Golden Hearts | Rafe Cameron

55

July 31

Today we're going to a boat party. Some kook guy is hosting it, and the others really wanted to go, so I guess that's the plan. I don't have anything else to do, and I need to keep doing fun things during this last month of summer so I won't be disappointed in myself in the fall when I start college and look back on all the things I could have done.

I'm glad that Rafe and I are on good terms again; otherwise, I probably wouldn't go to this party, especially since we'll likely be way too drunk on a boat. You don't want to take too many risks in that situation.

For some reason, I decided to put on light pink eyeshadow today, something I never usually wear, and I matched it with a similar lip gloss. I guess it's now, during these last years of my teenage life, that I should take all the risks. If it looks awful according to others, at least I'll have learned from my mistakes.

There's a knock on the door, and I go to open it. Sarah is standing there with Topper behind her. "Addie... just look at you! So pretty and sexy, right, Topper?" Sarah says cheerfully and turns to Topper behind her.

Topper looks at us, surprised. "Uh... am I supposed to answer that question?" he asks, a bit awkwardly.

"No, because you're my boyfriend," Sarah says, kissing him on the cheek before we all leave the house together.

When we arrive at the party, I see that it's a very large boat where the main event is happening, but I'm glad that the boat is docked so I can easily go home if I want to leave early.

There are also some smaller boats around with people on them, and some are standing on the dock and the yard of the big house, which I assume is the home of the guy hosting the party.

One thing I think I'll miss a lot is the parties here in the OBX. There's a special vibe. Especially in the summer because there are always so many people. I mean the tourists. There are always new people to meet, even though you know you'll probably never see them again.

We get on the boat and are met with loud music and sweaty bodies dancing against each other. Even though it's a big boat, it's quite crowded with all the people on board. But I guess it's one of the popular boys from my old school who's hosting the party, and often people show up uninvited, which can be a bit annoying sometimes.

"Addie!" I hear someone shout, and when I look ahead, I see Rafe waving at me. I smile as soon as I see him and move through the crowd to reach him.

"Hi," I say, accepting his hug when I get to him. "How are you?"

"Just fine. I helped Stevens here with the preparations," Rafe says.

"Okay, nice," I say and lean into Rafe, who puts his arm around my shoulder. He's holding a drink in the other hand and takes a sip before offering it to me. The alcohol burns my throat when I taste his drink, and I make a face as I swallow the liquid.

"I want you to say hi to my friends," Rafe says and starts walking towards some guys standing a bit further away. I've never met them before, but I recognize two of them. The other two I haven't seen before. Maybe they're not from here.

"Rafe!" one of the boys says, who is blond. He gives Rafe a side hug before the others do the same. After they've all hugged Rafe, they look at me. None of them move but give me cautious smiles.

"You must be the girl Rafe's talked so much about," the same blond boy says.

The girl Rafe talked so much about? Does Rafe talk about me with his friends? That's new. Something I haven't heard before. But it might be kind of cute when you think about it.

"Yes," I say and try to smile at them, not knowing what else to do.

"So, you two are official now?" another guy with quite long black hair asks.

Rafe clears his throat, and I see his proud smile. "Yeah."

"Congrats, man," the black-haired guy says. "Your name is Adeline, right?"

"Yes," I say.

"Okay, nice name. I'm Kevin, and this is Robin," the blond boy says, pointing to another blond guy. "We're Rafe's cousins."

That explains why they seemed a bit familiar, but I couldn't place them.

"Oh, okay, that's nice," I say.

"And these two are my friends," Rafe says, pointing to the other two guys. "Alvin and Olly."

I nod. I don't know why I'm uncomfortable with these guys, but maybe it's the thought of standing between five guys and trying to have a conversation while everyone is silent, and I don't know what to do. Besides, they're all focused on me since apparently, I'm the most interesting thing here right now.

"I think we should move on, but it was nice meeting you," Rafe saya before we start walking away from the boys, as if he read my mind. I really needed that.

We walk towards the drinks and each take one, standing by the edge of the boat to get a nice view of the water. Despite all the people and the loud sounds, it's still cozy to stand with Rafe like this.

He smiles when he looks at me, and his eyes almost sparkle in the sunlight from the setting sun. I could stare at him for hours, for days, for weeks, for months, for years.

Forever.
Him and me.

"What?" I laugh when he's been staring at me for a few minutes.

Rafe smiles and places his hand on my cheek. "Your eyeshadow is so pretty."

"Do you think so? I was afraid people would laugh at me."

Rafe looks at me in surprise. "What? Why would they laugh?"

"I don't know, maybe because it's something I don't usually wear," I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"Look around and realize that no one is staring at us, angel. You're perfect as you are, and no one can change that. I fell in love with you for a reason," Rafe says, which gives me butterflies and makes me blush.

"Stop it," I say.

"No, I'll never stop telling you how much I love you, Adeline Cameron," Rafe says.

I freeze when he says Cameron. Adeline Cameron. I meet his eyes. He looks at me as if I'm some kind of interesting artwork or maybe a perfectly beautiful painting.

"Cameron?" I ask as I move closer to him.

"Yeah, one day we'll belong to the same family," Rafe says before he kisses me.

I don't know if it's because he's drunk. We're both drunk, or if he really meant what he said. Because I can't stop thinking about the words that just left his mouth. That he's so in love with me and that he called me a Cameron. One of his family.

Adeline Cameron.

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A/N: How cute🤭