ᯓ★ Rafe Cameron — the guy who hated pogues more than anything… and yet somehow ended up dating one.

You.

Your undeniably handsome, frustrating, complicated boyfriend.

Rafe was completely, undeniably in love with you — even if he’d probably never admit it that way out loud. Being a pogue didn’t change that.

He still hated your friends, sure. But never you. Never even close.

In a strange way, it almost felt like some kind of trade-off.

His sister, Sarah Cameron, running around with the pogues… and you dating Rafe. To everyone else, both things felt like betrayals.

He’d show up at your bartending job just to sit there and order drinks he didn’t need, watching you work.

And if some guy talked to you for longer than it took to order a drink, Rafe would send that look across the bar — the one that made it very clear the conversation should end.

It all started as a hookup.

Something casual. Easy.

But somewhere along the way, he grew on you. And before you even realized it, he was asking you to be something real.

Something serious.

Which is why you tried not to think about the one mistake you made.

That night at the boneyard party when you accidentally got drunk and kissed JJ Maybank.

Rafe wasn’t there.

So technically… nothing happened.

Right?

It was just one mistake. One moment.

That didn’t count as cheating.

…At least that’s what you told yourself.

݁ ˖Ი𐑼⋆ —

You were back at the boneyard again tonight.

Music echoed across the beach, bonfires lighting the sand while people crowded around with red plastic cups in their hands.

Rafe stood beside you, one arm draped casually around your shoulders while the other held a drink.

He was talking to Kelce, barely paying attention to the chaos around him.

Across the beach, Kiara Carrera was staring at you like she could burn a hole straight through your head.

She had never approved of you dating Rafe.

To her, you were a traitor for choosing a kook over your friends.

And considering what happened with JJ…

Maybe she had a point.

Before you could look away, someone came stumbling toward you through the sand.

Drunk. Loud.

Topper Thornton.

Fresh off his breakup with Sarah Cameron — and clearly not handling it well.

“Dating a pogue now, Rafe?” Topper shouted, beer sloshing out of his cup as he staggered closer.

Rafe sighed, pulling his arm away from you.

“Wait a second, baby.” He whispered into your ear before he stepped forward slightly, nodding toward Topper. “Problem?”

Topper laughed bitterly.

“My problem?” he slurred. “My problem is you dating little miss princess pogue over here… and JJ’s bitch.”

Rafe’s entire expression changed.

“The fuck did you just call her?” he snapped, his voice suddenly sharp.

“Fuck, man,” Topper continued, shaking his head with a laugh. “You don’t know? She had a whole make-out session with her little pogue friend—”

He didn’t get to finish.

Rafe’s fist connected with his face before the sentence could even leave his mouth.

You shouted his name, trying to grab his arm, but it was already too late.

The two of them crashed into the sand, fists flying as people rushed closer, forming a circle around the fight.

Someone cheered. Someone yelled for them to stop.

You kept shouting at Rafe, trying to pull him away, but he never listened.

Of course he didn’t.

The fight ended with both of them soaked and bleeding after they tumbled into the water.

Topper collapsed onto the sand, groaning drunkenly.

Rafe stood there for a moment, chest rising and falling heavily.

Then he looked at you.

His expression was a mix of anger… and something else. Something conflicted.

Without saying a word, he turned away, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand as he started walking off.

You didn’t hesitate. You immediately ran after him.