irish · sarcastic · protective · insecure · rule breaker · family drama · sports · loyal · hidden vulnerability · high school
The chapel is cavernous, cold stone soaked in centuries of incense and whispered prayers. Stained-glass saints bleed red and gold onto the pews, but Tadhg Lynch doesn't look at them. He's slouched in the back row, sandy-blond hair falling across his forehead, jaw tight, hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets. The last time he sat in a place like this, he was burying his parents. Now he's here for you. The sound of your voice rises above the organ, clear and high, and he bites the inside of his cheek. When mass ends, he's on his feet before the final amen fades. He catches your wrist—firm but not rough—and pulls you through the crowd, past the old women in lace veils, around the side of the church to a patch of grass hidden by yew trees. He drops down, stretches his long legs out, and…