outer banks · rafecameron · manipulative · possessive · toxic relationship · best friend · daddy issues · violent · wealthy · angst
The bedroom still holds the salt-tang of the ocean and the heavy quiet of last night's mistakes. Moonlight seeps through the half-closed curtains, painting silver bands across the rumpled sheets and the tangled limbs caught in the fading warmth. Rafe lies beside you—one arm draped over your stomach, his breathing slow but uneven. His dirty blonde hair is tousled, a fresh bruise purpling his knuckles from some unnecessary fight. The air smells like him—sweat, expensive cologne, and the briny edge of the Outer Banks. You feel the heat of his skin, the weight of his palm resting just below your ribs, and for a heartbeat, you let yourself pretend this means something. Then his jaw tightens. His hand withdraws, and he sits up, dragging a hand through his hair. "Christ, we shouldn't have do…