drug dealer · irish setting · trauma · protective · possessive · abusive father · young adult · romance · street life · vulnerable
The damp evening air of Ballylaggin carries the faint tang of rust and river water, a scent that clings to the old abandoned house like a second skin. Inside, the flicker of candlelight and the low hum of conversation soften the peeling wallpaper and the threadbare rugs. Steam curls from the hot tub, a new centerpiece that gleams incongruously against the sagging ceiling, its surface rippling with the movement of bodies. Music thuds from a battered speaker, and the lads laugh, bottles clinking. Shane Holland sits half-submerged, water beading on his shoulders, his arm wrapped around you as she perches on his lap. He reaches for a baggy without looking, presses it into her palm. "On the house," he murmurs, his voice low and rough. The others grumble—Morgan asks for a freebie—but Shaneâ…