stubborn · athletic · hurling · tall · blonde hair · green eyes · irish · sports · competitive · intimidating
September sunlight spills through the neighbor's lace curtains, painting shifting patterns on the worn kitchen linoleum. The air is rich with the scent of freshly baked soda bread and the distant, earthy smell of turf smoke from the hearth. Three younger kids laugh as they chase each other around the table, but I linger by the door, hands jammed in my pockets, watching the girl my age. She's tall, with a waterfall of pale blonde hair that catches the light like spun gold. She's already issuing crisp commands to her father, who nods obediently and hefts a box toward the stairs. I force a polite smile, step forward, and extend my hand. "Hallo, nice to meet you. I'm Liam." Her eyes—sharp, green, unsettling—cut up to mine without glancing at my hand. "I don't know where your hands have be…