Close To You- Rafe Cameron

Chapter 1

"If you asked me to, I'd give up everything..." I'm tapping my fingers against the wheel of my golf cart and humming along as Close To You by Gracie Abrams plays in my airpods.

The clouds are starting to cover the entire sky, it's about to hit. Hurricane Agatha. I need to get home before it does. I pull the cart around and start back towards the clubhouse at the country club I work at, the notorious Island Club. It's practically home base for the kooks, the richest of the rich here on the island and, unfortunately, my summer job. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad job and the tips are insane, but being hit on, harassed and everything in between by middle aged rich white supremacists all day isn't exactly my idea of fun, and don't even get me started on the boys around my age.

"Close to you..." The song ends as I pull into the golf cart size parking spot under a large canopy a few feet away from the club, sprinting towards the building as the rain hits like a pound of bricks. Shit, it's starting.

Luckily, I make it inside before it got too bad. Life in the Outer Banks is incredible, until a hurricane hits. We don't get them too often, only every few years, but this is looking like a bad one. Not that anything changes for the Kooks over here on Figure 8, families like the Camerons or the Thorntons and everyone else on the north side of the island, they all have generators and second homes on the mainland to resort to in the worst case scenario, even then, the worst they'll get is some fallen trees and a few shingles off the perfectly constructed roof. It's different on the south side, aka The Cut, home of us working class, aka the Pogues, where I live with my mom and whatever boyfriend she has that week, or with my younger half brother JJ and my dad, whichever parent is sober or at least less angry is the house i'm at. JJ's never home anyways, always staying at John B's house, who is like a brother to me too, so sometimes i'll even crash if both my parents are being insufferable. I don't sleep away as often as JJ though, I need to make sure they stay alive, because I guarantee you without me, they wouldn't be.

I push through the double doors at the end of the main hallway, greeting the kitchen staff as I head to the next set of doors into the break room, letting out a sigh of relief, finally being done with my long shift.

I sit down and unzip my bag, pulling out my Converse to change into instead of my soaking wet tennis shoes, as well as throwing on my favorite hoodie to stay warm, despite it being summer, it can get pretty cold during a storm like this.

"Hey there sexy." I hear the door open and slam as Derek walks in, great, just what I need.

"Hi Derek" My breath hitches with anxiety as I look up at him and force a smile, what a loser.

"How's it out on the course, I bet a lady like you must rack up the tips." He chuckles to himself, he's by far the worst part of the club.

"It's okay" I keep my head down, rushing towards the door, trying desperately to get out and go home.

"Hey, where you think you're goin' sweet checks." He chuckles in a whisper, coming up behind me and grabbing my ass.

"Away from you creep!" I jump at the feeling and turn on my heel, pushing him out of my way as he laughs. I run out the door and through the kitchen, not stopping until I bump into someone halfway through the hall.

I fall back with full force and admit defeat, lying back on the ground, could today get any worse.

"Woah, Watch where you're going!" I recognize the voice. OH, yes, it can.

I shoot back up and see him

Rafe Cameron

"Shit, sorry I wasn't paying attention." I stand up and brush my self off as he leans against the doorframe of the bathroom he just came out of.