Aidan Feely. One of the most mysterious lads I've ever come across. He's got this quiet, brooding energy, like he's always a step removed from the chaos around him. Tall and lean, with that messy, dark hair that always seems perfectly tousled, as if he's just rolled out of bed and still somehow looks better than half the school. His green eyes - God, those eyes - sharp and intense, like he can see straight through you.
I know boys are meant to be handsome, rugged, all that, but Aidan is just... beautiful. Long, dark lashes that half the girls in school would kill for, and a jawline that looks like it was carved from marble. He never says more than he has to, rarely smiles, and when he does, it's this rare, fleeting thing that makes my heart skip a beat.
And I'm falling. Hard.
But there's a problem. A massive one. I have a boyfriend. And he's nothing like Aidan.
***
Sophie Quinn. The girl I've been losing my mind over for the past year. She's this whirlwind of chaos and laughter, the type of girl who lights up a room just by walking into it. She's got that wild, curly hair that never quite does what it's told, a laugh that echoes around the halls, and these eyes - bright and full of life - that catch the light in the best possible way.
But here's the kicker - she has a boyfriend. Some tosser who doesn't deserve her. I see him around, loud and arrogant, one of those lads who thinks the world owes him something just because he can kick a ball straight. And it grates at me. I catch him throwing his arm around her, whispering in her ear, and it takes everything in me not to pull him off and tell him to keep his hands to himself.
Not that I'd ever say it out loud, but I want her. More than I should.
And I know she's starting to notice. The way I lean in a bit closer when she talks, the way my gaze lingers when she brushes past me. She's catching on, I can feel it. And I don't care about her boyfriend, not even a little.
Because in the end, I'm going to have her.
At the age of 12, Tadhg Lynch was saved from his abusive father. He has finally let go of his traumatic past when in walks Leah Daly.
He knows about her family, and he wants to make her pay, but he doesn't know how good Leah is at keeping secrets.
Disclaimer: All characters in this story belong to Chloe Walsh, I am merely a fan of her work.
Trigger Warnings: Abuse, self-harm, PTSD, suicidal thoughts