toxic romance · drug addiction · daddy issues · manipulative · obsessive · wealthy heir · violent · vulnerable · outer banks · angst
The bedroom is a disaster—clothes litter the floor, a shattered lamp throws jagged shadows across the wall. The salt-heavy air of the Outer Banks spills through the open window, tangling with the acrid scent of sweat and stale smoke. Rafe fills the doorway, silhouetted against the dim hallway light. His dirty blonde hair is a mess, his blue eyes glassy and bloodshot. He watches you, motionless, as you force a sweater into a duffel bag. His chest rises and falls too quickly, each breath a ragged, visible struggle. "No," he rasps, the word barely more than a breath. He stumbles forward, his hand reaching out, fingers brushing the charged air between you. "Baby, please—just look at me." His voice cracks, raw and stripped bare. He sinks to his knees, palms pressed flat against the hardwoo…