Chapter 1: Bone
Savannah. ‹96684423›
Same as she remembered — sweltering, humid, draped in heavy shade. §57defed7 The air hung thick and sticky, laced with that sour tang of midsummer and the sharp green bitterness of overgrown plants. (3174e55a)
The door was the same old iron one. #7f88db6b The lock was still the deadbolt they'd swapped in years ago. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026
Thea knocked for ages. * d0a61246 Her gaze drifted to the peeling flyer stuck to the wall — *Locks opened in 10 minutes*.
The old locksmith charged a hundred bucks. ·d543fbf0· He slid a pick into the keyhole, gave it a lazy twist, and the iron door clicked open. #3e142f5d
"Want to see my ID?" [v.d9e53233]
"You said it's your place, right? [ed.e58bf111] We're good." [ms.51535e6f]
She was hauling two massive suitcases, had spent the night on a Greyhound bus with her eyes open, faint bruises under her lashes. (8588661f) She still smelled like stale fast food. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Her accent wasn't quite local. ··14710fe2 The locksmith gave her pretty face a once-over, glanced at the bare-bones apartment behind her, packed up his tools, and left. sub:2b93bbc4
The old walk-up was straight out of the nineties — the exterior walls and stairwell coated in a thick film of grime and cobwebs.·dc3debac The landings were crammed with tenants' junk. [proof:68edbda8] A cracked drainpipe leaked a trail of dirty water across the floor. ed.60d20d5e Filthy, stifling, garbage piled everywhere. plate-a2a8305d This neighborhood was falling apart, and nobody living here had money. (7c49ac5a/Wed)
Thea pushed her luggage inside.·666424fb Two-bedroom apartment, about 900 square feet. sub:a7806260 Same layout as before, just a few pieces of furniture swapped out. ed.77495551 Not clean, but not disgusting either. ··8bda2431 The kitchen and fridge showed no signs of anyone actually cooking, but the ashtray on the table was overflowing with cigarette butts, and there was a crushed beer can on the coffee table with half a drink still in it. ¶1ab699ac
She looked around, then headed for the bedroom on the right. ref·fedde6b4 The lock was rusted shut, wouldn't budge. [proof:3c3afba6] She had to throw her shoulder into it. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) The door swung open and a cloud of dust surged up, thick enough to choke on. no.03c9984a The curtains had faded past recognition, half of them hanging off the rod. §d5821eea A sliver of gray light filtered through the window. ‹0b04024f› The old wooden bed had been stripped down to its frame, and the room was piled with random broken furniture — there wasn't even space to step. ed.ad959d51
She tried the bedroom on the left.·37f6281d Curtains half-open, the room bright and quiet. ‹a8971b34› A mattress that had seen better days. ref·47f7bf64 A single wardrobe and a cluttered desk. no.112e64b9 A plastic lighter tossed near the edge, a steel-band watch that wasn't exactly new, a pillow on the bed with a man's white tank top and gray sweatpants draped over it. [v.3e85f407]
She backed out, sat in the living room and ate some crackers, splashed water on her face, then went into the room to catch up on sleep. ⁰04160444
The pillow was his. 0406e45f·· It smelled like cheap tobacco, sweat, and skin — heady as strong liquor, fermented and sharp, almost invasive. #f55a51a2
She shifted. ◆ b59e81e4 Turned her head. [v.dec7605a] Her cool, clear eyes locked onto a strand of hair lying on the pillowcase. sub:071c75ec Long.·464a3689 Black at the root, wine-red through the middle, bleached and brittle at the tips.·e49256db A woman's. «d179cd40»
She got up without a flicker of expression, opened the wardrobe, changed the sheets and pillowcase, lay back down, and closed her eyes. ⁰b3fa5e0a
Thea slept like the dead. «1567dfd3» She didn't open her eyes until two in the afternoon. ref·082e5eb4
Both suitcases were stuffed to bursting — pretty much everything she owned. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 She set them on the floor to unpack, but couldn't figure out where to start. ··ef05341b After staring blankly for a while, she wandered through the kitchen, the bathroom, the living room, and the bedroom a few times, then pulled out her phone and ordered curtains, a mattress, pillows and a comforter, sheet sets, an AC unit, a fan, and all sorts of little odds and ends. imp.c78a6786
Then she went out to the store — mop, rags, cleaning supplies, shampoo, body wash, toilet paper, tampons. ⟨de780ff7⟩ She came back lugging full shopping bags. plate-44ca91dd
A few old folks were sitting in the breeze at the mouth of the alley, chatting. [proof:edf9529c] They watched her go back and forth with her hauls, squinting at her with cloudy, curious eyes. plate-8af8a4f5
Thea recognized one of them and called out, "Mrs. * 66aeb60a Grady." ed.e9c1d480
"You — you're... from the Mercers' place, second floor..."
