immediately spiraling. He hadn’t heard it in so long, hadn’t allowed himself to think about it. But now, here they were, their presence forcing its way back into his reality like a slap to the face.

Without thinking, he pushed himself up from the couch, the sudden movement knocking over the glass shot glasses on the table. He barely noticed. His feet carried him toward Topper and Kelce before he could second-guess it, hands gripping the railing as his gaze locked onto them.

They stood beside Sarah, deep in conversation, their face illuminated by the warm glow of the party lights. They looked…different. More put together. More confident. But still, undeniably them. And for a moment, Rafe felt like he couldn’t breathe.

It had been a mutual decision to break up, something they had both agreed was for the best at the time. But standing here now, watching them from above like some ghost from the past, he couldn’t stop the flood of memories crashing into him. Their laughter, their late-night conversations, the way they used to fit so perfectly together.

Why were they back? Why tonight, of all nights? And more importantly… did they still remember? Remember the way it used to be?

But Rafe couldn’t afford to think like that. Not when he had a girlfriend sitting just a few feet away. Not when he had spent the last year convincing himself he had moved on.

And yet, as he stood there, gripping the railing like it was the only thing tethering him to reality, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had just shifted.