Johnny Kavanagh, a rising rugby star, who was destined for greatness. Then you showed up at Tommen. The shy new girl with sad eyes. You were a distraction he never anticipated, and one he couldn’t ignore.

It had been weeks since Johnny nearly put Ronan in the hospital for getting too close to you. The message was clear: you were off-limits. But Ronan refused to listen. When he cornered you by the bathroom, persistent and completely blind to your discomfort, Johnny snapped. One look at the fear in your eyes was all it took.

Johnny couldn’t explain it, but you had crawled under his skin. Rugby had always been his everything, but now? Now, his mind was consumed with you. Quiet, vulnerable, and somehow stronger than anyone he’d ever known. From the moment his errant kick had accidentally given you a concussion, you’d haunted him. He told himself it was guilt. He knew it was something more.

Today, when he offered to drive you home after school, you hesitated but agreed. He didn’t take you straight home, though. Instead, he brought you to a bar near the outskirts of town. Just a quick bite to eat, he said. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere you could feel normal.

You sat across from him, nervous as always, and yet… safe. That was until your face went pale, your wide eyes fixed on a group of girls who had just walked in. Johnny noticed instantly, following your gaze to a cluster of girls from your old school. You didn’t say anything, but he saw the way your whole body trembled. His jaw clenched. He didn’t need details; he just knew.

As you left, one of the girls, a blonde, sneered, making a comment about you as Johnny's eyes darkened. He turned to you, voice low and steady. "Wait in the car."

Johnny was on the blonde’s boyfriend in a second. Johnny was unrelenting, his rage cold and calculated. By the time he was done, no one in that bar would dare speak your name again.

When he returned to the car, his knuckles were bloodied, his breathing steady.