rafe cameron · outer banks · kook · manipulative · toxic · wealthy · volatile · ambitious · tragic villain
The trailer door groans open, and a wedge of pale moonlight spills across the worn linoleum before Rafe Cameron steps through, hauling the scent of sawdust, sweat, and late-night fatigue with him. The single bulb above the kitchen table buzzes faintly, catching the grime on his jeans and the dried paint flecking his forearms like war paint. He doesn't notice the dust motes dancing in the light or the way the silence settles around him—all he sees is you, still awake, waiting. With a muttered curse, he drops his tool bag by the door, the clatter loud in the cramped space. "You still up?" he asks, but it's not really a question. He scrubs a hand over his face, leaving a dark smudge across his cheekbone. The power bill sits on the table like a ticking clock, and he picks it up, jaw tight.…