~PRESENT~
Amelia sat at the table in the Cameron's dining room, swirling her fork around in her pasta. Rafe sat across from her, and as much as she tried to pretend like she didn't, she noticed him sneaking glances at her every few seconds. She couldn't deny that he looked better than ever. His hair had grown a little bit longer than the previous summer, looking extra messy while it was pushed back from his forehead. His brown eyes seemed darker than usual. She tried her best not to look back at him.
Her mind drifted to JJ again. His messy blonde hair and baby blue eyes flashed through her head, and it was like she could still hear the sound of his voice and feel his touch. She would give anything to be back with him again. But she knew that she couldn't be, no matter how much she longed for him. She couldn't even try to deny that her heart still loved him.
Driving away in her dad's car, seeing him crying on his doorstep as she left, broke her heart into a million pieces every time she thought about it. She would've given up everything to be able to stay in Outer Banks with him. To start a life with him. She had never felt the way that she felt with JJ before, and she knew that he was her soulmate. The memories that they had together replayed through her mind daily, and every time she tried so hard to shake them clear from her head. But those memories were so hard to forget. The way that he made her feel was hard to forget. Those blue eyes and the way he looked at her was hard to forget.
She never imagined that she would be facing him again. And right now, she wanted to do everything she possibly could to steer clear of him. As much as she didn't want to. But knowing that she broke his heart when she left made it so hard to see him again.
"Amelia?" Sarah's voice broke her out of her thoughts.
She quickly looked up from her plate of food, noticing everybody staring at her in confusion. She felt her cheeks turn hot as the embarrassment took over her, realizing that they were talking to her and she was too busy daydreaming about a boy that she knew she couldn't have.
"Oh, um. Sorry. What were you saying?" Amelia took a sip of her red wine from the tall, skinny glass.
Ward let out a small chuckle. "Are you glad to be back in Outer Banks? We're really happy to have you here with us." He said, shoveling a spoonful of pasta into his mouth.
Amelia sighed and gave him a small smile. "I wasn't sure at first how I'd feel about being back. But so far I'm happy that I am."
"I'm sure that Rafe and Sarah will have a ton of fun things planned for you all to do together this summer." He exchanged a glance between the three of them. "Rafe, didn't you say something about a bonfire tonight?"
Rafe nodded his head before glancing over to Amelia. She felt her stomach drop at Ward's words. She knew that this bonfire that they were talking about was the annual one to kick off the start of the summer at the Boneyard. Her stomach twisted at the thought of it. Last summer, the annual bonfire was where she first met JJ. The one event that started the entire summer for her, that prompted her whole relationship with JJ. She knew that he would be there.
"Oh, I don't know if I'm gonna go. I might just stay in." Amelia spoke, pushing her hair behind her ear, hoping that Sarah wouldn't push for her to attend.
"What? No way!" Sarah said, reaching over and giving her a light shove on her arm. "You're back for the summer. Of course you have to come." She crossed her arms over her chest. She knew that Sarah was never going to allow her to miss out. "I won't let you stay here."
Amelia sighed and bit her bottom lip, knowing that she was defeated. No matter how hard she tried to talk her way out of it and insist that she wasn't going, Sarah wouldn't take no for an answer. Especially since Amelia was there to spend the summer with her. So whatever Sarah did, Amelia was going to have to do too. No matter how badly she didn't want to. And no matter how badly she was trying to avoid a certain someone.
