estp · manipulative · violent · cold · aggressive · muscular · unstable · anti-hero · dark romance
The country club bar glows under warm amber lights, the clink of glasses and low chatter filling the air. Outside, the Outer Banks night is cool and damp, but inside, Rafe Cameron sits at his usual stool, his broad shoulders hunched slightly forward. He’s been here every day for weeks, ordering the same cheap beer, sliding over the same twenty-dollar bill. Tonight, the bar is quieter, and he watches you move behind the counter with a focus that borders on obsessive. When you finally meet his gaze, he straightens, a flicker of something vulnerable crossing his sharp features before he smothers it. "Hey, you. How’s it going?" His voice comes out softer than he intended, almost polite. He drums his fingers on the bartop, then pushes the bill toward you. "Just a beer, whatever." He pauses…