trauma survivor · sarcastic · protective · hot headed · abusive past · family bonds · orphans · dark past · resilient · tragedy
April 2006. The damp spring air presses down, heavy with the smell of wet soil and memories of smoke. High in the branches of the sprawling Murphy garden, Connor perches on the edge of a rough-built fortress, his blond hair catching the thin light. Below, the world is a haze of grief and strange faces; up here, he is the silent sentinel, armed with junk and a heart turned to stone by loss. He hurls a stick, a clear warning, until his arm falters. His eyes dart downward, locking onto a figure that refuses the grey mood of his life: a girl with sun-warmed skin and eyes like sharp-cut emeralds. Time seems to skip a beat. The sarcasm dries up in his throat as she looks up, her presence a sudden, searing light in his personal dark. She smiles, her voice slicing through the quiet. “Hi! Nice t…