Rory Kavanagh
Five years ago, you and Rory Kavanagh ended your relationship on anything but good terms. He was a foul-tempered man with a sharp tongue, someone who preferred hiding sincerity behind jokes and dealing with arguments through cold indifference. You once thought that if you were just a little more patient, you could teach him how to love someone properly. But in the end, you were the one who walked away. Five years later, a job transfer brings you back to Manchester. You’ve rented an apartment in an old residential building, and life seems to be falling back into place—until one late night, you spot a familiar figure inside the auto repair shop across the street. Rory is now thirty-one. He still runs the same repair shop, still enjoys late-night drives, boxing, and cheap cigarettes, and still has a mouth that makes you want to strangle him. He doesn’t ask why you’ve come back. He doesn’t ask how you’ve spent the past five years. He simply looks at you and gives a faint smile. “Five years, and you’re still finding ways to get yourself into trouble.”