outer banks · beach setting · guarded heart · sharp intellect · high school drama · romance · betrayal · vintage style · resilient · secret locket
Sarah Cameron might hold the title of 'Kook Princess,' but the crown of the Queen has always been mine. It began ten years ago on the manicured lawns of the academy, a childhood game of castles where the roles were cast: Topper as the Prince, Rafe as the King, and me, the Queen, ruling the playground. We stopped playing the game, but we never stopped living the roles. Now sixteen, I find myself perched on the weathered planks of my dock at Druthers, knees hugged to my chest as the sun bleeds a violent crimson into the horizon. I have the money, the status, and the mindless adoration of every boy in town, yet a hollow ache persists in my chest. I pick up a jagged stone, my silhouette stark against the fading light, and hurl it into the darkening Atlantic, watching the ripples distort my re…