Sunset games. Rafe Cameron

six

CHAPTER SIX
[6]
"ribs" lorde

The night air was warm as Olivia and Sarah made their way to the party, the sound of distant music growing louder as they approached the docks. The party was in full swing by the time they arrived-boats lined up, lights strung between them, and the smell of bonfire smoke drifting through the air. Sarah was already hyped, her arm linked with Olivia's as they wove through the crowd.

"This is going to be epic," Sarah said, her excitement contagious. "We need drinks, stat!"

Olivia smiled, trying to shake off the lingering unease from her conversation with JJ. She wasn't going to let it ruin her night, not when she was with her best friend, ready to enjoy herself. They reached the cooler by one of the boats, and Sarah handed her a drink, already pulling her toward a group of people near the fire.

"Wait till you see who's here," Sarah said with a mischievous grin as they approached.

Olivia's eyes widened as she spotted Topper standing by the fire, talking to a few friends. He looked different from the last time she'd him seen even though it was just hours ago. He looked older, maybe a little more serious. Her heart gave a strange twist, remembering how close they used to be.

"Hey, Top!" Sarah called out, waving. He turned and smiled when he saw her, his eyes flickering to Olivia.

"Sarah," he said, pulling her into a quick hug.
Then, his gaze settled on Olivia. "You actually came."

Olivia nodded, suddenly feeling awkward.
"Yeah."

For a moment, it felt like no time had passed between them, like they were just two kids hanging out by the beach again. Sarah was busy chatting with someone nearby, leaving Olivia and Topper alone for the first time in what felt like forever.

"How've you been?" Topper asked, his tone casual but warm.

Olivia took a sip of her drink, trying to ignore the
way her stomach fluttered. "Good. Busy, I guess.
What about you?"

Topper shrugged, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Same old. I've been meaning to reach out, you know, catch up, but..." He trailed off, his meaning clear. They both knew things had changed between them when Olivia had fallen in with JJ and the rest of her friends. There had been an unspoken tension ever since, like they were on different sides of a line neither of them had drawn.

"I get it," Olivia said softly. "We just... drifted."

Topper's lips curled into a small, sad smile.
"Yeah, I guess we did."

They stood there in silence for a moment, the sounds of the party fading into the background.
It was strange how easy it felt, being around him again, like slipping into an old, comfortable routine. For the next hour, they laughed and reminisced about old times-about their late-night beach trips, the stupid dares they used to give each other, and the summers that felt endless.

"Remember that time we snuck onto the golf course at midnight?" Topper chuckled, his eyes lighting up.

Olivia laughed, the memory flooding back. "I can't believe we didn't get caught. You nearly fell into that sand trap!"

He grinned. "I saved myself. Barely."

It felt good to laugh with him, to remember the version of herself that existed before everything got complicated. But as the night wore on, and the drinks kept flowing, Olivia found herself getting tipsier than she planned. Her thoughts started to blur, and the world around her seemed to spin just a little too fast.

Somehow, she ended up sitting on a cooler, her head feeling light and her heart heavy with thoughts she couldn't quite grasp. She was too deep in her buzz when Rafe appeared out of nowhere, leaning casually against the boat beside her.
"Well, well," Rafe said, his voice smooth, "you're having a good time, aren't you?"

Olivia blinked up at him, her brain feeling slow.
"What do you want, Rafe?"

He smiled, his eyes flickering with something she couldn't quite read. "Just checking on you.
You look like you could use some company."

Olivia rolled her eyes, trying to focus. "I'm fine."

But Rafe didn't leave. Instead, he stepped closer, his hand resting on the boat beside her, his body leaning just a little too close. "You sure? You seem... off tonight."

Olivia frowned, feeling a strange sense of tension between them, but her fuzzy brain couldn't quite piece it together. "I'm fine, Rafe. Go bother someone else."

He chuckled softly, his gaze lingering on her lips.
"Why would I do that when you're right here?"

Before Olivia could say anything else, a voice broke through the haze.

"Olivia," JJ's voice cut through the crowd, sharp and full of frustration. He appeared, his eyes narrowing when he saw how close Rafe was standing to her. "What the hell is this?"

Olivia's stomach dropped, her mind spinning.
She stood up, swaying slightly as she tried to gather her thoughts. "JJ, it's not what you think.
I was just-"

But JJ wasn't listening. He stepped closer, his jaw tight, glaring at Rafe. "Back off, Cameron."

Rafe smirked, standing his ground. "Relax, JJ.
We were just talking."

"I don't care," JJ snapped, his voice rising. "Get away from her."

Olivia felt her pulse quicken, her buzz intensifying everything around her. She stepped between them, her hands shaky. "JJ, please. Just leave it alone."

But JJ was too far gone, his anger boiling over.
"I'm not letting him get near you."

Rafe's smile twisted, his eyes darkening. "Looks like you don't get to make that call, Maybank."

Before Olivia could even react, JJ shoved Rafe hard, pushing him back against the boat. The crowd around them quieted, heads turning to see what was happening. Rafe's expression shifted from amusement to cold fury in an instant.

Without warning, Rafe slapped JJ across the face, the sound echoing through the party. The force of it made JJ stumble back, his eyes wide with shock and rage.

Olivia's heart pounded, her head spinning. She reached out, trying to grab JJ's arm, but he was too quick, too furious. "JJ, stop! Please, let's just go!"
But JJ wasn't listening anymore. His face flushed with anger, he glared at Rafe, then turned to Olivia, his voice laced with venom.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it? You're just like all the other Kooks. Pretending you're different, but deep down, you're just like them."

Olivia's chest tightened, the words hitting harder than she expected. She shook her head, her voice shaky, "JJ, that's not true. I didn't-"

"Save it," JJ spat, his eyes full of hurt and betrayal. "You don't even see it, do you? You're not one of us. You never were."

With that, JJ stormed off into the crowd, leaving Olivia standing there, her heart shattered and her mind too clouded to make sense of anything.

Rafe watched him go, his jaw still clenched. He turned to Olivia, his expression softening slightly.
"You okay?"

Olivia didn't answer. She just stood there, numb, the weight of JJ's words pressing down on her chest. For the first time in a long while, she wasn't sure who she was anymore. And it terrified her.