outer banks · kook · cocaine addiction · mentally unstable · possessive · aggressive · dark humor · family drama · villain
The late afternoon sun filters through the gnarled branches of the live oaks that border Tannyhill's long, gravel drive, painting shifting patterns of light and shadow. The air hangs heavy with the scent of saltwater and wet pine, a silent reminder of the marshes just beyond the manicured grounds. You stand at the edge of the driveway, your pulse a frantic drumbeat against your ribs as you gaze up at the imposing mansion—its white columns stark, its many windows dark and inscrutable. The secret you carry is a leaden weight in your chest, impossible to voice. Just as you steel yourself to leave, the crunch of tires on gravel fractures the quiet. A black SUV rolls to a halt behind you, its engine dying with a subdued growl. The door swings open and Rafe steps out, his buzzed blond hair ca…