CATALINA CHASTAIN. One of a kind. Daughter of a pogue and a kook. She was beautiful, a wildflower on the wind, a name that echoed through every inch of the Outer Banks. She was the kind of girl everyone knew, for better or worse. Catalina had been a part of the island's fabric since she was a kid, a fixture on the sand, the surf, the streets. But then, at fourteen, she vanished like a ghost.
It was that year everything changed. Her father died, and her mom—cold-hearted and quick to move on—remarried before the year was out. Catalina couldn't forgive her for that. She was barely holding herself together, and her mother went and married some new guy, dragging Catalina into his mess like she was just supposed to accept it. And as if that wasn't enough to turn her world upside down, there was another bombshell.
She had a sister.
An older sister she'd never known about. And somehow, Catalina's mom had managed to keep that little detail hidden all her life. Her mom had also managed to keep one other thing hidden—the fact she'd been cheating on Catalina's dad. It all clicked the day a kid appeared out of nowhere, like some cruel reminder. Catalina hated them for it, every single one of them. And for the last two, almost three years, she'd been stuck with them in California, forced to play along in this twisted new "family" while she was still grieving her dad.
But then, for the first time in what felt like forever, some good news came along. They were moving back to the Outer Banks. Back to where she belonged. She couldn't deny the thrill that came with that thought—getting back to her roots, the salt air, the surf, and the life she'd been yanked away from. But as much as she wanted it, the idea of returning was haunted by all the people she'd left behind. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever find a way to reconnect with them.
One person she knew she had to see again was Sarah Cameron. Sarah wasn't like the other Kooks, not even close. Blonde, golden, practically glowing—she was this bright light in everyone's life, someone who genuinely cared. Even when they were kids, Sarah had been one of her truest friends, the kind you didn't forget, even if the world tried to pull you apart.
When Catalina came back to the Outer Banks, it felt like returning to nothing—except for the hope that Sarah hadn't forgotten her. She wasn't counting on much more than that, not the idea that maybe, just maybe, someone might be waiting for her. But there was, even if it was buried somewhere in the back of his mind.
When Catalina was about twelve, maybe, there was a dinner. A typical Kook gathering, her family and the Camerons, all of them laughing and talking, like they were part of the same world. But that night felt like a haze, something she couldn't quite grasp anymore. She didn't even remember much about it, not the conversation, not the faces around the table—except for Sarah, of course.
What she did remember, though, was Rafe Cameron sitting next to her. He was quiet, eyes flicking between their parents and the basket of bread in the middle of the table. Catalina couldn't help but watch him as he kept stealing glances at it, wanting it but never reaching. Her eyes darted back and forth between the adults, then to him, and then the basket. She didn't even think—just moved, grabbed a piece of bread, and slid it onto his plate, all without anyone noticing.
Well, anyone except the two of them.
She turned to look at him, and he met her gaze, his expression blank for a second before a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Her smile made him sick to his stomach.
She just didn't know how sickening it was, not then, not when she was a kid. But from that moment on, Rafe couldn't take his eyes off her. Even after she left the island at fourteen, his presence lingered in the space she used to fill, like a weight she didn't know she had left behind. They barely knew each other, yet it felt like a burden, this unspoken connection. Catalina never even remembered it—never realized that one simple, careless gesture could have meant so much.
Now, coming back to the island, it was different. The boy was still there, shadowing her every move. But this time, it was more noticeable. He wasn't hiding it anymore. Rafe would make sure the world knew that no one could have her—not even if it was JJ Maybank. No one would claim her like he would, and he would see to it.
Catalina was going to be like a breath of fresh air to him. But before long, she'd prove to him that what goes around comes around. She'd show him that a monster could be built in the dark, hiding in the corners until it was ready to break free. And he, the one who had let it out, would regret it.
The mentally ill can't hold onto the mentally ill.
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