itsthecline

[itsthecline]

ANNOUNCEMENT!

hey y’all….. so even after my lil hiatus , i’ve been having the hardest time trying to write and get things out for you to read , and for some reason it’s starting to feel like a job of some sort of, so i’m going on a break. i don’t know how long it’ll be , but i’m hoping without the added pressure to post it’ll come more naturally:)

[itsthecline]

bad religion — rcm (18+)

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ smut, angst, minors dni, sexually explicit content below the cut, bartender!reader, unrequited love, slowburn, crashout!rafe, nobody understands him like i do, reader lowkey has bob the builder mentality, no religious themes despite the title, dirty talk, gun play, alcohol consumption, drug usage, if it brings me to my knees, it’s a bad religion; this unrequited love

it started off as a way to pay off your student loans—tuition, housing, supplies. the minute you enrolled, you had picked up the job. it was supposed to be temporary, just until you found a better solution, but time had a way of slipping through your fingers. years later, you were still standing behind the counter, wiping spills, pouring drinks, and serving customers whose names you rarely bothered to learn. the debt was gone, long since paid off, but you hadn’t managed to leave. you told yourself it was because the money was decent, but deep down, you knew the truth: you didn’t know where else to go.

the roadside had become something of a second home to you, though a noisy, sticky one. you liked the rhythm of it, the way the nights started off slow and built to a fever pitch, only to settle into a steady hum again by closing time. you liked the regulars, too—the older men who came in after long shifts at the docks or the factory. they nursed beers as if they were lifelines and tipped generously, their wallets loosening with each drink. they were kind, if a little lonely, and they made your job bearable.

the others weren’t as pleasant. there were men with slicked-back hair and gold watches, the kind who brought their wives to brunch in the mornings, but showed up at the roadside every night with someone new on their arm. whiskey neat for him, a bright, sugary cocktail for her—each woman seemingly younger, blonder, and more compliant than the last. they never tipped, and they always left a mess. you hated them the most.

and then there were the tourists. they breezed in like they owned the place, their faces sunburned and shining, and almost always said the same thing: “surprise me.” you never did. you’d pour them a vodka soda with light ice, knowing it would do the job. they didn’t care about flavor or nuance, just speed, and you weren’t about to waste good liquor on someone who wouldn’t appreciate it.

over time, the faces all blurred together. you’d seen so many people come and go that you’d stopped trying to remember them. the roadside was a revolving door, and you preferred it that way. no attachments, no complications.

“on the clock?” you looked up, having been lost in thought, polishing a variety of glasses and setting them away. he was sat in front of you, a look of near disinterest playing on his face. he almost seemed ticked off. the scent of his cologne clashed with the smell of gin. he fashioned a buzzcut, a polo shirt, and a pair of shorts. tan, blond—he’d have been disney’s dream if he was just a few years younger. if he wasn’t so easy to recognize, you would’ve mistaken him for a tourist. “unfortunately,” you responded with an honesty that almost made him smile. “what can i get you?”

for a second, he didn’t respond. you stood in front of him, with nothing but the counter separating you, but it did little to stop either of you from staring. his light blue eyes bored into yours without the faintest shade of shame. there seemed to be a grey hue to them that the photos of him never captured. rafe cameron, what were the chances of him showing up? he had gained a certain reputation thanks to his father, and his tendency to act out in public. maybe it was best if you said nothing. so, you broke the gaze.

“single malt scotch,” he answered, leaning forward against the counter. you nodded, doing your best to ignore the way his eyes followed your every movement, paired with the uncanny order that screamed toxic masculinity. you grabbed the bottle of scotch from the shelf, careful not to let your hands tremble as you poured the amber liquid into a clean glass. the sound of the pour filled the silence between you, and you were hyperaware of his gaze tracking every movement. it wasn’t just curiosity; it felt calculated, as though he were sizing you up, deciding if you were worth his attention.

the scotch settled in the glass, and you slid it across the counter toward him. “here you go,” you announced, your voice steady despite the prickle of unease his presence stirred. rafe pulled out a wallet from his pocket and laid a crisp bill on the counter, more than enough to cover the drink. his movements were deliberate, slow, as if he enjoyed the way it kept you waiting. “keep the change,” he muttered, picking up the glass and taking a measured sip.

you tucked the bill into the register, brushing off the way his tone lingered in the air. glancing around the bar, you noticed a lull in the activity. the older regulars were nursing their drinks, and the tourists had either left or were too absorbed in their own conversations to need you. your eyes drifted to the window, catching sight of a dirt bike parked just outside. its sleek red and black frame stood out against the muted colors of the streetlights.

“that your bike?” you asked, your curiosity slipping through before you could stop yourself. rafe’s lips quirked up slightly as he set his glass down. “yeah, ktm. you know bikes?”

“not really,” you admitted, leaning your hip against the counter. “but it’s a nice one. looks fast.”

“it is.” he took another sip, his eyes still on you. “you like fast things?”

there it was—the subtle shift in his tone, just enough to make the question feel loaded. you raised a brow, refusing to let him get under your skin. “depends on the thing,” you replied coolly. “fast isn’t always better.”

the smirk on his face deepened, and for a moment, he said nothing, just stared at you like he was trying to figure out what made you tick. “you’ve got a mouth on you,” he said finally, his voice low and edged with amusement. “i like that.”

you rolled your eyes, reaching for a rag to wipe down the counter. “and you’ve got a way of talking that screams trouble. i’ll pass.”

“trouble, huh?” he chuckled softly, leaning back in his seat. “you make that judgment on your own, or is that what you’ve heard about me?”

you hesitated. his reputation preceded him, of course. rafe cameron, the kook prince with too much money and too much anger. everyone had a story about him, most of them involving fights, drugs, or some poor girl left heartbroken in his wake. but something about the way he was looking at you now—calm, almost bored—didn’t match the chaos you’d heard about.

“a little of both,” you admitted, meeting his gaze again. “does it bother you?”

“not really,” he said with a shrug. “people are gonna think what they want. doesn’t make it true.”

“doesn’t make it false either,” you shot back, unable to help yourself.

that earned you another smirk, sharper this time. “you always this quick with your customers?”

“only the ones who think they’re special,” you said, the words slipping out before you could second-guess them.

his laugh was soft, but almost genuine, and it caught you off guard. “fair enough,” he said, finishing the last of his scotch. he pushed the glass toward you, the faintest hint of a challenge in his eyes. “one more?”

you nodded, grabbing the bottle again. this time, you didn’t feel the same pressure to avoid his gaze. if he wanted to play games, you could play too. as you poured, you said, “you must get this a lot.”

“what’s that?” he asked, tilting his head slightly.

“girls falling over themselves for you,” you said bluntly, setting the glass down in front of him. “the charm, the looks, the whole mysterious bad boy act—it’s a lot.”

“act?” he raised a brow, clearly amused. “you think this is an act?”

“isn’t it?” you countered, crossing your arms. “seems a little rehearsed.”

he leaned forward, the movement subtle but deliberate, and suddenly the air between you felt charged again. “if i wanted to charm you,” he said slowly, his voice dropping an octave, “you’d know.”

the heat of his words settled in your chest, but you refused to let it show. instead, you picked up his empty glass and started wiping it clean. “i’ll take your word for it,” you said evenly, refusing to meet his gaze.

for a moment, neither of you spoke. he watched you in silence, his expression unreadable, and you found yourself wondering what was going through his mind. finally, he stood, pulling a set of keys from his pocket.

“thanks for the drink,” he said, his tone cool and detached again. “maybe i’ll see you around.”

“maybe,” you replied, watching as he turned and walked toward the door. his figure disappeared into the night, leaving behind the faint scent of cologne and a lingering tension you couldn’t quite shake. when you glanced out the window again, the dirt bike was gone, its engine a distant hum in the night. you exhaled, realizing only then how tightly you’d been gripping the rag in your hand. he was trouble, no doubt about it. but for some reason, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to regret the encounter.

the walk home was quiet, unsettlingly so. you’d managed to convince one of your co-workers to cover the rest of your shift, citing the lack of customers as a valid reason, but now, as the empty streets stretched before you, you almost wished you’d stayed. the moonlight pooled on the cracked pavement, illuminating a path that felt both too open and too confining. you held your house keys tightly in one hand, the jagged edges digging into your palm like a makeshift weapon. just in case. you weren’t the type to take chances.

your steps were brisk but measured, careful not to echo too loudly. every shadow seemed alive, every sound amplified. a rustle in the bushes had your heart racing, your grip tightening on the keys. it was probably a cat, you told yourself, though your eyes darted back toward the noise every few seconds, just to be sure. the world felt too quiet, too exposed. you hated this part of the night—the vulnerability of it. it wasn’t paranoia, you told yourself, just caution. but still, your mind raced with every worst-case scenario.

when you finally reached your house, relief washed over you like a wave. the sight of the peeling paint and sagging porch might have been depressing to anyone else, but to you, it meant safety. unlocking the door felt like unlocking a barrier between you and the rest of the world. once inside, you locked it again, flipping the bolt twice just to hear the satisfying click. the air inside was stale, carrying the faint scent of cleaning products and something slightly metallic. it wasn’t much, but it was yours. or at least, it was until the lease ran out.

the place was as minimal as it could get. a mismatched thrift store couch dominated the small living room, its cushions worn and sagging in places. a single bookshelf stood in the corner, half-filled with old paperbacks and a few decorative knick-knacks you’d found at a yard sale. the kitchen, visible from the living room, was clean but bare, its counters free of anything that might be considered a luxury. your future depended on saving, on scrimping wherever you could, and every dollar you didn’t spend brought you one step closer to a life that didn’t feel like you were treading water.

you dropped your bag near the door and kicked off your shoes, the weight of the day settling over you like a blanket. collapsing onto the couch, you reached for the remote and flicked the television on. the screen blinked to life, casting a dim blue glow across the room. you scrolled aimlessly through the channels until the news caught your eye.

“...marking the anniversary of ward cameron’s death,” the reporter announced, her voice measured. the screen cut to a montage of images—ward’s face, the cameron estate. “ward cameron, a prominent figure in the outer banks, left behind a legacy of wealth, corruption, and betrayal. his death, which shocked the island community, continues to be a topic of both fascination and controversy.”

you scoffed, sinking deeper into the couch. “apple, tree,” you muttered under your breath, the words bitter and sharp. it was hard not to think about rafe, his cool demeanor and the air of entitlement that clung to him like a second skin. the spawn of the man had left the world behind with a son who seemed a fistfight away from being institutionalized. it was rich people bullshit, all of it, and it infuriated you. they lived in their gilded cages, creating drama out of thin air while people like you scraped by just to keep the lights on.

the reporter continued, delving into ward’s crimes and the ripple effect they’d had on the community, but you tuned her out. it all felt so distant, so removed from your own reality. people like the camerons didn’t have to worry about overdue bills or walking home alone at night. they sneezed, and the rest of the island lined up to wipe their noses.

you grabbed the thin blanket draped over the back of the couch and pulled it over yourself, letting the reporter’s voice fade into background noise. the couch wasn’t comfortable—not really—but it was familiar. it was where you ended most nights, too tired to drag yourself to the bedroom. the faint hum of the television lulled you into a fragile sense of calm, the weight of the day finally giving way to exhaustion.

as you closed your eyes, the image of rafe’s piercing blue stare flitted across your mind, unbidden and unwelcome. you shoved it away, chalking it up to nothing more than an odd encounter. he was a blip on the radar, a momentary distraction in a life too busy for indulgences like curiosity. with a heavy sigh, you let the hum of the television pull you under, the world slipping away as sleep claimed you.

the next day dawned slow and gray, the kind of morning that felt like a continuation of the night before. you went about your routine with mechanical precision, brushing your teeth in the tiny bathroom with its perpetually fogged mirror and peeling wallpaper. breakfast was quick—toast, black coffee, and a glance at the wilted plant by the window you kept forgetting to water. you were out the door before you had time to feel the weight of the day ahead.

the walk to the bar wasn’t long, but it was enough to remind you why you hated mornings. the streets were quiet, but not in the same way as they were at night. this quiet felt temporary, like the city was holding its breath before the chaos of the day began.

at the bar, you fell into the rhythm of the job almost immediately. wiping down counters, setting up glasses, restocking liquor shelves—it was second nature by now. the hours dragged, each one blending into the next as a slow trickle of customers came and went. a few regulars shuffled in for their early beers, their faces as familiar to you as the scratches on the bar top. you greeted them with polite smiles, but your mind was elsewhere.

you didn’t want to admit it, even to yourself, but you half-expected rafe to show up. every time the door swung open, your eyes darted toward it, only to find someone else stepping inside. the anticipation was irritating, like an itch you couldn’t scratch. you told yourself you didn’t care whether he came back or not, but the lie was too obvious to be convincing.

by nightfall, the bar began to pick up. the low hum of conversation grew louder, mingling with the clink of glasses and the faint strains of a classic rock playlist. you stepped outside for a smoke break, needing a moment away from the noise. the air was cool, carrying the faint scent of salt from the ocean. you leaned against the wall, the cigarette in your hand a small comfort against the monotony of the day.

the sound of a motor rumbled in the distance, growing louder until it filled the air. your eyes flicked toward the source, and there he was, pulling up on his dirt bike like he owned the place. the red and black machine gleamed under the dim streetlights, and for a moment, you just watched as he killed the engine and swung a leg over. he took off his helmet, revealing that same buzzcut and piercing blue eyes that had lingered in your mind longer than you cared to admit. he saw you almost immediately, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth as he approached.

“you get lost again?” you called out, unable to resist. your tone was teasing, but the sight of him sent an unexpected jolt through you. “figure 8’s on the other side.”

he chuckled, low and amused, the sound like gravel in his throat. “must’ve taken a wrong turn.” his eyes dropped to the cigarette in your hand, and his smirk deepened. “those things’ll kill you, y’know?”

you scoffed, tapping the ash off the end and watching it scatter to the ground. “not fast enough, obviously.”

“let’s hope not,” he replied smoothly, his gaze steady on yours. “not until i get a glass of scotch.”

you rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the faint tug of a smile. “two nights in a row, it must be good.”

he tilted his head, the smirk on his face turning downright devious. “among other things.”

the way he said it sent a chill down your spine, one you couldn’t quite shake as you turned and headed back inside. you heard his footsteps behind you, steady and unhurried, as though he knew exactly where he belonged.

behind the bar, you reached for the bottle of single malt without needing to ask. he took the same seat as the night before, his movements deliberate and lazy, like he had all the time in the world. you poured the drink and set it in front of him, doing your best to ignore the way his eyes seemed to follow your every move.

“caught the news last night,” you said casually as he pulled out his wallet. “sorry for your loss.”

the change in his expression was instant, the smirk wiped clean in less than a second. his jaw tightened, and his light blue eyes grew cold. “don’t be,” he said flatly. “i’m not.”

you had to resist the urge to roll your eyes at the obvious deflection. “he’s your dad, is he not?” you asked, more curious than you should’ve been.

rafe’s lips twitched, but it wasn’t a smile. “sure, why not?” his tone was stoic, detached, and it made you regret bringing it up. the silence that followed was heavy, thick with something unspoken that you couldn’t quite place.

he sipped his drink, his gaze fixed on the counter as though it held answers to questions you didn’t even know how to ask. to you, it was just another reminder of how different your worlds were. but to him, the weight of that silence carried memories he wouldn’t let surface, not here, not now, not ever.

the bar buzzed around you, but for a moment, the two of you might as well have been the only ones there. you busied yourself with wiping down the counter, giving him the space he clearly needed. whatever his relationship with his father had been, it wasn’t your place to pry. but as you glanced at him, you couldn’t help but wonder—what kind of man grew up in the shadow of someone like ward cameron?

you were midway through rinsing a glass when a new customer slid into the seat beside rafe. the man was tall, blond, and sun-kissed, his skin bearing the unmistakable sheen of someone who spent most of their days by the water. his outfit—a white wifebeater and faded shorts—screamed local. rafe stiffened beside him, his easy demeanor shifting as he leaned back in his seat, jaw tightening. the newcomer leaned forward onto the bar, turning his attention to you.

“excuse me?” his voice cut through the background noise, drawing your focus. you walked over, keeping your expression neutral.

“what can i get you?” you asked casually, pulling a towel off your shoulder and tossing it onto the counter.

the man grinned, clearly enjoying himself as he pretended to think. he was already swaying slightly, the telltale sign of someone who’d started drinking well before stepping through your door.

“well,” he began, dragging the word out like it was some profound thought, “i’d ask for a beer, but it depends.” he paused, his smile growing wider. “does the beer come with a phone number?”

you bit back the urge to roll your eyes, a skill you’d perfected over countless encounters like this. leaning forward, you fixed him with a stare so sharp it could cut glass. “a restraining order, actually,” you replied coolly, your voice devoid of humor.

the man laughed, clearly not deterred. if anything, your response seemed to fuel his bravado. “come on, sweetheart,” he said, tilting his head as though to charm you. “what kind of customer service is that?”

you turned away, doing your best to ignore him as you crouched to grab a beer from the fridge. the cool air brushed your skin, offering a brief reprieve from the heat of the room. you popped the cap off the bottle, your back still turned, oblivious to the way the man leaned back in his seat, his eyes glued to the way your jeans stopped below your waist. what you missed, someone else didn’t.

the first crash was deafening, shattering the rhythm of the bar in an instant. you whipped around, the beer in your hand sloshing slightly as your eyes widened at the scene before you.

the blond man was on the ground, sprawled awkwardly, his face contorted in shock and pain. towering over him was rafe, his knuckles already bloodied from the first blow. the air felt electric, charged with the sheer force of the rage radiating from him. “come on, sweetheart,” rafe sneered, his tone mocking as he delivered another punch. “what kind of manners are those?”

the man barely had time to respond before rafe grabbed him by the front of his tank top, hauling him up like a ragdoll. the look in his eyes was something primal, something feral. “i might just make you my bitch if I don’t kill you first,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

the man whimpered, his bravado completely gone, but rafe wasn’t finished. his fist connected again, the sound of impact reverberating through the room.

“rafe, stop!” you shouted, your voice cutting through the chaos. you scrambled out from behind the bar, pushing past the growing crowd of onlookers. it took more than just you to pull him away. one of the other bartenders jumped in, followed by a bouncer, both of them struggling to wrestle rafe back. his chest heaved, his hands still twitching with barely-contained energy as they held him.

you crouched beside the man on the floor, who was clutching his face and groaning. his nose was bleeding, and one eye was already swelling shut. your heart pounded as you turned back to rafe, fury and disbelief written all over your face. “are you trying to get me fired?” you snapped, your voice trembling with a mix of anger and adrenaline.

his gaze shifted to you, his blue eyes dark and unreadable. for a moment, he didn’t respond, his breathing heavy, his hands still shaking as they hung at his sides, blood dripping from his knuckles. “yeah,” he said finally, his voice dripping with venom. “because that’d be such a shame.”

his eyes flicked back to the man on the floor, his lip curling in disgust. you saw it then—the side of rafe cameron everyone warned you about. the man who was a ticking time bomb, always seconds away from detonating.

your manager’s glare burned into you, sharp and unrelenting, but the message clear as day. with a sigh heavy enough to rattle your ribs, you turned back to rafe, still seething where he stood, blood dripping onto the floor like a crimson metronome. “come on,” you muttered, jerking your head toward the back. “let’s fix you up before you make this night even worse.”

rafe followed without protest, his steps heavy and deliberate, the energy of the room shifting as you led him through the door behind the bar. the hallway was dim, illuminated only by the flicker of a fluorescent bulb, the walls lined with scuffed paint and the faint smell of bleach. you shoved open the door to a small office-slash-medical-room hybrid—a cluttered, utilitarian space with a desk shoved against the wall and a first-aid kit hanging by the door.

“sit down,” you snapped, pointing at the worn metal chair in the center of the room. he obliged, sinking into the chair with an infuriating calmness, his long legs sprawled out as if he owned the place. he didn’t say a word, but his gaze tracked you as you rummaged through drawers, the scrape of metal and plastic breaking the silence.

it wasn’t until you turned back with supplies in hand that you noticed it: the black grip of a gun tucked into the waistband of his shorts. “are you kidding me?” you hissed, your eyes narrowing. “you’ve gotta be shitting me. second night here, and you’re ready to get me fired.”

rafe didn’t respond immediately, his eyes drawn to the streaks of moonlight slicing through the cracked blinds. the faint silver light caught the sharp angles of his face, softening them just enough to be dangerous. “i have a permit,” he said finally, his voice low and disinterested, as if that explained everything.

you almost laughed. almost. “put that shit away,” you ordered, gesturing sharply.

he smirked but complied, pulling the weapon free and sliding it into his jacket instead. only rafe cameron could make following directions look like a favor. “unbelievable,” you muttered, stepping closer. “hold still.”

you crouched beside him, your fingers deft as you dabbed antiseptic onto a rag. the smell was sharp, stinging your nose as you pressed it to his knuckles. he didn’t flinch, his stoicism unnerving as you worked to clean away the blood and dirt. his hands were strong, calloused in a way that hinted at a life rougher than the one you’d imagined for someone like him.

