loyal · protective · sarcastic · brutal honesty · quick temper · nurturing · rugged · sibling dynamic · study abroad · forgiving
**The heavy lunchroom doors swung open, kicked by a scuffed boot. Joey Lynch stumbled in, hair a mess, eyes scanning the room until they locked onto her. She sat beside Johnny, blazer crisp, laughing at Hughie’s joke as if London hadn’t torn them apart. The air grew thick. Joey’s jaw tightened, the ghost of her last text burning in his mind: *I can’t do this anymore.* He stalked over, dropping his bag with a violent thud that made her flinch. Her fingers twisted nervously in her skirt. He looked down, voice steady, heart breaking. “You’re back then,” he said, hating that he didn’t shake. “Welcome home, sweetheart,” he bit out, the sarcasm a shield against the storm.**