there was no longer any denying what the world had come to; reality was no longer a place where one could escape the nightmares that plagued their minds whilst they slept. no longer would they wake from a nightmare and let out a breath of relief at the realization that none of it was real. instead, reality was the very thing they'd close their weary eyes and pray that god, if he was even listening, would save them from.

the year was 2021 — the economy had collapsed, the unemployment and crime rate was at an all-time high, the housing crisis was worsening and the unrest in society was steadily rising. following these detriments, a political organization by the name of the new founding fathers of america, or the nffa, was formed and subsequently voted into office.

two years later, the nffa devised a plan to help stabilize society in america. in 2024, it was implemented. the 28th amendment to the u.s. constitution was ratified, establishing a 12-hour long event known as 'the purge'.

the purge: a newfound, government enforced 'sanctioned lawlessness' where all crime, including murder, is legal for twelve continuous hours in an attempt to cleanse america of it's impurities — to rebirth the nation anew by allowing citizens to release their pent up violence and fulfill their desires in any way they choose in order to create a more peaceful, orderly, functional society for the next 364 days.

now, in the year 2025, the first ever nationwide purge was commencing all across the united states — nowhere is exempt, nothing is off limits and no-one is safe. with tears in the sand, blood in the water, and the desire to purge too strong of a temptation, a small island off the coast of north carolina would no longer be ‘paradise on earth’.

table of contents prologue ← introduction → chapter one

“oh, shit,” he whispered to himself, gradually lifting his foot from the gas as he peered out the dirty window. barry perked up at his utterance and followed his gaze, his eyes landing on a girl in the near distance sat perched on the curb, a hand in her hair as she held a phone to her ear. beside her was a pearly pink bronco, slightly tilted forward on it’s front, right side — flat tire.

“who the fuck is that? you know ‘er?” barry wondered aloud, his dark eyes flickering between rafe and the girl outside. “nah… i mean, yeah, kinda… that’s—uh, she’s grant mason’s daughter,” rafe mumbled, feeling sudden waves of internal conflict wash over him.

he’d seen her insanely expensive car before, perched in the long winding driveway of the mason’s mansion whenever he’d drive past — it was unmistakably of mason property. he’d also seen her face before on a company advert pamphlet in his fathers office: her mother, father, sister, dog and her — a perfect family.

“mason?” barry began with rafe quickly answering his unspoken question, “yeah, mason manufacturing.” barry laughed, a small smile pulling at his lips leaving his his shiny silver tooth on full display, “aw shit, lil’ kook princess done fucked up her ride.”

rafe bit the inside of his lip in a moment of contemplation, unsure of whether he should slam on the gas or the break. a beat passed as the cogs in his brain began to turn before he let out a defeated sigh, abruptly twisting the wheel and averting the truck onto the opposite side of the road.

“aye, fuck're y'doin’? you’re not about to go play bob the fuckin’ builder, are you?” barry gripped, sitting up in his seat with thick, furrowed brows. “relax,” rafe reasoned in annoyance, “i know what i’m doin’.”

and that, he did — rafe wasn’t one to do favors for people, especially for someone he doesn’t know, but this time was different. he’s learned over time to always keep your friends close and your potential assets closer; the daughter of the grant mason was simply a door he needed opened to fully set foot inside — to give himself and his father an upper hand.

barry scoffed and leaned back in his seat once more, resting an elbow on the passenger door before resting his forehead in his hand. “right — know what y’doin’ like y’always do,” barry muttered dismissively, “jus’ make it quick.”

“could go faster if you helped, y’know,” rafe murmured sarcastically, causing barry to let out an even more sarcastic laugh, saying, “yeah, ain’t shit in that for me, country club — you got it.”

and with that, rafe begrudgingly exited the truck with a light slam of the door, preparing himself to feign the fakest, most well-rounded persona he possibly could in order to make, what would hopefully be, a lasting impression.

the girl on the curb’s head perked up at the sudden noise, her eyes slightly widening at the stranger rapidly approaching. rafe noticed, forcing a smile across his face before speaking. “hey! you alright?” he asked as ‘warmly’ as he could, jogging across the road before stopping a mere few feet away.

“uh, hi — yeah, i’m good, i just— i got a flat,” she explained bashfully with a smile, gesturing to the leaning bronco. it was immediately evident to him that photos simply didn’t do her justice, the sight of her alone unexpectedly making his stomach do a flip, taking him by surprise.

“ah, that sucks,” rafe forcefully sympathized, “y’got a spare, right? i could change it for you.” her face lit up at the proposition, and she quickly mutter a few words into the phone before hanging up and shoving it in her pocket, quickly standing and dusting off the back of her denim shorts.

“would you really?” she beamed, her hopeful eyes glistening as she gazed at him. rafe nodded, his blue ones scanning over her face as he felt a weird stitch of something in his chest. “yeah, it’s no problem — i’ve got some tools in my truck,” he assured, motioning behind him.

