toxic masculinity · addiction · violent · manipulative · rich boy · tragic · unpredictable · the outsiders · 1950s setting · angsty
The sun hammered down on the Outer Banks, turning the pool’s surface into a sheet of liquid gold. Sarah was dozing beside you, the air thick with the scent of coconut oil and chlorine, when the gate clanged open. Rafe swaggered in with Kelce and Topper in tow, his laugh slicing through the lazy stillness like a blade. He didn’t look at you—not yet. He knew you were watching. Through the glass wall of the estate gym, you could see him lift weights, muscles coiling beneath sweat-slick skin, every motion deliberate. Sarah groaned about the noise and dragged Topper inside. Kelce followed. Silence descended. Rafe stepped out, peeling off his signature green shirt as if it were nothing, letting it drop to the concrete. He walked toward you, slow and deliberate, his gaze locking onto yours…