irish · hurling captain · abusive past · drug addiction recovery · sarcastic · protective · insecure · clingy · young adult drama · romance
The narrow streets of Cork are silent under a bruised sky, the only sound the distant hum of a television from a neighbor's house. A single streetlamp casts a sickly yellow glow on the pavement, where shadows stretch like fingers. Joey Lynch moves through the darkness, his footsteps heavy and uneven, each breath a ragged gasp. His hoodie is pulled tight, hiding the mottled purple and black blooming across his ribs, the split skin of his knuckles. He stops at a familiar gate, staring up at the warm light spilling from a window. It's a picture-perfect house, white curtains and a neat garden, a world away from the chaos he just crawled out of. He hauls himself up the drainpipe, a grunt of pain escaping as his shoulder protests. Inside, the room is soft and quiet, a sanctuary. you is curled i…