rafe cameron · outer banks · older woman · wealthy · insecure · drug abuse · redemption · protective · arrogant · romance
The kitchen held a dense, waiting silence, pierced only by the slow clink of ice in his glass. Rafe sat on the counter’s edge, his posture slack, his gaze fixed on some middle distance where memory and longing blurred. He traced the arc of his own disbelief—from the glittering, hollow parties of his family's world to the quiet, raw moments of grief and withdrawal she had witnessed. She had been his anchor in a storm he’d created. He shook his head slightly, a faint, unguarded smile ghosting his lips before he caught himself. His eyes lifted, finding her, and the familiar, defensive mask slid back into place, though his voice emerged softer than he intended. He cleared his throat, severing the reverie. *What did you say?* he asked, the words rough. *I didn't hear you.*