“you wanna tell me what the hell that was about?” you asked, your tone cutting.

“he was staring at you,” he said simply, his voice devoid of emotion.

you glanced up, caught off guard by the frankness of his statement. “so what? i deal with creeps like that all the time. doesn’t mean you get to knock their teeth in.”

his lips twitched, the faintest shadow of a smirk. “guess i’m not good at letting things slide.”

“yeah, no kidding,” you shot back, shaking your head. his knuckles were raw and split, the blood pooling in thin lines that you carefully wiped away.

the silence between you stretched, thick and charged, until finally, you leaned back and surveyed your work. his hands were still trembling, though whether from adrenaline or something deeper, you couldn’t tell. “all done,” you said, straightening up. “now, if you’ll excuse me, i’m clocking out before someone else decides to bleed all over my bar.”

rafe stood, towering over you as he adjusted his jacket. “i’ll take you home.”

you blinked, caught off guard by the offer. “my legs work just fine,” you replied, your tone sharper than intended.

he didn’t budge, his gaze steady and unwavering. “i wasn’t asking.”

before you could protest further, he was leading you back to the front, where his bike waited. the night air was cool against your skin, the hum of cicadas filling the silence as he handed you a helmet.

“don’t tell me to hold on tight, because i won’t,” you warned as you climbed on behind him, the words almost daring.

he chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down your spine. “we’ll see about that.”

the engine roared beneath you, and despite your earlier words, your arms instinctively wrapped around his waist as the bike lurched forward. the wind whipped past you, pulling at your hair as the world blurred into streaks of light and shadow.

by the time he pulled up to your house, your pulse was racing for reasons you refused to examine too closely. you slid off the bike, your legs unsteady as you removed the helmet and handed it back to him.

“thanks for the ride,” you muttered, stepping onto the porch. rafe followed, his gaze sweeping over the small, weathered house you called home. you braced yourself for some snide comment, but he said nothing, his expression unreadable.

“it’s not much,” you admitted, crossing your arms defensively.

“it’s enough,” he said simply, his tone carrying none of the judgment you’d expected.

you looked up at him, the moonlight casting an ethereal glow over his features, highlighting the sharp planes of his cheekbones and the curve of his lips. there was something magnetic about him, something that made your heart stumble even as your mind screamed at you to stay away.

no matter how much your mind screamed at you, you knew you wouldn’t listen. when he kissed you, it wasn’t sweet or gentle. It was rough, insistent, a collision of mouths and unspoken tensions. his hands gripped your waist, pulling you closer as his lips moved against yours, claiming and demanding in a way that left you breathless. it wasn’t romantic. it wasn’t kind. but it was everything you didn’t know you’d been craving.

“we’re so not doing this,” you exhaled with a shaky laugh, breaking the kiss as reality clawed its way back into your mind. your palms flattened against his chest, as though a barrier of mere inches could hold back the tide of whatever this was.

but rafe didn’t flinch. his hands, rough and warm, rested on your bare waist, his thumbs drawing lazy circles on your skin that sent sparks racing through your veins. his gaze, piercing and unrelenting, locked onto yours like a challenge, daring you to contradict him.

“yes, we are,” his eyes seemed to say, the intensity of his stare enough to make you forget the very air around you. “are you scared?” he whispered, the words slipping from his lips like silk. they weren’t a question, not really. they were a taunt, a gauntlet thrown at your feet.

he leaned closer, his breath hot against your ear, sending a shiver rolling down your spine. his nose brushed against the shell of your ear, his lips so close they grazed your neck, and you swore he could feel the way your pulse fluttered beneath your skin.

“i’m not scared of anything,” you shot back, your voice firmer than you felt. defiance burned in your chest, even as the sensation of his mouth barely ghosting over your jaw made your knees weak.

“maybe you should be,” he murmured, his voice low, his tone a promise more than a threat.

the words undid you. they stripped away your composure, your restraint, until nothing remained but the white-hot pull that had been simmering between you all night. your fingers moved before you could stop them, wrapping around the back of his neck, the tips grazing the bare skin there. the contact sent a shiver through him that you felt as much as saw.

and then you were kissing him again, your lips colliding with his in a frenzy of heat and need. there was no hesitation this time, no room for second thoughts or retreat. he tasted like scotch and rebellion, smelled like leather and something darker, something dangerous. you weren’t scared, but you should have been. everyone was scared of the devil.

his hand found the small of your back, his touch searing through the fabric of your shirt as he pushed you backward, through the open door to your house. your legs gave out slightly, the doorframe digging into your spine as you kissed him harder. rafe’s other hand roamed up your side, his fingertips tracing the line of your waist, up to your chest, cupping one of your tits through the fabric. your breath hitched, your eyes fluttering shut as he squeezed gently.

“you must do this a lot,” you half-joked as his lips find their way back to your neck, wet and sloppy as they travel down to your collarbone. he grunts against your skin, “could say the same about you,” he retorts. the room spun around you as he backed you further into the house, his hands never leaving your body, his mouth never leaving your neck. you felt the wall behind you, your body trapped between the hardness of the wall and the hardness of, well, him.

his hand slid around your thigh, diving under the fabric of your jeans, fingertips grazing the wetness of your panties. your hips bucked slightly at the touch, betraying your own eagerness. “haven’t been fucked in a while, have you?” he murmured, his voice a dark promise. “what’s the matter, baby? did i turn you on?” you wanted to defy him more than anything, but you were powerless to resist.

instead, you fought fire with fire, raising your knee enough to press it against the center of his shorts. no matter how tough your bones were, they did little to prepare you for just how hard and heavy he felt, throbbing under the thick material of his shorts. “you’ve got it worse than i do,” you do your best to retort, but it’s not easy, not with his fingers rubbing sweet circles against the damp spot of your panties, drawing out every whimper he can from you.

“ease my pain, why don't you?” he murmurs softly. you watched him through hooded eyes as he crouched down, his fingers tugging down your jeans until they're pooling around your ankles. you complied, raising your feet to rid yourself of the blockage. when you did, he took a moment to admire you—pressed against the wall of your own home, standing in nothing but a skimpy top, panties soaked, and a pair of heels he didn’t plan on letting you take off.

when you tried to, he was quick to stop you. “heels on,” his voice was coated in authority, and you’re quick to pull back. “everything else, off.”

“bossy, aren’t you?” you couldnt help but ask him, but it only encouraged him. you watched as he leveled the playing field, peeling his own shirt off, leaving him in nothing but his shorts. he seemed skinny, thanks to his height, but you had clearly been deceived. he was toned, everything about him was toned in just the right places.

your eyes trailed down to the metal tucked in his shorts, and you allowed yourself to pull the weapon out, holding it in front of him. “really?” you couldn’t help but ask. he offered a smile amd a shrug, unable to protest as you sat the gun on the table beside him. better safe than sorry.

you couldn’t help but trail a hand down his chest, your feather-light touch sending shivers down his spine as you traced every muscle and crevice from his collarbone to his hips. youd never admit it out loud, but he was incredible. “see something you like?” he teased, attaching his lips to your neck a final time as his fingers tugged at your shirt, eager to get it out of the way. you whimpered at the feeling, the way he’d bite down enough to make you wince, but run his tongue over the surface a second later. “don’t flatter yourself,” you managed to say.

but he had every intention of doing so. he allowed your shirt to fall to the floor as his lips travelled south, making their way down your collarbone and over your clothed tits. you tilted your head back, fingers instinctively pulling him in closer by the back of his neck, drawing him in further between your tits. he unclasped your bra with ease, giving you the impression he had definitely done this plenty of times, but you were too desperate to care. “should’ve just told me you wanted it rough,” he said, and you swore you could feel his smirk against your skin.

his hand slid down to cup your ass, his fingertips ghosting over the lace of your panties. with a sharp tug, he pulled them aside, revealing the sticky mess that had been hidden beneath. “dripping all over my fingers, huh?” he murmured, his voice low enough to send a tremor through you. his finger slid through the slickness, teasing your entrance before pressing inside. you moaned, your legs shaking, your hips thrusting back against him. “fuck, rafe, too much,” and you wished you were exaggerating. his fingers were thin, slender, hitting all the right spots like they had them mapped out.

his eyes searched yours as he began to pump his finger in and out of you, his strokes measured and deliberate. “not enough, never enough,” he countered, his tone almost mocking. you whined, desperate for more. he smirked, adding a second finger, his thumb finding your clit and circling it with just enough pressure to make your knees buckle. you leaned into the wall, using it for support as his digits worked their magic. you were dripping all over his fingers, wetting them from the tips to his knuckles.

when he pulled them out, it almost felt cruel, a long whine drawn out of you as the feeling of emptiness replaced fulfillment. “so fucking needy, jesus, shit,” he groaned, taking a second to admire how glossy his fingers were, how hard the sight of your arousal had him. “just a second, i promise.” you nodded, watching as he brought his shorts down, leaving him in his boxers, but only for a second. it was enough for you to catch the trailer, to see what awaited you.

when his boxers followed, you really wished for another minute to process the sight. his cock flopped against his abs, twitching. his tip was stained an angry red, beads of pre-cum trailing down the underside of his cock, following a prominent vein before collecting under his balls. “stroke my ego, just like that,” you heard him say, but you didn’t care. you needed him.

his hand wrapped around his shaft, stroking it slowly, teasingly. “you like watching, don’t you?” you nodded, your eyes glued to his hand as it glided up and down. “good,” he murmured, his eyes darkening. “i’ll put on a fucking show for you.”

he stepped closer, pressing the tip of his cock against your clit, hard and ready to split your folds open. you could feel the heat, the urgency, and the promise of what was to come. he leaned in, his breath hot on your face. “gonna take this dick like a fuckin’ champ.”

your cheeks burned with a mix of embarrassment and desire, his words hitting you in the core of your being. you didn’t know why, but you craved his dirty talk, his filthy mouth whispering bittersweet nothings that turned you into a trembling mess. “yes, please, fuck me,” you breathed, your voice a shaky whisper that seemed to echo through the room.

rafe smirked, his hand still working his cock. “that’s my girl,” he said, and the term of endearment had your stomach doing somersaults. his eyes never left yours, not even as he pushed his cock past your folds, eyes glued to the way your jaw dropped, your eyes rolling into the back of your head at the sensation of his bare tip splitting you open.

you were soaked, the sound of his skin slapping against yours obscene, filling the room as he picked up his pace. he leaned in, his teeth capturing yours in a brutal kiss that had you moaning into his mouth. your nails scratched at his back, leaving deep red grooves that you knew would scar. his hands gripped your hips, holding you steady as he thrust into you, his strokes deep and unrelenting. “fuck, shit, pussy’s squeezing my cock,” he groaned through the kiss, breathless.

the room spun around you, the sensation of his bare length inside you, the feeling of his teeth on your lip, his tongue in your mouth—it was all too much. your body felt like it was on fire, every nerve ending a live wire ready to spark and explode. “yes, yes, fuck, yes,” you chanted, your voice a desperate mantra that matched the rhythm of his hips.

his hands slid to your throat, thumbs pressing against the pulse that beat frantically. you gasped, the sudden pressure a jolt of electricity that shot straight to your core. his grip tightened, not enough to cut off air, but enough to make you aware of your vulnerability. “you like it rough, don’t you?” he whispered, his voice a dark caress in your ear. you didnt even have to answer, the feeling of your cunt clenching around him told him everything he needed to know.

his hand slid down to grip your neck, his fingers tightening as he slammed into you, the sound of skin slapping skin echoing off the walls. “you want it harder?” he growled, his teeth grazing your earlobe. you nodded, your breath coming in ragged gasps. you weren’t sure how much harder it could get—with him pounding your pussy, you could feel the way he throbbed, pulsing deep inside of you, but you had to expect the unexpected from him. the unexpected came as he leaned back, hand wrapping around the barrel of his gun. your eyes widened, but you were in no position to resist—you didn’t even want to.

there was something dangerous in his eyes, something you had only seen once, just a few hours earlier at the bar, but it drew you in more than you wanted it to. his pace never faltered, his hips slamming against your flesh as one hand held your leg up high, the sight of your cunt swallowing him whole only adding fuel to the fire. his other hand held the gun, finger to the trigger, as he pressed it to your temple.

“tell me you’re scared,” he murmured, gripping your thigh in a way that told you to expect a bruise or two. the cold metal of the gun you knew had to have been loaded dug into your skin, his fingers locked around the trigger.

“scared,” you barely managed to whisper, tits shaking with every forceful thrust. “i’m scared, rafe,” but your words were like music to his ears, the clenching of your cunt a sign that you were just as horny as you were scared.

he threw his head back, pushing your leg up even farther, enough for it to sting deliciously as he rammed into you, the head of his cock bruising the entirety of your pussy. “you should be,” he hissed, sweat dripping down his chest. he lowered the gun, giving you a temporary feeling of relief, one that didnt last long. he brought it closer to you, tapping your bottom lip with the muzzle. “didn’t i tell you?”

your eyes widened at the sight of the weapon so close to you, his fingers never leaving the trigger, but you knew your best option was to oblige. your lips parted, and he was quick to push it into your mouth. he groaned at the sight, watching your swollen lips wrap around the barrel enough to send him over the edge. “doin’ everything i tell you to, fuck, you’re so good.”

you felt the metal of the gun slide along your tongue, his hips moving with the rhythm of your mouth. you didn’t dare bite down, not with how close he was to climax. his hand tightened around your throat, his other hand keeping the gun in your mouth as he fucked you harder, his strokes becoming erratic. “you’re gonna take it all, baby. all of me. every single drop,” he promised, and the thought of his hot, sticky cum filling your mouth had your pussy tightening around his cock.

you felt your orgasm approaching, the tension in your body coiling like a tight spring ready to snap. you moaned around the gun, the vibrations of the sound traveling up the barrel and into your mouth. rafe’s eyes glazed over, his movements becoming sloppy with lust. “yeah, just like that,” he whispered, his thumb pressing into your neck, cutting off just enough air to make your world spin.

the gun slipped from your mouth with a wet pop, and you gasped for air, your chest heaving as his grip around your neck loosened slightly. his eyes snapped to yours, searching, hungry, as he pulled out of you, his cock glistening with your wetness. before you could protest, he turned you around, pressing you into the wall. his hand found your throat again, squeezing as his cock nudged at your entrance from behind.

the fear and arousal had started mixing in a heady cocktail that had you on the edge of oblivion. with a smirk, he slammed into you, his bare skin slapping against yours in a way that was almost painful. your eyes rolled back as he fucked you mercilessly, his hand around your neck keeping you in place, his other hand pressing against your stomach to keep you steady.

his thumb brushed against your clit, the sensation making you moan, your knees buckling slightly. he chuckled darkly, the sound sending a thrill through your body. “such a sweet thing,” he said, his voice deep and guttural. “letting me fill this sweet pussy up.” you could only moan, unable to do anything but submit to his will. the pressure built inside of you, a crescendo that was only heightened by the way he choked you, the way his cock hit just the right spot deep inside of you.

his strokes grew more erratic, his breathing becoming ragged. “yes, yes, fuck, cum for me, cum all over this cock,” he demanded, his voice a mix of pleasure and command. and like a good little slut, you did. your orgasm hit you like a freight train, your body shaking and convulsing around his cock, your cunt pulsing with every beat of your heart.

his grip on your neck tightened, his thrusts becoming even more punishing as you came. your nails scraped against the wall, leaving marks that would surely be there when the sun came up. you could feel your eyes water, your vision swimming with the pressure he applied, but it only added to the intense pleasure that flooded your body. “fuck, yes, take it, take it all,” he groaned, his hips jerking as he emptied himself inside of you. his cum filled you, hot and thick, and you felt the stickiness of it trickle down your legs. he leaned into you, his body pressing you into the wall, his breathing harsh and heavy in your ear. for a moment, you felt it all, right before youe vision betrayed you.

the morning greeted you with the kind of disorientation that made reality feel like a cruel trick. your head throbbed, and your body ached as if every muscle in you had given up the fight. blinking against the sunlight streaming in through the window, you became acutely aware of the rough texture of the couch beneath you. the blanket draped over you was haphazard, your clothes were gone, and a sickening weight settled in your stomach.

it didn’t take long for the memories to come flooding back: rafe’s hands on your skin, his lips on yours, the way he’d devoured you as if you were the only thing keeping him alive. and now? nothing. the couch was empty, and the only remnants of him were the bruises on your neck and the dull ache between your thighs.

you exhaled shakily, pressing your palms against your face. what had you expected? a note? breakfast? rafe cameron wasn’t the kind of man who stayed. he took what he wanted, and you’d been foolish enough to give it to him.

the guilt settled like a weight on your chest as you forced yourself to your feet, rummaging for clothes. the shame was suffocating, curling around you as you dressed in silence. by the time you stepped out of your house, the sun was high, and the day was already slipping away.

at work, the tension was evident. your manager’s icy glare followed you as you prepped for the event that night. “last night was your first strike,” he said coldly, and you knew there was no room for argument. you nodded silently, biting back the urge to snap. the day dragged on, and despite the busy prep work, rafe never appeared.

by the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the event was in full swing. the bar was packed, music pumping through the speakers, and you were moving through the crowd like clockwork. but you couldn’t stop the gnawing feeling in your chest, the anticipation every time the door swung open. he still wasn’t there.

frustrated, you stepped outside for a smoke, seeking solace in the familiar burn of nicotine. the beach in the distance was scattered with people, laughter and music drifting on the wind. that’s when you saw him. rafe was leaning against the hood of his bike, his head tilted as a girl’s hands tangled in his hair. her lips moved feverishly against his, her body pressed against his in a way that made your stomach twist.

“it’s not that serious,” you muttered to yourself, exhaling a shaky breath. but it didn’t stop the sting, the ache that settled deep in your chest. you extinguished the cigarette against the wall and went back inside, needing something—anything—to dull the edges of your emotions.

the first drink went down easy. the second burned, but you welcomed it. you poured yourself a third before a light tap on your shoulder startled you. “excuse me,” a voice said, nervous and unsure.

you turned, offering a faint smile to the tall, sunkissed guy standing behind you. “are you on your break?” he asked hesitantly.

you shook your head, setting your glass down. “it’s okay. i could use the distraction. what’re you having?”

he slid onto the stool, rubbing the back of his neck. “a mai tai would be alright.”

nodding, you set to work, your movements automatic. you slid the drink across the counter, noting the way he fidgeted with his fingers. “busy night,” he said, trying to make conversation.

“yeah, i guess,” you replied.

he shrugged, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “came with a friend, but he’s with a girl right now.”

you sat beside him, crossing your arms. “sorry to hear that.”

“it’s fine,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. “i’m topper, by the way.”

before you could respond, a familiar presence loomed beside you. you turned slowly, your stomach sinking when your eyes landed on him. “this the friend you were talking about?” you asked topper, though your gaze stayed fixed on rafe.

“yeah,” topper said, oblivious to the tension. “you two know each other?”

rafe opened his mouth, but you were quicker. “no,” you said firmly. “no idea.”

rafe’s expression was unreadable, but you didn’t care. you spent the rest of the night ignoring him, focusing on anything but the way his eyes bore into you. when your shift finally ended, you clocked out and stepped outside, only to find him waiting.

“what do you want?” you snapped, already exhausted.

“what’s wrong?” he asked, his tone laced with faux concern.

“fuck off, rafe.”

he grabbed your arm, spinning you around to face him. “is this about sofia?” he asked, realization dawning on his face.

“so she has a name,” you said bitterly, yanking your arm free.

“get over yourself,” he called after you. “you should’ve known it was casual.” his words hit like a slap, but you didn’t look back. you couldn’t.

the next few days were a blur of muted colors and sharp-edged feelings that refused to dull. you didn’t go to work; the thought of stepping back into that bar, facing the memories etched into its walls, was unbearable. instead, you sought solace in the one place that had always calmed you—the beach.

the sand felt cold beneath your feet, even in the mid-morning sun. the rhythmic crashing of the waves usually soothed you, their endless cadence like a lullaby for your restless mind. but today, they felt distant, like a song you no longer knew the words to.

you sat by the shoreline, knees hugged to your chest as the salty breeze tangled in your hair. there was no anger, no fire—just an aching hollowness that stretched out inside you. mourning someone who was never really yours wasn’t a dramatic storm; it was a slow erosion, like the tide pulling pieces of you away until you were left unrecognizable.

you replayed every moment with him in your mind, dissecting every look, every word, searching for signs of something deeper, something real. but the truth was glaringly simple: rafe cameron wasn’t yours. he was never meant to be.

as the day slipped into evening, the sun sinking low on the horizon, you wandered aimlessly along the beach. the golden light painted the world in soft hues, but it couldn’t reach you. the weight of your thoughts dragged you back to the sand, and you sat again, staring at the endless expanse of water, feeling as though it mirrored the vast emptiness inside you.

you didn’t notice the presence beside you at first. the silence had become your companion, so when the soft crunch of sand gave way to stillness, you barely registered it. but then you turned your head, and there he was. he didn’t look at you. his gaze, like yours, was fixed on the water. the sharp angles of his face were softened in the twilight, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him. he said nothing at first, and neither did you. words felt too heavy, too complicated for the fragile stillness between you.