“thank you so much,” she breathed out in relief, abruptly holding out a small, manicured hand in his direction, “i’m y/n.” rafe was taken aback by the sudden gesture, reluctantly encasing her palm with his own — her’s was soft, undoubtably the softest he’s ever felt.

“rafe…” he reciprocated before remembering the entire purpose of this interaction, “cameron — rafe cameron.” her brows furrowed, the name tumbling through her mind before realizing it was rather familiar.

“like, cameron development?” she wondered aloud, her hand still absentmindedly resting in his, though rafe was all too aware of it. “uh—yeah, yeah, m’ward cameron’s son,” he muttered, feeling almost awkward at the prolonged contact.

“no way! i’m grant mason’s daughter — our dad’s are friends!” she gasped, and rafe almost scoffed bitterly at the loose, frankly false, title — friends? sure.

“really? small island,” rafe forcibly laughed, internally puking at the sound of his own voice and the cliches he was spewing, and y/n replied with a sweet, “yeah!”

“hey, so, i’mma go get some stuff from my truck so we can get you back on the road, yeah?” he offered, pulling his hand from hers and pointing a thumb behind him. “yeah, okay, thank you again,” she called out as he spun on his heels before briskly crossing the road.

“yo, you trynna hit that or what? what’s with all that chummy shit?” barry snickered as rafe approached the truck, having overheard the entire conversation. “shut up,” rafe groaned, completely unamused as he reached into the bed, fishing around before retrieving a rusty jack and lug wrench in either hand.

“can’t lie, she kinda fine,” barry projected, ensuring rafe could hear him from outside. “she can probably hear you,” the taller man muttered in annoyance. “shit, let her,” barry exclaimed carelessly, “if you don’t tap that, i will.”

“look, can you just—just chill out for like ten minutes? i’m changin’ her fuckin’ tire then we’re goin’, alright?” rafe snapped in agitation, now standing by the car door and of course, the other man only found it comical. “alright — whatever you say, babyboy,” barry mused, feigning surrender with a sly grin before rafe trudged his way back across the road.

“hi,” y/n grinned, her arms crossed lightly over her chest as she ceased absentmindedly twisting her shoe in the dirt. “hey,” rafe reciprocated, tossing the jack onto the concrete with a loud clank, “i’ll get the tire.” y/n nodded, watching as he took the wrench to the back of the car and began twisting at the lugnuts before casually joining him there.

“so, how long have you guys lived here?” she questioned sweetly as she leaned against the bumper, attempting to make conversation as if he wasn’t preoccupied. rafe peered down at her out the corner of his eye, a twinge of annoyance sparking in his chest that was somehow extinguished when he noticed the small smile on her lips as she gazed at him expectantly.

“uh, m’whole life,” he grunted as he twisted at a rather difficult fastener, “you? never seen you ’round before.”

“i’ve only been here a a couple months, actually — we move alot for dad’s work so we’re never really in once place for long,” she explained, distant sadness evident in her tone. “yeah? you likin’ it so far?” rafe asked as he pulled the tire down with ease, finding himself to actually be somewhat interested in the answer.

“uhm—yeah, yeah, it’s nice. i mean, m’always going back home to visit and haven’t been anywhere on the island besides the elementary school,” she explained. “s’that where you were headed?” rafe wondered as he rolled the heavy wheel towards the front of the car, y/n following close behind.

“yeah, i was going to get my sister before the tire busted — was calling the school to let them know i’d be, like, really late,” she sighed. “your dad couldn’t get her?” rafe questioned, admittedly asking a question that may have been a little intrusive. "i— uh, no,” she laughed awkwardly, tucking a loose strand behind her ear as he began to crank the jack, “he’s always so busy.”

“and your mom?” rafe breathed out as he stood to his feet, dusting his hands on his pants before wiping the sweat from his forehead. y/n couldn’t help but shamelessly ogle at his biceps as they flexed with each movement, her eyes flickering up and down the length of his tanned arms in awe.

“she’s— uh, she’s pretty busy, too,” y/n shrugged, her small smile faltering — this piqued rafe’s interest. “yeah? what does she do?” he asked casually, playing off his prying as casual conversation as he began to remove the damaged wheel from the car.

“she used to be an accountant,” y/n murmured, staring off into space down the road, watching as a car drove by. “used to?” rafe chimed in, rolling the busted tire into the grass before beginning to mount the new one.

“yeah, before my sister was born,” she affirmed.

“what’s she doin’ now?”

“she’s retired,” y/n muttered, causing rafe to furrow his brows to himself — retired mother who’s somehow too busy to pick her kid up from school?

“she-uh… she drinks sometimes,” y/n answered quickly, having noticed the expression on his face, “she’s usually too hungover in the mornings to drive… and afternoons.”

hardly a moment passed as rafe was processing her words while simultaneously fastening on lug-nuts before she spoke up again. “i— i’m sorry,” she laughed nervously, squeezing her eyes shut as she mentally kicked herself, “i’m absolutely oversharing.”

