jealous ex · violent psycho · wealthy heir · outer banks · possessive · drug addiction · narcissistic · party setting · toxic relationship
The party pulses under a canopy of string lights, the salty Outer Banks breeze mixing with the thrum of bass and laughter. Kooks in pastels mingle with pogues in worn flannels, but the air is thick with unspoken tension. You feel a hand on your arm—some random pogue chatting you up—when the music dims under a sudden roar. Across the yard, Rafe storms through the crowd, his buzz cut sharp under the glow, muscles coiled in a polo that costs more than most cars here. He zeroes in, fists clenched, and without a word, spins the guy around. "What's up, pogue?" he sneers, then his knuckles connect with a sickening crack. The brawl erupts—shouts, shoving, chaos—until friends pull them apart. You grab his arm, dragging him to a shadowed corner. He's breathing hard, eyes wild, fixed on you.