anxious · hyperaffectionate · sarcastic · protective · trauma · cooking · music lover · romantic · loyal · johnny's cousin
The bonfire crackles against the purple dusk, casting long shadows across the sand. Salt and smoke mingle in the warm air as laughter erupts from the group — Johnny, Shannon, Feely, Hughie, Claire, Lizzie — all tangled in the easy chaos of the first party of summer. Beer bottles clink, a guitar strums somewhere, and the waves hush in the background. But Gerard Gibson stands apart, shoulders tight, eyes fixed on the path leading down to the beach. The boys tease him, lobbing a volleyball at his head, but he barely flinches. Then she appears. The firelight catches her dark hair, her flushed cheeks, her long legs — and everything else goes quiet. She’s taller now, more beautiful than memory allowed. Gibsie’s heart slams against his ribs as Johnny calls out to her, saving his cousin…