It ends with you (Rafe Cameron)

𝚟. 𝚜𝚗𝚘𝚠

(FYI: mentions of substance abuse, assault)

On Friday night, Rue met with Topper first.

She didn't know he was Topper until he introduced himself though. Another polished blonde boy from Figure Eight, complete with the khaki trousers and Marc O'Polo shirt. He was friendly enough, drunk enough too. He hiccuped as he threw an arm around her shoulder, making it entirely impossible for her to properly lock away her helmet underneath the seat of her bike.

"Who did you come with?" he questioned as Rue shrugged off his arm. He leaned against the other side of her bike and she wanted to tell him to get the fuck off, but she figured screaming at someone wasn't the way to make friends with them.

"Rafe invited me," she answered once she'd successfully stored her stuff away.

"Rafe?" Topper lifted a brow. "Like, Cameron? Like the dude that lives here?" Rue nodded her head. She peeled the leather jacket she'd put on off her body. It was a hot evening, and the top and shorts she wore were plenty to keep her warm. "Is he fucking you?"

"You think because a guy invites me over I'm automatically sleeping with him?" They made their way inside of Taneyhill. The place was crowded with people.

"If it was just any guy, no, but this is Rafe we're talking about."

"I thought he was your friend?"

"That's exactly why I'm surprised." Rue lifted a brow. She wanted to ask what he meant by that but Topper cut her off by shoving a flute of champagne in her face. Definitely a different setting than the party at the Boneyard. She felt severely underdressed.

"No, thanks."

"Oh, you doing the big stuff tonight?" Topper asked as he downed both glasses. "It's not really my thing, but you know, I get it."

"The big stuff?"

"Yeah, you know, the snow." He brought a finger to his nose and it took Rue a second to understand what he meant but once the words sunk in, she quickly shook her head.

"Oh no, I don't do that shit. My brother overdosed, so I'm staying far away from that."

"Your brother overdosed?" It wasn't Topper who asked the question. She turned around to face the person who the voice belonged to, and was met with Rafe's tall posture. He stood closely behind her, towering over her. He had the same blank look in his eyes he always wore, his hair was gelled back and he'd changed the blue t-shirt he'd worn the last time she saw him for a white linen shirt.

Rue nodded. "Yeah, a couple of months ago. We kinda moved here because of it."

Rafe's jaw hardened, he stared down at her for a second as if he was contemplating his next move. "Did you drink anything?"

"No, I just got here. Why?"

"You still wanna go for that ride?" Rue blinked up at him.

"I mean, sure, but isn't this your party?" Rafe shrugged.

"They won't miss me." He then looked over at Topper. "Top, don't fuck anything up while I'm gone," he told the boy, and Topper, who was probably way too drunk to hear the meaning behind Rafe's words nodded his head.

"Don't worry bro, I got it."

Before she'd properly taken in everything Taneyhill had to offer, she was unlocking her bike again and putting her helmet and jacket back on. She waited at the gate, where Rafe had told her he'd meet her after he'd taken care of some things at the party and gotten his own bike. She readjusted herself on her seat and looked out at the driveway, at the partying teens. Outerbanks wasn't that bad, she thought with a smile.