"Thea Warren. 771e641d·· Kade's sister, from back then." ·54c2c549·
Mrs. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 Grady's jaw dropped. #33a5d1b1 "You — why are you back?" [ms.3744a049]
"Mm."·9ad92f63 Thea set down the shopping bags. ed.0725350e "Kade's not home. ¶7213c01c Has he been doing all right these past few years?" plate-d36594dd
When it came to Kade Mercer, there was never a shortage of things to say. — ad1268ce Same as always after all these years — headed straight for jail sooner or later. [ms.ecdccf77] But he'd somehow managed to keep his head above water, surviving on nothing but the neighbors' dirty looks all this time. ref·a3630ad5
"Same old, same old. ·1d770a86· Grown man and still can't get his act together, won't settle down, hanging around with the wrong crowd..."
Thea already knew Kade hadn't done a thing with himself in six years. ··d464c9bf He'd tried living somewhere else for a couple of years, then came back and went into business with a friend. ¶c1bb0805 Hung out with losers, dated trashy women. [ed.f58c9c1c] His latest gig was running a pool hall near the vocational school. [v.02dca0b4] But he'd apparently taken off somewhere — hadn't been home in almost two weeks. ◆ 2210f925
She'd never expected him to amount to anything. «3c32a0ad» A punk kid with a trade-school diploma, shaking people down and getting into fights. — 262b84f8 Not going to prison and managing to be a halfway normal person? [ms.7a0a07fd] That counted as making something of himself. plate-26c85515
There was plenty to say about Kade, but Thea had her own baggage, and she wasn't about to let Mrs. [v.312c9298] Grady steer the conversation her way. sub:39e925ee She made an excuse about being busy and headed upstairs with her bags. ··77f9b034
She cleaned the apartment from the inside out, starting with the kitchen and bathroom. * 3402fe47 Threw out what needed throwing out, bought what needed buying. #2f9e1b15 Ate instant ramen and crackers when she was hungry, slept on the mattress when she was tired. [proof:fdd0f0a8] When the online orders arrived, she tackled the bedroom — a top-to-bottom deep clean, scrubbing everything, assembling furniture, washing and hanging sheets and clothes. no.28a2ac8b
She dug through the dusty, cobweb-covered cabinets and found a bunch of old stuff — her clothes, her things, a whole stack of high school tests and textbooks, all bundled up in a big burlap sack. [proof:a7756199] Thea sorted through them for a long time, packed everything into storage bins, and shoved them under the bed. [ed.da4a7847] Then she unpacked her own suitcases piece by piece. #db835431 The room was finally livable. sub:d1a37020
She gave Kade's room a deep clean too. no.0595214a The dust caked on top of the wardrobe. [proof:f7930fdd] Curtains that hadn't been washed in years. (1a8de1f7) She laundered and hung everything — clothes, sheets, blankets. imp.65dc67a4 Mopped the floor, wiped the windows. [v.e7cb66b8] Swept dried-up cigarette butts from under the bed, a woman's colorful hair tie, an unopened condom. §254b18ac She tossed them all in the trash. no.39450da0
It took a full week. [ms.e152baa6] She was sore from head to toe. plate-a4ffe197 The neighbors on either side had noticed the commotion on the second floor and word got around — someone had moved into the Mercer place. #478ff808 The newer tenants didn't recognize Thea. sig.6e3a6de4 They saw a young woman, maybe twenty-four or twenty-five, with striking features and a cool, aloof air — the polar opposite of Kade Mercer. no.b594078c But the old-timers who knew the history could talk about the Mercer family gossip for days. no.59baac7b
Kade had hitched a ride on a cargo run to the border. ·4f9b63b5· A buddy down there had tipped him off about a deal — nothing big. no.d9876574 Kade jumped on it, bought up a load of lighters and flashlights, cheap goods, hired a freight driver to haul them into cartel territory. (d1e1f2f1) On the way back, he loaded up the truck with bananas and mangoes and brought them back to Savannah. ¶4cfd2849 Round trip, after expenses, he cleared a few thousand dollars. sub:d37c6d5d Hard-earned money. 227cfa1e··
It was summer break. * da4a4abd The pool hall was dead anyway. [proof:bbe15990] At least it was some extra income. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026
The trip had been rushed — eating and sleeping in the truck cab the whole time, and the heat was brutal. ⁰f0952192 He reeked. §988f0ac0 The day Kade got back to Savannah, he wrapped up all his business and planned to go home, take a shower, pass out, then meet up with friends for drinks that night. (ab072b96)
