golden stain; rafe cameron

chapter 02

The beach was empty now, the last traces of sunlight fading into the horizon as Liana and Sarah trudged up the sand, their laughter echoing in the quiet evening air. The salty breeze tousled their hair, the night air cooling their skin while the warmth of the sand clung between their toes.

"Bet you can't beat me to the house," Sarah teased suddenly, a playful gleam lighting her eyes as she broke into a jog.

Liana grinned, her pulse quickening with the thrill of the challenge. "You're on," she called, taking off after her.

The two raced toward the hill that led up to the Cameron house, their breaths coming faster with each step. The world around them seemed to melt away, the only sounds their footfalls and the occasional burst of laughter. It was the kind of simple freedom Liana had been craving—the kind she could now find here, with Sarah.

By the time they reached the front door, both were breathless and laughing, their cheeks flushed from the sprint. Sarah pushed the door open with a groan. "Ugh. Of course."

"What?" Liana asked, brushing sand off her flip flops.

"My parents have people over. Again," Sarah muttered, tossing her keys onto the entry table. "They didn't say a word before we left. Classic."

Liana quirked an eyebrow. "Family friends?"

"Something like that." Sarah sighed, raking a hand through her windblown hair. "They always do this—invite people over last minute, expect me to play the perfect daughter, smile, nod, act like I care."

Liana smirked, unzipping her jacket. "Sounds real fun. Too late to sneak upstairs?"

"Right?" Sarah shot her a conspiratorial grin. "Actually, you probably can. They probably don't know that you're here unless my dad told them which i doubt so. I'll pop there for twenty minutes, tops—do the whole 'Sarah's so polite' thing—and then I'm back."

"Good luck with that," Liana said with a laugh.

Sarah rolled her eyes but headed toward the living room, her voice already adopting the charming tone she apparently reserved for parental obligations. "Make yourself comfortable," she called over her shoulder.

Once in Sarah's room, she flopped onto the armchair by the window, pulling out her phone to scroll aimlessly. But the stillness was short-lived. She hadn't been alone for more than five minutes when a light knock sounded on the door.

"Well that was quick." She called out, glancing toward the door. But when it opened, it wasn't Sarah who showed up—it was Rafe instead, leaning casually against the doorframe again, which seemed to be his favorite activity.

"Already expecting me, huh?" He teased, voice low as he watched her with an unreadable expression.

Liana glanced up at him. "No, I was expecting your sister, genius," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Rafe raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a playful grin. "I figured I'd find you here," he said quietly, his voice carrying easily in the stillness. His eyes held hers for a beat.

Liana's eyebrows rose, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Well no shit, I'm having a sleepover with Sarah—where else would I be?"

He chuckled, his hands sliding in his pockets. "She's downstairs, doing the whole 'perfect daughter' act. Figured I'd come see if you were bored yet."

Liana leaned back in her seat, her arms crossing as she studied him carefully. Her mind flickered, unbidden, to Topper's words from earlier—his offhand warning about Rafe's reputation, the way his tone had been so skeptical. She wasn't about to fall into whatever trap Rafe thought he was setting.

"So, what is this?" she said, her voice toned with dry sarcasm. "Let me guess, you swoop in to save me from the terrible loneliness of being on my own for like, what, five seconds?"

Her words were sharp, her gaze pointed, but the faintest trace of caution lingered underneath. She wasn't about to let herself become another one of Rafe Cameron's impulsive flings, no matter how good he looked standing in the room with that cocky smirk plastered across his face.

Rafe didn't move, his smirk curved a little higher, like he wasn't taking her seriously at all. "Wow," he said, dragging the word out lazily. "Didn't realize saying hi could get me in trouble. My bad."

She arched an eyebrow, keeping her expression flat. "You're still not answering the question. What are you doing here, Rafe?"

That smirk didn't budge as he leaned a little closer to the doorframe, crossing his arms to mirror hers. "What if I said I was just curious?"

"Then I'd call bullshit," she shot back without missing a beat.

His grin stayed, easy and unbothered. "You're not exactly subtle, you know. Got this whole 'I don't care' thing going on, but you don't fool me."

"Oh, wow. Thanks, Rafe," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm so glad you took the time to psychoanalyze me. Really groundbreaking stuff."

His laugh came again, quick and low, and it was starting to get under her skin. "Relax, I'm just saying." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned in just a bit. "You don't seem like the type who likes sitting on the sidelines. That's why I came up here. Thought maybe you'd be more interesting than the crowd downstairs."

Liana leaned back, crossing her arms tighter. The way he was looking at her—it wasn't new, but it wasn't welcome either. It had only reminded her of her brother's warning once again.

"Oh," she said, her voice cutting like glass. "I should be honored, right? Rafe Cameron thinks I'm interesting, that's a big deal." She threw him a look.

"Not everyone gets my attention, you know." He took a step back, letting his eyes linger on hers a little longer. "But if you're not interested, no worries. I'm used to a little challenge."

Her eyes narrowed, her patience wearing thin. "Look, if you're done with your 'I'm-so-mysterious' routine, maybe you should head back downstairs. I'm not the one you're looking for."

Rafe held her gaze for a second longer, his smirk still there, but quieter now. Like he was trying to figure out if she meant it. Finally, he shrugged and pushed off the doorframe, his steps as lazy as his attitude.

"Fair enough," he said, turning toward the hall. He glanced back one last time, his grin flickering back into place. "See you around, Liana."

Liana didn't respond, her gaze lingering on the door. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, her arms tightening across her chest, her jaw tightening.

Rafe Cameron wasn't an open book—he was the kind of guy who made sure you only saw the pages he wanted you to read. And if Topper's warning had taught her anything, it was to keep the rest of the book firmly shut.