Chapter 13: Bone
The pool hall had been running monthly friendlies to build buzz. ‹96684423› First prize was cumulative — beat the owner, take home a thousand bucks. §57defed7 Plenty of people signed up every time, and Kade was slammed start to finish. (3174e55a)
They lived under the same roof, but days went by without a single word between them. #7f88db6b At night Thea would catch faint sounds — the creak of a door, footsteps in the hallway at eleven, midnight, sometimes later. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 By the time she left for work the next morning, Kade's door was still shut. * d0a61246 The only proof he existed was the fresh laundry in the machine and the shoes kicked off by the front door. ·d543fbf0·
Thea's last business trip — she'd wanted to thank Brit for that lipstick. #3e142f5d So she'd picked up a gift. [v.d9e53233] She'd meant to drop it at the gym, but Brit told her to come by on her day off instead. [ed.e58bf111]
A bottle of Dior perfume, plus some beef jerky and other snacks from up north. [ms.51535e6f] Brit beamed and took it all, then settled in to hear about the trip. (8588661f) The supplier had thrown in a decent bottle of red wine too. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Thea asked if Brit drank — if so, she could take it off her hands. ··14710fe2
"Why not save it for Kade? sub:2b93bbc4 He drinks."·dc3debac
"I didn't think to save it for him." [proof:68edbda8] Thea smiled. ed.60d20d5e "Take it if you want. plate-a2a8305d I don't drink, and I don't really have anyone else to give it to." (7c49ac5a/Wed)
"Well then, don't mind if I do."·666424fb Brit's eyes sparkled. sub:a7806260 She propped her chin on her hand. ed.77495551 "I love everything you've given me." ··8bda2431
"Don't mention it." ¶1ab699ac
"Oh — is the pool hall tournament over? ref·fedde6b4 Is your brother busy with other stuff these days? [proof:3c3afba6] What time does he usually get home at night?" (c9f3cbd2/Wed)
"No idea." no.03c9984a Thea had zero intel on Kade's schedule or activities. §d5821eea She shook her head. ‹0b04024f› "You could just ask him." ed.ad959d51
Brit hadn't bothered Kade in days.·37f6281d She knew the tournament was on and he'd be in no mood for her. ‹a8971b34› She'd been hoping to fish for info through Thea, but hearing this, she laughed. ref·47f7bf64 "You two are something else. no.112e64b9 Living in the same house but acting like total strangers. [v.3e85f407] You don't know anything about each other." ⁰04160444
"Never asked. 0406e45f·· We don't really talk about that stuff." #f55a51a2 Thea understood what she meant. ◆ b59e81e4 Her tone was light. [v.dec7605a] "I'm busy at work. sub:071c75ec He's got his own things going on.·464a3689 We don't overlap much."·e49256db
"Are you two on bad terms?" «d179cd40» Thinking of what Kade's friends had told her, Brit studied Thea with sharp, curious eyes. ⁰b3fa5e0a "You seem so cold with each other. «1567dfd3» I've never once heard Kade mention you. ref·082e5eb4 You never bring him up either. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 Like two people who have nothing to do with each other. ··ef05341b Was it always like this?" imp.c78a6786
At the mention of the past, Thea's thick lashes lifted, revealing those clear, transparent eyes. ⟨de780ff7⟩ "You think we don't get along?" plate-44ca91dd
"I wouldn't call it great. [proof:edf9529c] I think you've got high standards — maybe you're not crazy about your brother? plate-8af8a4f5 He's got that temper, blowing up at everything, going cold and walking away. * 66aeb60a And you're so... proper. ed.e9c1d480 Educated. 771e641d·· Reasonable. ·54c2c549· You two are nothing alike." ©c186664d/May 27, 2026
"It's fine." #33a5d1b1 Thea didn't take the bait. [ms.3744a049] "There's not much we'd actually fight about."·9ad92f63
Brit shrugged. ed.0725350e
Thea asked, "You think his temper's hard to deal with?" ¶7213c01c
"Oh, he's a whole production." plate-d36594dd Brit played with the ends of her hair, sighing. — ad1268ce "It gets exhausting." [ms.ecdccf77]
