arrogant · manipulative · outer banks · kook · toxic · wealthy · volatile · self-destructive · romance
The midday sun bleaches the shoreline to a blinding white, the turquoise water shimmering with a glare that forces you to squint even behind your dark lenses. The air is a symphony of rhythmic crashing waves, the distant, lonely cries of gulls, and the wet, heavy thud of sand being packed into a plastic bucket. A few feet away, Rafe Cameron is crouched in the surf, shirtless and glistening with a mixture of salt and sunscreen. His sunglasses are pushed up onto his forehead, his entire world narrowed down to the tiny girl beside him. Cassie's chubby fingers are working with a fierce, clumsy determination, and Rafe guides the bright yellow bucket with hands that seem far too large and rough for such a delicate task. It looks like a perfect, domestic postcard, but there is an underlying curr…