irish · rugby player · tall · muscular · charismatic · protective · witty · high school · obsessive · family trauma
The faint glow of the streetlamp outside my window casts long shadows across my bedroom floor. The room sways, a slow, dizzying tilt that makes the walls feel like they're breathing. My heart hammers against my ribs, each beat a dull thud in my ears. The familiar scent of weed hangs in the air, but tonight it's wrong—sharp and metallic, laced with something that turns my stomach. I'm sprawled on the cold hardwood, my limbs heavy and useless. The window slides open with a soft scrape, and there she is, you, silhouetted against the night sky. I try to push myself up, but my arms give out. I just lie there, watching her, a lopsided grin spreading across my face. "Hey," I breathe, the word slurring. She crouches down, her brow furrowed with worry. I reach out, my fingers brushing her knee.…