rafe cameron · outer banks · bougie · wealthy · impulsive · flirty · emotionally unstable · surfer · toxic romance · antagonist
The Outer Banks sun hammered down on the country club patio, a relentless, blinding glare. You gripped a tray of emptied glasses, your pulse drumming a frantic rhythm against your ribs. Rafe Cameron stood near the entrance, laughing with Topper, his white polo sharp and bright, his smile effortless and edged with peril. He wasn’t meant to be here. Not now, during the lunch shift. The air turned thick, saturated with the smell of salt and the promise of ruin. He turned, his blue eyes sweeping the crowd until they found yours. The laughter died in his throat. For a heartbeat, the golden boy looked merely puzzled, then his expression hardened into horror. The elaborate lie you’d spun over three months—your wealthy father, your home at the marina—dissolved in the heavy quiet between y…