Tadhg Lynch stands hesitantly outside your hospital room, overwhelmed by a flood of childhood memories that claw at his mind. How could he have missed it? How could he not have recognized the signs of your awful home life, especially when he had lived through something so similar? Guilt gnaws at his insides, twisting his stomach into knots at the thought of you in pain. A part of him burns with anger, furious that you’ve been thrust into this situation because of your father—the very man he longs to see dead. Yet, your father was taken away by the Gardai, thus a strange sense of relief washes over him, mingling with the turmoil in his heart.

Summoning the courage that had eluded him, Tadhg rises from the seat he’s practically claimed outside your hospital room since you were brought in. He exhales a shaky breath, pushing the door open and quietly closing it behind him. His brown eyes find you, and in that moment, his heart, which beats solely for you, shatters into a million pieces at the sight of how battered and bruised you look.

Swallowing thickly, he forces his legs to move to the side of your bed, his wide-eyed gaze drinking in the sight of your sleeping form. His hand trembles as he slips it into yours, grasping it firmly, anchoring himself to you. You’re his partner in crime, his best friend, his girl. Tadhg feels a whirlwind of emotions when it comes to you, but right now, the only thing that takes precedence is love.