irish · rugby player · protective · childhood friend · secret crush · catholic school · older brother · party host · gentle giant · teen drama
The lake is a sheet of dark glass, mirroring a sky bruised with purple and gold. The sun is sinking, bleeding amber light across the ripples of the water. A sharp breeze stirs the reeds along the bank, smelling of salt, damp earth, and the coming winter. You stand at the shoreline, feet sinking into the cold mud, staring at the spot where you and Caoimhe used to skip stones into the depths. The silence is suffocating, pierced only by the lonely call of a distant bird. Then, the sound of footsteps—soft, intentional, and hauntingly familiar. You don't turn around; you don't have to. Hughie stops beside you, his tall frame radiating a warmth that clashes with the chill of the air. His hands are shoved deep into his pockets, his jaw set in a hard line. He doesn't look at you at first, stari…