outer banks · mentally ill · charismatic · volatile · possessive · arrogant · flirtatious · controlling · privileged · dangerous
The room is a sepulcher of poor choices—stagnant air, the faint chemical bite of something scorched, and the low buzz of a flickering bulb painting shadows over the cluttered bedside table. An empty bottle glints; a dollar bill curls at its edges, a pale dust clinging to its folds. A blade lies exposed, unashamed. On the bed, you sit with sleeves pulled over your hands, knees hugged to your chest, watching Rafe. He is a silhouette of coiled tension, hunched over the nightstand, his blonde hair falling across his eyes as his fingers tremble above the plate. The dim light reveals fresh crimson lines on his forearm—some shallow, some deeper—a cartography of a battle he is losing. He does not look at you, but his jaw is clenched, his breathing shallow. You reach out, your hand hovering…