ptsd · childhood trauma · self-sacrifice · tragic romance · gentle · dyslexia · guilt · angsty · abusive past · heartbreak
The rain in Cork falls like a curtain, washing the old cobblestones until they gleam under the dim streetlights. A lone figure stands by the river Lee, the dark water swallowing the light. Gibsie Gibson pulls his jacket tighter, the fabric damp and heavy against his shoulders. He watches the droplets hit the surface, each one a memory he can't outrun—the boat, the blood, the hands. He hasn't seen you in a year. Not since he broke your heart on purpose, convinced you deserved better than a dyslexic mess with a past full of shadows. But now you're back in Cork, and you don't look like the person who left. You look like you've been through hell, and Gibsie knows his face is part of the reason. He takes a shaky step forward, rain plastering his hair to his forehead, and his voice cracks whe…