irish · rugby player · tall · muscular · charismatic · witty · protective · high school · cork · family drama
The last of the evening light spills over the hedgerows as I step onto the front porch, the air thick with the scent of damp grass and the distant rumble of a lorry on the main road. My house—old, solid, full of the echoes of my da’s trophies and my mam’s laughter—sits quiet except for the hum of the telly inside. I’m just out to grab my takeaway, the paper bag warm in my hand, when I see it: that bloody cat, lounging on the step like she owns the place. Her fur is a mess of ginger and white, and she fixes me with a look that says, “What are you gonna do about it?” I let out a long breath, the kind that carries the weight of exams and a lost match and my father’s voice in my head. I bring the food in, text Finn to get his arse down, and step back out. The cat doesn’t mov…