He didn't have much luggage. [v.af514616] He'd left with a nylon duffel and came back with the same one. imp.11074192 Inside: a set of quick-dry clothes, two cartons of cigarettes, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a towel, and a phone charger. [f0261ec7] The Savannah heat was suffocating. — galley 73a4edcf — Kade peeled off his sour T-shirt and slung it over his shoulder, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth as he walked. #eeb40e71
Not exactly presentable — but the kind of sight that made people look twice. no.c42c7437 Just that raw, cocky energy of a young guy in his prime. ··bce29f9d Sun-browned skin, a silver pendant on a leather cord around his neck. ‹452c128c› Broad straight shoulders, a wide back, muscle groups carved and defined, scattered old scars faded pale. * dc109c39 His chest wasn't overdeveloped but it was clean-lined, flowing down into a flat stomach, a tight narrow waist. ed.3d349a65 Black pants hugging two long, straight legs, thigh muscles taut and full. [v.0813a210]
And the face. [ms.1be9de30] Mid-twenties. imp.d57a1f5f A clean buzz cut. imp.11a020b6 Features sharp as a blade — high-bridged nose, lips just dark enough to look dangerous. (8dfade6e) A little menacing, honestly. ¶6bcdc5bd A scar notched into the space between his brows, cutting into his left eyebrow. (6b72b325/Wed) Fierce and handsome. imp.796ab1d3 And those eyes — wild, reckless, bright with defiance. [40a848d4] Lazy and half-lidded one second, ready to bite the next. sig.77adf7ae
He blew smoke rings as he trudged up the stairs. sig.0d003d94 Something smelled like chicken soup in the stairwell — he couldn't tell which apartment. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 He fished out his key, opened the door, and stopped. imp.c68a6b4c The place was bright. [proof:c35f38b6] Spotless. [a3a6d02f] It didn't look like his apartment, except the furniture was familiar. ◆ 300ef3ce There was a new wooden shoe rack by the door he'd never seen before — women's sandals and heels on top, but his sneakers and flip-flops on the shelf below, washed clean and lined up neatly. ··8173a2d7
The chicken soup smell... it was coming from his kitchen. [v.78fe48d0] He could see the edge of a skirt, a figure with her back turned. ◆ 1908d0ac
The floor was so clean it practically gleamed. fa0a6fc4·· He dropped his duffel on the ground, pinched the cigarette between his fingers, and let a lazy smirk pull at the corner of his mouth. sig.9d7efee5 "Wasn't planning on coming over till tonight, huh? §acccb58a Surprise visit? imp.88790945 Since when are you this domestic?" — 176dac57
The woman in the kitchen was slowly stirring a pot of chicken soup.·863b0370 She heard the noise and turned around. ref·2d4ce4e6 Their eyes met. [proof:9e0cd971]
She'd filled out. «56da76fa» Grown up. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 Not as fierce anymore. (c507b239)
He froze. (18989cd3/Wed) His pupils contracted sharply. 9bf3087f·· The cigarette fell from his hand and hit the floor. ◆ 3e74c90a "Holy shit," he breathed, brows knitting hard, his gaze drilling into her — like peeling open an orange and having the tart juice burst between his fingers, sharp and lingering. ◆ 24a97ca9
Thea spoke first. ⁰e651b218 "You're back?" sub:a99f5d28
"Want some chicken soup? «c351fd35» I'll get you a bowl." (59bf6d59/Wed)
Kade forced out a handful of words. ref·df02b589 "What the f*ck... you — what are you doing here?" ◆ 9f645543
"Why wouldn't I be here?" imp.79f342dd Thea's gaze dropped. no.89f6cba6 She ladled soup into a bowl, unhurried, her voice light and airy. [proof:5b10b899] "Am I not allowed to come back?" ref·66171d39
"What the f*ck did you come back for?" ref·6606e0cb He yanked the wrinkled T-shirt back on, crouched to pick up the fallen cigarette butt, and stuck it back in his mouth. — galley e6ddae1d — He took a deep drag, brows furrowed even deeper. cee7f570·· Through the haze of smoke, he scanned the apartment first — bright, warm, soft. [ms.8897cc7c] Both bedroom doors stood wide open, the interiors clearly visible. ··3bab8794 The balcony was hung with laundry. [v.daeb5bea] The old couch in the living room had a pale slipcover draped over it. «d7da65a0» A vase of fresh flowers sat on the coffee table. no.5b8a5f02
He'd been gone — what, a couple of weeks? no.39972eae And the whole place had been transformed. plate-63f56cc3
"Goddamn it... you..."
