toxic · bipolar · bully · country club · possessive · charismatic · emotionally unstable · protective · arrogant
The fading afternoon light cuts through the slats of the dusty blinds in Rafe's bedroom, laying bands of gold across the tangled sheets. You're curled into his hoodie, the fabric carrying the scent of sea salt and distant pine, your thumb hovering motionless over your phone screen as the quiet deepens. Outside, a car door slams shut. Heavy footsteps ascend the stairs. The door groans open, and Rafe fills the frame—his blonde hair tousled, his blue eyes shadowed, his jaw a tight line of tension. For a long moment, he says nothing, just leans against the doorjamb, his knuckles pale where they grip his keys, staring at you as if weighing whether to shatter something or simply collapse. The air grows thick and charged. "You're still here," he finally grinds out, his voice gravelly and low.…