“my dad had a choice to make before he died,” he said finally, his voice low and rough, as though dragged over gravel.

you didn’t turn to him, didn’t acknowledge his words beyond the faintest flicker of your lashes.

“he told me he had to choose between me and my sister,” he continued, his tone clipped, detached. “he told me it’d always be her.”

the confession hung in the air, heavy and raw, but you stayed quiet, your eyes locked on the waves that seemed to stretch forever. “the first night i came into the bar,” he said after a pause, “it was the anniversary of ward’s death.”

your throat tightened, but you remained silent, letting him unravel the threads of himself piece by piece.

“i bent over backward for him, y’know?” his voice cracked, but he recovered quickly, masking the vulnerability with bitterness. “did some things i wasn’t proud of for him, but none of it mattered.”

his laugh was low and bitter, barely more than an exhale. “so forgive me if i’m a little hesitant to let you in.”

there was a challenge in his words, a dare for you to contradict him. but you didn’t. you stared at the water, your voice soft when you finally spoke. “i’m not him, rafe.”

he nodded slowly, the movement barely perceptible out of the corner of your eye. “yeah,” he said, his tone heavy with resignation. “but most of them are.”

you could feel his eyes on you, searching for something—what, you weren’t sure.

“i told him once that I knew something was wrong with me,” he continued, his voice quieter now, almost distant. “but he told me to keep it quiet. that’s how much he cared.”

the silence that followed was suffocating, filled with all the things neither of you could say. the ocean stretched endlessly before you, its waves crashing softly against the shore as if mocking the turmoil inside you.

“i’m sorry,” you said finally, your voice barely audible over the sound of the water.

“for what?” he asked, his tone edged with disbelief.

“for what he did to you.” he didn’t respond, and you didn’t push him. The two of you sat there, side by side, two broken pieces that didn’t quite fit together but couldn’t seem to pull apart.

tears pricked at your eyes, hot and unwelcome, and you blinked furiously, determined not to let them fall. but it was no use. the weight of everything—the loss, the pain, the hopelessness—was too much. a single tear slid down your cheek, then another, until they were falling freely, carving silent trails down your face. you didn’t wipe them away, didn’t hide them. what was the point?

you felt him move before you saw him, his arms wrapping around you from behind. his chin rested lightly on your shoulder, and his grip was firm, possessive. for a moment, you let yourself lean into him, the warmth of his body a cruel comfort against the chill of the night.

but even as he held you, even as your tears soaked into his shirt, you knew the truth. you would worship something that has destruction in its blood, blind and desperate, chasing something you could never truly have. rafe cameron was the kind of man who would burn you to the ground and then light another match just to watch you smolder. and yet, there you were, willingly stepping into the flames.

you stared out at the ocean, its vastness swallowing you whole, and you knew you were lost, eyes dilated as you watched the clouds float. you would practice the worst religion of them all, praying for something you knew you’d never have.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚

[itsthecline]

how tempting it is to stop existing when you’re already barely here

[itsthecline]

season one rafe my beloved 🍰💌

i’m so in love with this spoiled rich white boy 🫦

[itsthecline]

HIII I HOPE THIS MESSAGE REACHES YOU WELL. I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU WERE GONNA POST THE WATTG CHAPTER 3!! ITS SO AMAZINGGG CANT WAITTTTTT!

STOP IT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HATEEEEE ME BRUH THE DOC GOT DELETED SO I HAVE TO REWRITE ITTTTT????? IT WAS SUPPOSED TO COME OUT FRIDAY IM SO SORRY I LOVE YOU ALL

[itsthecline]

screaming and crying #luvvvvvvthis

𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑪𝑲 𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬 💿 — 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒂

jj maybank x fem!reader | fluff | (reader has hair, a fight, mentions of sex, kissing.)

masterlist.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

JJ Maybank’s type was simple; girls that he never had to see again. It didn’t matter what colour hair they had, their height or personality, all he cared about was the sex and the lack of them the next morning. It was a running theme though that the majority of the girls he went for were Pogues, loud, reckless and naughty.

He was a man whore, all his friends loved to tease him about it but in reality it was deeper than that. It wasn’t that he’d never thought about falling in love like they did in the movies Sarah watched, it was the fear he felt when he’d think of that. The idea of being stuck with someone, giving them all of your trust when they could so easily walk away, he didn’t like the thought.

Not to mention, he’s not the ideal boyfriend. He’s been locked up more times than he could count, he smoked weed like he was drinking water and he was easily angered which always ended with his fist in another man’s face.

He didn’t want to be at the bar alone, but non of his friends would go with him. John B and Sarah were staying in, Sarah couldn’t drink due to the pregnancy and John B felt bad to go out without her, Cleo and Pope were having a movie night and he didn’t feel like listening to them bicker about morality and shit, Kiara was on a date with her new girlfriend and he definitely wasn’t invited to that. So, that lead to him stepping into the bar by himself ready to drink himself to death.

JJ was a regular at the Tangled Line, a bar on the edge of the pier which he’d been going to since he was fifteen. He knew everyone in there, the regular old men that sit in the corner, the owners who should be divorced but aren’t and the staff. That’s why he’s shocked when he takes a seat at the sticky bar and comes face to face with you.

“What can I get for you?” Your voice is sweet but professional, something he doesn’t hear a lot in this kind of place.

You don’t look like you belong here, a ropey bar full of old men that are sure to spend their night shamelessly flirting with you. You look too sweet. Too good. You may be the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid his eyes on, and for the first time maybe ever he’s at a loss for words.

“Um, yeah, just a lager,” he mumbled, eyes stuck on the kind smile you shoot him as you turn to grab a glass to make his drink.

“Five dollars, please,” you request, placing the drink in front of him.

He rummages through his jean pockets to find the loose cash he’d grabbed from Pope’s wallet — Pope wouldn’t mind — and placed a few notes down. You put the cash in the register and went back to standing, no other customers around. It was nine pm on a Tuesday, so that wasn’t much of a surprise.

“So, what’s your name?” JJ asked, after taking a few sips of his drink. You looked over at him, as if checking he was talking to you. “I just haven’t seen you around here before.” You introduce yourself, giving him a shy smile. It was obvious you hadn’t expected him to take any notice of you, and that made his confidence grow. “You just moved here?”

“Yeah, uh, my nan lives here,” you explained. “She offered for me to come stay with her for a bit, see if I like the change.”

“And do you?” He smirked, sipping his drink once again.

“Haven’t decided yet,” you shrugged sheepishly, fiddling with a charm bracelet on your wrist. “It’s only been a couple weeks, and I haven’t had the chance to meet anyone yet.”

“Yeah, this place ain’t exactly huge with the young folk,” JJ responded.

You let out a giggle and it’s like music to his ears, he grins back at you. “I’ve noticed, yeah. You’re probably the first person in here that’s not over forty.”

“Maybe I just look really good for my age,” he smirked.

“Maybe,” you giggle again, before an older man comes over for a refill and you walk to the other side of the bar.

JJ can’t take his eyes off of you as you work, and when you notice your cheeks heat up with a pink tint. He’s not sure what’s wrong with him, he has an urge to jump over the bar and kiss your glossy lips until you’re putty in his hands. It’s not the same feeling he gets with hookups, though, with them it’s all lust for his own pleasure; he feels like he wants to put you in his pocket and never let you out.

“So, what made you want to make the change?” He carried on the conversation when you walked back over towards him, not giving you a chance to go too far away.

“Uh, I don’t know,” you shrugged. “My nana said I needed to let loose, stop being so uptight. My mom wasn’t happy with me moving but she agreed in the end.”

“Let loose, huh?” He smirked, downing the rest of his beer before leaning forward towards you. “What time do you get off?”

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

When you’d moved to the Outerbanks, you never expected to meet someone like JJ. Someone that actually paid so much attention to you that you usually felt yourself blushing, someone who lives life in such a peculiar way.

He lives with all of his friends, and he works for their own business in a building that they built. You figured he’d only pay attention to you for a couple days, he already had a life here, but it had been over a month and you were still waking up with texts from him.

“Havin’ fun?” Kiara sat next to you, a smirk on her lips as she took in the sight of you. She’s never seen someone go to a party and read, but there’s a first time for everything.

“Yeah,” you smiled, looking over at her. She gave you a look, as if to say really? You sighed, smile still on your face. “Parties aren’t really my kind of thing, but JJ wanted me to come.”

“It’ll probably take awhile to find him, he gets easily distracted,” Kie joked, making you giggle.

“I don’t mind waiting,” you shrugged, nodding to the book that laid open in your lap.

“It’s nice, seeing JJ like this. He isn’t normally one to keep girls around.” Kiara was clearly tipsy, ready to reveal every secret about JJ she could think of. You couldn’t help but furrow your brows, looking at her as she carried on speaking. “He seems to really like you.”

“You think so?” You asked softly, hopefully.

She nodded her head, giving you a drunken smile. “I hope it works out. You’re fun, for someone that sits and reads books at parties. And I think you’d be really good for him.”

Before you can ask her what she means, her girlfriend calls for her and she goes stumbling away. You look around until your eyes land on JJ, he’s already looking at you.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

JJ had become a regular at the Tangled Line, not for the booze but for you. He’d sit at the bar and chat to you throughout your shift, and then he’d drive you back to your nana’s house afterwards. Tonight, he’d shown up and had a couple beers, which then turned into vodkas.

You only had an hour left, most of the time you were just wiping down the bar to give you something to do so you weren’t just staring at the clock. You were halfway through a conversation with JJ, giggling at one of his flirty jokes, when you got interrupted.

“Oi!” Your head swivelled at the sound of an annoyed voice, an older man who you’d served earlier on stood there. “Gonna do your fuckin’ job or what?”

“I’m sorry—” you went to apologise, but JJ beat you to it.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to?” JJ was standing now, walking towards the man who had a scowl on his face.

“Not you,” he argued. “Get me a—”

“Nah, don’t talk to her. I’m talkin’ now,” JJ interrupted, once again. They were chest to chest now, and you were just watching with wide eyes. You’d never seen him like this, eyes narrowed and face red in anger. “Now, why don’t you try and ask nicely, huh? She don’t owe you shit.”

“It’s her damn job. Ain’t my fault she’s too busy whorin’ herself out to you to do her job—” he was cut off with JJ’s fist connecting with his cheek, sending her head to the side.

“JJ!” You exclaimed, covering your mouth in shock as the two of them started to fight.

JJ had the upper-hand the majority of the time, but the older man managed to get a few good hits in. By the time they were being dragged apart, JJ was spitting blood and the other was almost entirely unconscious.

“You need to get out of here!” You exclaimed to him, watching someone pull out their phone to call the cops.

“Fuck, no!” JJ argued.

“JJ,” you plead, trying to push him out the door.

“You comin’ with me?” He asked, looking down at you. His eye was starting to swell and blood stained his nose and lips.

“I’m gonna have to go grovel for my job—” you began to argue. He grabbed ahold of your waist, shaking his head.

“You hate this job. And I don’t want you workin’ here, servin’ other people that talk to you like that jackass. I’ll help you find another job, okay? I promise. Just come with me,” he begged.

You hesitated, looking back at where the man JJ had hit was slowly coming back to it, being held back by another man as he tried to get at JJ. You could see your boss coming out from the back, looking around in confusion. Your eyes landed on JJ, the determination in his eyes that he wasn’t going to leave without you.

“Fine, come on,” you sighed, ignoring the smirk that played on his bloody lips.

His fingers laced through yours and the two of you made a run for it out the building and down the road, he was chuckling but you didn’t find any of this amusing. You shoved at his arm once the two of you were far enough away.

“What?” He laughed.

“It’s not funny, JJ! You’re bleeding,” you argued, finally taking a proper look at the damage. He didn’t look that bad, once the blood was washed away there would probably only be a few bruises, but the sight still made your stomach churn.

“C’mon, baby, he deserved it,” JJ murmured, leaning down towards your face.

You sighed, pulling your hair from ponytail it was in to run your fingers through it. He reached for your waist, wrapping his arm around your back to hold you close to him.

“You’re an idiot,” you huffed, resting your face in his chest for a moment. “I can’t afford not to have a job.”

“We’ll get you a new one, one without old pricks who think they can talk to you like that,” JJ reassured, pressing a soothing kiss to your temple.

You wanted to shout at him, maybe even walk away and just go home. You’d never seen JJ like that before, John B had mentioned a few stories of JJ being in fights but you didn’t realise it could get that bad. You’d been a bit afraid at all the yelling and the blood splatters, but you couldn’t help the smugness you felt; he’d fought for you.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

As promised, JJ got you a new job at the Wreck where Kiara and her family worked. He’d had to beg her to do him this favour, but luckily for both him and you, Kiara had become fond of you and she didn’t hate the idea of working with you.

You were locking up the restaurant, it was your turn to stay late and lock up, when you stepped outside you were met with a familiar camper-van and an even more familiar blonde leaning against it.

“I thought John B banned you from borrowing the Twinkie?” You teased, walking towards him.

He smirked back at you, shaking his head. “Sarah was bein’ sick so he was too busy to notice me take the keys.”

“Naughty,” you giggled, letting him open the passenger door for you. “I didn’t know you were pickin’ me up.”

“You haven’t got plans, right?” He checked, ignoring your statement.

You shook your head and he grinned, closing your door before jogging around to get in the drivers seat. You asked countless times where you were going, but each time he’d just give your knee a squeeze and turn the radio up higher. He pulled up at the beach, but an area you hadn’t seen before. It was secluded behind some rocks, just a small area of sand and the sea.

“What’s this?” You asked as he helped you step over the rocks.

“It’s my place,” he shrugged, sitting down on the sand. You sat next to him and his arm gravitated to wrap around your waist, a gentle kiss pressed to your cheek. “I— I wanna talk to you, ‘bout somethin’, guess I’ve been too afraid to do it.”

“Afraid? Of what?” You looked at him worriedly, resting your hand on his bicep comfortingly.

He gulped, giving you an anxious smile. “Y’don’t know much about how I was before you moved here, don’t really like talkin’ about it. I don’t want you to think of me like that, how everyone else does.”

“What do you mean, Jayj?” You asked gently.

“I’m not a good guy,” he murmured, looking out to the ocean. “And I don’t mean that in a self-pity way, it’s just a fact, y’know? I sleep with loads of girls and never call them back, I get in fights and end up locked up, literally every cop on this damn island knows me by name.”

“Really?” You didn’t sound judgmental, just surprised, and that’s what gave him the strength to keep going.

“My old man’s not a good guy either, guess I just grew up thinkin’ all this shit was right and now I’m older I know it’s not, but I could never get out of the habit of treatin’ everyone like shit. But then… well, then you came along,” he explained, voice softening at the end as he turned to look at you.

“Me?” It had been impossible to work out what you and JJ were. He flirted, sure, he’d hold your hand and kiss your forehead and beg for you to hangout with him, but he hadn’t outright said how he felt. You knew how you felt, though. You knew that whenever his eyes met yours your stomach would flutter, you knew that your waist would burn from his touch and you’d stay up late thinking of him when you couldn’t sleep.

“Yeah, baby, you,” he confirmed, a teasing tone. “I ain’t ever had proper feelings for a girl, guess that’s why it’s taken me so damn long to admit it to you.”

“Still haven’t,” you beamed, cheeks flushed and eyes excited.

He chuckled, turning his full body to face you. His hands cupped your cheeks and he leant forward so your breath was mingling with his. “I love you.” Your eyes widened, you hadn’t been expecting that. “That okay?”

“Yeah, definitely okay,” you whispered back. “I love you, too.”

He leant in and his lips touched yours, moving gently against your own. His hands were cold against your skin, but you never wanted him to let go. You brain went fuzzy and you pulled away slightly, breathing hard.

“You remind me of home,” you murmured softly, running your fingers through his hair.

“You are home.”

[itsthecline]

well 🧍‍♀️ as a reminder this blog is NOT a safe space for trump supporters but it IS a safe place for women, queers, trans ppl, people of color, undocumented people, and any marginalized group.

[itsthecline]

WONDERING WHY

0.1 BOYFRIEND

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ summary omit ( verb. ) to leave out or exclude someone / something , either intentionally or forgetfully

word count 4k

warnings our girl is lowkey a brat but i think that’s it other than christian!reader , kook!reader , classism , and allusions to a bad previous relationship

previous chapter

a/n i ended up writing a bunch for this series already , and so here’s the first actual chapter relatively quick after the prologue post:)

THURSDAY MORNINGS usually meant you could sleep in a little later— closer to nine than eight. today , however , you were up at six to get ready for your packed day. you texted jj , reminding him to be here at ten o’clock sharp. no later.

you filled your morning with a jog around the neighborhood , helping your mother make breakfast , and dropping your younger sister off at her friend’s house for a girls day they were having. after that , you had to— for your own sake , go over the checklist of meetings and dinners that you needed to attend before midsummers one more time.

by the time 9:30 rolled around , you were dressed and ready to go down to the tailor for your first fitting. you checked your phone again , seeing if jj had even read your text yet. delivered. maybe he didn’t have his read receipts on.

he’d be here. he’d show up.

that was all you could really tell yourself.

on the other side of the island , jj was just waking up. he jolted awake , face indented from the way he fell asleep on the pillows the night before. he reached over for his phone , looking to see what time it was.

the screen didn’t light up. he quickly shuffled , hand fumbling down the charger cord to see it had been unplugged from the wall. “fuck!” he cursed , shoving himself up from the bed and rushing down the stairs.

“yo , what time is it?” he shouted , hoping one of his many friends would answer him. they all looked over their shoulders from the living room , seeing the blonde stumble around , yanking his clothes and boots on.

“its like quarter to ten,” pope called back out , looking down at his watch.

“fuckkkk!” jj groaned , grabbing the keys to the van, “i’m late! takin’ the twinkie!” he announced , shoving through the front door and bounding down the porch steps. he didn’t even bother to close the door on the way out , instead just hopping behind the van’s wheel and peeling off to figure eight.

kie came around the corner , a couple of water bottles for her friends. “what was that about?” she hummed , looking out the open door.

“he has that thing with the pastor’s kid,” john b answered with a smug smile , grabbing the bottle being held out to him, “he told us ‘bout it yesterday , remember?”

“ohhh , yeah!” kie mused , mind replaying yesterday’s events at the wreck, “she’s cute.”

“she’s also way too polite for jj,” sarah laughed , stealing the water from her husband, “i mean , i remember her from school , and she was just so shy. kept to herself and all that.”

pope shook his head , swallowing down more of his cereal, “nah , they used to be friends way back when though.”

“what?” the girls all gasped.

“rude boy was friends with that shy thing from kie’s parents’ place?” cleo asked , only just ‘meeting’ you yesterday but still as invested.

pope and john b nodded together , recalling a time before high school when jj would skip out on their hangouts to do something with you. ‘family friend , guys. i feel bad,’ he’d lie to them , getting out of whatever they had planned to spend time with you instead.

the group continued theorizing what jj was helping you with , not getting the complete story from him the day before. all the while he was speeding across the island to get to your door before it was ten o’clock. his blue eyes kept darting to the dashboard’s clock , seeing his time run out faster and faster. 9:57 , and he was just now getting to figure eight.

“mom , if jj shows up , will you tell him i’m sick?” you asked quietly , walking into the kitchen where she was working on her laptop.

she peered up at you over her glasses. “jj maybank , your boyfriend?” she smiled , patting for you to sit next to her in the breakfast nook as she was still over the moon from your news earlier in the week, “what’s he coming over to do?”

“he’s not invited anymore,” you corrected her , resting your chin on her shoulder as you looked at her computer screen. it was a spreadsheet , an itinerary for the next weeks approaching midsummers. “he’s late , so i’m upset.”

“well , you can’t blame him , hon,” your mother cooed at you, “he’s probably on the way. give him more than two minutes.” you held back from rolling your eyes at her soft spot for the boy after all of these years. after all of the tears she wiped away from your cheeks when you were fourteen.

“will you tell him i’m sick?” you pleaded again , pulling at the sleeves of her robe like a little kid.

she pressed a kiss to your forehead and tutted at you. “no , baby. we don’t lie in this house,” she answered , going back to typing and organizing on her laptop.

you huffed and pushed yourself out of the booth , straighten out your skirt. “fine , but i’m not happy about this,” you whined , beginning to walk out of the kitchen.

her voice called out your name again as she leaned forward to catch a glimpse of you. you stopped , turning to face her expectantly. “i think it’s a good thing you chose to give him a second chance.”

“yeah,” you sighed , guilt boiling in your gut , ignoring her knowing smile before walking to the front door. you’d just have to go to the fitting by yourself.

as you stepped outside , you could hear the rattle of a car nearing you from the street. it was loud enough to get your attention , telling you whoever was driving was going far too fast for the residential area. next thing you know , the beat up van you knew as john b’s twinkie was pulling into your driveway.

your hand raised above your sight line , blocking the sun so you could glare at jj. “didn’t get my twelve texts?” you asked him , watching as he practically fell out of the van upon his arrival which caused your embarrassment from the amount of times you tried contacting him to simmer.

