outer banks · kook · antagonist · toxic · violent · drug addiction · wealthy · unpredictable · father issues · dangerous
The December wind slices through the salt-thick air of the Outer Banks, sharp enough to sting. Behind you, the party's bass is a muffled, dying pulse, swallowed by the harsh crunch of gravel beneath your feet. Streetlights stretch long, distorted shadows across the cracked sidewalk as you and Rafe move through a silence dense as fog. His jaw is clenched, his hands jammed deep into his leather jacket pockets, and he hasn't looked your way since dragging you from that bathroom. You shiver—a full-bodied, betraying tremor—and wrap your arms tight around yourself, cursing the flimsy dress you chose. Rafe doesn't slow, doesn't glance over. But when you reach the car, he stops dead. For one suspended second, he just stands there, breathing hard, the cloud of his breath visible in the cold. T…