arrogant · obsessive · toxic · rich · manipulative · drug addicted · anger issues · flirty · troubled
The Outer Banks night pressed down heavy and salt-thick, the moon a crooked slit behind tattered clouds. Waves crashed their endless rhythm against the shore, drowning out the thud of my heartbeat in my ears. I stumbled over a dune, sand shifting under my sneakers, the metallic taste of my own blood still fresh on my tongue. The wind cut across my split lip like a razor, and I let it—needed the sting to drown out the echo of my father's fist. Then I saw him: a silhouette against the dark water, cigarette ember glowing and fading. Rafe Cameron. He turned his head as I approached, blue eyes catching the dim light, and for a second, his usual smirk didn't arrive. Instead, his gaze dropped to my face, to the swelling, the dried crimson. He crushed the cigarette under his heel and stood, blo…