Last Summer

Rafe

We stood on the beach for another hour or so before teenagers began flooding it. A fire had been started in the pit and multiple keggers set out.

"It's the bonfire." I whispered in River's ear as I took her hand in mine. We walked towards the fire.

She nodded, "I came last year."

I heard squeals and looked up, Harper and Sarah were running towards us.

"Incoming." River whispered and rolled her eyes.

I could feel her grip on my hand tighten.

"Hey, guys." Harper said excitedly, eyeing her sister then myself.

The sun had set at this point, the shadow from the fire was dancing on the skin of the three girls.

I looked at my sister, "Where's Topper?"

"Probably harassing Pogues." Sarah shrugged her shoulders, pouting.

I looked down at River. Her whole demeanor had changed. She was silent, not paying attention. I tapped my thumb on her's and she looked up at me. She smiled weakly and I nodded my head in understanding.

She let go of my hand as her sister pulled her away, leaving Sarah and I standing there.

"You should just leave her alone, Rafe." Sarah began. It caught me off guard.

"What?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest.

"You're just going to hurt her. It's what you do. Everyone on the island knows about your reputation to be a player." Sarah's attitude constantly got on my nerves. She always acted like she knew everything.

"You don't know what you're talking about. I like her, Sarah." I rolled my eyes at her and scanned the beach for River. She stood by the fire, a beer in her hand. A loud, obnoxious boy talking next to her. Harper was laughing, twisting her red hair around her finger. I ignored Sarah and walked past her.

"Asshole!" She called after me.

I came up next to River, placing my hand on the small of her back.

"Hey. Beer?" She smiled, offering me her beer. I took it and sipped it lightly.

"Well, if it isn't the Kook King himself." JJ intoxicatedly slurred.

"Kook King?" River teased.

"Yeah JJ, why don't you just walk back over to your friends and stop starting shit." I replied, gritting my teeth. The fucking Pogue got on my nerves.

I felt River grab my forearm with one arm and lace her fingers into mine with the other.

"Oh, yeah?" JJ challenged. "And what if I don't?" He stepped forward, leaving only River standing between us.

All of a sudden, River pulled her hands from mine.

"Why don't you just back the fuck up?" River yelled at JJ, who shifted his gazed from me to her.

JJ's hands instantly went up in defense, "Woah, woah. My bad." He locked eyes with me once more before returning to his friend group.

River flipped her hair over her shoulder before turning back to me.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." She winked as the joke came off her lips.

"Oh, yeah." I laughed and kissed her forehead. I threw my arm over her shoulders. She reached up and laced her fingers into mine.

"So, who's this?" A voice came from behind us. We turned and it was Topper. River looked at me, waiting for my reply to my drunken friend. Topper could be a dick when he was drunk, I saw how he could be with Sarah.

"River."  I said, flatly, not wanting to engage.

"River, huh? Rafe, is this the girl from the cafe?" Topper questioned, holding a mai tai in his hand, his eyes glazed over.

"Yeah, man." I replied.

Topper stumbled forward.

"What about her?" He slurred, pointing at Harper. Harper played with her hair as she looked at him. 

"That's my sister." River replied.

"Hey, why don't you find Sarah so she can take you home?" I told Topper, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I will, man." Topper wandered off, through the crowd.

"He seems nice." River laughed, sarcastically. I nodded my head and smiled.

But that's when everything went South.