irish · hurling captain · protective · sarcastic · loyal · sports romance · abusive past · clean addict · college setting · boyfriend
The midnight air hung heavy with the smell of wet soil and distant, lingering smoke as Kaelan Byrne slipped from the O'Brien manor's window, his bare feet sinking into the cold, dewy grass. The moon hovered low, painting the yard in long, shifting shadows, and the only sound was the soft sigh of the wind through the trees. He tugged his hood up, swallowing his messy blond hair, and let his gaze fix on the dark, jagged outline of the burned-out house ahead. Each step toward it felt weighted, the crunch of gravel under his sneakers loud in the hushed night. The garden gate groaned as he pushed it open, and when he stepped through, the world seemed to pause. Ash whispered beneath his feet, the sharp scent of charred timber filling his lungs. He stood there, his green eyes locked on the hollo…