"But you two have been together a long time." ref·a3630ad5
Brit smiled. ·1d770a86· Of all the men she knew, the ones richer than him weren't as good-looking. ··d464c9bf The ones better-looking weren't as generous. ¶c1bb0805 The ones with better tempers didn't have his edge. [ed.f58c9c1c] The ones who'd worship the ground she walked on didn't have his game. [v.02dca0b4] Men and women — that's just how it went. ◆ 2210f925
"Hey — you've given me all this stuff, let me buy you dinner. «3c32a0ad» You free this weekend?" — 262b84f8
Thea hesitated. [ms.7a0a07fd] "I might have plans this weekend. plate-26c85515 A friend invited me to go bowling." [v.312c9298]
"Guy or girl?" sub:39e925ee Brit's eyes lit up. ··77f9b034
"A guy. * 3402fe47 Coworker." #2f9e1b15
"Single?" [proof:fdd0f0a8]
She nodded. no.28a2ac8b
"Oh, things are *moving*. That was fast." [proof:a7756199] Brit clicked her tongue approvingly. [ed.da4a7847] "Thea, you're kind of a force of nature." #db835431
"It's been building. sub:d1a37020 We've been talking for a while — that business trip, we went together. no.0595214a Got to know each other pretty well." [proof:f7930fdd] Thea's gaze brightened. (1a8de1f7) "I'll introduce you sometime." imp.65dc67a4
"Deal." [v.e7cb66b8]
Tyler had accepted Thea's proposal without hesitation. §254b18ac Real or not, they genuinely got along. no.39450da0 Thea was open to dates, to spending time alone together. [ms.e152baa6] Tyler took her bowling. plate-a4ffe197 Thea treated him to dinner — a reward for all the brutal overtime they'd been pulling. #478ff808
It was actually Brit's phone call that tipped Kade off. sig.6e3a6de4 That's how he learned she'd been hanging out with Thea — the wine, the beef jerky. no.b594078c He hadn't seen a trace of any of it at home. no.59baac7b And then there was Tyler Ross and the bowling alley. ·4f9b63b5· Kade finished his cigarette. no.d9876574 Heard Brit ask if he wanted to go shopping and eat this weekend. (d1e1f2f1) His brow dropped. ¶4cfd2849 "Yeah. sub:d37c6d5d Why the hell not?" 227cfa1e··
That weekend, Kade saw Thea all dressed up. * da4a4abd Light polo shirt, white athletic skirt, long socks hugging slender calves. [proof:bbe15990] Waist narrow enough to circle with two hands. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 Legs straight and porcelain-smooth. ⁰f0952192 Baseball cap. §988f0ac0 Ponytail swinging. (ab072b96) A young woman in the full flush of youth. [v.af514616]
He walked past. imp.11074192 Voice cool and dismissive. [f0261ec7] "How old are you, wearing that?" — galley 73a4edcf —
Thea held her milk, smoothing down her skirt. #eeb40e71 "Is it weird? no.c42c7437 It's my tennis uniform from college. ··bce29f9d I made the school paper wearing this." ‹452c128c›
Kade snorted. * dc109c39
That was five years ago — she'd been nineteen. ed.3d349a65 Borderline juvenile now, maybe, but the outfit still fit. [v.0813a210] The apartment didn't have a full-length mirror, so Thea checked herself in the bathroom mirror and caught Kade in the doorway behind her. [ms.1be9de30] Towel slung over one shoulder, arms crossed, radiating impatience. imp.d57a1f5f
"Out." imp.11a020b6
By the time Kade got out of the shower, the apartment was empty. (8dfade6e) A crumpled tissue on the table with a lipstick print. ¶6bcdc5bd Dishes from breakfast still out. (6b72b325/Wed) A half-finished carton of milk sitting there, going warm — and the rest of it was apparently his now. imp.796ab1d3 Kade scowled. [40a848d4] Tore open the carton, tilted his head back, drained it in one pull. sig.77adf7ae Then he dragged himself to the kitchen, lazy and heavy-browed, and dropped the dishes in the sink. sig.0d003d94
