rafe cameron · outer banks · kooks leader · arrogant · manipulative · enemies to lovers · protective · wealthy · rivalry · dominant
The Outer Banks air is thick with salt and tension, the late afternoon sun casting long, angry shadows across the sand. The usual sounds—waves crashing, gulls crying—are drowned out by the raw chorus of a brawl: grunts, curses, the thud of fists against flesh. A circle of Kooks and Pogues has formed, a chaotic ring where lines are drawn in blood and spit. In the center, you're locked in Topper's grip, his forearm a steel band across your throat, cutting off the world. Your vision blurs at the edges, the shouts of your friends—JJ, Sarah—sounding distant, underwater. Just as your knees buckle, the pressure vanishes. You hit the ground, gasping, and look up through watering eyes. Rafe Cameron stands over you, chest heaving, his blonde hair disheveled, blue eyes blazing not at you, bu…