𝙍𝙄𝙋𝙏𝙄𝘿𝙀 BOOK ONE || 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐁𝐗 𝐅𝐢𝐜

𝔗𝔥𝔢 ℌ𝔦𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔫 ℌ𝔞𝔫𝔡

"Stop it!" Isla whacked him with her bag playfully. 

"Speak of the devil," Dean winked, "thanks," taking his drink from Max, and slipping away - leaving them alone.

"Here." Max handed her a glass of cola. Sitting opposite her, she smiled over the rim of her glass. 

"Thank you." She clinked her glass against his. "How was the shop close?" 

Max shrugged, "I don't wanna talk about that boring stuff."

"What do you want to talk about then?" Isla laughed.

"Well," she watched as he leant forward, putting his glass back down on the glass table unaware of the catastrophic impact this was having on Rafe. 

With his eyes locked onto the two of them, he slowly began to lose the game in front of him. But it couldn't compare to what he was witnessing, of what he was truly scared to lose. 

"God I hate the fucking Garcia's." Rafe said coldly.

Kelce looked at his hand, folding. "Don't have to tell me, Cody would be an idiot to show up here. He knows this is our territory especially after what he did."

Rafe stretched out his hands, resting his head in his hand, "if he so much as breathes the same air as me, I'll give him the beating of his life."

Kelce smirked and refreshed their glasses. "Cheers to fucking up Cody Garcia."

Back when Rafe had been foolish enough to call Cody Garcia his right-hand man, both of them had been surfers, spending every second of summer together in the sea, until the Outer Banks Youth Surf Comp.

 Rafe was poised to showcase his skills and make a name for himself. However, Cody, consumed by his own ambitions saw Rafe as a threat to his dominance. In a twisted and dark turn, Cody sabotaged his surfboard, tampering with the fins and weakening the structure, ensuring that he would falter at a critical moment.

As Rafe rode the crest of a towering wave, the tampered fins gave way under the pressure, causing him to lose control. The wave crashed down with brutal force, slamming him against the ocean floor with bone-jarring impact.

Witnesses on the shore had gasped in horror as he surfaced, clutching his leg in agonising pain. The severity of Rafe's injury became apparent as medical professionals assessed the damage. The sabotage had resulted in a compound fracture of his leg, shattering not just bone but also his dreams of surfing. Surgery and extensive rehabilitation followed, but the scars ran deep.

But the true depth of Cody's deceit was revealed in the shadows of whispered threats that followed.

He threatened not only Rafe's dreams but also the budding talent of young Isla, the seventh-grade prodigy whose fearless spirit and natural talent on the waves caught the attention of the surfing community.

Rafe watched at her laughing with Max, he watched as she tilted her head back, her hair brushing over her shoulders. How Max leant forward, taking her hands and helping her up, walking her to the dance floor. 

"Let's dance." Max grinned at her with that easygoing charm. She laughed as he took her hand and spun her to his chest. "You know you're stunning don't you?" He teased, raising his eyebrow.

"You're an awful flirt Max." Isla laughed him off, placing her hand on his shoulder as he guided her around the dance floor clumsily. Laughing when they almost tripped over each other.

"Can't blame a guy for trying." He stopped, sincere, "you know, our days on the beach have been some of the best of my vacation."

"Really?" Isla grinned, amused.