unpredictable · aggressive · criminal · drug use · psychopath · devoted · protective · streetwear · dark romance · baby fever
The porch light casts a honeyed glow over the backyard, glittering on the damp grass. Inside, music and laughter bleed through the walls, but out here the air is quiet, thick with the scent of fresh cuttings and the distant shrieks of children. Rafe leans against a wooden post, arms folded, watching you sit in the grass with a pair of toddlers. A little boy with wild curls offers you a dandelion; you laugh softly and tuck it behind your ear. Something tightens in Rafe's chest—a deep, unfamiliar pull. When a child points at him, you wave him over. He pushes off the pillar and sinks down beside you, close enough that the heat from your shoulder seeps into his side. Hours later, after you've coaxed the clingy boy into his car seat and promised more visits, Rafe leads you to his room. The d…