“i’m sorry! my phone never got plugged in , s’my alarm didn’t go off. the damn twinkie gave out a couple blocks away , and i had to start ‘er back up—“ jj huffed out before you decided to just get in your car. he watched you , already feeling your disappointment.

you rolled down the passenger window , leaning over. “get in , please? we’re late,” you spoke , like you had already forgiven him , which you had. you saw how he was out of breath and the fresh grease stains on his fingers. it wasn’t his fault he was late.

jj ripped the door open , flopping into the passenger seat before buckling up. “where we headed , angel?” he asked you , already poking around in the car’s abundance of compartments.

“the tailor. we have to get you measured for your tux,” you simply answered , backing out of your driveway, “and i have to get re-measured too.”

jj nodded , chewing at his lip , and he couldn’t help but feel like you were giving him the cold shoulder. he was only eight minutes late. but maybe he just didn’t know you anymore. you spoke so much differently than you did from when you were kids , your voice clearer , more affirming. it sounded more like this was a business deal than an old friend doing an old friend a favor.

“it’s kinda like you’re my sugar momma for the next couple’a weeks,” jj chuckled to lighten to mood as you drive through the town’s center , eyeing all of the nice shops he never went to. it’s not like he wanted , but it was another reminder how differently you two grew up from each other.

you scoffed over your small laugh. “i guess so. in a weird way , yeah,” you agreed lightly , finding a parking spot right in front of the business you were going to, “just make sure to use your manners , please. katherine is friends with my dad and a huge gossip.”

“oh , yes , ma’am,” jj saluted you, “i will be prim and proper just for you , m’lady.” he got out of the car as you let out a shaky breath. you followed shortly after , seeing he was already holding the door open. “c’mon , you said we’re in a rush!”

you nudged him with your elbow when you stepped inside the small store. “i only said that so you’d hurry up. we don’t even have an appointment,” you admitted with a chuckle , picking up a pen at the front desk to sign in.

jj’s jaw dropped , letting out a gasp. “miss goodie-two-shoes lied?” he whisper yelled , hand coming to his heart, “is the world ending?”

“hush up,” you bit back , moving about the store as he followed you around like a lost puppy. he wasn’t about to go snooping around figure eight. he didn’t want to deal with it any more than he’d already agreed to.

“y/n! ah , so wonderful to see you , honey!” katherine’s shrill voice echoed through the building as she rushed to the front with her hands high and wide. you barely had time to smile back at her before she yanked you in for a hug. “you know , i’ve been waiting for your behind to get in here for your measurements for weeks!” she cried , guiding you to the back , not even sparing your blonde companion a second glance. you did though , catching jj standing there awkwardly in the front of the store.

“katherine , this is jj,” you interrupted her chatter , stopping to reach back and grab the boy’s hand, “i called about getting him set up with a tux for midsummers?”

katherine’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she took in who you were holding onto. “jj maybank…” she hummed , knowing exactly the reputation he and his father carried around, “i didn’t realize he was your plus one this year.”

you could hear the condescension in her voice , and by the tightening grip on your delicate hand , you knew jj could too. “well , he’s my boyfriend so…” you trailed off , waiting for katherine to just do her job and stop being like every other kook on the island. you never understood why your father considered her such a close friend. she was snippy and fake , and it was clear to you since the day you met.

“oh!” she smiled, “well come on back.” she turned to lead you both to the fitting areas , calling out her husband’s name to help out with jj’s measurements.

“boyfriend?” jj whispered to you , still holding your hand.

“didn’t i mention that?” you played dumb , knowing very well you left that little piece of information out yesterday when you got him to accept the deal.

“no , angel,” he shook his head , pulling you to a stop, “that’s like five hangouts worth! i only agreed because it was supposed to be one night of helpin’ ya out! and now you’re tellin’ me i gotta pretend to be your boyfriend too?” your hand reached up to cover jj’s mouth , looking around to make sure no one heard you.

“can we talk later?” you asked him , pleading eyes that begged him to leave it be for now.

but jj just scoffed , dropping your hand and flipping the curtain out of the way to follow after katherine.

YOU HADN’T heard a peep from the men’s parlor. katherine had been chatting in your ear the entire time she measured you , talking about everyone and everything. she mentioned having your family over to her house for dinner soon , which you made a mental note to bring up to your father when you got home later.

but you couldn’t help but think about jj behind the thick , velvet curtain. you heard katherine’s husband muttering every once in awhile , but never jj’s voice. was he actually mad at you? it was all pretend , and it would end right after midsummers. what was the big deal? he had done far worse things to you than omit some facts.

after long enough , katherine decided you didn’t even need to come in at all. “measurements are the same as last year , darling. you wasted your time here today,” she declared , sending the bill to your father’s account all while sending you an underlying message.

you shouldn’t have brought that maybank kid here.

“well , jj needed to get fitted too,” you smiled sweetly, “no harm done by comin’ in.” you were always deemed a nice girl. you were a nice girl , but there was only so much hidden snottiness you could deal with from certain people before becoming just as passive aggressive as them. “i’m actually going to go check on him,” you spoke , already turning to head back his way.

“she tells me we’re dating out of the blue , man! i don’t know what she was thinking , but she’s outta her mind!” you could finally hear jj’s cadence followed by marcus’ belly laugh.

“women,” he chuckled, “i’ll tell you right now , it doesn’t get any better. happy wife , happy life. get used to it , kid,” he advised the younger man , patting his shoulders before letting him know they were all done.

you stepped through the curtain , ignoring the tinge of hurt jj’s words caused in your heart while the metal loops glided across the curtain rod to announce your presence. “let’s go , jj.” you held your hand out to him , not giving him an option of taking his time. he could tell from the way your neck was stiff that something had upset you , so he wasted no time yanking his jeans back on. he didn’t want to be the reason for your cold attitude again. at least not for the rest of the day.

you dragged him out of the store , not sparing katherine a goodbye. you got in the car , buckling up as jj did the same before driving off in silence. it wasn’t long before you were driving through the streets of figure eight , being the only car on the road.

jj was poking around your glove compartment again , flipping through the owner’s manual to fill the car ride. he jumped and dropped the book to the floorboards when you let out a scream. he jolted and look over at you , watching the way your face nearly turned red from the air you were expelling from your body.

“yo , yo!” he shouted at you.

you took a deep breath , closing your eyes when you came to a stop sign. “sorry,” you mumbled , catching your breath still, “i just really , really dislike katherine! she’s so mean and snotty and two-faced! like , she was makin’ comments the entire time just poking at me!” you ranted , not caring that jj just saw you let out a scream you’d been holding in for about a week, “and don’t get me started on all of her implications about you.”

jj was still taken aback , not too sure what to say. he’d never seen you unravel like that before. he’d never thought you could. “um— well , at least we got it outta the way…” he tried to help the situation.

“yeah,” you nodded breathlessly , beginning to drive again like nothing had happened.

after a few more minutes of awkward silence , jj decided to speak up again , not forgetting what you tabled earlier. “boyfriend , huh?”

you sighed. you had forgotten about the conversation you still needed to have with him , so blinded by your frustrations. “yeah , so maybe my parents assumed that when i told them i had a date for midsummers last week , it was a boyfriend? and maybe i happened to leave that out when asking you to come with me?”

“oh , really?” jj feigned surprised, “i didn’t notice!”

“i’m sorry!” you cried, “but my dad wouldn’t stop bothering me about a date and then it all snowballed.” the pitch in your voice and pout in your lips made jj frown for a moment before focusing.

“i didn’t agree to playing house , princess,” jj reminded you , and your stomach dropped.

you pulled into the driveway , parking the car before shifting to look at him. “are you mad at me? you’re still gonna come to midsummers , right?” you needed him to say yes.

jj thought about it , not giving you any idea if he was backing out now or not. “five— no , six hangouts , and you have to come to a kegger,” he decided , nodding to himself. he felt like it was fair enough. if he would have to prance around figure eight as your arm candy for the next two weeks , you would have to start experiencing some of the cut. it was only right. a true balance he thought.

“but i don’t—“

“ah , ah ah!” he interrupted you , pressing a finger to your lips, “you’re not really in a position to negotiate , princess. i’m callin’ the shots now. if you want me to be your fake boyfriend for two weeks , i want you to start tagging along with the pogues. if not , you can just forget this whole thing.”

you stared at jj still surprised he touched your mouth. “i—“ you sighed , sitting back against your seat, “fine , but i’m not drinking or smoking or nothing.” you crossed your arms over your chest , making it clear you weren’t about to be pushed around on this anymore.

and he didn’t know why , but jj grinned. he knew this would all probably fall apart and cause a few problems— it was just what usually happened when he was involved in schemes , but he was excited. it would give him something to do for the next few weeks.

“pleasure doin’ business with ya , angel,” he smirked , climbing out of your car. he bent over , leaning down to the window. “now don’t just go around tellin’ everyone i’m taking your virginity or nothin’ either. i’ll play boyfriend , but i won’t have everyone thinking i’m corrupting father y/l/n’s precious daughter.”

your face crinkled up at jj’s words before you rolled up the window he was in. “excuse me?” you gasped , getting out of the car and rushing around to his side before smacking at him.

he laughed , blocking himself from the rapid but weak hits from your little purse. “i’m kidding!” he cackled , knowing it was a risky joke , but he had taken far greater risks with less rewards than pushing your buttons.

“you are so dirty , jj!” you huffed , getting one last thwack in at him, “maybe i’ll find a different date.”

“good luck with that,” jj breathed out , taking a step back in case you swung the bag at him again, “no one will put up with that little attitude of yours.”

“i do not have an attitude!” you argued back , flicking a few hairs out of your face, “you just make nasty comments.”

“jj , come on. we’re leaving!” he mimicked you , using his girl voice and waving his hands around, “that don’t sound familiar?” he questioned , hands on his hips after his performance.

you rolled your eyes , seeing that it probably wasn’t too far off. you weren’t blind to the fact that you were a little stuck up. it was never nasty or hateful , but you demanded a certain level of perfection from nearly everything in your life. “whatever , i don’t sound like that,” you finally spoke up , avoiding jj’s gaze, “thank you for showing up today.”

“you’re welcome , princess,” he smiled back , glad you were finally taking a joke, “i’ll text you whenever we’re gonna hangout,” he added with a thumbs up sent your way before hopping back into the twinkie. you watched him drive off before slipping back into your house.

jj couldn’t help but beat his thumb on the steering wheel to the radio’s tune , chuckling a little as he drove through the stop sign you were just screaming at. he’d missed so much of your life , that he hadn’t really gotten a good idea of who you were now. you were still girly and spoiled , but you were funnier than before— a natural humor that took control of your words and behaviors every now and then.

but then jj remembered why you were no longer friends , and his demeanor shifted , pissed off at himself for even saying yes yesterday to begin with. he knew this wouldn’t end well. john b said that last night after jj went to him about the situation too.

it was a disaster just waiting to happen.

hell , you were probably only doing this whole act to piss off your dad while still giving him what he wanted. the idea alone keyed jj up , feeling used now when he hadn’t thought to be before.

“yo , john!” he shouted , stomping into the house.

the brunette popped out from the living room , hardly moving from his position earlier when jj had left. “yes?” john b replied carefully , watching as jj kicked his boots off , clearly frustrated by something. he assumed it had to do with you , but had no idea what you could’ve done in two hours.

jj moved through the house , heading up to his room , hearing his friend follow him up. “you really think i’m gonna fall for that shit like i did last time?” he finally asked after shutting the door. he didn’t need any extra ears hearing his conversation.

john b furrowed his brows. what had you done to him? in two hours? “i don’t know , man. what happened today?” he joined his blonde friend on the bed , getting comfortable.

“so not only do i have to go to this fucking kook festival , right?” jj began , hearing john b’s quiet ‘you agreed to that’ but continuing to rant, “now i have to pretend to be her boyfriend! because she fuckin’ told her parents ‘bout dating me!”

“she what?” john b cracked up , not able to hold back his laughter just to spare jj some dignity, “why the hell would she do that? doesn’t her dad hate you or something?”

“yeah!” jj scoffed , silently thanking his friend for understanding.

“okay , but her mom loves you,” john b added , deciding he’d play devil’s advocate.

“yeah,” jj nodded , seeing the point, “but we haven’t spoken in years , and now she’s all like ‘be my fake boyfriend’ and ‘go to the prom with me’ and shit!” parroting your voice like he had done in your driveway.

it wasn’t the time , but john b kept chuckling at his friend. “man , i think you’re reading too deep into it. she needed a favor. you’re helping her out. that’s all,” he reasoned , sitting up in the bed now, “i know i told you to be wary , but i didn’t mean get paranoid. don’t get your panties in a twist because you have problems and she doesn’t.”

“what’s that supposed to mean?” jj questioned , not expecting john b to turn on him. sarah or kie maybe. cleo and pope definitely , but not him.

john b sighed , rolling his eyes at how oblivious his friend was. “you’ve got residual shit coming up right now pretending to be some kook’s boyfriend , dude. you’re gonna have to handle that shit before you take it out on y/n. she seems nice enough to not fuck you over like camille,” he calmly explained , standing to leave, “besides it’s all fake anyway.” the boy simply patted jj’s shoulder before exiting the room , leaving jj to process his words alone with the name he tried his best to forget swirling in his mind on a loop.

meanwhile , back at your house , your sister had brought her friend over upon hearing certain details about your life she wanted to ask you about. you didn’t even make it up the stairs to your room before bella and her friend , olivia , were harassing you.

“why didn’t you tell me your boyfriend is jj? why didn’t you tell me you have a boyfriend?” bella shrieked in your ear , barging into your room after you. you sighed , tossing your purse onto your vanity before turning to face her.

“i didn’t tell you because it’s not your business,” you explained softly, “it’s not a big deal. i didn’t even want to tell mom and dad,” you admitted.

“wait— why not?” olivia wondered , sitting down on your bed with you and your sister.

“well , jj isn’t exactly dad’s favorite person,” you began , getting comfortable. you didn’t mind the intrusion from the younger girls. you actually enjoyed their company , so you had no problem telling them all about your errand with jj.

“but he’s sooo cute!” olivia whined , annoyed that you were so adamant about not actually liking him like that after you told them about the whole ruse.

“and he was always really nice to me,” bella added to their case. they were currently trying to convince you to really date him , even after telling them he never liked you like that.

you laughed at their interest but shook your head. “no , i don’t think i’ll ever actually date jj maybank,” you whispered , letting the words sink in. this was all fake. it was a favor. nothing more. you had to keep remembering that , or everything would fall apart , and you’d be stuck in high school , craving his attention all over again.

taglist @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @dcllhearts @snowtargaryen

[itsthecline]

WONDERING WHY

0.0 TWO HANGOUTS WORTH

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ after your parents requested you to bring a date to midsummers , you can only think of one boy you know enough to ask. none other than jj maybank.

word count 2k

warnings christian!reader , kook!reader , and like one (?) sexual innuendo

next chapter

a/n this is a new series i’ll be coming out with now that i’m back from my hiatus:) this is just the prologue before everything gets going , but there will also be little flashbacks thrown in here and there!!!

THE WRECK. a local establishment in the outer banks that was owned by mike and anna carrera right across from the island’s surf shop. the place everyone in kildare went for the best sea food one’s heart could dream up. it was also a regular hangout for kiara , mike and anna’s daughter , and her friends— the pogues.

you didn’t know all of them too well , growing up on figure eight rather the cut. you had kind of known sarah from school , but you really knew jj maybank. he was one of kiara’s friends— a reckless kleptomaniac that grew up only ever knowing petty crimes thanks to his jailbird of a father. it wasn’t entirely his fault he held the reputation he did— you saw that.

you had met a different jj however. you knew jackson jay maybank , the cute boy that came to church with his mom every sunday , the boy you would run around with outside the church after services whenever your moms got to talking. he was your first kiss , and first boyfriend too— in the third grade.

jj maybank was the reason you were even at the wreck. you were actively seeking him out , peering around the restaurant when you stepped inside. you were so distracted by finding him , you ran into someone , knocking them off balance and causing them to drop a tray of food.

“oh , my gosh! i’m so sorry!” you apologized , bending over to help the girl pick things off the ground. you looked up at her and immediately flushed in embarrassment. of course , you would run into jj’s friend. you had finally convinced yourself to just go ask jj what you wanted , and you mess it up before even getting the chance.

“it’s fine,” kiara assured you with a soft laugh , picking scraps of lettuce of the floor and tossing it back on the tray, “at least it wasn’t oysters,” she shivered , remembering a time that did happen.

you both finished cleaning up the mess the best you could before standing up. “gosh , i’m so sorry again , kiara,” you sighed , fishing your wallet from your purse, “let me pay for ‘em.”

“no , no! don’t worry about it,” she quickly replied , pushing your hand of cash back to you, “it was just for my friends. they’ll be happier with fries anyway,” she explained to you , setting the tray down, “were you coming here to get something to eat? i can ring you up.” she moved behind the counter , and you followed despite not coming here for the food. though , the way you could smell everything mike was whipping up in the back made you think twice about it.

“no , actually i was looking for jj?” you admitted , scanning the room again , missing the way kiara’s eyebrows shot up.

“oh?”

“yeah , i just have something i wanted to ask him,” you explained with a short , polite smile. you didn’t exactly want to tell kiara all about your plans , so you kept your words to a minimum.

“okay,” the girl nodded , dusting her hands off, “they’re all out back , so i can take you to them,” she smiled , intrigued enough to want to see how this would all pan out. you nodded , accepting the courtesy before following after her. she weaved through tables , waving at a couple of guests , before pushing out to the patio.

the music changed , switching from a smoother tune to a swingier set. it was obvious someone other than mike or anna had control of the radio. your guess was kiara or maybe sarah.

she rounded the corner , spotting her friends chatting animatedly about something that had happened earlier in their chaotic day. kiara whistled once , catching their attention. “jayj , this nice girl was wanting to talk to you about something,” she announced , pointing over her shoulder at you before sitting down next to cleo and taking a sip from her smoothie.

you awkwardly waved at everyone , grateful for sarah’s familiar smile. jj perked up , not expecting to see you standing there. gosh , he hadn’t seen you in maybe three years. you never frequented the same spots as him , and he obviously didn’t hangout where you did.

somehow you looked the same— minus the baby fat. and he could , quite accurately , guess two bra sizes more than the last time you’d been face to face. you had the same style as before. girlier than all heck and not daring to show off too much. today , you settled on a simple , white skirt and a top in the sweetest shade of yellow. jj couldn’t help the way his eyes dragged down your legs , only being able to see a little snippet of them above your kitten heels. you looked just as cute as the day he’d met you. adorable.

“y/n/n y/l/n , what can i do for ya?” he chirped , pushing himself up from the wooden picnic table and marching over to you.

your hands started sweating when you realized there would suddenly be an audience for this all. “um— may i speak to you in private? please?” you asked , gripping at your skirt to wipe the sweat from your palms. your eyes adverted back to his friends— the infamous treasure hunters.

they had always intimidated you. not that they did it on purpose. no , they were all very kind during your brief and few interactions. it was more of the fact that they had lived so much ; they were so much more than regular nineteen year olds on the island. far more than you.

jj looked over his shoulder , noticing all of his friends eagerly watching and waiting. “sure , angel , we can go talk,” he nodded , gesturing for you to turn. you did , feeling his hand ghost over the small of your back. he led you towards the parking lot , stopping once you hit the gravel. “so what’s up? haven’t seen you in awhile,” he spoke casually , twirling the toothpick in between his teeth.

“midsummers is in two weeks , and my father would really like if i brought a date,” you began , straightening your back to try and come off more confident than you were. something about jj always made you want to shrivel up and hide. it was probably that smirk he was giving you. “i don’t really talk to any boys at all , and so i was hoping maybe you come with me? seeing as we know each other?” you concluded on a more sour note. you hated hearing the way your voice went up at the ends of your statements , obliterating any chances you had at seeming collected. you stared at jj , wincing almost in preparation for his rejection. it wouldn’t be the worst thing if you couldn’t get a date for midsummers , but it would be the worst thing if jj maybank laughed in your face again after all these years.

and then he chuckled , and you wanted to run away and die. you knew you shouldn’t have come here. you knew it would be a no.

“yeah , i’ll do it,” he agreed , getting you to straighten your posture again, “but i’m gonna need somethin’ out of it , ya know?”

“really? yeah! i could , like , pay you. and i’d obviously handle all of the coordination things and such,” you rushed out , ecstatic he actually said yes. you had been so worried about rejection that you hadn’t actually prepared yourself for a positive outcome.

“i mean , yeah , money’s nice , angel,” jj nodded , leaning up against one of the patron’s cars, “what about a date?” he suggested after a few moments of making you wait.

“a date?” you choked out , taking the slightest step back. the rocks beneath your feet shifted , giving away the movement. “i don’t date,” you stated , knowing he knew that about you already. everyone on the island knew.

