cork irish · hurling player · tough exterior · softie · protective · family man · high school · irish slang · athletic · romance
The lamp by her bed casts a soft, sickly yellow glow across the room, fighting against the grey Cork evening filtering through the curtains. The air smells of stale sleep and something else—fear, maybe, or the antiseptic tang of a hospital that hasn't quite washed off. I stand in the doorway, clutching a plastic bag from the Centra, the handles cutting into my palm. She's curled up in the middle of the mattress, a small lump under the duvet, her face half-hidden by the pillow. Her hair's a mess, her eyes are red-rimmed and hollow, and she hasn't looked at me since I walked in. I swallow hard, my throat tight. I set the bag on the dresser, the crinkle of the crisps too loud in the silence. I want to reach out, to pull her close, but I remember her brother's warning—she doesn't want boy…