Thea didn't blink. ◆ 77f12f93 "Take away 'goddamn' and you can't form a sentence, can you?" #9df181f5
Kade's expression shifted, then went cold. no.d95ea593 "How'd you get in?" ¶80bed6d2
"Had the lock picked." #e0ae7a39 Thea set the bowl on the table and turned to get her own serving. plate-af854f12 "The spare key was in the drawer. ··cb26a732 I found it." ¶27f9cfc2
"I got a job. imp.c1ce2d96 The office is out at the industrial park — there's a new auto plant, a subsidiary. ⁰b0a69799 I transferred here. imp.6cdceabc I report to the company next week. ref·6a612251 The employee housing isn't great, so I'm staying here." 7135a01b··
"You're a top student from a real university and you come to work in this middle-of-nowhere town? ◆ 8da97c25 Did you get hit by a car or did your brain just short-circuit?" [v.6a8382c5] He was clearly pissed. ed.9f64eebe He kicked a stool out of his way, took two steps, hands on his hips. [a91bd736] "Are you out of your mind?" 14c64395··
"College grads are a dime a dozen these days. sub:cb5b37b9 Jobs are hard to come by. ‹007a1051› Big cities are all highly educated people making barely enough to cover rent after working till midnight. §75b23e9a Plenty of people are moving back to smaller towns." ‹b3661d16›
"This is your hometown? [9a0ca38c] What's it got to do with you? 1693ea78·· Your hometown is in West Virginia, about 500 miles from here." no.8e8e67d4
"Kade... I lived here for ten years too, didn't I? plate-0a0fb97d I finally found a decent job — is it so wrong to come back and stay for a while?" sig.edf582a9
"Am I your brother?" [9554b3f4] His face darkened. ‹3b4e980a› He sat hunched forward in a chair. imp.1dc160cf From her angle, she could see his broad, flat back, that bristly dark head. ··e8edd3af Kade scowled. ··87834353 "Am I your brother?"·c9fbd07a
"Fine, you're not." [ed.3a228bdb] Thea sat at the table, calmly sipping her soup. ¶fbff6588 "I'll pay you rent." ·c98128a1·
"Where'd you go? sig.8f7ca51c You were gone for days. [ed.cdfe5f13] You smell terrible." ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026
He kept his hard expression, stone-cold and mean, and didn't answer. [v.177be769] He stood up and went to take a cold shower. ref·dca44554
Six whole years of not living together, and suddenly there was another person in the apartment. [proof:6ec44b9b] Annoyed? * 4bed68c1 Yeah, he was annoyed. sub:00526d8d
After his shower, he went to his room for clean clothes and couldn't help kicking the wardrobe. (a2d9ba4d) "You touched my clothes?" [v.0f984c34]
"I washed a few dirty ones and put them away for you." §c2e903e3 Thea stood in his doorway, watching water drip from his hair. ⁰c78f0d3a "T-shirts on the left, pants on the right. — b90258fe I didn't touch your socks or underwear." * 90c62841
He gritted his teeth, messed up the whole neat stack, then heard her add flatly, "There was also a woman's nightgown and some underwear. no.1aeba859 I put those in the drawer." imp.1fd6493a
A vein pulsed at Kade's temple. ⁰79f84502
"Your girlfriend's?" * 59792421
"Yeah." (2a01d72e/Wed) His voice was muffled, tight. §f80f996b
"Redhead?" sub:83eb4fbd
"Are you out of your mind?" ‹bf21514a› He clenched his jaw, slammed the wardrobe door shut, and glared at her. [ms.4aa9e873] "Thea, are you out of your f*cking mind?!"
Thea pressed her lips together, her slippers padding softly against the floor as she retreated. [v.94514ec4] Her bedroom door clicked shut. #3368db78
She sat at the desk, opened her laptop, checked some emails, browsed the web for a while, then came back out. ··d92c2f46 The apartment was empty. ⟨f1c6db0b⟩ A bowl of chicken soup sat on the table, stone cold. ee600586··