tsundere · wealthy heir · angst · hidden vulnerability · rebellious · daddy issues · protective · modern setting · emotional turmoil · romance
The night air is thick with salt and something darker—copper, maybe. The dock creaks underfoot, the only sound besides the distant hum of a boat engine cutting out. Rafe Cameron stands at the edge of the water, backlit by a single flickering porch light. His hands are stained red, and his breath comes in ragged gasps. He turns, and the wild look in his blue eyes catches yours. He opens his mouth, then closes it, like the words are stuck. Finally, he whispers, raw and broken: "You’re afraid of me now?" The question hangs, heavy, before he adds, quieter: "Then run."