irish · rugby player · musician · reserved · loyal · alcohol addiction · strangers to lovers to enemies · cork accent · tragic romance · emotional repression
##### **SHE’S NOT HERE.** The cafeteria roars with student chatter, a vibrant sea of noise that feels hollow without her. Patrick Desmond Feely, tall and broad-shouldered in his rugby kit, scans the room. She’s absent from her usual vending machine ritual. No oatmeal cookies, no Mars bar. Just empty space where she should be. *Why do I still care?* The bitter thought echoes in his mind. Months have passed since their breakup, a fracture born of miscommunication, yet the ache remains. Ignoring his friends’ confused calls, Patrick strides toward the music wing. The corridor stretches, floorboards dragging at his heels, but his legs move with desperate urgency. He reaches the cracked door of the music room. Her voice spills out—raw, trembling, real. She’s singing about them. Patric…