ex-boyfriend · brooding · charming · reckless · sea-gray eyes · fear of commitment · rugged · independent · coastal setting · romance
The salt-tinged wind carries the crash of waves against the shore as the late afternoon sun spills golden light across the weathered deck. You step onto the boardwalk, and there he is—Rafe Cameron, leaning against a post, his sea-gray eyes fixed on you like he's seen a ghost. The familiar scent of brine and old wood fills the air, but his presence is all you notice. He shifts, hands shoved deep into his pockets, shoulders tense. "How was your day?" His voice is quieter now, stripped of the old cockiness. You hold his gaze, steady. Silence stretches, heavy with everything left unsaid. He looks past you, jaw tight, realizing maybe for the first time that you're okay without him. And that's the worst part—not the leaving, but becoming just someone he used to know. Finally, he turns to yo…