“no,” rafe promised casually with a shrug, fastening the last bolt in it’s place, “i asked.” it was a simple statement, though it sent a wave of warmth throughout her chest, the simplicity of reassurance being comforting and seldom.

“what about you?” she asked as he began to lower the car back to the ground, the new tire now in place. “what about me?” rafe rebutted, standing to his feet once more with a huff, the beaming sun beginning to take a toll.

“i— i just mean… what’s your family like?”

“uhh, well, my dad runs a business, and-uh, got a step-mom ‘n two sisters,” rafe explained, though he was never fond of talking about himself or his family.

suddenly, a loud honk sounded out from across the street, causing them both to turn their heads towards the source. “aye, country club, let’s go!” barry called out, rafe’s good deed of the year being noticeably completed and his patience having worn thin.

“whose that?” y/n wondered, a small smile pulling at her lips when rafe sighed in annoyance and ran a hand down his face. “he’s my-uh… friend,” rafe answered, though truthfully, he’s wasn’t sure he’d call him that.

“i think your friend is ready to leave,” she laughed lightly, rafe nodding in agreement as his eyes then found their way to hers, suddenly finding themselves stuck there. she didn’t notice until then just how blue his eyes were, nor did he notice how big and doe-like her’s were. seconds passed that felt like minutes, neither of them in any position to break the eye contact for a reason they couldn’t explain.

inevitably, the horn was honked again and jolted them both from the stalemate, causing rafe to cough before scratching his neck. “uh, so, i’m gonna get going,” he announced, grabbing his tools from their places on the curb, “tire’s all good ‘n i can get rid of the old one if y’want.”

“thank you, rafe — seriously, it means so much,” y/n sighed out, eyes glistening with gratitude and rafe’s stomach did that same, stupid little flip as before when she said his name and he wanted it to fucking stop.

“yeah, no worries,” rafe grinned, though he tried to hide it, actually feeling somewhat good about himself, “you should-uh… probably head out, too, yeah?”

“shit, yeah,” y/n swore, quickly pulling her phone from her pocket and checking the time, “hey, so-uh, my dad’s having a little business dinner type-thing next weekend — food ‘n music and all that if you, maybe, wanted to come?”

rafe froze at the mention as he recalled a conversation with his father from not too long ago. they had spoke about that very event, rafe wanting to accompany his father in order to learn more about the mason’s business, though his wish was denied due to ward only being allowed to bring one guest — his choice being his wife, rose.

“i’m— i’m sorry, you don’t have to, i just figured as like a ‘thank you’ i’d—,” y/n rambled, feeling as though rafe’s lack of response and blank stare was an answer within itself, but he quickly interrupted.

“nah, nah, i’ll—,” he paused, blue eyes flickering across her now hopeful face, his heart doing a little skip at the sight, “yeah, i’ll be there.”

“awesome, yeah, here — put your number in, i’ll text you the details,” she smiled, handing her phone over to who rafe dropped his tools to the ground before accepting it. their hands grazed one another for a moment, somehow feeling different from the first time they touched.

he obliged, quickly typing in the digits and saving the contact before handing it back. “cool, so, i’ll see you then?” she smiled, watching at rafe gathered the tools from the ground once more. “yeah,” rafe nodded, quickly swiping his tongue over his lips before a soft smirk overtook them, “unless i find you on the curb with another flat before then.”

“with my luck,” she laughed, and rafe couldn’t help but let out a soft, genuine, chuckle. “thank you again,” she continued, her tone sincere, and rafe could tell just how genuine it was, giving her a small nod in return, “i’ll see you.”

and with that, she climbed her way into the ridiculously large car, giving rafe one last glance with a smile before disappearing down the corner and around the bend. rafe finished loading everything back into the truck, including the flat wheel that he planned on abandoning in some unfortunate pogues yard, before rejoining barry inside.

“the fuck’re you so happy about?” barry mumbled, loathing the fact that after waiting in a hot truck for ages, rafe comes waltzing in with a grin.

“told’ya i know what i’m doin’.”

— boyfriend jj who… wasn't your parent's favorite at first, his reputation on the island proceeding him. they felt you could do much better than a pogue, let alone that pogue, but that didn't stop him from trying to make the best impression possible. he fixed himself up as best as he could when he first met them, even turning his typically backwards cap forwards, saying it made him ‘look more professional’ — professional at what? you don’t know.

— boyfriend jj who… hates when you spend money on him. he appreciates the sentiment, but hates how it makes him feel like he’s using you, even though he knows he isn’t. sure, he’s stolen plenty of cash and random valuables before, but never would he ever want that from you. plus, he wants to provide for you.

— boyfriend jj who… lets you pamper him whenever you’re doing a self care day — plucking his eyebrows as you straddle his lap with his hands on your hips, applying matching face masks which he always says are too cold, fully manicuring his nails with a clear coat of polish; any and everything you did to yourself. at first, he pretended to hate it, but it soon became his favorite thing to do.

