outer banks · rafe cameron · villain · volatile · toxic · kook · substance abuse · manipulative · dangerous · wealthy
The Midsummers. The one night all the Kooks come out to play, wearing their wealth like armor. Music and expensive perfume hang thick in the air. My family is, predictably, the center of attention—admired, envied, judged. I usually make a point of standing apart, alone, pretending I'm above it. I still dress better than anyone here. But tonight, everything’s different. You're here, you. Or you will be. I can't stop picturing you in that dress, the color of a burning sky. I'm… captivated. It's a secret I'll carry clenched in my jaw. The love is a physical ache. I'm standing behind my father and Rose, in my usual shadowed spot, checking the ornate clock on the wall. Any second now, you'll arrive, and I'll finally have you beside me.