“what? not even for old time’s sake?” jj tried , flopping his arms to his sides, “i mean , technically we’re already dating,” he defended himself , moving his finger between the two of you, “never really broke up , so…”

“jj , i’m sure our relationship from the third grade has reached its statute of limitations by now,” you huffed , crossing your arms, “besides , you laughing in my face and then continuing to ignore my existence as soon as we got to high school made sure i got the message,” you added , sounding far brattier than you ever had before.

the blonde was taken aback , not expecting you to ever throw something in someone’s face. he didn’t even realize that was something you remembered could be thrown in his face. “yeah , that was mean,” he admitted, “but this date could clear things up. you deserve to get taken out. maybe you’ll let me see your wild side,” he winked , causing your face to crinkle up.

“you’re dirty minded,” you pouted , going to turn away and forget this altercation ever even happened.

“wait!” jj moved forward , grabbing your elbow to stop you from leaving, “i didn’t mean it like that.” you tilted your head , arms still crossed. “okay , maybe i did , but it was a joke!” jj laughed , taking hold of you by the arms and shaking you a little.

you bit back a smile and rolled your eyes. “i don’t date , jj. i just need a date. for midsummers,” you explained to him with a shrug.

it’s not that the idea of a date didn’t spark something alive inside of you. it was that it did. you didn’t want to reignite the flame you once held for jj so close to your heart. he was your first crush , and that meant something to you. even at the ripe age of eight years old. he was one of your first friends , and he left you behind. that wasn’t something easy to forget. you had healed from it , sure , but you knew yourself enough not to reopen the old wound.

“then let’s not call it a date,” jj decided with a firm nod, “we’ll… we’ll call it a hangout. you tag along with me for a day , get a taste of the pogue life. then i’ll go to the kookfest with ya.”

“a hangout?” you repeated suspiciously, “and what activities would this hangout include?”

jj let out a short breath of air , like he was coming up with the first thing that came to mind. “i don’t know? petty crime , doing drugs , drinking beers? driving on my sick bike all the while? that sound fun?”

you let out a laugh , covering your smile as you did. “sounds like an ideal hangout with the jj maybank,” you agreed with a nod.

“yeah? that’s only the first half of the day,” he continued , chuckling along with you. he could almost feel himself slipping back to a younger version of himself. back when you would hang out while your mom’s caught up after their weeks. with how his life panned out , it was easy to forget that you two had once been close friends. it felt like a life time ago. gosh , maybe even eight.

you took another step back , tapping jj’s chest with a smile. “you have yourself a deal , maybank. i’ll see you tomorrow,” you told him , digging out your keys. your bmw wasn’t waiting too far from you.

“tomorrow?” jj asked , not too sure what you could have planned with midsummers two weeks out. anything could happen in two weeks. “what rush are you in , princess?”

you stopped in your tracks , jaw agape. “jj! you don’t just put on a suit and go to midsummers. there’s things that need to be done! there’s fittings , and luncheons , and everything in between,” you explained , not completely shocked he didn’t know , but still annoyed you had to spell it out.

“wait , wait , wait—“ jj chuckled , shaking his head, “what-cheons?”

“oh , my goodness,” you sighed , pulling out your phone, “give me your number. i’ll text you everything that needs to happen in the next two weeks.”

jj took your phone , typing in his information. “i think i should be compensated with two hangouts then,” he bargained , shooting himself a text so he would have your number too.

“you are such a pain. fine,” you quickly agreed , taking back your phone, “ten a.m!” you pointed at him , moving to your car.

“jesus , woman! you’re killing me!” jj gasped , wiping a hand down his face like he was under serious duress.

“my house!” you added with a smile , getting in your car and starting her up. you waved at him through the mirror before driving away. maybe it was a good thing you convinced yourself to ask him. it’d be a nostalgic two weeks , but at least it would be fun. that much you knew.

pulling out the parking lot , you got a text message. you braked , checking to see if it was your mother , but instead saw a text from jj.

daddy j💦

see you tomorrow princess

[itsthecline]

my problem is that i don’t know how to end a story…. i just end it right there

[itsthecline]

i don’t know, i love season 1 rafe cameron’s neon green tank top bc yeah it’s fucking ugly but also it’s like …. oh …. you don’t know how to dress …. oh ….. you’re bitchless …. oh …. you need a girl like me …. oh let me suck your cock ….

[itsthecline]

hollywood || rafe cameron

authors note: been thinking about rafey a lot lately. kinda a short story? i did not know what to name this lol

warnings: smut

Y/N sat on the outside patio furnurtue of the house watching the party in full swing. The smell of chlorine coming from the pool as at the group of people jumped into the pool, the couple in front of her doing a line, but all she could think about was him. The alcohol slowly getting into her bloodstream, as she sat there sulking watching everyone, cursing at them for having a good time. She knew he’d show up any moment, she was thinking about him again, she couldnt help it. He was all she every thought about, when she showered, when she went to the store, when she sat down at family dinner with her parents and brother-

“Yo, Top!” 

“Shit,” she whispered to herself, her eyes closing for a second, hearing his voice behind her. She got up quickly, pushing past the coked out couple, making her way to the kitchen to get something stronger to drink. She took a deep breathe, the adrenaline pumping through her body from just the sound of his voice. She hadn't even seen him, but she knew, knew he would be here, walking around looking the way he did, his tanned skin glowing, his buzzed hair no longer buzzed, growing longer and messier by the day. She looked up, standing at the island hoping to get a better quick look at him. 

“Looking for someone?” She cursed silently to herself again feeling the goosebumps rise all over her body, turning around. 

“No,” she said, shaking her head slightly, making direct eye contact with him. The black hoodie on him sprawling out the word ‘Hollywood’ in white letters, fuck he looked good, and he knew it. The smirk plastered on his face, as his eyes trailed up and down to get a quick look at her. She leaned back slightly on the island, watching as his hand made their way to his lips, the gold ring shining as he watched her. She tried her best to stay calm, to not let him know that her heart was literally about to beat out of her chest.

He stepped closer to her, dropping his hand from his mouth, shaking his head, “Nah,” he whispered, not believing her, “I think you are though,” he said, his voice lowering. 

He stepped closer leaning up against the island beside her, crossing his arms, continuing to watch her closely, taking in the smell of her perfume. He quickly took the drink from her sitting it on the counter, as he stood in front of her, slightly leaning in, his hands on the island, caging her in. His mouth coming up to her ear as he spoke,

"Meet me upstairs, yeah?" He said licking his lips, his left hand coming up to give her a pat on the ass, as he turned around, leaving her there feeling like she was grasping for air.

As she climbed the stairs, her breathing staggered, her skin feeling hot, and her heart pounding harder with every step she took. She paused in front of the door, taking a deep breath to pull herself together.

And when she finally had the courage to open the door, there he was. Sitting on the edge of the bed, his legs spread wide with his arms crossed, his eyes going up and down her body. She stood there watching him as he rose from the bed, stepping closer to her.

His hand came up to cup her face gently to touch her, then both hands slowly going down her arms, tracing her skin lightly, as his eyes made their way to look at her lips and down to her chest. They finally settled firmly on her waist, pulling her closer. He dipped down slightly, his lips hovering over hers. Her body aching for him to close the space between their lips.

But he didn't. Instead, he paused, their lips almost touching, a smirk coming over his face, teasing her.

"Tell me who you were looking for downstairs," he whispered, keeping them as close as possible. Her stomach dropped.

"You.." She whispered, the words barely coming out. The smug smile on his face growing.

"Good girl."

His lips pressed against hers closing the space between them, his hand sliding up to tangle in her hair. She gasped softly, and he took this as an opportunity to deepen their kiss further, his tongue brushing against hers in a slow, almost punishing way. He kissed her like he was claiming her, pouring every ounce of the tension and desire that had ever simmered between them.

She tugged at his jeans, her fingers curling into the fabric with urgency, her soft moan spilling into his mouth as she tried to make her need for him clear. He pulled back, breaking the kiss, their lips red and swollen, a thin string of saliva briefly connecting them before it broke.

They moved in unison, their hands fumbling and eager to get rid of their clothes. She stepped forward to kiss him again, her hands on the base on his neck to pull him closer, as his hands made their way up and down her body to feel every inch of her. They stumbled their way to the bed, their kiss never breaking as she started to grind against him, a groan falling from his lips.

With a quick movement, his hands gripped her waist, flipping her over, her back pressed against the bed as he hovered over her. He leaned back, both is knees digging into the bed on the sides of her, as he slid his hands down her thighs, gripping and pulling her legs to rest on his shoulders.

He lines himself up to her soaking entrance, feeling the warmth and wetness coming from her. He watches as she jerks slightly, wanting to feel him more. He smiles, laughing at her for being so desperate.

"Jesus, you're a fucking mess, we've barely gotten started."

"Are you going to fuck me or what?"

That's all it took for him to slam his thick length in, she gasped, her mouth falling into an o shape, as he found a steady pace to pound in and out of her.

"Been thinking about pounding this tight little hole all week," he grunted out, trying to keep his pace steady, trying not to get distracted with the feeling of her wrapped so tightly around him.

His pace starts to pick up more, the sound of him sliding in and out echoing throughout the room as she whimpered underneath him, holding onto his biceps for support.

"Keep squeezing me like that, givin' me no choice but to fill this pretty pussy up."

He doesn't slow down, her whimpers only growing louder as he continues his brutal pace, a thin layer of sweat covering both their bodies as the bed creaks loudly under the impact. Her body clenches up feeling the orgasm getting closer as he continues to hit all the right spots.

"R-Rafe.. gonna make me cum," she says squirming, trying to push him back a little, the pressure being too much for her to handle

"Don't even think about it, gonna keep pounding this pussy until you pass out, got it?" He said, his own orgasm approaching.

“Wonder what Top would say if he walked in right now, seeing his best friend nail his little sisters shit in his bed?”

[itsthecline]

𝐧 𝐨 𝐛 𝐨 𝐝 𝐲 𝐠 𝐞 𝐭 𝐬 𝐦 𝐞 ⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚｡˚ ⋆ rafe cameron

playing: 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞 by sza 𝜗𝜚˚｡˚ ⋆

synopsis! a kickback on the beach involving both kooks and pogues turns ugly after rafe sees jj maybank talking sweetly in your ear..

paring: rafe cameron x pogue!reader

warnings: friends? with benefits , angst , mentions of underage drinking , violence (fist fighting) , toxic!rafe , sexual content + rough unprotected car sex! , choking , fingering , mature , 18+ (minors dni!)

word count: 6.7k

notes: thinking about making this into a series but it just depends on how we all like it so lmk!

⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚｡˚ ⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚｡˚ ⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚｡˚ ⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚｡˚ ⋆ ⋆ ˚｡⋆ 𝜗𝜚 ˚｡˚ ⋆⋆ ˚｡⋆

“you’re a fucking idiot,” kie says through a burst of laughter, watching jj attempt to shotgun two beers at once. instead of drinking, most of the beer spills straight onto the sand, leaving him grinning like it was all part of the plan.

a soft giggle slips past your lips as jj smashes the crushed cans together dramatically, then thumps his chest like he just pulled off something incredible—even though he couldn’t have failed more miserably.

you shake your head, pointing at the two crushed cans lying in the sand. “don’t give him any more if he’s gonna pull shit like that!” you say, half-serious, half-amused.

jj’s grin fades into a mock frown, his brows furrowing as he throws his hands up dramatically. “what? i was just getting started!” he protests, though the beer-soaked sand beneath him says otherwise.

you roll your eyes, ready to fire back at jj, when the vibration of your phone in your hand distracts you. the name on the screen makes your stomach flip, and you bite down on your bottom lip, fighting to keep a smile from slipping out where your friends could see.

kook devil: wya?

you: beach kickback on the cut

kook devil: omw

this time, the smile wins. you glance down at the screen, the corners of your lips tugging upward despite yourself. it wasn’t the first time rafe cameron had texted you late at night, asking where you were. but no one else knew that. and you weren’t about to admit it to anyone—especially not to your friends.

friends who hated kooks with a passion. and everything, and everyone, that came with them.

“what are you smiling at?” sarah asks, her voice light but laced with curiosity, as she and john b stroll over, his arm draped casually over her shoulders. her amused grin only makes you more nervous.

you lock your phone instantly, still smiling but scrambling for an excuse. “my package just got delivered,” you say quickly, trying to sound nonchalant.

sarah hums in response, the suspicion in her tone subtle but enough to make your stomach tighten. you don’t notice, too busy avoiding eye contact and silently thanking the chaos that erupts when jj and pope start arguing about something ridiculous, as usual.

you knew what you were doing was wrong. so wrong, especially to sarah. if she ever found out you and rafe were hooking up behind everyone’s backs, she’d lose it. they all would. and not just because he’s a kook.

it’s because he’s rafe fucking cameron.

it was kind of a blur how it all started with rafe. you remember being at a party—not sure if it was here on the beach or in figure 8—but of course, he was there, lingering in the crowd. all night, his eyes kept finding yours, holding your gaze just a little too long.

a couple of tequila shots later, you found yourself in his truck, attempting to ride him as he fucked you senseless, leaving you a trembling mess of moans and breathless curses.

ever since that night, you’d fallen into a rhythm—friends with benefits, if you could even call it that. except you weren’t friends. not even close.

you and rafe both knew the deal—just sex, no strings attached. it was made clear the second time you hooked up. after somehow getting your number, rafe texted you at 1 a.m. asking to meet. if it had been anyone else, you would’ve said no without a second thought. but rafe cameron always gets what he wants.

afterward, it was rafe who spelled it out: just sex, nothing more. and you agreed, even though the words stung more than you cared to admit. you told yourself you were fine with it, hoping that maybe, just maybe, if you played along long enough, he’d change his mind.

except he hasn’t.

and what really reeled you in was just the other day, you spotted him on the golf course with stacy thornton, topper’s cousin of all people. and of course he knew you’d see him—you work the country club as a bev girl. how could you not?

still, you swallowed the lump in your throat, pretending not to care even as your chest tightened. you quietly asked a coworker to handle his table, murmuring something about being swamped, and then buried yourself in busywork to avoid the sting of watching him laugh with her.

since that day, he hasn’t called or texted. not a word. until tonight.

because surely, stacy was busy.

“yo, y/n! come shotgun a beer with us!” kie and sarah call out, snapping you out of your thoughts. you force a small smile, pushing everything about rafe to the back of your mind as you stand up from the driftwood branch you’d been perched on. joining your girls, you grab a beer and do your best to play along.

as the night rolls on, the beach fills up with more people—kooks, pogues, and everyone in between. the music gets louder, and the air becomes a chaotic mix of laughter, shouting, and waves crashing in the background. drunk teenagers stagger through the sand, passing bottles and shots around, but so far, there haven’t been any issues. yet.

but you know how these nights go. when kooks and pogues show up to the same party, trouble is inevitable. it’s only a matter of time before someone says or does something to spark it. like clockwork.

bright headlights pierce through the darkness, momentarily blinding you as a familiar truck pulls onto the beach. your stomach tightens at the sight, but you force yourself to stay calm, laughing along with your friends as if you hadn’t noticed. even as the kooks around you start murmuring and shouting, announcing rafe’s arrival, you keep your eyes anywhere but on him.

your gaze flicks to sarah, catching the way her jaw tightens when she sees her older brother greeting her old friends with effortless charm. the tension is palpable. it’s no secret that sarah and rafe are far from good terms, and the thought of what she’d do if she ever found out about you and him is enough to make your chest ache. she’d hate you—no question about it.

and you didn’t want that. not now, not ever. so tonight, with enough liquid courage coursing through your veins, you’d finally do it. you’d end whatever this thing was with rafe. it was time. it had to be.

“hey, sweetheart,” jj slurs, suddenly draping an arm over your shoulders, his familiar, lopsided grin plastered across his face. the smell of alcohol lingers on his breath, and you can’t help but laugh. drunk jj was always clingy and affectionate, a far cry from his usual chaotic self.

“how are you? you good?” he asks, his voice softer than usual, his blue eyes lazily scanning your face for any hint of something wrong.

you nod, patting his knee where it rests against yours. “i’m fine, jay. what about you? having fun?”

he grins wider, squeezing your shoulder as if to reassure you. “always. especially now that you’re here.” his words are lighthearted, but his presence, warm and grounding, makes the knot in your stomach ease just a little.

“don’t start something you can’t finish, maybank,” you tease, your tone playful, something that’s always been a part of your dynamic with jj. it was harmless, never anything more than friendly banter. jj was like a brother to you, and you both knew it.

his smirk widens, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “oh, i always finish what i start,” he shoots back, his voice dripping with mock confidence. the comment makes heat rise to your cheeks despite yourself, and you nudge his side with a laugh.

“relax, jj,” you say, still grinning, but he just laughs along with you, clearly enjoying your reaction.

then his tone drops, more conspiratorial now, as he leans in closer. “can i tell you a secret?” he slurs, his voice low and exaggeratedly serious.

you play along, tilting your head toward him as he cups a hand over his mouth like he’s sharing classified information. “i’m so drunk right now,” he whispers dramatically.

a laugh bursts out of you, louder than you intended, as you push him off of you. “no shit, jay,” you say through your giggles, watching him sway slightly before laughing along with you. moments like these made everything feel lighter, even with the weight of everything else hanging in the air.

suddenly, the laughter dies in your throat as a familiar voice cuts through the noise, instantly tightening the tension in your shoulders. “i wanna laugh too,” rafe drawls, his tone sharp and laced with something dangerous.

your head snaps up, and sure enough, there he is, standing a few feet away with his hands casually stuffed into his pockets. but his stare is locked on you, unwavering, intense. your stomach churns as you quickly look away, pretending not to notice.

“what are you doing here, rafe?” sarah asks, her voice cold as ice, glaring at her brother like she wanted him gone before he could stir up trouble.

he shrugs nonchalantly, though the slight clench in his jaw betrays his calm demeanor. “well, last time i checked, you don’t own the beach, sarah,” he retorts, his tone sharp enough to cut. the sunset casts a fiery glow on his face, highlighting the tension in his features. he’s angry—at what, you don’t know, but it’s obvious.

sarah opens her mouth to snap back, but before she can, jj suddenly stands to his feet, his drunken bravado kicking in full force. “what’s your problem, man?” he slurs, his voice rising as he steps forward, shoulders squared like he’s ready to fight.

your heart pounds in your chest as the energy shifts sharply, the tension coiling tighter with every second. it’s like the whole beach can feel it, the calm before the inevitable storm. you glance around nervously, noticing the kooks starting to make their way over, drawn by the brewing conflict like moths to a flame.

what had been your comfortable little corner with your friends now feels suffocating as more and more people gather, the divide between kooks and pogues growing thicker with every step they take. rafe doesn’t move, his stance unbothered but his eyes flickering with something unreadable as they dart between jj and you.

you can hear your friends muttering behind you, tension spreading like wildfire. this wasn’t going to end well—you could feel it in your bones.

john b, ever the peacekeeper, steps in with a steady hand on jj’s shoulder, giving it a calming squeeze. “hey, bro, take a walk,” he says softly, his tone measured, trying to de-escalate before things spiral further.

but jj shakes his head, his expression twisting with frustration. “nah, nah, nah,” he says, shrugging john b’s hand off. his voice is louder now, sharp and angry, fueled by alcohol and pent-up resentment. “i’m so tired of these fuck-ass kooks ruining our fun. everything was fine before they got here.”

he turns to rafe, his eyes blazing with defiance. “so answer the damn question, rafe. what the fuck is your problem?”

the words hang in the air, cutting through the murmur of onlookers as more kooks and pogues close in around you, their postures rigid and ready for whatever’s about to unfold. the tension is suffocating, thick enough to choke on. your stomach twists as you glance between jj, who’s practically vibrating with anger, and rafe, whose jaw is locked, his eyes dark and unreadable.

rafe suddenly lets out a low, humorless laugh, shaking his head like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. he swipes a finger under his nose, his signature tell that trouble is coming. before anyone can react, he steps forward and throws a punch, his fist connecting squarely with jj’s jaw.

the sound of the hit echoes over the beach, silencing the chatter and gasps from the growing crowd. jj stumbles back, catching himself before falling, his hand flying up to his face as he spits blood into the sand.

“you’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” john b mutters, stepping between them instinctively, trying to keep jj from lunging forward. but jj’s already shaking with rage, shoving john b aside as the crowd erupts around you.

the once calm beach party turns chaotic, the tension finally snapping into chaos, and you’re frozen in the middle of it all, unsure of what to do as your heart pounds in your chest.

mayhem erupts around you as everyone starts shouting, the noise almost deafening. jj and rafe are swinging at each other, fists flying with raw anger. john b and topper try to break it up, but their own simmering tensions (sarah cameron) boil over, and soon enough, they’re throwing punches at each other too.

“alright! alright!” you, sarah, and kie yell, your voices cutting through the chaos as you rush in, desperately trying to pull the four boys apart. it’s a mess of flailing arms, insults, and drunken fury, but with the help of the other pogues and even a few kooks who seem equally tired of the drama, you finally manage to separate them.

jj stands a few feet away now, chest heaving as he wipes blood from his lip, glaring daggers at rafe. rafe, meanwhile, is being restrained by two kooks, his jaw tight and his eyes locked on jj like he’s ready to go again at any second. john b and topper aren’t much better, breathing heavily and throwing venomous insults back and forth as they’re held apart.

you step back, your heart still racing as the crowd buzzes with murmurs and tension, the air thick and electric. this was far from over, and you could feel it.

