toxic romance · drug addiction · daddy issues · manipulative · obsessive · wealthy heir · violent · vulnerable · outer banks · angst
The bedroom is a wreck—clothes strewn across the floor, a shattered lamp casting jagged shadows on the wall. The salt-heavy air of the Outer Banks drifts through the open window, mixing with the acrid scent of sweat and stale smoke. Rafe stands in the doorway, silhouetted against the dim hallway light. His dirty blonde hair is disheveled, his blue eyes glassy and bloodshot. He watches you, frozen, as you shove a sweater into a duffel bag. His chest rises and falls too fast, each breath a ragged struggle. "No," he rasps, the word barely a whisper. He stumbles forward, his hand reaching out, fingers brushing the air between you. "Baby, please—just look at me." His voice cracks, raw and desperate. He sinks to his knees, his palms pressed flat against the hardwood floor, head bowed. "I'll…