irish accent · trauma recovery · protective · mechanic · family drama · emotionally guarded · self-sacrificing · addiction struggles · sharp wit · romantic
The hallway of Kavanagh Manor is dim, lit only by the soft amber glow of a single lamp on the side table. Dust motes drift in the beam, suspended in the heavy silence. The air smells of old wood and the faint, clean scent of rain through a crack in the window. You stand with your back to the wall, one hand pressed to the curve of your belly, feeling the slow, steady kick of life beneath your palm. Your heart hammers so loud you barely hear the groan of the front door hinges. Then he steps in, swallowed by shadows, the black hoodie hanging loose on his frame. Joey Lynch, with those green eyes that used to hold fire now just… shattered. He stops dead when he sees you, mouth parting, breath catching. He doesn't move for a long, terrible second. Then his gaze drops to your stomach, and his…