「 ✦ THAT'S MY TWIN ✦ 」

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WITH THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S conversation weighing heavily on her shoulders, MJ couldn't help but be distracted at work. The strange involvement she had with Rafe Cameron, watching her twin brother nearly be choked out, and the tattooed man watching her were all becoming a jumbled mess.

If it wasn't for the presence of Zaza and Kenyon at her work, she probably would have had a meltdown for the third time in the kitchen.

"MJ, you sure you don't want to blow off a double shift and come to the wreck with us tonight?" Zaza asked, her fingers swirling the straw around in her cup out of boredom.

"There's word of a new dude in town who's moving some good bud," Kenyon added, wiggling his eyebrows.

"He's hot, you'd be drooling all of him with his shaved head and tattooed skin," Zaza said practically drooling.

Anyone who wasn't close with the trio would have assumed she was dating Kenyon, just as they would have assumed he was into women. Kenyon and Zaza were nothing more than friends.

Zaza continued, "I swear he's into me, he was like all over me last night at the movies when you ran off with Rafe."

"What?" MJ snapped, nearly spilling the pitcher of water she had in her hand.

"Oh come on, we all know that you've been around Rafe Cameron it's not that big of a secret. Everyone saw you sneak off with him."

"I didn't sneak off, he followed me." The blonde girl pointed out.

"I don't know, after I saw the way he was trying to get you to hear him out, I figured that there was something happening between you two." Kenyon added on, raising his hands up in surrender, "I won't tell anyone I swear."

"Do you think I would be involved in any sort with that psychopath?"

"Well, you did call him a psychopath." Kenyon snorted. "I don't know Maybank, he asked about you this morning when he bought. Does he want you in his life or is he just thinking he could sleep with you?"

"He probably just wants to piss off JJ and his friends." MJ pointed out, shrugging. She hadn't thought too much about why Rafe continued to show kindness to her, simply brushing it off in what she had stated or trying to settle their debt to the dealer.

"Would you sleep with him?" Zaza raised an eyebrow.

A sudden call of her name caused her to find an avoidance of answering that question. MJ's eyes landed on her manager who pointed towards a table where none other than Rafe Cameron sat glancing at the menu.

Zaza and Kenyon wiggled their eyebrows as they watched their friend make her way towards his table. She shot her manager a sarcastic smile as he pointed at his own name tag reminding her to introduce herself to the table.

"Welcome, my name is MJ, could I get you anything to start?"She said with a very overly happy tone.

Topper looked up from his phone and scowled at the girl. Probably a result of their relationship before Sarah.

It a good three years long before they grew older and the reputations of the outer banks really started to set in.  They ended things badly and Topper made it his personal mission to make it known that he hated her.

"My usual, Rosemary, and this time I'd appreciate it if the ice was actually light," Topper responded.

"Three ice cubes, or would you prefer another more specific amount?" MJ said as she wrote his order down on her notepad. "I can do four? Or is that too much for your sensitive throat?"

"What did you just say?" Topper asked, his jaw clenched.

"Three ice cubes, or four, Topper."

"Four is fine." Topper said between his teeth.

"And for you, Kelce?"

"Nothing for me, I'm here to play golf. I'm sure you know how good I am with a club, don't you?" Kelce smiled at her.

He knew exactly what he was saying and how it would set off MJ. She clenched the pencil in her hand and felt herself getting heightened.

"Is your brother around? Do you think he'd care to go a round?" Kelce continued, enjoying watching the girl struggle with keeping her cool.

MJ glanced at Rafe, almost pleading with him to tell his friend to stop. The few times he had shown her kindness, she hoped would be enough for him to do it again. 

"Water," Rafe said, without the decency to make eye contact.

MJ nodded, having to excuse herself quickly before she lost control. She hurried away from the table and pushed her way past the guest until she was on the side of the building, away from people.

"Rosemary, can we talk?" Rafe asked coming around the corner. She couldn't help but glance over at him, noticing how he was once again showing care in his face. 

"I don't know what you want me to say, Rafe. You've been showing up in my life ever since Hurricane Agatha. Before that stupid storm, you didn't even know that I excised. You're kind to me one second and the next you're nearly beating JJ to death!" She snapped, "I don't know how you think this will possibly get me to sleep with you because that's my twin that you tried to kill."

"I'm not trying to sleep with you, Rosemary." Rafe scoffed.