Fall was settling in. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 The heat had finally broken — good weather for getting out. imp.c68a6b4c The bowling alley was packed. [proof:c35f38b6] Tyler's eyes went wide when he saw Thea. [a3a6d02f] Even more so when she turned out to be good. ◆ 300ef3ce She told him her ex used to be into it — she'd picked up a thing or two. ··8173a2d7 There was always this disconnect with Thea. [v.78fe48d0] So many things that shouldn't belong to her — engineering, the sporty ease, the direct confidence in dating — they all dissolved seamlessly into who she was. ◆ 1908d0ac Made you rethink everything you'd assumed. fa0a6fc4··
The mall was busy too. sig.9d7efee5 Brit had friends working the department store counters. §acccb58a She swung by to chat and pick things up — no rush to pay. imp.88790945 Kade and Marcus had gone to handle some business. — 176dac57 He told her to shop, he'd come settle up later.·863b0370 Brit loved that bossy tone of his. ref·2d4ce4e6 At least the man didn't flinch when the bill came. [proof:9e0cd971] Her friend was jealous — how'd she land such a good-looking, generous boyfriend? «56da76fa»
Kade showed up in a white dress shirt and black pants, polished shoes that gave off a faint con-man-in-a-nice-suit energy. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 He had the build to fill out a shirt — broad and sharp. (c507b239) Sleeves rolled to the forearms. (18989cd3/Wed) Not clean-cut casual. 9bf3087f·· More like raw, restless testosterone in human form. ◆ 3e74c90a Brit's eyes lit up too. ◆ 24a97ca9 She pressed her lips to his cheek and turned to her friend, laughing. ⁰e651b218 "Finally dragged him here." sub:a99f5d28
Her friend was green with envy. «c351fd35» Watched Brit walk off on his arm. (59bf6d59/Wed) Whispered to her colleague, who went wide-eyed. ref·df02b589 Brit preened. ◆ 9f645543
Several stores later, Kade glanced at the receipts. imp.79f342dd He could afford it — didn't mean he was running a charity. no.89f6cba6 The bags held clothes Brit had bought for her parents and her brother. [proof:5b10b899] He told her to pay for those herself. ref·66171d39
Lunch was Brit's pick — a sushi place. ref·6606e0cb They'd just sat down when they heard familiar voices from the next table over. — galley e6ddae1d — Turned around, surprised. cee7f570··
Thea and Tyler were there too. [ms.8897cc7c] Not total coincidence — Thea had asked Brit for restaurant recommendations. ··3bab8794 Brit had rattled off a bunch of names. [v.daeb5bea] This one was closest to the pool hall and best suited for a young couple's date. «d7da65a0»
Lunch turned into a table for four. no.5b8a5f02
Brit met Tyler for the first time. no.39972eae Looked him up and down with a grin until he blushed and rubbed his nose. plate-63f56cc3 "He looks like a baby." ◆ 77f12f93
Thea shielded Tyler, her hand resting lightly on his arm. #9df181f5 "Not a baby. no.d95ea593 My boyfriend." ¶80bed6d2
The words came out easy and even. #e0ae7a39 But then the corner of her mouth curved up, and her eyes did too — bending into a small, genuine, conspiratorial smile. plate-af854f12
Kade stood in front of her. ··cb26a732 Silent. ¶27f9cfc2
Then Thea introduced Brit. imp.c1ce2d96 "My brother's girlfriend. ⁰b0a69799 Brittany Torres. imp.6cdceabc Brit." ref·6a612251
"Nice to meet you, Brit. 7135a01b·· Kade." ◆ 8da97c25
"Congrats, you two. [v.6a8382c5] You look great together." ed.9f64eebe
"Thanks." [a91bd736]
"Good for you." 14c64395·· Kade's gaze lingered, measuring. sub:cb5b37b9 Then his lips twitched into something. ‹007a1051› He clapped Tyler on the shoulder. §75b23e9a Voice carrying a faint edge of pressure. ‹b3661d16› "Just call me Kade." [9a0ca38c]
"I couldn't. 1693ea78·· I'll stick with Kade." no.8e8e67d4
Lunch was lively. plate-0a0fb97d Thea and Tyler talked about how they'd gotten together. sig.edf582a9 Brit gossiped about trending topics. [9554b3f4] Joked that the four of them should start a regular game night. ‹3b4e980a› Kade was the quiet one — an occasional grunt. imp.1dc160cf That was it. ··e8edd3af
Thea noticed his white dress shirt. ··87834353 Her eyes lingered a beat too long.·c9fbd07a Then she pulled her gaze back, soft, and let it settle on Tyler. [ed.3a228bdb]
