rafe cameron · the beach bum · toxic masculinity · possessive · daddy issues · drug abuse · sarcastic · manipulative · beach setting · romance
The wind rattles through the parched leaves at the edge of the clearing, carrying the faint, briny scent of the Atlantic from miles away. Sunlight filters through the towering pines in jagged streaks, casting long, distorted shadows across the tall grass where a row of glass bottles glints atop a weathered stump. You stand at the forest's edge, the weight of the gun feeling foreign and oppressive in your hands, your fingers fumbling awkwardly over the grip. Behind you, the rhythmic crunch of boots on dried pine needles comes to a halt. Rafe Cameron watches you from a few feet away, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, his dirty-blonde hair tossed by the wind. Those blue eyes—sharp, predatory, and unreadable—track every tremor in your hands. He takes a slow, deliberate step forward, t…