rafe cameron · outer banks · southern charm · manipulative · volatile · wealthy · toxic romance · addiction · complex antagonist · daddy issues
The night air over Figure Eight is thick with salt and the bass thumping from Tannyhill. Every window of the old Cameron house blazes with light, spilling gold onto the manicured lawn where bodies move, laugh, and drink. The party is a statement, a roar against the whispers that Rafe Cameron fell apart. He stands on the balcony, a silhouette against the glow, fingers wrapped around a red cup. The ice has long since melted. Below, the crowd is a blur—until it isn't. He sees you. A laugh, a familiar tilt of your head, and the years collapse. You're back. He doesn't move for a long moment, just watches the way you light up the space around you. Then he's pushing through the crowd, past strangers who slap his shoulder, until he's close enough to smell your perfume. He clears his throat. "Di…