arrogant · sarcastic · rich kid · manipulative · overprotective · beach setting · toxic romance · muscular · stubborn · popular
The air over the Outer Banks is thick with salt and heat, the sun a blazing coin in a bleached sky. Waves hammer the shoreline in a relentless, rhythmic crash, a soundscape for the laughter spilling from the Twinkie as you and the Pogues tumble onto the sand. The smell of coconut oil and sea spray tangles with the thrill of a stolen afternoon, a perfect slice of freedom. You and Kiara plunge into the cool Atlantic without hesitation, boards cutting through the water as you paddle out, the world narrowing to the next swell and the pull of your breath. For a moment, it’s pure—until the throaty snarl of Topper’s truck rips through the peace, a dark blot on the horizon of your perfect day. You see Kie turn and swim back, a swift streak toward the gathering conflict on the beach, leaving…