— boyfriend jj who… defended you like it was his job to his friends when they first heard about you, though he didn’t understand why he had to. his friends said you’re simply too much of a kook for him, and the hypocrisy pissed him off: “yeah, like sarah ‘n kie weren’t raised on figure eight, too — what’s the difference?”

— boyfriend jj who… introduced you to sarah and kiara with high hopes that you would get along well — an assumption he made based off the fact that you’re all kook girls who were somehow 'slumming it' with pogues like him and his friends. despite their preconceived idea of you at first, you became pretty cool with all the girls once they got to know you, cleo included.

— boyfriend jj who… never involves you in any of his criminal activities, saying he doesn’t want to be the reason ‘y/n, the golden girl’ earns a criminal record. though he almost came around once when you pointed out how your pristine image could probably exempt you as a suspect in just about anything: “that’s not… okay, that’s not not true, but… no, no, stop — s’not happening.”

— boyfriend jj who… managed to unintentionally change your style alot. you're usually dressed up in designer bandeaus and expensive sandals, but after the two of you started dating, you've traded alot of your attire for his (which he loves); his caps, old t-shirts — he even saved up to buy you a smaller version of his boots to wear whenever the two of you get into something messy outdoors; he's converted you into his own 'mini-me'.

— boyfriend jj who… often second guesses if he's good enough for you — he's heard the snide comments other kooks have made about your relationship, saying there's no way a guy like him got a girl like you. he doesn’t know how he landed you either, and deep down is dreading the day you ‘come to your senses’ and leave him.

— boyfriend jj who… had his first taste of what a normal family felt like with you — every dinner, movie night, outing; jj was invited and he always showed up with a smile. at first, he was hesitant because he felt like he was intruding or as though he didn't fit in, but after a while, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

— boyfriend jj who… isn't the biggest fan of dressing up, but does what he must whenever he goes out to dinner with your family or even just visits your home. you assured him he could wear whatever he wants, what makes him comfortable, but he feels so out of place whenever he does so he chooses not to.

— boyfriend jj who… turned a-lot of his life around for you, though it took some time. his friends weren’t big fans of him spending most nights with you instead of running all across the island, getting into whatever it was they got into. they missed him always being around, but also understood that he was doing what was ultimately best for him and were honestly grateful he had you.

— boyfriend jj who… got a second job and picked up every possible shift just to save up to get you a gift for your birthday: a dainty gold necklace. he beamed with so much pride when he gave it to you, watching nervously as you opened it; “i—i bought it, it’s not, like, stolen or nothin’,” he said with a bashful grin, causing you to laugh at the sentiment of a legally obtained present.

— boyfriend jj who… every once in a while, has a breakdown — one where he tells you that he fears one day you’ll realize he’s not good enough for you, that you’ll leave him for someone of your own status who can do more for you than he ever could. you reassure him that there’s no one you would want to be with other than him, though he still has his worries.

— boyfriend jj who… takes you on little dates across the cut, showing you all his favorite spots and things to do like cliff jumping, riding a dirt-bike or exploring abandoned houses. he always apologizes for them not being as ‘nice as you’re used to’, but you always shut him up immediately, telling him there’s nothing you want more than to just be with him.

“i’ll be back around noon then we’re good for a surf, yeah?” y/n questioned as she swiftly emerged into the living room, grabbing her bag from beside her boyfriend who sat slouched on the couch, snacking on whatever he could find.

“hell yeah,” he agreed, blue eyes lazily focused on the tv as he absentmindedly flicked through the same channels over and over again, “tell the girls i said— woah.”

“what?” y/n deadpanned, frozen in place as her boyfriend was now staring up at her with wide eyes, watching as his gaze trailed up and down her tanned legs before resting near her hips. his mouth went dry as he attempted to formulate the next words to say — the right words to say.

“i— uh, that’s… that’s new,” he commented in reference to the short frilly skirt that tightly hugged his girlfriend’s hips, stopping just above her mid-thigh and leaving the plush flesh on full display.

“yeah, it is,” y/n smiled brightly, clasping her hands in front of her waist bashfully, lightly twisting side-to-side to show off the flowy material, “sarah got one to match; you like it?”

jj pursed his lips before swiping his tongue over them, unsure of how to correctly answer. “i do,” he assured honestly with a slow nod, though his tone indicated there was a little more to it.

“but…?” y/n trailed off, becoming self conscious as she crossed her arms over her chest. “exactly,” he continued, pushing himself off of the couch before peering down at her through his messy blonde hair.

“what?” y/n laughed lightly, eyebrows furrowed as she tilted her head. “y’don’t think it’s a little… little?” jj reasoned, resting his hands on her waist before running them down her hips, stopping at the hem of her skirt and lightly tugging it playfully in emphasis.

“jay, it’s like a hundred degrees out,” y/n sighed, her heart slightly sinking as she lightly pulled away, “i thought you—.”

“hey, hey, no — you look good,” he rushed out, before a small smile pulled at his pink lips as he tugged her towards him again, “like, really really good.”

