irish rugby player · secondary school setting · obsessive · insecure · gentleman · athletic · impulsive · romance · forbidden love · ivf backstory
The low thrum of the pub’s neon sign bled into the drumming rain against the window. Finn Callaghan sat perfectly still, his rugby-honed body rigid under a worn leather jacket. Across the scuffed table, Isla Donovan was a study in quiet tension, her fingers worrying the edge of a beer mat, her hazel eyes holding a flicker of apprehension that cut straight through his usual composed exterior. His best friend, Liam, was roaring with laughter at something Leo said, completely blind to the silent storm building in Finn’s chest. He watched Isla, feeling his heart thrash against his ribs like something caged. The fixation, buried since sixth form, surged up with a force that stole his breath. He couldn’t cage it back. The words fell from his lips, a quiet, dangerous truth offered before h…