Allison is a young woman whose life takes a tumultuous turn when she becomes deeply involved with Rafe, a troubled yet charismatic figure from a wealthy family. Initially drawn to his intense charm, Allison finds herself swept up in a passionate but...
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It was a warm, golden Saturday, and Allison found herself at the beach, participating in a community clean-up event. The salty breeze teased her hair as she picked up litter, and the rhythmic lull of the waves provided a soothing backdrop to her task. The ocean's vastness reminded her how insignificant her troubles were in the grand scheme of things, but she knew she needed this—this time alone, this escape from the drama that had been shadowing her lately.
As she worked, her eyes wandered across the shore and landed on familiar faces—Topper and Sarah, who she recognized from the kegger party. Their presence immediately set her on edge. Topper's voice, as usual, carried over the distance, loud and dripping with disdain. It was hard to ignore how much the Pogues seemed to dominate his conversations as if he was incapable of speaking about anything else.
Allison straightened up, wiping a strand of hair from her face and crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh, it's you again," she called out, her voice cutting through the air, drawing their attention.
Topper and Sarah turned to face her, surprise flickering across their features before Topper's expression hardened into his usual smugness. "I'm surprised you aren't on the cut making trash with Pogues," he sneered, his tone condescending and infuriating.
"Topper!" Sarah hissed, nudging him as if to remind him of his manners, though Allison doubted it would do much good.
Allison's patience was already wearing thin. "Where's your bully friend? I hope he isn't here," she asked, her voice laced with irritation as she scanned the beach for any sign of Rafe.
Topper's smirk only widened. "I can call him. I'm sure he'll come if he knows you asked," he replied smugly.
"Please don't," Allison rolled her eyes, her annoyance bubbling just beneath the surface. She could handle Topper's arrogance, but Rafe's presence was the last thing she wanted to deal with today.
Sarah, sensing the tension, quickly interjected, her eyes darting between Allison and Topper. "Which bully friend?" she asked, though she seemed to already know the answer. Her gaze landed on Topper, silently urging him to explain.
"Your brother," Topper answered, his tone dismissive as if Rafe's actions needed no further justification.
Allison's eyes widened slightly in surprise, the connection between Sarah and Rafe finally clicking into place. "Oh, he's your brother? That's just great," she remarked dryly, the sarcasm evident in her voice.
Sarah's concern deepened, her brows knitting together as she turned her full attention to Allison. "Did he do anything to you?"
Allison hesitated, a flicker of something darker passing through her eyes before she masked it with indifference. "No, not to me," she replied, though her tone was sharp. "Why don't you let your boyfriend tell you what happened?"
Sarah's questioning gaze shifted to Topper, who rolled his eyes, clearly unbothered by the accusation hanging in the air. "Nothing. He beat the guy because they put a gun to my head."
