Franchesca Ryans met life altering events after hooking up with Rafe Cameron at Midsummers last year. The seventeen yr old alcoholic finds herself back in her old ways after being released from rehab to come back home this summer.
Midsummers. It was the original calmbefore the storm.
The home of mistakes to come.
Where it all started.
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Last year
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8:17 pm
The moon balanced in a dark-blue sky while stars scattered across it and the waves danced to it.
A warm Island breeze hit the bare skin left from a satin black dress as she wandered onto the balcony of the busy Country Club. Her eyes were fixed on the garden's scenery below, covered in stringed-solar lights and lanterns — hung from trees above crowds of people entertaining muffled conversations over a live band.
She was dragged to Midsummers. Some fancy rich people's party that happened once a year at an Island Club on Figure 8. She was only familiar with it because of her childhood friends, Pope and JJ, would usually work it for Pope's dad, Heyward, and sneak out extra beer once it was over.
It was her first time being there though. Her mom, Janet, recently married this real-estate developer, Todd, and they ended up buying a house on Figure 8. Ever since, Janet had been hell-bent on them getting involved in the kook community, which were the wealthiest people on the Outer Banks. And the worst.
" You lost?"
Her body flinched from the sudden words that came from behind her. She turned her head and faced a familiar dirty blonde with blue eyes and cherry-pink lips peering over her. It was Rafe Cameron.
Even though she'd never formally met him, everyone knew everyone on Kildare Island, and everyone knew who Rafe Cameron was. The eldest son of the wealthiest man on Figure 8, Ward Cameron. Franchesca wasn't unfamiliar with the feud he had going on with John B, and the rest of her friends either.
Amongst his anger issues, his reputation was well-known around the Island. And it wasn't for anything positive.
But he looked different tonight, she thought. His hair feathered over his forehead like normal, but he wore a black tux, pants to match, and suede black loafers. It complemented his tall figure greatly. She would deem him attractive if he wasn't such a psycho.
" Because I don't think there was an invite for pogues." He cocked his jaw, gliding his tongue across his bottom lip.
" What are you gonna do, Rafe? Hit me with a golf club?" She retorted, referring to his and her best friend, KC's, incident at a Bonfire last week. His lips parted to say something condescending but slowly turned into a forced smile instead.
" Lighten up, Ryans," he addressed her by her last name like usual, brushing past her to sit at a table on the balcony. " Come take a shot with me." He said, gripping the neck of a half-empty bottle of Bourbon before placing it down on the table.
A laugh filled her chest from the remark being a remark instead of a question." Pass," she snapped almost instantly.
She leaned her hip against the balcony railing, eyes casting through groups of people outside. She watched as all of them laughed and conversed in their expensive gowns and suits until her sight finally settled on her mom.
Her arms draped around Todd's neck, and his arms snaked around her waist as they danced to the music that surrounded them. A small smile crept onto Franchesca's ruby-red lips, knowing how much this meant to her mom.
Finally being able to start over.
" It's gonna be a long night," Rafe trailed off, forcing her out of her thoughts. " People start leaving a little after midnight and it's barely eight." He said as he jerked his head toward an empty shot glass on the table, across from him. " It's just a shot, pussy."
She was always hesitant when it came to alcohol. Only drinking if offered at parties or a sleepover at Astrid's, but never really voluntarily.
Her dad was a huge reason why. He was this on and off again alcoholic that dipped out of her life at the age of six. Leaving her teen mom and her in a small two-bedroom chateau on the cuts.
She barely remembered much from that age but arguments between her parents, and Janet telling her to stay in the room until she'd come back. Always returning with bruised cheeks and fresh tears to tuck her into bed at night.
It always haunted her. Turning out anything like him.
A sigh left her lips while she glanced away from Rafe and back to her mom. He was right though; this was going to be a long night. She rather had felt something from a few shots than stand around that kook fest sober. She was conflicted but eventually knew what she was going to do anyway.
She rolled her eyes to herself, mumbling a fuck it before walking over to the table and taking the seat across from him.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of his blood-stained knuckles as he tilted the bottle, filling the empty shot glass with brown liquor. His eyes left the glass, noticing her glare, and decided to fuck with her.
" How's your boyfriend's jaw doing?" He teased, sliding the glass toward her.
" Rafe,"
" It's just," he motioned a hand, showing his confusion, " I could've sworn I heard a crack by the third hit-"
" KC's fine," annoyed, she cuts him off before downing the shot in one gulp, clearing her throat from the instant burning sensation running down her chest. " And he's not my boyfriend."
" Oh yeah?" He smiled against the rim of the bottle, his glossy eyes studying hers. " You know, you clean up good. For a pogue."
She folded her arms against her chest, leaning back into her seat while watching him turn to refill the glass." You know you're like kind of a dick," The bourbon forced the words that lingered in her head out, and she wasn't mad about it. It was true.
" Must not be that bad, since you're out here talking to me," Her face grimaced at the smirk that plastered on his lips after saying that.
" Oh, I'm just using you for your Bourbon." She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to refrain a laugh from her own blunt choice of words.
He flashed a smile at her. As cliché as it might've been, the more she talked, the more Rafe noticed how different she was from most of the girls on the island. She wasn't trying to be liked by him, she was just being herself.
" How bout' it, Ryan's," He jerked his head at the bottle in his hand. "Two for two? Keep using me for my bottle? "
She didn't know it yet, but she was going to lose her virginity that night and eventually, fall in love with the worst person she'd ever met.
✧ Author's Note ✧
✮ (EDITED) ✮
hey slutss thank you so much for taking the time to read this story! I wanted to add that I started writing this around this time (may) last year and since, my writing journey has improved a lot! I plan on editing my early on chapters in the future but atm I'm really just focused on updating.
I'm active asf on tumblr btw @bbsxsaa so please feel free to msg me with any questions or concerns!
