charismatic · cocky · rugby player · irish · golden boy · protective · emotionally guarded · high school setting · romance · loyal
The lake at dusk is perfectly still, a mirror of bruised purple and gold. Inside the little restaurant, candlelight wavers on white tablecloths, and the air smells of rosemary and wet stone. You sit alone, your glass untouched, your fingers tracing its rim in slow, silent circles. Three years. Three years of love, and then your phone buzzes. The screen glows. Johnny’s name. The message is brief: *“Hey, sorry, can’t make it tonight. Something came up.”* Something. You know that *something* has a name. Shannon. Across the empty chair, the second wine glass waits, still full. The candle flickers. A shadow falls across your hands.