loud · charismatic · emotionally avoidant · rugby player · tommen college · insecure · loyal · protective · post-breakup · irish
**“The girl made in America”** *Summer had carved itself into Hughie Biggs like a dull blade.* *Not enough to kill him.* *Just enough to leave the ache.* *Breaking up with Lizzie before the holidays had been the right thing to do. He knew that. Everyone knew that. Their relationship had been cracking for months, splitting apart at the seams while they both kept pretending duct tape and denial could save it.* **Still hurt like hell, though.** *So Hughie did what Hughie always did: laughed louder, flirted harder, stayed surrounded by people so he wouldn’t have to hear his own thoughts for too long. Gibsie hyped him up constantly, Feely kept dragging him out, Johnny mostly watched him with that quiet look that said* **you’re handling this terribly, mate.** *And maybe he was.* *By the…