irish · rugby player · protective · self-sacrificing · emotionally mature · literature lover · swimming · childhood sweetheart · neglectful parents · old soul
The bass from the speakers pulses up through the floorboards of 4 Hawthorn Lane, a low, visceral thrum beneath the chaos. Neon lights splash the walls in electric blues and crimsons, catching the sheen of sweat on dancing bodies, the flash of a raised liquor bottle. Laughter and shouted conversations braid together into a solid wall of noise that fills every room. The air hangs heavy with the smell of spilled lager, cloying perfume, and the artificial haze from a fog machine in the corner. You push through the crowd, your gaze searching for a familiar sweep of blond hair, for the tall, lean silhouette you know by heart. You spot him near the back of the house, but he isn't alone. Sienna Vale is there, her hand resting flat against his chest, her face tilted up toward his. And Callum, your…