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CHAPTER ONE can't stop this thing we started. -
When first meeting Lainey McMillan, it was easy to make an assumption about her. She recognized her privilege and did realize she grew up as a kook meaning she grew up in a very blessed environment.
Her mother was a lawyer and her father owned the news station.
Lainey held herself with a lot of confidence and her honesty was often brutal and was knowing for being ruthless, not dealing with anybody's shit and a tad bit bitchy.
But Rafe Cameron was her weakness. She really believed she loved Rafe before she truly knew what love was. They met in school very young as they both grew up in Outer Banks.
And when they first started dating in high school, it was great. They were happy and things were amazing. Then the pressure of his father really hit hard and she couldn't stop him from the addiction.
Sometimes it was fun and she was lucky enough to not have the need to do it again every time she did it. Now they were nineteen. Rafe has basically done nothing with his life after he dropped out of college within the first semester while Lainey had already gotten ahead on her fashion line while trying to remain local in Outer Banks to keep an eye on her boyfriend.
But he held her back. Rafe never purposely held her back - he loved her and was proud of her. But he also used her money to get out of shit with Barry and picked him up at late hours of the night when he partied too hard. If it weren't for how much she cared for the Cameron boy, she'd be so far out of Outer Banks by now.
Lainey stayed in the relationship for the good moments. For the late night cuddles when he would wrap his arms around her and promise he wouldn't ever let anybody hurt her. Or when he would take her out into the city and they talked about their future together.
But she put up with more than she should have. The bads outweighed the goods. The empty promises of him going clean and paying her back, then they would get married and start a family. But every time she believed him, she got disappointed.
Lainey was fed up but what could she do?
The idea of making her own clothing line came when she was still in high school. Everybody preached about going to college but Lainey liked designing clothes and she was good at it and with the help of her wealthy parents, she made McMillan Clothing.
Things slowed down at the beginning of the summer with the hurricane coming. Lainey has just recently bought her own house after her business shot up which made babying her boyfriend easier.
Lainey was sitting at her kitchen island, messing on her computer now that her generator was up and she could get work done again. She felt bad that she was one person living but her parents told her to count her blessings.
She was sitting at her kitchen island working on her computer after her father put the generators up in her house and then went back to their family home. Lainey heard her phone ring from the other room so paused the music playing from her computer and walked to get her phone off the charger.
The caller ID read "Sarah Cameron 🥳." Lainey was proud that she had such a good relationship with her boyfriend's family. Besides when they would get onto her for going too easy on him.
Lainey slid the green button to answer the phone and held it up to her ear. "Hey Sarah, what's up?"
"Okay long story short. My dad and Rose are on the mainland all day and Rafe came home early this morning super off. I figured he just had a bad hangover but he's been crying and sick. He's just been asking for you. I know this is a lot to ask but I really need your help." Sarah said desperately and Lainey nodded her head on the other side of the phone.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course. I'll be right there." Lainey shut her computer and grabbed her keys, driving down to The Cameron House. Luckily it wasn't too far away, an eight minute ride at most.
When Lainey got to the door, Sarah opened the door. "Hey, he's upstairs in his room." The younger girl let Lainey in and she walked to the kitchen and got a glass of ice water before heading upstairs.
She approached her boyfriends room and took a look at him - he was sleeping on his bed on top of the white confider. Lainey decided it was probably a good idea to stay just in case something else happened before Rose and Ward got back home. She looked at his night side table that sat a picture of her and Rafe at last years Midsummers and then her bracelet next to it.
Lainey sat the glass of water down next to him on a coaster as quietly as she could but still accidentally woke him up. He saw the blonde girl and looked at the girl he loved.
"Lanes...I missed you." Rafe said, trying to sit up and holding his head in pain. He moved over and grabbed her hand to sit right next to him.
"What happened to you?" Lainey asked as she put her hand on his right cheek. He melted into her touch and felt chills up and down his arms.
"Nothing, nothing." Rafe shook his head. "Just coming down from a bad high or something." He wanted to convince everybody he didn't have a problem and nobody needed to worry about him. But recently that's all Lainey did.
"Your sisters were really worried about you." Lainey said with a sweet expression.
"I'm fine." Rafe smiled. He didn't smile often unless he was with Lainey. "So are we going to the kegger tonight?" He asked.
"Rafe, I really think you need to cool down." Lainey said as she watched him lay back down.
"'Me? Cooling down? Yeah right." Rafe chuckled before turning his back to her and letting go of her hand.
"Plus it's all high schoolers and majority pogues. Don't you think we're a little bit too good for that?" Lainey chuckled, laying next to him and becoming the big spoon.
"I guess you're right." Lainey felt Rafe shrug underneath his arms.
"2 years and you haven't realized I'm always right?" Lainey chuckled as her boyfriend turned to her, not as amused as she was. "We'll let Sarah go and keep an eye out for Wheezie until your parents come home and then we'll go get dinner and go to my place. It'll be more fun anyways."
Lainey winked and Rafe smiled. "Fine." He rolled his eyes and the day went on and this was just like every other day. She tried getting his mind off of partying but than things got busy for her and she couldn't keep up with his immature way of living. So they fell back into the same pattern.
Something needed to change.
A/N : Chapter 1 is up!! I'm super excited to share this story with you guys. Before anything, I want to make a DISCLAIMER. This story is not a love story. It's simply a story. This story will never condone murder or Rafe's toxic actions and will not victimize him. It's simply a type of story that may teach you some things!! I would really appreciate to leave me feedback, comment and vote. Thank you guys!
