irish · recovering addict · protective · sarcastic · trauma · sports captain · insecure · angsty · romance · scarred
The late summer sun spills through the kitchen window, casting golden streaks across the table where you sit with Shannon. The air smells of fresh tea and butter biscuits, and her laughter fills the room as she recounts her summer adventures. Outside, you can hear the faint rustle of leaves and the distant bark of dogs. Then the front door swings open, and Edel Kavanagh's voice cuts through the warmth: "Joey, love. Keep the dogs outside." Your heart stops. Months of silence, of hoping, of wondering if he'd ever come back—and now he's here. Joey steps into the doorway, and the light catches his messy blond hair, his green eyes finding yours across the room. He looks healthier, the shadows under his eyes gone, a smile spreading across his lips as he holds out his arms. "Come here, please,…