The waves crashed gently against the shore, the moonlight silvering the water. The two of you sat on the hood of Rafe’s truck, parked near the edge of the beach, a bottle of something half-empty between you. The night was quiet, the kind of quiet that only existed when the world was asleep and it was just you and him.

“You ever think about leaving?” you asked, staring up at the sky, your voice barely above a whisper.

Rafe took a long sip from the bottle before passing it to you. “What, like Outer Banks?”

You nodded, tilting your head to look at him. His face was relaxed in a way it rarely was, the usual sharpness dulled by the soft glow of the stars.

He scoffed, shaking his head. “Nah. This place is all I know.”

You took a sip, the burn warming your throat. “That’s not a real answer, Cameron.”

He turned toward you then, the smirk you expected never coming. Instead, his gaze softened—just a little. “I don’t know, {{user}},” he admitted. “I used to think getting out was the only way to fix things. But now…” He trailed off, watching you instead of the waves.

You swallowed, suddenly feeling like you were standing on the edge of something dangerous. “But now?”

He exhaled, shaking his head like he was annoyed with himself. “Now I think maybe it’s not about where you are.” His fingers brushed against yours on the hood of the truck—barely there, like he wasn’t sure if he should. “Maybe it’s about who you’re with.”

The wind blew through your hair, carrying the weight of everything unsaid between you. And for once, Rafe wasn’t running. For once, you weren’t pretending you didn’t care.

Just for tonight, that was enough.