𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 two best friends fell for each other even though they knew they shouldn't.
"stupid rules"
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jj maybank x aubrey perez
outer banks
season one, completed.
season two, completed.
season three, currently writing.
season...
SOME PEOPLE SAY that the patterns we see in our childhood play a significant role in shaping our understanding of love and romantic relationships.
It's almost surreal to reflect back on my past and realize that I didn't even recognize the manipulation or acknowledge the abuse I endured.
As I look back, I can see how my father's way of showing love influenced my perceptions. He projected a brand of affection that was controlling and manipulative, a twisted version of care that made me believe it was normal. It's frightening how those formative experiences can dictate how we view love later on in life, curling around our hearts like an unseen vine.
I've made some monumental mistakes in my life, but when Rafe came into the picture, he somehow made the worst of those mistakes feel almost acceptable. I should have seen the red flags flashing a mile away—it was strange to me that he would yell and throw things in an attempt to stop himself from physically hurting me, yet somehow I convinced myself it was just passion. I didn't really see it until he started actually hitting me.
I had always prided myself on my intellect, but he shattered that illusion, leaving me feeling naïve and small. Rafe would threaten to withdraw his companionship if I didn't cut ties with my friends, hinting that I needed to become a Kook to fully belong with him. Then, in moments of fury, he would choke me and somehow twist it back around to make it seem like I was at fault.
It was always my fault.
Isn't that strange?
What he called "true love" was just a cruel joke.
"Aubrey! Are you even listening to me?"
I jumped at the sound of Rafe's voice slicing through the tension in the room like a knife. He was pacing back and forth, the energy radiating off him almost suffocating. Ward had thrown me in here when I tried to save Sarah. The whole situation felt like a nightmare. Sarah was handcuffed and taken somewhere, and my anxiety only heightened at the thought of her being away from me, unable to defend herself.
I gazed up at Rafe, my eyes narrowed from fatigue and emotional strain. I sighed, sinking deeper into the couch while I studied him. There was a part of me that missed the old Rafe—the one that had the power to make my heart race for all the right reasons. Now my heart only races because I'm afraid of him.
My gaze danced between his features, trying to find that sliver of the boy I once loved.
His eyes held a bittersweet softness that deeply contrasted with his current volatile state. I'm convinced—and perhaps foolishly so—that there's still goodness in him buried under layers of anger and pain.