“stop,” y/n rolled her eyes playfully, lightly hitting his defined, tank-top covered chest, “seriously — does it… bother you?”

“you don’t bother me,” jj muttered, gently placing his hands on either side of her face, “men with their beady little eyes do.” y/n laughed softly at the disgusted look on his face, though jj couldn’t have been more serious; the idea alone made his jaw clench.

“i mean, they can look,” she shrugged before pressing a quick kiss go the corner of his mouth, “but they can’t touch.”

“damn right,” jj mumbled with small smirk before planting a firm kiss on her lips while sliding his hands down her hips. “mm, i have to go,” y/n softly laughed against his mouth, slowly pushing him back by the shoulders before breaking the kiss, knowing one thing leads to another very quickly with him.

“right,” jj agreed, swiftly leaving a light slap on her butt with a mischievous glint in his eyes, “have fun.” y/n let out a surprised yelp, shooting him a playful glare with an uncontrollable smile on her face before spinning on her heels and heading for the door.

he couldn’t help but watch as she walked away, his lids low over his crystal eyes as he chewed on the inside of his lip, his eyes running along her body from her hair down to her feet — he’s still not at all sure how she is his.

“later! i love you!” y/n yelled giddily as she nearly skipped out the door. “i love you, babe — call me if you need me!” he yelled after her just before the door shut, though it went without saying; if anyone ever tried anything, or even stared at his girl for a little too long (which truthfully was any amount of time at all), he’d happily get comfortable in the back of a cop car — again.

“dad said you have to take me to a concert tonight,” she replied simply, a smug tone in her voice as she brushed past him into his room, dropping herself down onto his unmade bed. rafe spun on his heels in mild bewilderment at her action while mulling over her statement.

“what’re you talkin’ about, wheezie?” he sighed, simply wanting the conversation to be over with already. “got tickets for a concert tonight and you’re takin’ me,” she shrugged as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “and what makes you think that?” rafe laughed sarcastically, his long bangs shifting as he tilted his head condescendingly.

“well, i asked dad a couple weeks ago ‘n he said he can’t take me ‘cause he’s got plans with rose tonight or whatever — said he’d only get me tickets if you went with me so i told him you would,” she explained, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “why—why would you do that?” rafe scoffed, “s’not happening.”

“figured you’d say that,” wheezie informed, pushing herself off his mattress and standing to her feet, “which is why i’ll just have to tell dad about your little… transaction.” she almost giggled to herself as she watch his eyebrows furrow together, knowing she was about to back him into a tight corner.

“what ‘transaction’ are you talkin’ about? can you make sense for, like, two seconds?” rafe insisted, leaning against the wall before letting out an annoyed sigh. “the one you made down at the pawn shop with dad’s rolex explorer — y’know, the one you said you’ve never seen a day in your life,” the girl countered.

rafe visibly tensed, unsure as to how his little sister knew anything about what he had done. “how d’you know ‘bout that?” he murmured, tongue poking at the inside cheek as he awaited an answer. “maybe don’t leave the receipt on the counter next time,” she sarcastically advised with a shrug before heading for the door and rafe silently cursed himself for such an obvious mistake.

“so, you’ll be ready by five?” she asked sweetly, smiling up at her brother as he pursed his lips, quirking his head to the side as he tightly shut his eyes for a moment, knowing he was between a rock and an extremely hard place.

“yeah, whatever… okay.”

an instant headache — rafe felt it as soon as they pulled into the parking lot of the overly-packed arena; hundreds of cars resulting in them walking nearly ten straight minutes to reach the entrance, and thousands of people to weave through in the process of security screenings, ticket scannings and merchandise purchasing for a crazily expensive t-shirt wheezie just had to have.

the trip alone was hell within itself; the concert was at a venue two-hundred miles away from home, so they had no other choice but to take the jet to avoid a three hour drive — courtesy of their father. though the trip was narrowed down to less than an hour, wheezie still spent the entire time blaring the exact songs she was about to hear in person, while simultaneously gushing to all her friends over the phone about how excited she was for that night. it was fair to say, rafe was already beyond over it.

finding their spot was fairly simple, seeing as their father purchased the best ones available — front row baracade, merely feet away from the main stage. simply leaving his sister to go wait in the car until the migraine of an event was over crossed his mind once or twice, but even he knew that was far from a sound idea. so, there he was, pressed between his sister and a plethora of random fangirls, all screaming at the top of their lungs as the lights began to dim.

he’d be lying if he said he’d never heard of y/n before — her name was everywhere online and her music played on the radio all too often, to which rafe would (almost) always turn off. despite the mild familiarity, he’d never truly seen what she looked like until that very night.

her voluminous, long locks bounced as she emerged from a stage door and skipped to the edge of the stage, sparkly microphone in hand as she greeted the massive crowd.

"welcome to the 'short 'n sweet tour', everybody!" she beamed, rosy cheeks complimenting her bright, white smile as her glossy eyes grazed over the thousands of faces staring back at her. she was stunning, rafe couldn't deny that, though her attire definitely confused him.

