Sunset games. Rafe Cameron

twenty

CHAPTER TWENTY
[20]
"girl just wanna have some" chromatics

The sun was starting to dip, painting the sky in warm hues as Olivia looked around at the others, all still buzzing from the amazing day. "So," she asked, a grin spreading across her face, "where to now?"

Topper, looking way too excited, perked up.
"Party at my place! Let's go!"

Everyone agreed, cheering a little as they shook off the sand. Rafe's arm slipped around Olivia's shoulders again as they headed up from the beach to the parking lot, where Topper's boat and a couple of other cars were parked. Olivia felt his arm still around her, and while it felt casual, something about it warmed her all over. The group bantered the whole way, cracking jokes and bringing up stories from past summers, laughing like they had nothing else in the world to worry about.

By the time they arrived at the country club, the place was packed. People were lounging around, music thumping in the background, and voices filling the air. They moved to the patio, which was set up with chairs, tables, and lights strung above, giving everything a warm glow. Olivia looked around, realizing the chairs were all taken. Before she could say anything, Rafe tugged her down onto his lap with a smirk.

"Guess you're stuck with me," he teased, his voice light but his gaze warm.

Olivia laughed, leaning back against him. "Yeah, guess so."

They shared drinks and talked, Olivia feeling more and more relaxed as the minutes slipped by. They joked about how Topper always ended up with the weirdest playlist, and Kelce kept trying to convince everyone he had the best taste in music. At one point, Topper brought up a story about their last summer at his family's lake house, laughing so hard he almost spilled his drink. Olivia hadn't felt this kind of easy happiness in a long time, and judging by Rafe's soft smile and the way he stayed close to her, he hadn't either.

After a few hours, Topper finally agreed to drop Leah and Olivia at Olivia's house. When they pulled up, Riley's parents were on the porch, sipping drinks and looking surprised, but pleased to see them all together. They greeted Leah with warm smiles and talked about how nice it was to see her and Olivia together, reminiscing a little about when the two had been inseparable.

"Good to see you, Leah," Olivia's mom said, grinning. "You girls have fun!"

Olivia and Leah said goodbye to the boys, then headed inside. They went straight to Olivia's
room, already laughing as they talked about the day. Leah immediately flopped onto Olivia's bed while Riley started picking out clothes, laying out options for the party Topper was throwing.

"So..." Leah started, giving Olivia a playful look.
"What's up with you and Rafe?"

Olivia tried to shrug it off but couldn't hide the smile creeping onto her face. "It's... I don't know.
It just sort of happened, I guess," she said, cheeks flushing. "I mean, he was always kind of there, but it feels... different now."

Leah squealed, practically bouncing. "Are you serious? I always knew you guys had something!" She looked over at Olivia, eyes bright. "You two together-it just makes sense. He's like, so different around you, you know?"

Olivia laughed, feeling her face heat up even more. "Stop! But... I don't know, Leah. It feels real, like maybe he's the one person who actually gets me."

Leah grinned even bigger, clearly thrilled. "This is amazing! You've been through so much, and he makes you happy-I can see it." She got up and hugged Olivia, giving her an encouraging squeeze. "And I'm so here for it. Always."

They kept talking, sharing stories and laughing, Olivia feeling lighter than she had in ages. She hadn't realized how much she missed having Leah around until now, and she was grateful for this moment, for the day they'd had, and for everything that was unfolding around her.

Olivia's room was buzzing with excitement as she dialed Kelce's number. "Hey, come pick us up," she said with a grin, glancing over at Leah, who was fixing her hair in the mirror.

As they waited, Leah turned to Olivia with a thoughtful expression. "So, Liv... how are you feeling about everything? I mean, with us all being together again."

Olivia paused, leaning back on her bed.
"Honestly? I haven't felt this happy in a long time. It's like... everything's falling into place. I'm so glad we're all friends again. I didn't realize how much I needed this." Her voice softened as she spoke, and Leah's eyes filled with a touch of emotion.

"God, Olivia," Leah whispered, her voice catching a bit. A tear slipped down her cheek, and then, laughing at herself, she quickly brushed it away.

Olivia laughed, too, reaching over and pulling Leah into a tight hug. They clung to each other for a second, sharing a silent promise to never let things slip like that again. Before they knew it, headlights flashed outside, and Kelce honked, signaling his arrival.

They bounded down the stairs, said goodbye to Olivia's parents, and slid into Kelce's car. The ride was a whirlwind of jokes and laughter, everyone caught up in the energy of the night as they pulled up to the party. The house was already packed, music pulsing out the front door and into the yard. Olivia and Leah headed inside first, waving at friends and getting swept into conversations, leaving Kelce grumbling about being ditched.

As Olivia chatted with some old friends, she felt a familiar gaze on her. She turned slowly and, sure enough, Rafe was leaning against a wall on the other side of the room, watching her with that deep, unwavering look that made her heart race. She tried to keep her cool, but her phone buzzed with a new message.

RAFE
stop staring at me, Vi

Olivia bit back a smile, quickly typing back.

OLIVIA
you started it.
Quit looking at me like that

RAFE
Too bad.
You're the prettiest one at this shitty-ass party.

Olivia's cheeks flushed, and she tucked her phone back in her pocket, trying to compose herself as she kept talking with her friends. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Rafe's eyes hadn't left her, and her heart raced in a way that was both thrilling and terrifying.

Eventually, Topper, clearly a few drinks in, stumbled over to them with Kelce. "Hey, dummies," he slurred, grinning widely as he held out a drink for Leah and another for Olivia. "Have fun tonight, yeah?" He clinked his glass with theirs, swaying as he laughed at something only he found funny,

They hung out for a while, laughing, catching up with old friends, and enjoying the party. Olivia felt lighter than she had in a long time, surrounded by people who knew her, who had her back, and who seemed as happy to be reunited as she was. But after a while, she glanced around and realized Rafe was nowhere in sight.

"I'll be back in a minute. I'm going to find Rafe," she said, giving Leah a quick smile.

As Olivia slipped away, Kelce watched her go, an amused expression crossing his face. "What's going on with those two?" he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and humor.

Everyone just laughed, exchanging knowing looks as Leah grinned, feeling like things were right back where they were meant to be.