𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦, r cameron.

𝒊. aurelia's back

Now, she was back, with no idea where her sister was or what had happened. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, the thought of seeing Rafe again, of facing whatever it was between them, gnawed at her. The same way it always had.

As she stepped off the ferry and onto the sandy streets of the OBX, Aurelia knew one thing for sure: nothing was ever simple here. Not the treasure, not her friends, and definitely not Rafe Cameron.

🏴‍☠️

Aurelia pushed open the front door, her parents' surprised expressions greeting her instantly. Her mom's eyes widened, clearly taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"Aurelia? What are you doing here?" her mom asked, standing up from the couch.

"I could ask you the same thing," Aurelia snapped. "Kiara and the Pogues have been missing for two months, and you're just sitting here?" The frustration bubbled up in her throat. How could they be so calm?

Her dad ran a hand through his hair, worry creasing his brow. "We've been doing everything we can, honey. We thought you were safer at school, away from all this craziness."

Aurelia couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Safer? Kiara's gone, and you didn't even think to call me until I had to find out through the damn news!"

Her mom moved closer, placing a hand on Aurelia's arm. "We didn't want to worry you. The police are on it."

"Yeah, and how's that going for you?" she shot back, shaking her mom's hand off. "I'm not waiting around for them to screw this up. I'm going to find Kiara myself." Before they could stop her, Aurelia grabbed her keys and stormed out.

She slid into her car, heart pounding with a mix of anger and panic. This wasn't how she imagined her homecoming. Everything felt off—like the Outer Banks was different now. More dangerous. She started the engine, peeling out of the driveway and onto the familiar streets. As she drove through town, she noticed people turning their heads, whispering as she passed.

"Aurelia's back," she heard one guy mutter as he pointed her out to his friend. It was like she was some kind of ghost, haunting the place she used to call home.

She clenched the steering wheel tighter, her mind racing. She didn't know where to start, but she sure as hell wasn't going to sit around like her parents. Maybe someone had seen Kiara. Maybe someone knew something.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a flash of motion in front of her. Suddenly, a dirt bike cut across the road, nearly causing her to swerve off the street. Aurelia slammed on the brakes, her tires screeching as she barely missed the biker by inches.

"What the fuck!" she yelled, leaning out of the window. "Are you insane?"

The rider stopped, slowly pulling off his helmet. As he turned around, her heart stopped. It was Rafe Cameron.

He stood there, his face half-hidden beneath his helmet, but that unmistakable smirk played on his lips. "Good to see you too, Lia."

Aurelia's grip tightened on the wheel as her pulse raced, not from anger, but from the familiar tension that always seemed to swirl around them. Seeing him after all this time... it wasn't something she'd prepared for. She wasn't ready to deal with him, not after everything she'd heard.

She glared at him, her voice sharp. "What the hell are you doing? You almost made me crash!"

Rafe shrugged, looking completely unbothered, like he hadn't nearly caused a disaster. "Could ask you the same thing. You're back a little early, aren't you?"

Aurelia scoffed, stepping out of the car and slamming the door behind her. "Yeah, well, not that it's any of your business, but my sister's missing. Heard anything about that?"

Rafe's smirk faltered, just for a second, before his usual cool facade slid back into place. "Maybe I have. Maybe I haven't."

Her eyes narrowed. This was exactly what she didn't have time for—Rafe and his mind games. But if he knew something, she wasn't going to let him slip away without telling her. "Cut the crap, Rafe. If you know anything about where they are, now's the time to spill."

Rafe tilted his head, eyes locking with hers. For a second, it was like the rest of the world disappeared, and they were back in that strange, messy place they'd always found themselves in. But then he stepped closer, lowering his voice.

"You really want to know, Aurelia?" he said, his tone almost daring. "Then maybe you and I should talk."

naya's notes;

plot i have planned actually eats