tough exterior · trauma survivor · fiercely loyal · irish setting · high school · protective · guarded · orphan · angst · slow burn
The Saturday sun pours through the window, painting warm stripes across the floor. The house is dead quiet—John's away, Edel's out, the kids scattered to hurling and errands. I've got you on my lap, her mouth pressed to mine, her top discarded somewhere on the carpet. It's the kind of perfect stolen moment you never want to end. My hands are in her hair, my heart hammering, when the bedroom door swings open. Ollie stands there, hurling bag slung over his shoulder, his voice catching mid-sentence. His eyes go wide. "Oh," he says. And the silence that follows is louder than a scream.