Promised- Rafe Cameron

prologue

"Rafe!" I laughed at my best friend since diapers.

Well, more like diapers and pull ups. He's a year older than me.

"What? I thought you liked being splashed?" He teased, pushing the otherwise calm ocean water at me again.

"Shut up, dummy." I splashed back at him.

"Rafe, leave Kaylee alone." Ward yelled from his back patio, shaking his head. We were two 9 & 10 year olds having the time of our lives in the ocean behind the Cameron's home. Our favorite spot to play together.

Rafe kept taunting me and I was giving it right back to him. Sure, I was younger but twice as sassy.

I finally had enough and pushed him down into the water. His head went under I laughed at him.

"Hey!" he jumped up quickly and took me down with him.

We kept playing and roughing around until sun down. Ward brought us out some food to have a picnic on the sand. It was our favorite- pb&j's with oranges, juice boxes, and ice cream cups. Yes, cups- Ward knows I don't like ice cream cones because when the ice cream melts, it gets all over your hands.

"You know what I was thinking?" Rafe started.

"What?"

"I think one day, we should get married." I gasped and covered my mouth, making gag sounds.

"Ew, Rafe, that is disgusting!"

He laughed at my reaction. "Why not? My mom and dad got married, so did your mom and dad, so shouldn't we get married, too?"

"Nah," I disagreed, "boys have cooties."

Rafe rolled his eyes and twisted his finger around by his head, as if he was calling me cuckoo.

"Alright, fine." He said. "How about instead of getting married, we just agree to be best friends forever?"

I gave some thought to it. "Like, best, best friends?"

"No, more like best, best, best friends."

A huge smile grew on my face. "Yes! Best, best, best friends forever."

We tapped our ice cream together as if to say 'cheers'. Ward walked out of the house again with a camera.

"You kids are so cute. Say, cheese!"

We said cheese and he snapped a picture of us, before walking back to the house to put 7 year old Sarah to bed.

"Kaylee, I don't want to ever stop being your best friend."

"Pinky promise?" I held up my pinky to him. He locked his pinky with mine.

"Pinky promise."

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