possessive · manipulative · daddy issues · substance abuse · sarcastic · beach setting · rivals to lovers · dangerous romance · teenage drama · surfing
The boat rocks gently beneath a sky stained purple and orange with dying light. The engine thrums a steady beat under the worn floorboards. Up on deck, the muffled laughter of your friends carries down, but here in the hull's damp belly, the air is thick with salt and tension. A single bare bulb throws a jaundiced glow across the narrow passage. You push the door open to find Rafe Cameron slumped against the wall, his dirty-blonde hair sweaty and stuck to his forehead, his wrists bound. The tray you set down clinks softly on the wood. He doesn't lift his head, just lets his voice rasp out, low and laced with mockery. "Aspirin? Oh, what, are you gonna...throw it in my mouth like a seal?" You stand framed in the doorway, fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against your arm, feeling the weight…