tidal wave | rafe cameron

eleven

after the newfound couple left me, i mingled around.  the crowd was as it usually was; a mixture of locals and tourists.  i didn't have much time before i had to meet rafe.  but still,i stood and talked with two girls who i knew from school when i saw a familiar face that i had been purposefully avoiding the entire night.

"callie," topper says, grabbing me lightly by the arm and pulling me away for privacy.

i look at him confused, but as i notice the seriousness of his expression, i just let him talk. 

"so, what? are you just best friends with sarah and john b still?" he confronts. 

"top, they've been my friends for a long time.  i'm sorry, but i'm not just gonna stop being their friend."

he stares at me like what i said was stupid, "you know what they did to me, right?"

i sigh, "yes, and i'm sorry about that.  but i'm kinda in a rush and i really need to be somewhere," i say as i check the time on my phone.

"you know what? you're a liar, just like your dirty pogue friend group," he says, getting so close that i can feel his breath fanning across my face. 

"topper, you're making it really hard to be nice to you."

"i don't need your fucking sympathy."

"fine.  but don't come back to me when you realize i'm the only person who actually gave a fuck about your feelings," i say, my voice cold. 

he shakes his head and walks away, pushing through the crowd of people.  i leave too, letting sand overflow my birks as i walk down the beach to the spot. i find rafe, but my mind is still flooded by my conversation with topper. 

"hey, pretty," rafe smiles. 

"hi," i greet.  i feel my smile as i force it onto my face.  rafes hand lightly strokes my chin, pulling upwards so that i'm looking at him. 

"hey, what's wrong?" he asks. 

"nothing, just topper being annoying."

"what did he do to you?" he asks, a sudden urgency appearing in his voice. 

"he's just mad that i'm friends with sarah and john b," i say as i rub my forehead. 

"fucking topper," he whispers under his breath.  "i'll fucking kill him, was he rude to you?"

i examine rafes expression, his jaw clenching, his breathing increasing.  he was getting upset, and i didn't want to see him like this. 

"hey, rafe, it's okay," i assure. 

"are you sure? cause i swear to god i'll-" but i cut him off. 

"i promise, it's okay."

"okay," he nods, taking a deep breath. 

we walk a little deeper into the spot.  there was absolutely nobody around.  like this place had gone untouched since the last time we were here years prior.  the kegger was far into the distance and the only thing i could focus on was the boy next to me and the rising moon above us.

"so why didn't you make an appearance at the party?" i ask.

he scratches the back of his neck, "toppers been pretty on edge, you know? and, uh, sarah hasn't really been talking to me."

"sarah and i made up."

his eyes glimmer with the slightest twinge of excitement.  my lips turn up just barely.

"now i can have you all to myself," he wraps an arm around my waist, "and i want everyone to know it."

for a second, i think about my friends and the fact that they're likely still unsettled by the idea of me and rafe even speaking in the first place.  but as i feel his touch on my skin, those thoughts leave my head.

i turn to face rafe, using my elbow to prop myself up in the sand.  my hand reaches to touch his face, my thumb grazing at his jaw.  he kisses me.  and in some way, it's different from the other times.  this isn't lust, this is passion.

"i want the entire world to know how you make me feel," i mumble against his lips.

he smirks and kisses me again before entwining his fingers with mine. the metal of his ring cool against my hand.

we lay there in the sand, hearing nothing but waves crashing and the faint sound of music. we don't speak. because in some way, we both knew that we were meant to be here. in this spot that we had spent so much time in all those years before.

rafe and i would never be perfect. but this was the closest we had ever come to touching perfection.