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i sat in rafe's lap, running my fingers through his hair. i watched as the long strands slipped through my fingers, the sea salt sticking to them, giving his hair those sun-kissed, ocean-blessed highlights.
feeling a quiet satisfaction, i was glad he'd finally let it grow out, ditching the hair gel he used to wear religiously.
his warm hands were securely around my waist, his thumb rubbing gentle circles on my exposed skin. it was a familiar touch, the kind of thing he did without thinking.
rafe had this habit of always needing to be close, always in some kind of contact. whether it was his hand on my leg while he drove, his fingers playing absentmindedly with my hair during movie nights, or his hand laced with mine under the table at family dinners, he needed to feel me there.
it was something i never minded, never complained about. it was just...rafe.
topper's party was overwhelmingly loud around us. couples covered in hickeys stumbled through hallways, and guys played beer pong, throwing their cups in the air as they cheered in drunken triumph.
i used to spend nearly every weekend at the country club, getting drunk off fancy cocktails with little parasols perched on top. now, though, the scene before me made me turn my nose up in disgust.
groups of people slipped into random rooms, carrying small bags of white powder, and for a second, i caught the glint of temptation in rafe's eyes. a flicker, like he was considering following them.
but i remembered the promise he'd made when we started dating—he'd sworn he'd "shape up," which meant no more daily trips to barry's.
when our eyes met again, i was lost in his ocean-blue gaze, and i could see the corners of his mouth curl into that familiar, teasing smirk—the one that knew exactly what effect he had on me.
i leaned in, wanting to wipe that smirk off his face with my own kiss, but before i could, his expression shifted. his eyes darted toward the front door, which had just swung open.
the girl who walked in immediately caught the attention of a group of girls nearby. their squeals, sharp and high-pitched, pierced the air like a dog whistle. it wasn't until the crowd parted that i saw who had entered.
my heart sank. there she was.
haley parker.
rafe's ex-girlfriend from kildare academy.
i was homeschooled for most of high school after a group of girls spread a rumor about my mom cheating on my dad with luke maybank. so, i never knew rafe and haley when they were together.
i only met rafe during one of my weekly outings at the country club, where he charmed me with his cocky grin and asked me if i "wanted to check out his bike," which was his version of asking if i wanted to make out against it.
