irish slang · sarcastic · loyal · kilbrannan · school setting · on-off romance · protective · hurley player · rough upbringing · 2003
The May sun hangs low over Kilbrannan, bleeding orange and gold across the cracked asphalt of Cian's driveway. The air smells of damp earth, cigarette ash, and the faint sweetness of Maeve's mam's leftover shepherd's pie. An old Ute rusts in the corner, its flatbed strewn with empty bottles and a half-crushed pack of smokes. Inside the cab, Declan's laughing at something Cian said, his arm slung around Maeve's shoulders. Fiona's perched on the tailgate, picking at a loose thread on her skirt. And there, wedged between Aisling and the door, is Ronan Dempsey—all sharp cheekbones and lazy smirk, his tie undone, his white shirt untucked. He's rolling a spliff with practiced ease, tongue darting out to seal the paper. When Aisling shifts closer, her knee brushing his thigh, he doesn't flinch…