“yeah, stay the fuck off our side of the island!” jj yells, his voice sharp and unwavering as the kooks start retreating. rafe lingers, of course, making direct eye contact with you. his gaze burns, but you glare right back, your frustration simmering beneath the surface. whatever you needed to say to him was definitely happening tonight after the shit he just pulled.

“take jj to the chateau. i think there’s a first aid kit in the bathroom,” john b instructs kie and pope, his tone calm but firm. they nod, each grabbing one of jj’s arms to help guide him away. jj, still riled up, mutters under his breath about how much of a pussy rafe is, his words slurring slightly from the drinks and adrenaline.

sarah walks over to you, concern etched across her face. “hey, you okay?” she asks gently. her voice is soft, but the sincerity in her eyes almost undoes you. you nod quickly, blinking back the tears threatening to spill over.

“yeah, i’m fine. just anxious,” you respond, your voice steady enough to sound convincing. it’s not entirely a lie, but it’s far from the whole truth. sarah offers you a small, understanding smile, her hand rubbing your arm soothingly.

“coming?” she asks, gesturing toward john b, who’s waiting for her a few feet away.

“i think i’m just gonna head home,” you say, your voice a little rushed. “my mom texted—she got off work early, so…” you let the excuse hang in the air, hoping it’s enough.

sarah nods slowly, her eyes flickering with a mix of understanding and suspicion. “john b and i can walk you,” she offers.

“no, it’s okay. i kinda need a moment,” you reply quickly, your voice firmer this time. you hold your breath as her gaze lingers on you, studying you for a beat too long. but thankfully, she doesn’t press it.

“okay, babe,” she says finally, her concern softening into a warm smile. “let me know when you get home, yeah?”

you nod, watching as she walks back toward john b, the two of them eventually disappearing into the growing shadows. only when they’re far enough away do you exhale, the weight of the night pressing heavy on your chest.

with one last glance at the party starting to settle back down, you turn and walk in the opposite direction, knowing exactly where you’re going—and who you’re going to face.

you make your way over to the truck, its headlights dim now but still parked exactly where he left it. crossing your arms over your chest, you lean against the back door of the truck, waiting. it’s quiet here, tucked away from the rest of the beach where no one can see you.

the sound of approaching footsteps pulls your attention, and there he is. rafe cameron, calm and collected as ever, despite the chaos he caused. he’s holding a red solo cup against his cheekbone, the faintest shadow of a bruise forming. but even so, you have to admit—he doesn’t look nearly as bad as jj does. of course he doesn’t.

his eyes meet yours, and for a moment, neither of you say anything. the tension between you is thicker than ever, the air heavy with unspoken words. you take a deep breath, preparing yourself for what you came here to do.

“i can’t see you anymore, rafe,” you say, finally breaking the silence. your voice is firm, but you can feel the ache behind the words, threatening to betray you.

rafe doesn’t move. instead, a small, almost smug smile quirks at the corner of his lips. “get in the truck,” he says, his tone low and even, like it’s not up for debate.

your brows knit together, your frustration bubbling up. did he not hear you? or worse, did he just not care? “no, rafe,” you snap, shaking your head. “what you did today—” you pause, letting out a sharp sigh as the memories replay in your mind. your gaze shifts over his shoulder to the road, watching cars pass by, their headlights a welcome distraction. “you hurt my friends,” you continue, your voice quieter now but still steady. “i care a lot about my friends. and that shit you pulled back there?” you point toward the spot on the beach where the chaos unfolded, the tension still lingering in the air. “wasn’t cool.”

rafe follows your gesture with a glance, his expression unreadable. but when his eyes flick back to you, there’s something in them—something dangerous, something unshaken. he doesn’t respond, just waits, like he knows you’re not finished yet.

“why would you do that?” your voice cracks despite your best effort to keep it steady. the words hang heavy in the air, and you curse softly under your breath, furious with yourself for letting your emotions bubble over. you promised you wouldn’t let him see you like this—wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry. but now, the tears are pricking at the corners of your eyes, threatening to spill.

rafe’s face doesn’t change, his jaw tight but his expression otherwise calm, almost detached. it’s like he’s weighing his words, deciding what to say—or if he’ll even bother answering at all. the silence feels suffocating, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on your chest.

“are you fucking him?” rafe finally speaks, his voice low and steady, but the accusation behind the words hits you like a slap. you stare at him, wide-eyed, like he’s just grown three heads.

a laugh of disbelief escapes you as you shake your head, running a hand through your hair to keep yourself from losing it. “are you serious right now?” you ask, your voice teetering between anger and shock.

“are you?” he presses, his tone sharper this time, his eyes locked on yours, unrelenting.

“oh my god,” you mutter, another laugh bubbling out, this one laced with frustration. “is that why you did that? you think i’ve been fucking one of my best friends? are you shitting me, rafe?” you shake your head again, the absurdity of the accusation almost too much to handle.

he doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back down, his gaze still burning into yours like he’s waiting for you to crack. but you don’t—at least, not yet.

“well, since we’re just accusing each other of shit now,” you say, your voice sharp as a knife, “how’s stacy doing?” your eyes flicker between his, and just like you predicted, his confidence falters. there’s a moment—a flicker—where his gaze drops, and you pounce. “i assume she was busy tonight, right? that why you texted me?”

“what the fuck are you talking about?” rafe snaps, his chest rising and falling heavily as he steps closer, his frustration spilling over.

“oh, don’t give me that shit, rafe,” you fire back, crossing your arms tightly over your chest. your eyes dart away from his, landing anywhere but on him. “i saw you at the country club,” you continue, your voice cold, the memory still fresh.

his jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything, and the silence only fuels your anger. “and even then,” you add, spinning back to face him, your words cutting like glass, “what if i am fucking jj? what is it to you? you’re the one who said no strings attached, right?”

you see the way his nostrils flare, his jaw clenching so tightly you think it might snap. his eyes darken, and you know exactly what he’s thinking—the thought of jj seeing you the way rafe has, touching you, hearing the sounds you make. it’s killing him. but he won’t say it. not out loud.

“you’re mad, rafe,” you say, your voice quieter now but still firm. “but you don’t get to be. not after the rules you set.”

you push past him, deciding you were done—done with the accusations, the games, all of it. but, of course, you don’t get far. rafe’s hand closes firmly around your wrist, yanking you back toward him with enough force that you stumble. before you can steady yourself, you collide with his chest, the hard press of muscle against you taking your breath away.

his lips crash against yours without warning, rough and demanding, pulling a shocked gasp from your lips. the intensity of it sends a jolt through you, but it’s not enough to freeze you in place. your fists fly up, pushing hard against his chest, trying to shove him off.

“rafe,” you manage, your voice muffled against his lips, but it’s like he doesn’t even hear you. instead, your resistance only seems to fuel him, his free hand sliding up to wrap around your neck, not too tight, but firm enough to hold you there.

his lips move hungrily against yours, his breath hot, his grip unwavering. you can feel the frustration, the anger, and something else tangled in the way he kisses you—something you can’t name, something overwhelming. your heart races, torn between wanting to fight and the way your body reacts instinctively to his touch.

you hated it. hated how easily your body betrayed you, handing itself over to him without a second thought. and the worst part? rafe knew it too. he always did.

he used it to his advantage every time, just like now. the second your resistance began to falter, the tension in your fists loosening as your body instinctively softened against his, that familiar smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips. he could feel it—the way your resolve was slipping, the way the pull between you was overtaking every logical thought in your mind.

the familiarity of him started to seep through, clouding the anger that had burned so brightly just moments ago. rafe’s grip on your neck relaxed slightly, his fingers brushing your skin like he had all the time in the world, as if he wasn’t the reason you’d wanted to end this in the first place.

and god, you hated him for it. but you hated yourself even more. no matter how much you told yourself to walk away, to end it, your body always seemed to betray you the moment his hands were on you.

before you even realized what was happening, you were in the back seat of rafe’s truck, straddling his lap. his hands gripped your hips with bruising force, guiding your movements as you instinctively rolled against him. the friction of his hardened, clothed cock pressing against you sent shivers up your spine, a traitorous whimper slipping past your lips.

his breath was hot against your neck, his lips brushing your skin as he let out a low groan of satisfaction. you hated how easily he got to you, how the anger you felt just moments ago melted into something entirely different. but no matter how much you wanted to stop, your body moved on its own, craving the familiarity of him, the intensity only he could give you.

his hands move from gripping your hips to trailing up your back, his fingers deftly finding the string of your bikini top. with a quick tug, the knot unravels, and the fabric falls between you, exposing your chest to the cool night air. the intimate sound of your breathing mixes with the muffled noise of the distant beach party, but all you can focus on is him.

rafe wastes no time, leaning in to pepper kisses across your chest. each press of his lips ignites a trail of goosebumps on your skin, the sensation making you arch closer to him. his mouth finds one of your hardened nipples, pulling it into his mouth as his hand cups the other, his fingers teasing and rolling with practiced precision.

a moan slips from your lips, filling the still air around you. rafe hums in satisfaction, his hot breath fanning against your sensitive skin. his grip on you tightens as he continues, clearly intent on drawing every reaction out of you that he can.

“fuck, i missed you,” he breathes, his voice low and ragged as he pulls back just enough to let the words slip past his lips. before you can even process them, his mouth is back on you, his lips and tongue working their way across your skin, pulling a broken whimper from your throat.

you shake your head weakly, your fingers gripping his shoulders, trying to ground yourself. “no, you didn’t,” you whisper, your voice trembling, the words more of a desperate plea than an accusation.

rafe pauses, his lips hovering over your collarbone. his hands tighten their hold on your waist, pulling you impossibly closer as he meets your gaze, his blue eyes blown out. “yes, i did,” he mutters, his tone firm, almost defensive, before dipping his head back down to kiss you again, as if he could erase the doubt you so clearly feel.

with one hand, he makes quick work of the button on your shorts, pulling them down just enough to give himself better access. his hand slips past the waistband of your bikini bottoms, his fingers brushing against your heated skin. the low groan that escapes his lips when he feels how soaked you are sends a jolt of heat straight through you.

“not surprising,” he mutters against your lips, his voice thick with smug satisfaction.

you gasp, your head falling back slightly as his fingers glide through your folds, gathering your arousal before starting slow, deliberate circles against your clit. the sensation sparks through you, making your hips instinctively rock against his hand, chasing the friction.

rafe’s smirk deepens as he watches you, his free hand gripping your waist tighter to keep you steady. “that’s it, pretty girl,” he murmurs, his voice low and gravelly, dripping with control. “just like that.”

a moan escapes your lips when his fingers pick up their pace, his breathing becoming heavier against your neck. “think that pogue could get you to cum like i can, huh?” he taunts, his words cutting through the haze of pleasure. before you can respond, his fingers dip into your entrance, filling you to where you feel the cold metal ring wrapped around his finger, while his thumb presses firmly against your clit. the double stimulation sends a shockwave through you, your hands fisting his shirt as you struggle to stifle the moans threatening to spill out.

you bite down hard on your lip, trying not to give him the satisfaction he craves, but it’s so hard—he knows your body too well.

“i know he can,” you finally manage to retort, your voice breathless but defiant. the second the words leave your mouth, you see it—the flicker of rage that darkens his eyes. his movements grow rougher, more deliberate, as if he’s determined to make you eat your words.

you sob out a moan, your body trembling as his pace remains relentless, refusing to give you even a second to catch your breath. “the fuck he can,” he growls, his voice low and feral, watching with a smug satisfaction as you struggle to keep yourself upright. his smirk deepens as he leans in, capturing your lips in a bruising kiss, all teeth and desperation, swallowing your broken cries.

your hands cling to his shoulders as waves of pleasure crash through you, your body arching into his touch. his fingers work you expertly, his movements precise and unyielding as he pushes you closer and closer to the edge, your breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

“c’mon, baby,” he murmurs against your lips, his voice rough and dripping with desperation. “let me hear you.” his words send a shiver down your spine, and you feel yourself teetering on the brink, unable to hold back any longer.

you feel yourself start to convulse around his fingers, your body trembling as a broken cry tears from your lips. the waves of your orgasm crash over you, leaving you breathless and weak. rafe keeps going, his fingers guiding you through every pulse of pleasure, not stopping until your body begins to twitch with hints of overstimulation. but there’s no tenderness in it—not that you deserved any, not after what you said.

your earlier comment still burned in his mind, fueling a fire in his chest, the thought of you with jj maybank making him see red. it wasn’t about trust—it was about possession, and rafe couldn’t stand the idea of someone else touching what he considered his.

without warning, he grabs your waist and flips you around, pressing your head against the leather seat, your ass in the air. your shorts and bikini bottoms are gone in one swift motion, leaving you completely exposed. you barely have time to react before you hear the sound of his zipper, his own clothes hitting the floor of the truck in a mess.

“you wanna talk about jj?” he growls, his voice low and dripping with frustration as he positions himself at your entrance, the heat of him pressing against you. “let’s see if you’re still thinking about him when I’m done with you.”

before you can process his words, he thrusts into you without warning, burying himself to the hilt in one swift, punishing motion. the stretch is overwhelming, a cry slipping from your lips, quickly muffled as you press your face into the seat.

rafe doesn’t give you a moment to adjust, setting a relentless, eye-rolling pace that has your body jolting with every thrust. his hands grip your waist tightly, pulling you back to meet each snap of his hips, his frustration evident in the way he moves.

“you feel that?” he mutters, his voice rough and breathless as he leans over you, his chest grazing your back. “that’s all me. no one else, you hear me?” his words mix with the sound of skin against skin, every syllable driving him deeper, leaving you a trembling mess beneath him.

you nod dumbly, unable to form words as your body reacts to his every movement. a gasp tears from your lips when his arm snakes around your neck, pulling you upright slightly and holding you firmly in place. the pressure makes your head spin, amplifying every sensation coursing through your body.

the truck fills with the obscene sounds of wet slaps and desperate moans, each one louder than the last. your cries mix with rafe’s rough groans, the intensity between you reaching a fever pitch. you briefly thank your lucky stars that his truck has fully blacked-out windows, shielding this mess of tangled limbs and raw need from prying eyes.

rafe moans in your ear, his voice thick with possession, his breath hot against your skin. “all mine. no one else gets to have you like this.” his pace never falters, every thrust pushing you closer to the edge again, leaving you gasping and trembling under his control.

just when you think the pleasure is close to consuming you whole, rafe’s fingers snake down between your thighs, finding your clit with infuriating precision. he rubs quick, tight circles, the added sensation pulling a choked cry from your lips as your body jerks in response.

your arm flings back instinctively, your hand finding the back of his neck, clutching onto him desperately as if he’s the only thing keeping you upright. his breath is hot against your ear, ragged and uneven, matching the force of his thrusts.

“fuck, baby,” he groans softly, his voice laced with satisfaction as he feels you trembling against him. “you’re gonna cum, aren’t you?”

“rafe—“ you moan, your grip on his neck tightening as the overwhelming mix of sensations sends you spiraling, your body teetering on the brink. every snap of his hips, every movement of his fingers, pushes you closer, the pleasure crashing over you in waves as you fight to keep from collapsing back into the seat.

your body trembles uncontrollably as the wave of pleasure crashes over you, your walls tightening around him with a vice-like grip. rafe grunts, his breath ragged and uneven as he feels you squeezing him, the sensation tipping him over the edge.

“shit,” he moans, his voice low and strained, giving one last stuttered thrust before he stills, his release spilling into you. the warmth of him floods your core, the weight of his body pressing against yours as he rides out his high, panting heavily into the crook of your neck.

the air in the truck is thick, the only sounds now the mingling of your heavy breathing and the faint hum of the world outside—so distant it feels like it doesn’t even exist. rafe’s hand loosens its hold on your hip along with the arm around your neck, his thumb lazily brushing your skin as he finally starts to come down.

rafe’s forehead, damp with sweat, rests against your shoulder for a moment as he catches his breath. Slowly, he pulls out of you, leaving you trembling and weak-kneed. Sensing it, he carefully guides you to sit on the seat, his touch surprisingly gentle now, as if trying not to shatter the fragile silence between you.

but it doesn’t last long. the haze starts to lift, post-sex clarity hitting you like a wave. your heart pounds—not from pleasure anymore, but from the weight of everything that just happened. you don’t look at him, don’t say a word. instead, you scramble off the seat, your eyes scanning the floor of the truck as you rush to gather your clothes. the humid air clings to your skin, suffocating you, making it feel like the walls of the truck are closing in.

“y/n,” rafe starts, his voice softer now, but you don’t respond, just shake your head. You tug your shorts on with shaky hands, your bikini top still tangled in your grasp as you turn your back to him, your only thought being how fast you can get out of this damn truck.

as soon as you adjust your bikini top, you’re scrambling for the door handle, slipping out of the truck as quickly as you can. the door slams shut behind you with a loud thud, cutting off the heavy silence inside. rafe’s voice calls after you, his tone somewhere between frustration and confusion, but you don’t look back. you don’t even slow down.

his words echo faintly in the humid night air as you trudge across the sand, but you block them out, your heartbeat pounding in your ears.

you hated yourself in this moment—really hated yourself. how could you be so weak? jj was probably back at the chateau right now, an ice pack pressed to his bruised face, joking it off like he always did. meanwhile, you were here, tangled up with the very person responsible for putting him there.

it made your stomach twist. you felt pathetic.

the guilt gnawed at you, making every step away from that truck feel heavier, like you were sinking further into something you didn’t know how to escape. you wrap your arms around yourself, the night air cold against your skin, and silently vow—never again.

as you step into your home, the soft glow of the television catches your eye. your mom is asleep on the couch, the faint sound of some late-night show playing in the background. you pause, the sight of her peaceful face tugging at something inside you. quietly, you grab the nearest blanket and drape it over her, tucking it gently around her frame before turning off the TV.

you make your way to your room, your body heavy with exhaustion. pulling out your phone, the screen lights up with countless missed calls and texts—all from him. rafe’s name stares back at you, the words call me back and where did you go? flashing among the messages. with a sigh, you open the contact and quickly silence his notifications. blocking him would feel too final, too harsh, and you know it wouldn’t stop him anyway. rafe knew where to find you—where you lived, where you spent your time, even your favorite food spot. blocking him would only provoke him further.

you drop your phone on the bed and head straight for the bathroom, turning the shower dial as cold as it would go. the icy water hits your skin like needles, but you welcome it, hoping it’ll wash away everything—his touch, his words, the feeling of his hands on your body.

but no matter how long you stand there, no matter how hard you scrub, the memories resurface, unrelenting. the way he looked at you. the sound of his voice. the pull he always had on you. you press your forehead against the cool tile, biting back the emotions threatening to overwhelm you.

how did it get this far?

the muffled vibration of your phone stirs you from sleep, the name sarah 🐚 lighting up the screen. groaning, you fumble for the phone and press it to your ear, voice still thick with sleep. “hell—”

“is it true?” sarah’s voice crackles through the static, sharp and tense, jolting you fully awake. your eyes shoot open, the confusion and dread hitting you all at once.

“sarah, what—” you begin, but she doesn’t let you finish.

“got it,” she says curtly, and before you can protest, the line goes dead.

you pull the phone away from your ear, staring at the dark screen as if it could offer you answers. confusion twists in your chest, but then you see it—a new message notification from her.

your hands tremble slightly as you unlock your phone and click the message. the screen shifts to a video file, sent from an anonymous number. you hesitate, the dread creeping up your spine like ice, but you press play.

the blood drains from your face as the video begins. it’s you—you and rafe. the footage is grainy, but it’s unmistakable. you see yourself pressed against the back door of his truck, his hands gripping you as you melt into the heated kiss. the angle shifts slightly, shaky and invasive, capturing the moment he pushes you inside the truck. and then—cut.

the video ends abruptly, leaving you staring at the black screen, your heart racing so hard you can feel it in your throat. you drop the phone onto your bed, your blood running cold as the weight of it crashes over you.

someone had seen. someone knew. and now sarah did too.

© aerialmirrorss

[itsthecline]

y’all are some rafe FREAKS… i luv it

POLL NO. 5

okay…. after making y’all wait , here’s another chapter and poll

[itsthecline]

POLL NO. 5

okay…. after making y’all wait , here’s another chapter and poll

[itsthecline]

WHERE’D ALL THE TIME GO?

CHAPTER TWO

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ with your first day jitters faded away , you’re finally able to have fun comfortably. more than a few people help with that.

word count 5.6k

warnings profanity , underage drinking , marijuana , sexual innuendos , sarah meddling

RAFE INSISTED on carrying the drinks to the lake. you had tried arguing that you were perfectly capable of carrying one of the cases , especially when his hands were plenty full. but no , he wouldn’t let you. “can’t have the wife exerting herself,” he’d said with a cheeky smile.

“or we could put them on the golf cart and drive that out there?” you suggested , rolling your eyes as you forcefully took one of the cases and doing as you said. rafe chuckled and followed suite. “c’mon , ray. i’m driving this time.” you hopped behind the wheel , starting the cart up before waiting for him to settle in. “you just gotta tell me where to go.”

