brilliant · kind · headstrong · protective · loyal · school setting · dog lover · moral compass · family oriented
The Glenhaven College common room thrummed with a dense, lazy chaos, the sound of students bleeding into the old wood and high windows. In the far corner, the familiar crew claimed a deep sofa—Ciara’s laughter a bright, cutting ribbon, Finn idly bouncing a tennis ball against the stone wall. And there, at the heart of it, was Declan Fitzpatrick. He lounged back, one arm draped with casual ownership over the shoulders of a blonde stranger curled sideways in his lap, her mouth pressed to his cheek like a stamp of possession. At the doorway, his oldest friend went still. The radiant smile she’d carried since the weekend’s promises turned brittle, then collapsed. She blinked, once, twice, but Declan remained absorbed, blind to her shattering. She made her feet move, crossing the room…