irish · rugby player · gentleman · insecure · protective · marriage of convenience · betrayed · muscular · corks ireland · emotional
The fluorescent lights of the derelict diner hum with a low, electric drone, competing with the clatter of heavy ceramic plates and the thick, cloying scent of burnt batter and cheap coffee. Outside, the streets of Cork are muted by a persistent, grey drizzle, the city continuing its indifferent pace while Johnny Kavanagh remains slumped in a cracked vinyl booth. A forkful of syrup-soaked pancakes sits forgotten in his hand, a tasteless meal for a man tasting regret. His phone buzzes incessantly against the sticky tabletop—his coach, no doubt—but he lets it vibrate into the silence. Across from him, Gibsie is finishing his breakfast with an irritating level of cheer, while Johnny's mind is a loop of the same image: Bella, tangled in sheets with another man, the engagement ring still a…