“a’right , wifey. let’s get these kids their drinks,” rafe nodded , gesturing for you to start driving.

the drive to the lake was cool , wind whipping at your face as rafe told you which way to go. soon enough , you were parking. you could hear the chatter from the others , the music that was playing through a speaker. the song choice alone told you that taylor had somehow convinced whoever was in charge to let her take aux.

you reached to the back of the cart and grabbed one of the cases of beer , leaving your cider and seltzers for rafe. a chill ran through you , causing goosebumps to form on your arms. rafe noticed the shiver and set down the drinks.

“here,” he spoke softly , shrugging off his flannel. he walked to you and wrapped it over your shoulders. you smiled up at him , free hand coming up to pinch the seams so it didn’t slip.

“gentlemanly or just wanting to show off your arms?” you questioned , watching them flex when he grabbed the drinks again.

“who’s flirty now? i didn’t say anything ‘bout my arms,” rafe called you out , leading the way through the trees.

you rolled your eyes , not caring that rafe could see it more clearly now that the bonfire glowing ahead illuminated your features. “you didn’t need to. your shirt being a size too small said everything it needed,” you laughed , picking up your pace and leaving him behind. upon reaching the group of leaders , you raised the beer in the air. “more beer!” you called out.

a few cheers rang out as you set the case down on a table that had been set up. there were drinks and cups laid out already , and a keg sat on the ground next to the table.

“my dear roomie!” sarah’s voice rang out next to you. her arms were open as she came in for a hug , red solo cup in one hand. “i thought you were never coming! i misssed you!” okay , so she was drunk already.

“hey , sare bear,” you smiled , hugging her back, “i went on the beer run with rafe that you were supposed to go on,” you explained , poking her cheek lovingly despite poking fun at her.

she looked over , seeing rafe setting more drinks on the table. “i see you two got close then?” she wondered , grabbing at the flannel you still held on your shoulders.

“oh , yeah,” you chuckled , almost wanted to peel it off your body at the mention of it. your cheeks grew red as you explained, “got chilly , so rafe offered it to me.”

“y/n!” another voice rushing at you. taylor grabbed you by the shoulders. “i just made out with hot guy that’s friends with your hot guy that isn’t your hot guy!”

“is everyone here but me drunk?” you asked , looking between your blonde friends. you tore the flannel off of your shoulders— your cardigan was fine , and walked to the drinks table. “here’s this back,” you spoke up , holding the material out to rafe. he looked up at you.

taylor and sarah drunkenly watched you and rafe , saw how he pushed the flannel back to your chest , saw how you insisted he take it back , saw how finally , rafe took it and threw it around your shoulders before clasping a few buttons in front.

“you’re still shivering,” rafe commented , dusting off your shoulders, “keep it for the night.”

“i’m sure all your little summer flings will keep you warm anyway , why not?” you joked , pretending to get extra cozy in his flannel, “i’ll see you around , ray.”

with that , you grabbed one of your ciders and started walking away.

“hey , hey!” rafe grabbed your arm , prompting you to turn and face him.

“yes?” you blinked up at him , big eyes doing nothing to help rafe’s tightened chest.

“why don’t you kick it with me for a little longer , hm? i’ll properly introduce you to the guys. we can play pong,” he suggested , nodding over to a couple of guys that were setting up the beer pong table.

your eyes followed , landing on them. you hummed , letting on that you were torn on the subject. “sure. introduce to me to your friends,” you smiled.

rafe let you lead the trek over to his friends. “guys!” he announced your presence , standing behind you with his hands on your shoulders, “this is y/n. she’s a newbie , and we like her.”

the two boys looked up and waved. “hey,” you waved back , looking to rafe for a second. he smiled down at you and nodded.

“that’s topper,” he pointed to a blonde— epitome of surfer dude and frat boy, “and that’s kelce.” a dark skinned boy , looks like he frequents the country club. they’re kooks , which you knew beforehand , but seeing it was a very different thing than hearing about it.

“nice to meet you guys,” you awkwardly spoke. you felt uncomfortable— not in a bad way , but it almost felt like rafe was presenting you to his friends. the way he stood right behind you , hands on your body. “beer pong?” you pointed to the cups , offering to play and help set up.

“perfect timing,” kelce nodded , shifting some cups around on his side of the table, “you can play with our boy here.”

“c’mon,” rafe squeezed your shoulders , moving to the empty side and helping set the cups in place.

IT WASN’T your fault jj was staring at you , watching you play beer pong with kooks , of all people. it wasn’t your fault he was watching you high five and hug rafe every few turns when you landed a ball in the cup. it wasn’t your fault , but he blamed you. he blamed you for how captivating you were in the few times you’d spoken.

“staring at the new girl?” john b whistled , walking up to his friend.

jj looked at john b blankly. “nah , man,” he brushed it off , taking a swig of his beer, “just didn’t know sarah’s roommate was gonna be a kook.”

“what about my roommate?” sarah asked , bringing the conversation that was just between john b and jj to the whole group with her bratty tone.

“y/n! where is she? i wanna hangout with her!” kie commented , standing up from the chair she was previously drinking in.

“is y/n done hanging out with your brother , sarah?” taylor whined , still perched on her own lawn chair.

“nah , she’s still playing pong with him,” john b laughed , patting jj’s back, “sarah , why don’t you go get her? or you, taylor?” his eyes diverted to jj a couple of times , trying to get his point across.

the group wanted to hang out with you , feeling they hadn’t seen you as much as they had seen taylor. it’s not that they didn’t like taylor , but hearing about you so much from her and hardly seeing you besides dinner was a drag.

sarah rolled her eyes , passing her boyfriend the cup in her hand before storming over to you and rafe. she struggled a little to move at the pace she wanted to due to the sand , but when she reached her destination , she stood tall. “y/n/n , can you come hang out with me instead of my loser brother?”

you and rafe both looked to the blonde , pausing the game as it was your turn. “um—“ you didn’t know what to say. surprisingly , you were having a good time with the guys , especially rafe. on the other hand , you hadn’t seen taylor in a bit , and it would be nice to get to know sarah’s friends more.

“don’t worry about it,” rafe spoke up , looking to you, “go hang out with ‘em. i kept you away long enough.” he rubbed your back encouragingly and nodded towards the pogues.

“we’ll finish the game sometime?” you asked , lazy smile coming on to your lips— actually , it was there the entire time. ever since the drive back from the liquor store.

rafe smiled back and nodded , silently agreeing to hanging out again. there was no way on earth he was passing that opportunity up. hell would have to freeze over. twice.

a whistle came from the side , getting you to look and see sarah waiting very impatiently. “hello? forget about me?” she asked , yanking you into a hug and guiding you to her friends, “hanging out with my brother? when jj’s been staring at you all night?”

immediately , you tensed up under her arm. “sarah , i love you , but please—“

“just hang out with him! smoke a j or something and get to know him!” sarah bargained , shaking you lightly, “c’mon! he been buggin’ us bout you.”

your embarrassment started to show , with help of the drinks , on your cheeks. “okay , okay , okay. fine! if you’ll stop buggin’ me about it , then okay. i will,” you agreed , laughing when sarah started tickling you in her own excitement. what a happy , giggly drunk.

“i love you ; i love you. you’re not gonna regret it! he’s great , and funny , and dorky , and totally has a crush on you , so go have fun!” sarah rushed out , shoving you in a specific direction. you looked up , catching yourself in the air before you plummeted into the sand.

“jesus,” you grumbled , taking off to where sarah directed you.

you could see jj on the dock of the lake , a small glow sparkling every few seconds. he was lighting a joint. you smiled , glad you officially knew someone that smoked.

“hey , blondie,” you wolf whistled , sandals hitting the wood.

jj jumped a little , looking up and back to see your smiling face. “hey , y/n/n,” he smiled back gently.

“windy as shit,” you commented , sitting down next to him and letting your feet hit the water, “here , let me cover it.”

you brought your hands up around the end of the joint , blocking the wind from blowing the flame out , and jj was able to successfully light it. “my good luck charm,” he chuckled , inhaling the smoke before blowing it out and up. his hand moved in front of you , letting your fingers grab the roll from him.

“not a party guy?” you questioned , and it was valid considering you found him by himself.

“not a kook guy,” he corrected you simply , watching the way you inhaled entirely , slowly blowing the smoke back out before passing the joint to him.

“oh really?” you mused , pulling back to look at him, “because i heard you were quite the troublemaker yourself , mr. maybank,” you poked at him , remembering how rafe said he got arrested for sinking topper’s boat.

“let me guess , rafe ‘kook king’ cameron told ya that?” jj replied with a roll of his eyes.

“was he lying?” you doubled down.

“no,” jj chuckled, “we all get into shit sometimes. i just happen to do it more… frequently,” he passed the joint back to you.

“what’d topper do for you to sink his boat?” you asked , making it clear what you know so far. you take a hit as you watch jj wince , almost like the memory actually hurt him. “you don’t have to say nothing if you don’t want,” you reassured him.

“nah , nah,” he shook his head, “uh— i think we were like sixteen / seventeen? and topper and rafe beat the shit outta pope with a golf club,” jj recalled , taking the joint back for his own relief, “and it’s all eye—“

“for an eye,” you finished , and it’s like you could feel everything. the wind on your face , the warmth holding in your fingers from the joint , the flannel on your shoulders. everything about you felt wrong after you heard what rafe had done. as casually as you could , you slipped out of the flannel , letting it sit on the rotting wood beneath you.

“i know you’ve probably heard about the whole rivalry and shit , but for the pogues? it’s personal. it’s not just because we’re mad they’re rich , and we aren’t. they’re shit people , and usually, during summer camp , it’s all left behind , but this year feels different,” jj tried his best to explain it , but he still felt like his words fell short.

“no , i get it,” you promised him, “probably feels different this year because i’m here though,” you joked , fanning yourself off dramatically.

“oh , yeah , for sure,” jj agreed , agreeing with you silently that the topic should be changed, “prettiest girl at camp jessamine since i don’t know how long.”

your cheeks burned again at the compliment. you needed to invest in a full coverage foundation if this was how your summer was going to pan out.

you and jj sat on the dock for a while longer. you wanted to finish the joint , and you wanted to get to know jj more.

sure , you had fun with rafe earlier , but sarah and taylor rooting for jj fueled your curiosity. he was your type , and he was funny , and nice , so you didn’t see the harm in hanging out with him for the rest of the night.

but soon enough , the joint became a filter , and jj sighed. “looks like that’s our que,” he huffed , throwing the filter into the lake.

“hey!” you cursed , pushing his arm a little bit before readjusting and reaching to the water’s surface to pluck the filter out from it, “one earth. gotta give a fuck now,” you reminded him , standing up with the roach in your hand.

“god , you’d love kie,” jj shook his head , but a smile was still present— dimples and all.

“most people would,” you agreed, “but most people also believe littering isn’t cute.”

“oh , so if i didn’t flick the roach into the water , you’d say i was cute?” jj asked , nudging you with his shoulder after he stood up as well, “just wanna check.”

“yeah,” you nodded, “i guess you could say that.”

“let’s go tell everyone we’re running away to vegas to elope then,” he joked , grabbing your hand and pretending to run away. you laughed with him , rolling your eyes playfully.

“i don’t know ; camp hasn’t even started yet. what about the kids?” you played along.

“well , i’m gonna let you in on a camp j secret right now , okay?” you blinked for him to go on, “it’s not really summer camp unless you leave here with a boo. it’s tradition , so really , you’re just being proactive if you elope with me now.”

you let your head fall back , letting out a laugh that jj was sure he could listen to every day for the rest of his life. “okay , okay. let’s pump the brakes a little.” jj chuckled and nodded , sighing a soft okay before tugging you to head back but you stood still.

“change your mind?” he asked , letting go of your hand. he didn’t want to ; he just became obnoxiously aware that he was still holding it. he didn’t want to freak you out. maybe he was freaking out. one of those highs.

you paused , mind taking note of the flannel that was clasped in your hands. “no , let’s go,” you replied , starting to walk back to the group.

the rest of your night was filled with hanging out with the pogues. you got to know them a lot more , now that you were in a more relaxed environment. throughout the night , you kept peeking over at rafe , catching him already staring at you. he never shied away from it , sending you a wink or wave or smile each time. you would blush each time before returning back to the conversation with your newfound friends. soon enough , you all started hearing the birds chirp , the morning chill taking over the night’s humidity. that’s when everyone started packing up , calling it a night.

THE KIDS were arriving today , and even though you knew you’d be a great leader , your stomach was still in knots. what if the girls hated you? you and sarah had finished prepping everything early in the morning , so you still had a bit before the campers actually started checking in.

“i’m gonna go chill for a little bit before heading to admin,” you nudged sarah , nodding to the door.

“okay , do you want me to come with you?” she offered , setting down her phone.

you shook your head , opening the screen door. “don’t worry about it. i’ll be back soon,” you smiled , and sarah just nodded , letting you go off on your own.

you didn’t know where your feet were taking you until you reached the dock. you were only there for the first time a handful of hours ago , but it felt comfortable. the way the lake glistened in ripples as the sun beat down on the surface , the nature’s quiet chirping.

it wasn’t exactly nerves , you didn’t think , but an excitement you needed to reign in. that’s what you tried to tell yourself , but there were so many worries filling your brain about camp officially starting. and though you didn’t hope taylor was feeling as shitty as you were , you hoped she did , so someone could understand.

“hey,” a familiar voice called out , causing you to jolt and turn around, “sarah said you were clearing your head. want some company?”

your concentrated frown turned into a toothy smile when jj sat down next to you , baseball cap covering his unruly blonde hair. “be my guest,” you nodded , looking back out at the lake.

“feelin’ okay?” he asked , leaning back on his hands , closing his eyes as the sun cascaded down on the two of you. you appreciated that he wasn’t staring at you. if he was , you were sure he’d be able to tell just how much your stomach was churning.

“mhm,” you managed to hum, “just nervous the girls won’t like me,” you admittedly whispered.

jj chuckled a little bit , but you knew it was condescending. “y/n , there’s nothing to not like about you,” he assured you , peeping one eye open to look at you already looking at him. you hid your smile , blush coming to your cheeks and looking away once again. “besides , their , like , twelve. if they don’t like you , just do something twelve year old girls like,” jj shrugged , smiling at your rosy cheeks but glancing elsewhere just like you.

“i know,” you sighed , leaning back on your owns hands, “but i’m new? you know , so i guess it’s more of a ‘they don’t like me but love sarah because they know her already’ thing.”

jj nodded , humming low. “well , the boys will love you , so if your group starts showing signs of mutiny , you’re welcome to join my cabin,” he joked , getting a laugh out of you.

“okay , okay. if there truly is a mutiny of teenage girls in my cabin , i’ll let you know to make some room for me over with you,” you agreed , still chuckling along with the blonde. you hadn’t noticed until your laughter died down , but you weren’t as nerve wracked over their arrivals anymore. “thanks,” you muttered to him , not needing to explain exactly for what.

“not a problem,” jj shrugged it off, “i get nervous every year too , and i get the same shit heads , so i can’t imagine how you’re feeling.”

you nodded , chewing at the inside of your cheek. “i think i’ll be fine now,” you decided, “especially with my backup plan.”

“it doesn’t have to be a backup plan,” jj smirked, “could just be a plan,” he nudged you with his elbow , chuckling a little bit.

NOT LONG after you and jj left the lake’s dock , you and sarah headed to the administrative building to prepare for the kids’ arrivals. you had your own table with her for your cabin. there were name tags , tshirts , itineraries , and some camp goodies.

jj had managed to calm you down earlier , so as you were sitting in wait , you were filled with excitement rather nerves. your worries had turned from what if they hate me? to hopes of truly bonding with the girls.

“marsha said the busses will be getting here soon,” sarah announced , plopping in the plastic chair next to you, “it’ll be crazy for the first hour or so , but you’ll be fine.” and almost like he reassurance triggered the squeal of a bus’ brakes. “oh , they’re here!”

“and you said they’ll be pointed into our direction?” you asked again , not wanting to be in the wrong place.

“yes! y/n , it’ll be great,” sarah smiled , nudging you with her shoulder as she grabbed the list of girls’ names.

soon enough , kids and chatter filled the administration building. it was an organized chaos , marsha and a couple of other leaders trying to send kids in the proper direction to the right tables.

and with waiting a few more minutes , the first girl arrived to the table. her arms were full , carrying her sleeping bag and a pillow along with a duffle bag and a suitcase. “is this the table for cabin six?”

“yes , it is! hi!” sarah chirped , sitting up straighter when the girl approached, “what’s your name?”

“amber,” she simply spoke , not entirely matching sarah’s happy tone.

you grabbed the things the girl would need to start camp and slid them into a bag. “okay , amber. well , i’m your camp leader this summer. my name’s y/n,” you greeted her , helping slip the bag’s loop on her finger.

“and i’m sarah. i’m the other leader in your cabin,” she added in , checking off the girl’s name.

amber nodded , pursed lips as she looked around. “where’s the cabin?” she asked.

“just head down that path , and you’ll see them,” sarah answered , pointing out the window for amber to see, “you can get unpacked , and we’ll all be over soon!”

checking in the rest of you and sarah’s kids went by fairly quickly and fairly painless. you had sent all of the girls to the cabin , letting them meet each other without the authoritative presence of you and sarah. the pogues and taylor came up to your table , gathering around before needing to head their own ways.

“well , i’m just saying to watch your kids’ backs whenever mine get out on that kickball field. i’m not playing this year,” jj warned you all , kicking his feet up on your table as he took claim of a chair.

you hummed , pretending to think deeply before looking at the blonde boy. “do you enjoy seeing kids lose? is that what it is?”

“no! i just enjoy seeing my kids win,” jj smiled back at you with a roll of his eyes.

you were about to start packing up when you heard a newly familiar voice call out to you. “wifey! c’mere!” you looked in the direction where the voice came from and see rafe waving you over with topper and kelce.

“i’ll catch you guys later?” you spoke to the group , taking note of their grimaces. they all gave you neutral responses before you walked away.

“fuckin’ wifey?” jj scoffed , hitting sarah’s arm.

taylor scowled too , adding, “she was just asking me to cockblock.”

“what’s up , hubby?” you smiled at rafe when you got to him.

he didn’t hesitate to drape an arm over your shoulders when he could. “we were thinking…. since we’re most likely going to have the same weekends off , that you should kick it with us saturday,” rafe suggested , gesturing between the four of you.

“it’d be nice to switch up pong teams too. see you kick rafe’s ass instead,” topper shrugged with a laugh.

you glanced over your shoulder , seeing your other friends head to the cabins. “uh— yeah. i’ll check with sarah to make sure she didn’t have any plans for us , but until then yeah,” you agreed with a smile. sarah hadn’t really brought any specific plans for the weekend up yet , so you didn’t see why you couldn’t make your own.

“perfect!” rafe cheered, “told you guys she’s fun,” he added , pointing at his two friends.

“don’t boast about me too much,” you advised, “i’m gonna get to the cabin. catch ya later!”

“well , we can all go down together. we were just waiting up on you,” kelce offered , dangling the golf cart keys in the air. all three boys looked at you expectantly.

you roll your eyes with a laugh. “it’s like you guys are obsessed with me,” you joked , walking to the door and dragging rafe with you.

kelce and topper took the front seats while you and rafe sat in the back. the drive was short , not leaving much room to talk , but the boys continued to blab about half-plans for the summer until the cart pulled in front of your cabin.

“thanks for the ride , boys. i’ll see you all at the meeting,” you spoke up , hopping off the cart and waving at your new friends.

rafe was quick to stumble after you. “so uh , you really wanna hang with us this weekend?” he asked , getting you to stop walking up the steps. it left you at eye level , and you could see the insecurity in his blue irises.

“i’ll see you at the camp meeting , hubby,” you smiled at him, “take a chill pill,” you added , pressing a chaste kiss and two soft pats to his cheek. you turned around , not drawing too much attention to rafe’s reddening cheeks before opening the door to the cabin.

you knew the girls were in there. you just didn’t expect them all to be standing in front of the door , peering through the windows when you came inside. when the door shut , they all scrambled to look as casual as possible.

“hey…” you smiled at them cautiously. as soon as you broke the ice , they all started chattering.

“oh my god , are you dating rafe?”

“is rafe your boyfriend?”

“no way you and rafe are a thing!”

“i’m so jealous! i’m in love with rafe!”

“he’s the hottest counselor!”

you laughed at being bombarded by teenage chaos , making your way through the girls and cabin to set your bag down on your bed and seeing sarah waiting for you. “they’re nosey,” you chuckled , relaxing when she laughed with you.

“okay , girls!” sarah called out , hoisting herself out of bed and clapped, “enough with the interrogation!”

they all awe’d and boo’d , but quickly quieted down when you eyed them suspiciously. “you can ask me about it later , guys. first , we gotta start with all of the camp jargon,” you assured them , taking a seat on the floor and crossing your legs. sarah followed your moves and settled down next to you. the girls all took seats on their bunk beds or the floor as well , waiting for you to start.