"why's she wearin' pajamas?" he yelled over the music as he leaned down towards his sisters ear, genuinely confused while also acknowledging just how well the corset hugged her figure underneath the sheer top. wheeze only rolled her eyes at her painfully clueless brother before averting her attention back to the stage where the show was finally beginning.

rafe felt as though hours had passed before he mentally checked back in to reality. though, here and there, he found himself ogling at her smooth legs as she pranced across the large stage, frequently widening his blue eyes in mild surprise whenever she’d pose suggestively or make a comment that almost had him wanting to cover his sister’s ears.

maybe it was the mind numbing commotion of the concert or simply the bump he took before boarding the jet that caused rafe not to notice the woman on stage staring down directly at him until his sister violently elbowed his ribcage. he let out a groan, holding a hand to his side before his blue eyes landed up on y/n gazing at him with a flirtatious grin on her face.

"guys, there's someone in the audience and i just— god, i'm getting flustered and super hot, right now," y/n gawked, fanning herself with her free hand while two of her equally sparkly dancers stood at either of her sides, one holding a fuzzy set of pink handcuffs that dangled from the tip of her finger.

the large screen behind her lit up with rafe's wide-eyed face and the crowd erupted into cheers and rather intense screams, undoubtably just as aware as y/n at just how attractive the man was. his crystal blue eyes were heavily dilated, jawline prominent from his clenched teeth, and curtain bangs messily splayed over his forehead — nothing short of perfection.

all the while, rafe felt as though his heart had suddenly fallen into the pit of his stomach, his blown out pupils darting from the screen, to her face, down to his sister who was jittering with sheer excitement, back to y/n who was now standing at the very edge of the stage.

"oh my god, i think i just found the love of my life," she fawned, eyes twinkling from the spotlight as she smiled, "what's your name?" rafe was completely frozen; the mixture of drugs in his system and bewilderment from the interaction as a whole causing him not to process the question fast enough to even try to respond.

"rafe!" wheezie yelled on his behalf, averting y/n's attention down to her. "ray?" y/n questioned, lightly furrowing her brows as she extended her microphone in the siblings' direction. "rafe!" wheezie shouted again, enunciating each syllable with her hands cupped around her mouth.

"rafe?" the pop-star asked, causing wheezie to nod enthusiastically, beyond ecstatic that her idol was actually speaking to her. "rafe," she repeated, a smile stretching across her glossy lips, "is he your brother?" wheezie nodded again, finding herself almost happy to be related to him for the first time in her life.

"well, rafe," y/n purred, a fluorescent stream of blue and red lights suddenly encasing the stadium, a loud siren sounding that quickly jolted him back into reality, the sound being all-too familiar, "i just love a family man, but unfortunately, you're under arrest for being too hot." rafe felt his cheeks heat up slightly at the comment and silently prayed wasn't visible on the big screen while a small smile pulled at his pink lips.

"you're so hot it's making me hot! and when i get too hot sometimes my clothes just—," y/n continued before the bottom half of her pink rhinestoned skirt fell down her legs, pooling around her matching boots, "oh, god, that's so embarrassing — you made my clothes come off, rafe."

rafe slowly nodded to himself, licking his pursed lips to keep from grinning like an idiot which only cause the packed stadium to roar even louder than before. rafe was never one to seek much validation from women, as he knows who he is and what he has to offer, but there was no denying that catching the attention of the pop icon had already boosted his ego (at least just a little).

a chime like tune of yet another song began to play as y/n grabbed the infamous fluffy cuffs before crouching down, handing them off to a security guard who passed them off to rafe himself. of course, wheezie snatched them from his hands just as soon as they graced his fingers and screamed about how y/n had just touched them.

for the remainder of the event, rafe found himself paying much more attention than before. maybe it was the way she said his name or the fact that she chose him out of everyone there, but his focus fully remained on her; the way her bottoms were way too small to cover much of anything, the way she looked so short even with 5-inch boots on, the way that every so often she would shoot a quick glance his way as if she didn't want him to catch her — maybe that part was all in his head, though he wasn't fully convinced that it was.

eventually, the end of the show came around and although rafe enjoyed watching the star prance around in a mini-skirt, he was also ready to get the hell home. y/n waved lovingly at the crowd, gratitude glistening in her doe eyes as she smiled before thanking them all for coming, wishing them a good night and disappearing behind the same door she emerged from hours before, leaving her fans to all buzz in the midst of the aftermath.

merely minutes passed as the arena slowly began to empty before a burly man dressed similarly to the security guards suddenly appeared in front of the siblings. "miss y/l/n requested i bring this to you. have a good one," he yelled over the commotion, placing a small envelope in rafe's hand before disappearing just as quickly as he had arrived.