"Rafe!?" A feminine voice yelled down at them from a distance. It was Rose Cameron. "Sweetie, what are you doing? Who is that with you? Why don't you come back up to the club? Everyone's asking about you!"

MJ's eyes widened as Rose Cameron came around the corner. "Oh! I'm sorry I didn't realize you were with someone."

"I was just leaving actually," MJ smiled, trying to excuse herself.

"Hold on, Rafe you never mentioned a girl before. Is this who Topper was talking about last week? She's stunning, what's your name?" Rose gushed, she clearly couldn't be bothered with learning the pouges so MJ wasn't shocked by the lack of acknowledgement of who she was.

Her name was kept out of the papers after the incident, and beforehand MJ had kept to herself, unlike her twin brother.

"Rosemary," MJ responded.

"Rafe I know how you like to keep secrets but you better have invited Rosemary to the party," Rose had no idea what she was doing.

Both MJ and Rafe protested, but Rose kept pushing on it. Eventually, Rafe decided that it was pointless to argue with Rose, especially after being caught with the girl. It would work in his favour to use the girl in public to piss off the pouges.

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MJ found herself later that evening in her bedroom. She was overwhelmed with the situation she had gotten herself into and knew it would be worse if Rose or Ward Cameron found out who she was.

Coming from the cut, MJ's options for the party were limited to a black slip dress or a short black satin dress. She went with the first option as it was longer and more elegant, even with the slit that exposed her left leg. Thankfully, Kie had left a pair of black heels that fit MJ from months ago.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride?" JJ asked from the door frame.

He didn't understand why they wouldn't both go together considering they both worked at the event. MJ made up a lie when she realized he would be working there and said she started later and had a ride with another worker.

JJ shrugged it off and left, but not after telling her that her hair looked better up in a messy bun than down showing the ocean's knots in her blond hair.

Shortly after JJ left, Rafe showed up in his truck, honking outside the house for her to hurry up. She slammed the car door behind her as she got into the passenger seat, making sure to display her disgust the whole drive.

"Don't leave my side, don't act like a pouge, and don't pick a fight with Topper or Kelce," Rafe instructed, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

"Yes, Dad." MJ groaned rolling her eyes.

"Don't do that stupid shit Rosemary." They drove in silence for a couple before Rafe let out a groan bringing the truck to a stop, she let out a soft gasp when Rafe's hand gently grabbed her arm pulling her back to sit in the car. "You're my date, so I'll treat you like it. Stay."

She watched as he walked around to the passenger side of the truck and opened the car door, extending a hand out to help her out of the lifted truck. She felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as his hand stayed on hers as they made their way towards his family.

He cracked a smile, the same real one he did the night of the hurricane. "You're blushing."

"Impulse. I'm a human, Rafe." She smiled back, using his own words against him before her eyes fell to the floor, "It's just been a long time since I was treated that way. Even though it's an act."

Rafe nodded slowly. He thought about what she had said and his mind drifted to the thoughts of what she could have meant. He knew about her Father and what he was like, it wasn't a secret that Luke mistreated his kids.

Part of him felt guilty knowing that the reason he agreed with Rose to bring her was hoping that the pouges would see them together and he'd have a way to get to JJ.

Everyone's eyes were on Rafe and MJ as they walked inside hand in hand. Nobody recognized MJ as a Maybank, however, they didn't expect Rafe to come with anyone at all.

"You look stunning, Rosemary." Rose Cameron gushed as the two approached the rest of the Camerons.

She truly did look beautiful, and Rafe wanted her to know that. "She always looks stunning, and I should tell her that." He smoothly said, using his other hand to brush a fallen strand of hair behind her ear. 

MJ glanced up at Rafe, her eyes wide. The way he looked down at her, the softness in his own eyes, was enough for her to believe his words to be true.

"Excuse me for a moment, I'm going to say hello to Kelce and Topper," Rafe said, trying to lead MJ with him.

Her eyes had fallen on Kie who had also noticed her, "I'll come find you."

Before Rafe had a chance to respond, she slipped her hand out of his and hurried towards the girl.

"What is that." Kie scoffed, as she glanced back to Rafe who was talking to Kelce and Topper, while pointing at MJ. Mjr watched as Topper glared at her.

"It's not what you think," MJ rushed to ensure nothing was happening.

Kie didn't look very convinced and started to lecture the girl who was more occupied with trying to find where Rafe had rushed off to all of a sudden.

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authors note:

massive change - through editing I realized the

 midsummer was way too early so deleted that whole part.