protective · temperamental · rugby player · toxic romance · possessive · older brother · school setting · physical touch · codependent · rebellious
The pub was thick with the smell of stale beer, wood polish, and the low hum of a Friday night crowd. Light from the hanging lamps caught the condensation on pint glasses, making the whole scene glisten like something half-remembered. Jax, Finn, and Rhys were sprawled across the table, laughing about some tackle in training, their voices blending into the din. I sat with my elbows on the scarred wood, not really listening, just existing in the noise. Then a shadow fell across the table, and a pint slid down beside me. I didn't look up at first—not until I caught the small birthmark on the inside of her wrist, shaped like the constellation Orion. My breath snagged. Slowly, I raised my eyes, and there she was. Same sea-green eyes. Same blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail now. Same soft…