"oh my god, open it," wheezie gushed, watching as her brother fumbled the paper between his long fingers with furrowed brows. his heart began to thump a little faster at the realization that she'd sent something for him — specifically for him. he slid out a small white card decorated with fresh, black ink and squinted as he read the calligraphy;

thank you for coming! your sister is the absolute cutest. i have a show coming up in charlotte, dm me on ig @ yourinstahandle if you'd both like to come!

xox — y/n

“no fucking way,” wheezie gawked, before jumping up and down as she squealed, “no way, she said i’m cute, oh my god, oh my god — rafe, text her right now, oh my god, i’m gonna pass out, like, actually.”

“wheeze, chill out,” rafe urged, slightly grimacing at her strong language, though he, too, was a bit overwhelmed with all that had happened; the entire night was beginning to feel like a fever dream, for both rafe and his little sister. “are we going? we’re going,” she rushed out, causing rafe to quickly slide the note into his pocket. “look, let’s just get home, alright?” he mumbled.

“are you gonna message her? you have to, i’m not kidding,” wheezie questioned as the pair weaved their way through hundreds of bodies, slowly but assuredly making their way towards the flooded exit. “dunno, wheezie,” he muttered dismissively, “c’mon, hurry up.”

the walk to the car, as well as the drive to the jet, consisted of wheezie’s persistent nagging and begging for her brother to do what she called a ‘once in a lifetime thing that will literally never happen again… like, ever’. rafe didn’t want to come off as some ‘fanboy’ by actually messaging the popstar just for the sake of some tickets to her concert, though he’d be lying if he said he wouldn’t like to see her again.

it was all confusing for him, to say the least. he wasn't big on celebrities or fame, but was well aware of how insane what had happened was. after nearly half an hour of sitting slouched in his seat on the plane, head thrown back with his eyes squeezed shut as wheezie gave him (almost literally) a hundred-and-one different reasons as to why he needed to message y/n and take her up on her offer — some of which being subtle threats of what exactly she would do if rafe 'messed this up' for her.

"alright, wheeze, please," he begged, desperate for just a moment of silence, "if i do it you gotta shut up already — m'brains gonna fuckin' explode." with that, wheezie was mute as rafe pulled the device from his pocket, searching up the username that honestly didn't need to be given, before tapping on her profile and shooting her a quick, yet definitely overthought, message.

"done," rafe murmured, lightly shaking his phone in wheezie's direction before tossing it onto the table in front of him, leaning his head against the window with closed eyes. his sister smiled wordlessly to herself, covering her mouth to keep from squealing before rapidly typing on her phone to everyone she knew to tell them all about the best night of her life.

a day passed before y/n finally found her way to rafe's message. thousands upon thousands of dm's awaited unopened in her inbox, so much so that she knew it'd be nearly impossible to find him, assuming he decided to message her at all. luckily, his name was rather uncommon and had stuck in her brain all night, so with a quick search and a few seconds of scrolling, she came across a profile that sparked her interest.

"wait, is this him?" y/n gasped, a small smile making it's way to her face as she quickly padded across the hotel room with bare feet before shoving her phone into her manager's face, "i mean, that looks like him, right?"

"oh, for sure," the other girl confirmed, grabbing the device and zooming in on his profile picture. “stop, i’m gonna throw up,” y/n halfheartedly joked while leaning over her managers shoulder, “ahh, can you check if he dm’d me? i’m nervous.”

“you’re nervous?” the older woman questioned, genuinely curious as to how it was even possible that the same woman who performed in front of tens of thousands every night could be so worked up over some random guy.

“yes, just look, please,” y/n whined, dropping herself flat onto the large bed before burying her face into the pristine pillows with a huff. “he’s so hot,” she cried out into the cotton, her voice muffled against it.

“okay,” her manager laughed, tapping the screen a couple of times with manicured nails before letting out a soft gasp. “stop,” y/n gasped as well, lifting her head from the pillow with disheveled hair before bouncing off the bed and sprinting back to the other girl’s side, “what’d he say?!”

“he said, and i quote, ‘yo, it’s rafe’,” the woman recited in a monotone voice before looking up at y/n with a less than enthused expression, “wow… a modern day romeo.”

“okay, he’s not trynna woo me,” y/n laughed softly, gently taking her phone back and reading over the message. “clearly,” her manager muttered, “is he coming tomorrow?”

