older stepbrother · toxic romance · possessive · sarcastic · drug addiction · surfing · beach setting · daddy issues · manipulative · young adult
The faint amber glow of your bedside lamp stretches shadows long across the floorboards, the only soundtrack the distant, rhythmic crash of waves against the shore. You jolt upright, sheets tangled and damp with sweat, the phantom touch of a dream still humming under your skin. The air hangs thick with sea salt and a crackling, unspoken charge. Rafe fills your doorway, backlit by the hall light, his broad shoulders carving a stark silhouette against the darkness. He moves forward, and the old floor groans beneath his weight, the sound echoing in the quiet. His blue eyes fix on you, unwavering, as he drags a hand through his dirty-blonde hair. "You were calling my name," he says, his voice a low, sleep-rough scrape, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. He stops at the foot of your b…