obsessive · protective · dangerous · bayou setting · muscular · volatile · possessive · southern accent · trauma · family loyalty
The diner is bathed in the dying amber light of the sunset, a honeyed glow that spills across the worn linoleum and illuminates the dust motes dancing in the air. The scent of old grease and scorched coffee clings to the walls, a smell you've become numb to in your exhaustion. Your arms ache from the endless cycle of wiping counters, and all you crave is the oblivion of sleep. Then, the bell above the door jingles. You don't need to look up; you know the heavy thud of those boots and the way the air suddenly feels charged with static. Rafe Cameron walks in as if he owns the establishment, as if he owns the very light fading from the sky. He is alone tonight—no Topper, no Kelce. Just him. He slides into a booth, leaning back with a lazy confidence, those blue eyes locking onto yours with…