“so,” sarah began, “i know this half of the room are my kids , and the other is y/n’s , but for the entire summer , we are in charge of you. that means making sure you’re safe and taken care of and having fun , so all of you need to listen to us,” she explained , using a soft teacher-esque voice.

you nodded along , listening to sarah before adding, “and we won’t mind being bothered by you asking us questions or wanting to hang out. we’re here to make sure you guys enjoy your summer , so i’d like to have an open door policy.”

“that starts with respect , ladies,” sarah continued, “you respect us , we will respect you. the moment that’s gone , we’ll all start having a lot less fun , so let’s just make sure we’re kind to each other , okay?” the girls hummed their agreements.

you began listing off the camp jessamine guidelines , prefacing it all with “i know we know how to act , but i have to read it,” before speed reading the list of rules. “with those being said , sarah and i have our own rules for cabin six that we want to give to you as well.”

“right , so our first rule is very simple. no illegal activities,” sarah stated with a plain look on her face, “it’s non-negotiable for the camp , but i was a camper here once , and i know how it works. it just won’t happen with you guys. the minute i get any wind of you or any other campers messing around with things they aren’t supposed to have , its game over,” she explained to them , a more serious note on the conversation, “we understand?”

a slew of yeses came from the girls , and you continued. “next thing is i don’t want any drama in this cabin. whatever crap you guys brought from home needs to be left outside , and whatever crap you may get into at camp will be dealt with right away,” you announced, “you’re all smart , young women. let’s act like it.”

you and sarah continued talking to the girls for an hour or so , moving from your house rules to lighter topics like what everyone wants to do this summer and such. eventually , the sun was starting to cook the cabin , so you opened the front door.

you swung it open to see rafe standing there. “oh!” you gasped , not expecting to see anyone behind the door let alone him. “what’s up?”

rafe peeked behind you , seeing the group of teenage girls staring up at him , trying their best not to say anything. he wiggled his fingers at them , a cocky smile resting on his lips as they all burst into giggles. you held back a laugh of your own and pushed rafe back a bit so you could step outside.

“you left your phone on the cart,” rafe explained , holding your phone up in front of you as you gasped.

“oh , my god!” you laughed , taking it from him, “i didn’t even realize. thanks , ray.”

“ah , just my good deed for the month,” he shrugged , leaning against the porch railing, “how’s it going in there?” he asked , giving a nod to the cabin where you both knew the girls were riled up again.

“it’s going pretty well. we’re all still mingling right now. probably going to split up before the meeting and dinner,” you answered with a smile, “how are your boys? they gonna cause any problems with my girls?”

rafe shook his head with a smile , tongue poking at his cheek. “nah , i’ll keep ‘em in check for ya , honey,” he assured you , glancing over at his cabin. a few of the boys were out front , but you could hear the ones inside easier.

“tommy , i’ll kill you!” one of them shouted , causing you to suppress another laugh.

“go handle business , rafe,” you nudged him, “and stop coming up with reasons to talk to me.”

“stop leaving your stuff laying around!” rafe quipped back , walking backward to his cabin with a smile, “oh and you should get a password on that thing. random guys might put their numbers in it,” he added , smile turning into a smirk.

you returned the smile with one of your own and a sweet wave before going back inside. “okay , ask me whatever you want,” you said , preparing yourself for the girls to ask questions this time.

“so are you two dating?” noah , one of your girls , asked , eyes bigger than saucers, “he’s dreamy. you should date him!” she added.

“no,” you shook your head, “we’re not dating. we’re just friends.” sarah caught your eye , giving you an annoyed smile and roll of her eyes. as much as she wanted you to get with jj for her own personal benefit , she liked seeing you smile the way you were right now , and rafe was the cause of it. she’d let it slide for a little bit.

“well , you know everyone leaves camp with a boyfriend or girlfriend , right? is rafe gonna ask you to be his girlfriend?” another girl spoke up. daisy , one of yours , raised her hand when she asked her question , but didn’t bother to be called on.

you hummed with a thoughtful nod. “yeah , i did hear that rumor , but i don’t know if rafe’s gonna ask me that. we just met , and there’s a whole summer ahead of us,” you replied. it’s like you were telling a story. you didn’t expect anything from rafe at all , but it was fun to give the teenagers content for their crushes on him.

“would you say yes if he did?” noah continued.

“not right now,” you shook your head.

amber finally spoke up , clearing her throat. “have you met jj yet? he’s cute too!”

“okay , amber! coming in hot!” you laughed , getting her to blush and shy away, “but uh— yeah. , i’ve met jj too. he’s friends with john b , sarah’s boyfriend,” you answered , trying to pass the heat off to your roommate. like poorly trained puppies , all of their heads turned to sarah now , starting to interrogate her.

you sat back quietly , smiling at the scene unfolding. and in that moment , you had no idea why you were so freaked out in the first place. you’d have to thank jj later for calming you down.

a/n omfg THREE WEEKS later i’m so sorry i love u all for being patient with me<3

taglist @sabrina-carpenter-stan-account @viennafantasies @cnnamongrl @embersfae @enchantingexile @urbrunettebombshell @wearemadeofstardust0 @psychicnatural @ecstqzy @ssqra @st4rkeyl0ver @shincidios @xoxo-ada @lmaolmaos @lilyhyperfixates @courta13 @rrosiitas @wasiasproject

[itsthecline]

LOVERS ROCK

DON’T FALL IN LOVE WITH JJ MAYBANK

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ summary one thing you know you have to do— as much as it will kill you , is discourage kie from confessing her feelings to jj

word count 3.5k

warnings profanity , implied sex , mentions of alcohol

AS HUNGOVER as you were feeling , you regrettably could still remember everything that happened the night before. you remember rafe blowing up your phone all day only for you to text him later that night. you remembered drinking nearly an entire bottle by yourself , and you remember jj— the cause of it all.

he had pulled you to the side last night , drunkenly rambling about needing to tell you something. after that conversation , you found the bottle of tequila. and after the tequila , you made the choice of texting rafe despite ignoring him all day.

it wasn’t a healthy decision , but it was made. and that put you in his bed , waking up with a headache and no clothes on. a layer of sweat had stuck to you and the sheets over night. the open window had let in the morning air.

you glanced over at rafe , getting to look at his sleeping form that faced away from you. it was only around seven in the morning by your guess , and you knew he hardly ever slept on his own , always staying up to work hard or party harder. a guilty warmth in your chest rises , not wanting to wake him up but not wanting to leave with saying goodbye first.

rafe had somehow gotten you to form the habit of always saying something to him in the morning. you felt it was overplayed , but you weren’t one to skip out on aftercare— even if it was a simple i’ll text you before you slipped out the door. most of the time , he would wake up to you getting ready and whine out about how you were leaving him.

while you didn’t harbor the same feelings rafe felt for you , it was sweet that he didn’t want to wake up without you in bed next to him. so , you decided to quietly get ready. you peeled the sheets from your body and got out of bed. your clothes had been scattered around the room in a sex fueled frenzy the night before. as quietly as you could , you scooped everything up in your arms and headed to the bathroom.

as much as you hated it , rafe insisted on keeping a toothbrush at his place for you. “i don’t wanna kiss a girl with a dirty mouth,” he explained , plucking your brush from your hand and dropping it in the cup next to his. you had rolled your eyes , knowing it was just his way of admitting he wasn’t seeing anyone else. you didn’t need the sentiment.

however , you would use the amenities while you were at the condo. three bathrooms for seven people wasn’t nearly enough at the house , so you enjoyed rafe’s walk in shower whenever you could.

it wasn’t until you were in the middle of washing your hair when rafe walked into the bathroom , grumbling a good morning before brushing his teeth. after that , he slipped into the shower , standing behind you. his hands were on you immediately after closing the glass door behind him.

“i gotta go right after showering. b texted me saying everyone was headed to the beach. swell day,” you told rafe , melting into his sleepy touch.

“then i’ll be able to see you twice today,” rafe smiled back , pressing kisses into your shoulder blades.

“which means no monkey business while i take a shower,” you replied , gently shrugging him off to turn around and wash the shampoo out of your hair.

the day rafe had confessed his feelings to you was a shock , but you had set ground rules right away. first rule being no sex in daylight. what you had was a sneaky link at best , and that meant only moonlight meetups.

rafe chuckled , eyes cascading down your naked body. “i could be so quick,” he assured you , hands meeting your waist again as he leaned down and kissed your cheeks. with your eyes closed and head tilted back in the water , you thought about it. you had to meet up with everyone later , including jj.

“fine,” you agreed , opening your eyes and wringing your hair out, “quickly,” you added before turning around and bending over with your hands braced on the tiles.

“TOOK YOU long enough , mama!” kie called out to you , one of her hands blocking the sun from her eyes so she could see you making your way to the group. they had already set everything up , just waiting on you to hit the water.

“where even were you?” sarah asked , taking in your damp hair and the outfit on your body, “no where with clean clothes obviously,” she teased as she saw the shirt you wore last night still being worn.

“shut up,” you hushed her with a laugh as you sat down next to her.

cleo gasped , flicking your neck. “she was with a boy!” everyone looked over at you , seeing what cleo was pointing at as she jostled your neck around to inspect you more closely.

“what are you talking about?” you grunted , trying to smack her hands away from your neck.

“hickey!” kie laughed , seeing the bruises forming on your skin.

internally , you were screaming as you physically beat the shit out of rafe , but in reality , you just shoved cleo off of you. “it’s nothing.”

“who you mackin’ on , y/n?” john b asked , walking over to you with pope. jj followed from a distance , not wanting to hear about any other guy’s lips all over your neck and god knows where else.

you frowned , fixing your hair to cover the hickeys up. “it’s no one! can we just surf?” your voice came out brattier than usual , not used to be picked on about hookups like the rest of the group. every morning after sarah and john b or pope and cleo had sex , all of you joked about not getting any sleep yourselves. it was very different when you were on the receiving end of it— having covered all of your bases before today.

“yeah , let’s surf,” jj agreed , clearly disgruntled as he rummaged around in the twinkie a few yards away. hearing him , everyone dispersed , leaving you and your neck alone.

kie stayed by you , watching the way you picked at your nails. she eyed the rest of your friends headed towards the water and nudged you. “hey,” she smiled.

“hey,” you grinned back , nudging her in return.

“you good?” she questioned , resting her chin on her crossed arms as she looked at you.

you simply nodded , looking up at your friends before her again. “m’all good.”

the girl let out a happy sigh. “oh , thank god. because i think i’m going to tell jj how i feel tonight , and i needed to tell you when you’re in an okay headspace because i’m really nervous and need your help,” she rambled quickly like she had been holding it in all morning. she did.

you choked a little bit , shocked at the words you heard. “what?” you gaped , eyes wide as you stared into her big , brown ones. they were filled with sunshine and hope , and it killed you. “are you sure that’s what you wanna do?”

“oh , come on!” kie laughed , smacking your arm lightly, “i think it’s been long enough just keeping my feelings to myself , y/n/n. like , four years and a million adventures long.”

“yeah,” you hummed , forcing a smile to your lips. it didn’t reflect as happy as you aimed for though.

“what?” kie whined , ready to hear you out.

your eyes flickered to hers again. “i don’t know,” you shrugged, “i just—“ don’t have a good way to tell her this, “i just don’t think jj’s the type of guy you should fall for and actually tell him?”

kiara’s brows furrowed in absolute confusion. “but you’ve always told me that we go well together,” she reminded you. and she was right. you did always say that. jj and kiara were two perfect peas in a pod. well , they were before last night.

“you know,” you dragged out the words , even though you knew she didn’t know what you were talking about, “just , like , i don’t think jj maybank is the guy you should wanna date , kie,” you sighed , trying your best to avoid her gaze now. you hated saying it to her , and you didn’t want to see her reaction when you did. “and i think that maybe you should put off tellin’ him how ya feel.”

“okay…” kie nodded , taking in your words as she stared forward , not looking for your eyes either.

the two of you sat in silence for a moment before you shifted and faced her entirely. “do you know why we used to have the no pogue on pogue mackin’ rule?” you asked her , now sitting on your knees with your hands in your lap.

“because it would ruin our friendships! but i don’t think—“ kie started to answer , but you cut her off.

“we’re not relationship material , kie kie,” you corrected her, “me , b , and jj are genuinely kids from the cut that will most likely never make it off this island if we want. even with the gold we found and our business taking off really well! we aren’t the type of people that can afford to care about anyone but ourselves when it comes down to it. it’s not because feelings are messy or nothin’. it’s the fact that we were raised to take care of ourselves first , and jj had it so much worse than us. he’s not the person that you should want to be with , kie. and i know it sounds mean , but you can’t tell him that you’re in love with him.” by the time you were done talking , you were out of breath , not realizing how much you were about to say. your hand came up to cover your mouth in your own shock as kie stared at you. this was the first time you couldn’t place how she was feeling or what she was thinking.

“okay,” she replied shortly.

“okay?” you echoed , tilting your head in confusion.

“okay,” she repeated , looking at you with a soft smile, “if you genuinely think that it wouldn’t be smart to do it , i won’t.”

you were surprised to say the least , knowing kie was such a strong headed person. “seriously?”

“yes!” she laughed, “you’re my best friend. you know me more than anyone else , and the same goes for jayj. if you don’t think it would work out right , i’m not going to risk throwing a bomb into the mix of our friendships. i at least know that isn’t worth it , and i trust you enough to listen,” she explained with a casual shrug.

“okay,” you nodded , facing forward again.

your mind was racing to say the least. you hadn’t expected kie to listen to you. you hadn’t expected to say half of what you did actually , but you did. it was out there now.

after sitting together a few minutes longer , kie stood up and dusted the sand from her skin. “i’m gonna get some waves in,” she told you gently. you smiled and told her you’d catch up in a few.

when she left and joined the group , you let out a sigh. you felt bad about saying what you did about jj. it was true for the most part , but you knew you were projecting a little more than you should’ve. maybe being harsh was good. it clearly got kie to rethink telling jj about her feelings , and that would remove the option of her getting hurt. maybe it was fine.

“glad to know you think so little of me , routledge.”

you heard the combination of sand shuffling and jj’s voice approaching you and closed your eyes. fuck.

“jj—“ you turned to look at him and apologize , but the blonde continued walking. board in hand , he hit the water , not bothering to spare you another glance. you clenched your fists at your side , somehow feeling worse than you did before.

with your luck , the situation didn’t take a turn for the better. as you were grabbing your board to head out on the water , you saw topper and rafe driving up to an open space on the beach not too far from your own camp. they parked , cars unloading the people they brought along. you noticed kelce , his girlfriend , ruthie , and a few others , but your eyes stayed trained on rafe.

he wore a smug smile on his face and plain tshirt you had tossed at him earlier. you checked that your friends were still occupied by the waves and hadn’t noticed the kooks taking over the beach before dropping your board and walking over.

topper was the first to see you , big smile over his face. “miss routledge herself! to what do we owe the pleasure?” he greeted you , arms open as he stepped your way.

“don’t act stupid , topper,” you rolled your eyes , crossing your arms across your stomach when you saw his eyes flit down your body, “just here to make sure you’re not going to bother us at all. it’s a swell day , so no need for any dramatics,” you explained shortly , noticing rafe walking up to you two with kelce in tow.

“found some treasure and now you think you can boss us around , huh , pogue?” kelce’s voice came out with a laugh , but the label he threw at you was anything but humorous.

you glanced at rafe before looking straight at kelce in the eye. “i literally just don’t want problems today,” you scoffed, “but seeing as your yes man is here,” you stared at rafe and nodded to kelce, “it seems like that might not be possible. just keep your dogs on a leash please,” you advised him , eyeing topper and kelce closely. they always looked like they were ready to pounce. that never sat right with you.

with that , you turned away and headed back to grab your board before finally making your way to the ocean. your friends were all sitting idly on their boards waiting for a good swell while watching you interact with the guys on the beach.

“what was that about?” sarah asked , squinting to see her brother popping open a beer.

you sat up on your board and looked back at rafe as well , seeing his gaze locked in on you. “just tellin’ ‘em to leave us alone today.”

pope let out a laugh , his head falling back. “yeah , good luck with that. doubt you asking nicely will help our chances of not getting into a fight,” he mused , recalling all of the times nothing happened before fists were flying between the two groups.

AFTER SEVERAL hours of surfing and drinking— all while jj avoided you like the plague , pope suggested getting some shade back home and starting dinner up. so , you all packed up and drove home. you sat next to kie like always in the back , head resting on her shoulder.

your eyes were trained on the back of jj’s head the whole way home , telepathically begging him to just look at you. you hated when things were off between the two of you , and that was the nicest way of wording what was going on right now.

tonight was the boys’ turn to make dinner , so while you had free time , you grabbed a book and headed outside. your hammock was in a more secluded spot on the property , hung below the only willow tree. it was the first thing you demanded having when building pougelandia 2.0 besides an office where you could store all of your books alongside pope’s.

jj made it happen.

after the past twenty-four hours you had , you relished in the only sound you could hear being chirping crickets and cicadas. the fairy lights you hung up gave you the ability to see the words in the book. it was nice to have some alone time.

but it wasn’t long before your mind strayed from the pages. you couldn’t help but think about how shitty you felt after the beach. sure , most of the guilt was coming from the fact that you got caught saying what you did , but some of it was the fact that you shouldn’t have said it at all.

but was it really your fault? you were just trying to make sure kie didn’t get hurt. and then jj got hurt in the crossfire. fuck if you knew how to feel about it.

“dinner’s ready,” john b’s voice knocked you out of the spiral you were about to start spinning out with.

you looked over at him and closed your book. “okay , yeah. i’m coming,” you nodded , moving yourself out of the hammock.

“you good?” he asked , wrapping an arm over your shoulder as you both walked back to the house, “you seem not good.”

you give him a look before rolling your eyes. “yeah— uh , i just said some things i shouldn’t have and j heard,” you answered , trying to keep it as nondescript as possible. john b nodded slowly , returning the weird look you had just given him.

“okay , well , no fighting at the dinner table. i’m sure you’ll figure it out ; you two always do,” he reminded you before bounding up the stairs and going inside. you followed after him , coming into the dining room to see everyone was already waiting.

once you all settled in , the argument of who would say grace came up. everyone agreed on you. “last one to the table!” cleo defended her case with a shrug.

you hadn’t realized you were sat next to jj until you went to grab his hand. he held it open for you , not bothering to make eye contact still. with a huff , you grabbed his hand and john b’s. you rushed out the prayer as fast as possible , wanting to get it over with so you could eat. and dinner went by fairly easy. you and jj avoided conversation , but other than that , it was normal. you ate , you laughed , you cleaned up , you went to bed.

it wasn’t until you were changing in your room that you heard a familiar knock on your door. you finished yanking the t-shirt over your head and jumped to open the door. “jj—“

“i just wanna know why you think of me like that , dude,” he cut you off , shoving his way into your room.

“i’m sorry,” you apologized immediately , closing the door behind him, “you weren’t supposed to hear—“

“and that makes it okay , y/n?” he practically shouted at you, “i mean , that was pretty shitty.”

you sighed , running a hand through your hair. “i just— i didn’t mean any of it , okay?” you tried again, “it was more of a , i don’t know , diversion?”

“what do you mean?” jj asked , crossing his arms. god , you hated when he tried to act all adult , looking down at you.

you sat down on your bed , gesturing for him to do the same. reluctantly , jj settled next to you with just enough space between you for it to be noticeable.

“kie is in love with you , jj,” you admitted , head already falling to your hands, “and after what you told me last night , i wasn’t about to let her get heartbroken because you don’t feel the same way about her , so yeah , i said shitty things about you to steer her away from telling you , but it’s not like i meant it!” you explained , knowing it still wasn’t coming out the best way, “it was shitty. period , and i am sorry , j.”

jj sat still and quiet , processing your words. “kie’s in love with me?”

“yeah , dude,” you breathed out , leaning back on the bed with your hands holding you up, “full on , sarah and john b , pogue wedding , in love with you.”

“that’s how in love with you i am,” jj whispered , looking down at his hands in his lap.

“i know,” you whispered back , matching his melancholy tone. you stared at him , taking in the way his head hung low and his deep , rapid breathing. “i’m sorry , jj.”

“for talking shit about me to kie or not loving me back?” he asked for clarification , meeting your eyes for the first time all day.

“i do love you! i just— it’s not the same way,” you argued , reaching for his hands, “you’re my best friend. of course i love you , but not like that. i don’t think i’ll ever love someone like that , jj. and i don’t want you getting caught in the middle of me finding out,” you told him , playing with the rings on his fingers absentmindedly.

he went quiet again , really thinking about what he was going to say next. “pretty sure i love you enough for the both of us , mama. and getting caught in the crossfire of your weird relationship issues won’t be the worst thing to happen to me,” he reasoned , trying to come up with a solution you could both be happy with.

“i’ve been sleeping with rafe,” you blurted out. if that wouldn’t steer him away from you , you didn’t know what would.

it took jj a moment to process what you had said. he slipped his hands from yours slowly and moved from the bed. “you are… so unbelievable,” he scoffed , simply shaking his head and leaving your room and you.

rc

wyd

a/n okay here’s my babygirl committment issues angel queen routledge!reader<3 so sorry it took so long!!!

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