“i don’t know, maybe,” y/n mumbled as her thumbs hovered over the screen, unsure of what to do next. “well,” the other woman concluded, standing to her feet and straightening out her blouse, “let me know as soon as you do so i can get them their backstage tickets. and remember, we’ve got to leave here by five for the premiere — not a second later.”

with that, she exited the room in silence, leaving y/n to stare down at her phone as she chewed anxiously at the inside of her lip. why was she struggling so much? she’s talked to guys before and never was it ever that hard. she didn’t even know the guy, yet he somehow already had her stomach fluttering at the thought of him.

time was wasting with each passing second, and with a long night full of interviews and appearances, she decided she was simply giving it way too much thought and decided to finally pull the trigger.

she grimaced as soon as she hit send — definitely not her best work but it was something. she locked her phone and tossed it onto the duvet, letting out a groan before deciding it was time to do something other than stress over a man.

instead, she turned on some music and began the lengthy process of getting ready for a huge event such as the one she had that night. she showered, blow dried her infamous locks and even ironed her sleek, black dress in preparation — something she never does. the morning was casual, productive, and slow; all until she heard her phone chime from across the room. she bolted over to it, almost tripping over her own feet, before scooping it up to find rafe had responded.

as soon as their conversation ended, y/n called her manager and squealed out the information as she bounced giddily on her feet, even more excited for the following day's show than she thought possible. her manager assured her that everything would be situated before the next day, and to focus on the night ahead first, but y/n felt as though it would be virtually impossible — how could she? she was going to see rafe again.

extras:

— boyfriend jj who… thinks you’re the funniest person on the planet — the way he cackles at every joke you tell makes you question if it’s forced, or exaggerated at the least, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. your humor matches his so perfectly that everything you say or do he only wishes he would have thought of first. the two of you are constantly a nonstop giggling mess full of silly inside jokes and plain stupidity.

— boyfriend jj who… thrives off of long hugs with you; specifically when it feels more like you’re just holding him. hiding his face in your neck and breathing you in calms his nerves in a way that smoking weed never could.

— boyfriend jj who… is absolutely mesmerized by everything you do; whether that be your makeup (he thinks you’re the artist and the art), or simply steering the boat (the way the wind blows in your hair and the sun highlights each and every shade is unreal). he often finds himself completely zoned out of reality with soft blue eyes as he marvels in awe at everything that is you. he's often chewing the inside of his lip as he stares, quickly averting his gaze to his hands when you look his way, though it’s always so obvious.

— boyfriend jj who… loves when you come to watch him surf, though it’s stressful watching him disappear under the waves for what feels like minutes at a time. but, without fail, he always ends up running to you with a big, toothy smile as he wraps a cold, muscular arm around your waist, pressing wet, salty lips to yours as he beams with excitement: “babe, did you fuckin’ see that?!”

— boyfriend jj who… isn’t too good at saying ‘i love you’ but shows it in everything he does: plucking you random flowers (and weeds, though he doesn’t know that), fixing your top as you chat amongst friends, keeping a hair tie on his wrist because he just knows you’re going to need one, always keeping physical touch with you in some way (absentmindedly twirling your hair, resting your legs on his lap, holding your hand, leaning on your shoulder).

— boyfriend jj who… tries to contain his himself but is more than willing to get in a fight when it comes to you; whether it be one too many comments made about you in order to taunt him or another man’s hand lingering on yours for way too long, jj is quick to set things straight no matter who it puts him up against.

— boyfriend jj who… gets jealous very easily but tries his hardest to control it. before you started dating, he would simply avert his attention or walk away from any situation involving you and a guy, knowing he shouldn’t be jealous but he couldn’t help it. now that you’re officially his, his emotion is worn clearly on his face.

— boyfriend jj who… falls asleep virtually anywhere, as long as you were around. he hates it, obviously wanting to be awake when he’s with you, but the feeling of genuine comfort and safety you give him is nothing like he’d ever felt at home, or anywhere, so he often finds his head on your lap or shoulder, fighting a slumber.

— boyfriend jj who… likes to take off his cap and place it backwards on your head whenever you’re making out, always laughing into the kiss whenever it inevitably falls over your eyes.

— boyfriend jj who… noticed your awestruck reaction to once finding the ‘perfect’ seashell in the sand and now brings you the prettiest, shiniest, most perfect seashells he can find — no matter who it inconveniences: “dude, it’s been, like, twenty minutes! can’t we just buy one somewhere?” pope groaned. “yeah, let me get a fake i.d. and forge a check, too, since we’re frauds now,” jj scoffed.

— boyfriend jj who… has absolutely no filter so he often just says things that you then have to somehow answer for: “is your hair supposed to look like that?” he’d wonder aloud innocently. “jj!” you’d whisper before clearing your throat, “he just means did you have to use any product or-or anything or is it naturally so pretty?”

— boyfriend jj who… remembers all the little things about you, despite his forgetful and oblivious nature, often taking you by surprise when he mentions them: “nah, you won’t like that, s’got peanut butter in it.” or "wait, the same girl who kicked down your sandcastle in third grade? i hate that bitch. sorry, sorry, continue.”

— boyfriend jj who… let’s you fiddle with the numerous rings and bracelets adorning his hands whenever you want, knowing it’s a calming distraction whenever you’re anxious. often times, you’ll be sitting with his large hand on your lap, twisting and pulling at the metal around his fingers as he chatted amongst his friends, completely unfazed by your fidgeting — he’s used to (and loves) it.

— boyfriend jj who… carves the both of your initials into the trunks of numerous tree’s across the island, whether it’s one on the side of a busy street or in the depths of a secluded wood — he likes knowing that you’re etched permanently everywhere.