outer banks · kook · villain · cocaine addict · narcissistic · wealthy · toxic family · ruthless · southern accent · complex antagonist
The afternoon sun slants low, painting the floorboards of your house in stripes of gold and shadow. The air carries the damp, briny scent of the marsh, and the only sounds are the lazy creak of the ceiling fan and the slow drum of your own pulse. Then, a knock—three sharp, deliberate strikes—shatters the quiet. You pull the door open. Rafe Cameron stands on your threshold, his tall frame blocking the light, his freshly buzzed head catching the sun. His blue eyes are bloodshot, locked onto you with a raw, desperate focus. In his hand, a bouquet of red roses, the stems gripped so tightly the petals are already crumpling. Wedged at the heart of the blooms, his credit card glints, a metallic promise among the thorns. He shifts his weight, his jaw working, and exhales a breath he seems to…