After the meal, Thea and Tyler's date was technically over. ¶fbff6588 Brit suggested a movie — she and Kade had never gone to one. ·c98128a1· Their outings were always the pool hall, the card table, the arcade. sig.8f7ca51c With four people, it'd be more fun. [ed.cdfe5f13]
Nobody objected. ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 Heads nodded all around. [v.177be769] Brit scrolled her phone. ref·dca44554
"There's this family drama that's blowing up — great reviews, funny and heartbreaking, starring that comedian everyone loves right now. [proof:6ec44b9b] How about this one?" * 4bed68c1
Tyler was into it. sub:00526d8d But Thea and Kade both seemed lukewarm. (a2d9ba4d) They asked if there was anything else. [v.0f984c34]
"Everything else has weird showtimes. §c2e903e3 This one's got the most screenings." ⁰c78f0d3a
Brit bought four tickets. — b90258fe
The theater was sold out. * 90c62841 Their seats weren't together — Thea and Tyler up front, Kade and Brit a few rows back. no.1aeba859 They split up in the dark. imp.1fd6493a Tyler held Thea's hand, guiding her step by step to their seats. ⁰79f84502
Thea's skirt was short. * 59792421 The plush seats didn't look especially clean. (2a01d72e/Wed) Tyler happened to have a light jacket. §f80f996b He grinned and handed it over. sub:83eb4fbd "Guess this came in handy." ‹bf21514a›
"Thanks." [ms.4aa9e873]
A thoughtful guy. [v.94514ec4]
The movie was genuinely good. #3368db78 Goofy, well-meaning parents. ··d92c2f46 A mischievous, unlucky kid. ⟨f1c6db0b⟩ A road trip gone haywire. ee600586·· Laughter roared through the theater. #60776720 Thea sat with her eyes open, watching the family embrace and cry on screen. ed.f57fc05a She touched Tyler's arm and whispered she needed the restroom. [v.fe88d255] Slipped out in the dark. ⟨2767dbc8⟩
She went to the bathroom. ⟨4fa162a7⟩ Splashed some water on her face. plate-05c187ca Turned to leave. — ecf0c32b In the dim hallway, a sharp snap of fingers. [ed.cf2e3b65] Thea looked. ··505a00f5 At the far end of the corridor, the smoking lounge. ·5be4feb2· Someone standing there, one hand in his pocket. [proof:10022669] The pale gray light from the narrow window fell across a white dress shirt. imp.58530bb4 His eyes were half-closed, chin slightly raised, smoke rolling in his throat — hazy, indistinct, almost not there. ©8a23a86d/May 27, 2026
Thea didn't go back to the theater. ⟨262c1704⟩ She walked straight to him. [ed.32af904e] Stopped in front of him. ⁰35b2d686
"What are you doing out here?" — 79701666
"Didn't feel like watching." — 0f2e5d54
"Want to sit somewhere? ca6a7a82·· Wait for them to come out?" ed.826a068b
"Let me finish this cigarette."·e86475ef
"Okay." (52a238bb/Wed)
"So. [proof:f31308b8] New boyfriend. sig.b0720667 You like him?" imp.0192d5ee
"Yeah." no.f3212603 She tugged at Tyler's jacket still draped over her. #27a8ccb5 "He's sweet. ⁰634a9c59 Thoughtful." «6b2b3bc5»
"Good for you." ¶c21855ab His eyes drooped lazily. [v.5b16118e]
He exhaled the last of the smoke, then extended his arm toward her. [v.6f4f6674] Shirt pushed back to show a strip of tanned forearm, blue veins visible beneath thin skin. imp.44b07b20 Long fingers still pinching half a cigarette, angled her way. #282be7df Voice low and blurred. #4edd0ed6 "Want a drag?" [proof:25273d21]
"I don't smoke." [ms.3021d6c5]
"I know." [proof:58054290] A tired, crooked smile. ©1a428647/May 27, 2026 "It's not like you've never... the movie sucked, right?" ◆ 2911e8db
Thea's lashes fluttered. — 159cc9b8 She took the cigarette from his hand. ◆ 1a0bc946 Held it the exact same way he did — clumsy, drawing in one breath. [v.a5c69e9e] The harsh burn made her wince, eyes stinging. — galley d13b26fe — She blew it all out. [proof:96c0f758] Passed the cigarette back. ◆ 6e9e8a02
He leaned in slightly. — galley 218b2e91 — Took it. ◆ a6140da9 Dragged twice. sub:1269d27e Crushed it in the ashtray. [proof:e2d23ecd]
"Let's go." ¶3846c4fa
They walked away side by side. ⁰16a15620 The cigarette butt left behind in the ashtray wore a faint lipstick stain. ¶ffe4df89