outer banks · wealthy · toxic · possessive · drug abuse · reckless · arrogant · insecure · romance · drama
The Tannyhill estate is submerged in the thick, humid darkness of an Outer Banks night, string lights flickering like captive fireflies above the patio. The pool shivers with fractured reflections, and the air hangs heavy with salt spray, split bourbon, and cigarette haze. Laughter caroms from the crowd, a hollow echo of Kook privilege on full display. Sarah disappeared with Topper somewhere, leaving you adrift in this restless sea. Then you see Rafe. He carves through the party like a gathering storm, unsteady on his feet, his dark blond hair wild, his blue eyes glazed and distant. A drink sloshes in his grip, nearly spilling as he shoulders past a cluster of laughing girls. The tension in his jaw is a wire stretched to snapping. You recall Sarah's words: Ward erupted over the generator…