Chapter 22: Bone
All that rain, and Thea had been gone over an hour. ‹96684423› She came back empty-handed, her roommate glued to the TV and oblivious. §57defed7 Thea pulled her jacket tight and went straight to the bathroom. (3174e55a) When she came out, the pale skin of her neck was scratched into wide red welts from her own nails. #7f88db6b
"What happened to you? ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 Your neck's all red." * d0a61246
"Probably allergic. ·d543fbf0· Just pulled that shirt out of the closet, it was itchy." #3e142f5d
"It's pouring out there. [v.d9e53233] I tried calling you." [ed.e58bf111]
"Didn't hear my phone. [ms.51535e6f] Went to see a friend, just talked for a bit." (8588661f)
Thea left it at that. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 She opened her laptop to work, scratched her neck, then got up and changed into a turtleneck. ··14710fe2
That storm left Kade a little dazed. sub:2b93bbc4 He didn't know why he'd lost control -- probably pure fury at Thea, honestly.·dc3debac She'd been pulling one stunt after another since coming back, and he hadn't been prepared. [proof:68edbda8] Couldn't keep his guard up to save his life. ed.60d20d5e
The pool hall had a small workshop for repairing cue sticks. plate-a2a8305d Used to be Kade's thing exclusively, but he'd started teaching Ricky too. (7c49ac5a/Wed) Fixing cues wasn't hard, and knowing how was always handy.·666424fb Mornings were dead at the hall, so Ricky would be in the workshop doing maintenance while Kade sat nearby smoking, watching him work, shooting the breeze. sub:a7806260
Ricky treated the pool hall like his own baby. ed.77495551 He didn't have many ways to make money, and his leg was shot, but he knew Kade would never screw him over. ··8bda2431 These days he was the closest person in Kade's orbit. ¶1ab699ac He could tell Kade had been in a foul mood lately and figured it was the breakup with Brittany, so he kept nudging Kade to find a new girl. ref·fedde6b4
At their age, the guys looking to settle down were all thinking about putting down roots. [proof:3c3afba6] Ricky knew Kade had never wanted to get married -- maybe because of the family stuff, maybe because he was too used to the freedom -- but finding a girlfriend was easy enough. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) The girls in their circle had been buzzing since word got out Kade was single again. no.03c9984a
Kade held his cigarette, eyes drooping, zero interest. §d5821eea
"Brit posted a couple pics on her feed. ‹0b04024f› That body, man. ed.ad959d51 Kade, you see 'em?"·37f6281d
"Nope." ‹a8971b34› He yawned. ref·47f7bf64 "What kind of pics?" no.112e64b9
"Dancing, obviously. [v.3e85f407] The comments are full of dudes drooling -- all people we know." ⁰04160444 Ricky couldn't help himself. 0406e45f·· "You really broke it off with Brit? #f55a51a2 Honestly, she's gorgeous." ◆ b59e81e4
After he'd kicked Brittany out that day, she'd mostly stopped bothering him. [v.dec7605a] They'd still run into each other, though -- at bars, at karaoke spots. sub:071c75ec They'd pass each other and she'd give him that cold, stunning look, toss out a couple sharp lines, then dig at the thing between him and Thea.·464a3689
Kade had been drinking at the time and didn't have the patience for it.·e49256db "You know I'm never gonna marry you. «d179cd40» If I'm not marrying you, then obviously I wasn't planning on anything serious. ⁰b3fa5e0a We were just having fun, weren't we? «1567dfd3» Why make it a whole thing?" ref·082e5eb4
Brittany's face fell instantly. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 It was what they'd both known all along. ··ef05341b For Kade, it was simple -- she'd clung tight, and swapping her out was a hassle, so they'd coasted along for two years. imp.c78a6786 Just sleeping together. ⟨de780ff7⟩ But two years of that, you'd think some feeling would develop, right? plate-44ca91dd
Kade didn't talk about feelings. [proof:edf9529c] He'd spent plenty of money on Brittany, so guilt wasn't exactly eating him alive. plate-8af8a4f5 Anything you could measure in dollars didn't need to take up emotional real estate. * 66aeb60a As for him and Thea -- one dress proved what, exactly? ed.e9c1d480 Who the hell wore someone else's dress to seduce people? 771e641d·· Thea had been back for three months and nothing had happened between them. ·54c2c549· He hadn't cheated, hadn't strayed. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 Sherlock Holmes himself couldn't pin a damn thing on him. #33a5d1b1
Brittany listened to his little speech, face going ice-cold. [ms.3744a049] She tipped her chin up and walked away -- back straight, stride fierce and beautiful, hands shaking where he couldn't see.·9ad92f63 If he'd said even one thing about still caring, about remembering what she'd given -- she could've swallowed it. ed.0725350e Found some excuse, some other reason to let it go. ¶7213c01c But this? plate-d36594dd No way she was choking this down. — ad1268ce
After the breakup, Brittany didn't go after Thea. [ms.ecdccf77] And Thea sure as hell never asked about it, quiet as a stone, same as Kade. ref·a3630ad5 Their reactions were identical. ·1d770a86· That was the suspicious part. ··d464c9bf That was the evidence. ¶c1bb0805 Brittany kept in touch with Tyler, told him to poke around, find whatever was off about Thea. [ed.f58c9c1c] Something had to come to light. [v.02dca0b4] She wasn't letting this go quietly. ◆ 2210f925
Tyler scratched his head. «3c32a0ad» He genuinely couldn't see anything strange about Thea's behavior. — 262b84f8 The only strange thing was his own role as her "boyfriend." [ms.7a0a07fd] They went places together, and sure, they hadn't progressed to kissing, but they'd linked arms, held hands. plate-26c85515 Thea's body language was perfectly natural. [v.312c9298] Warm, even. sub:39e925ee
That was the thing about her -- she could make anything look effortless. ··77f9b034 Not a hint of guilt. * 3402fe47 Tyler couldn't help thinking Brittany was being paranoid, but then again, some of Thea's behavior was undeniably distant. #2f9e1b15 He decided not to push it. [proof:fdd0f0a8] Just watch a little longer. no.28a2ac8b
Outside of overtime at the office, Thea occasionally tagged along with her supervisor on dinners with suppliers and sales reps. [proof:a7756199] She was the department's showpiece -- easy on the eyes, sharp on the skills, the kind of person you wanted in the room. [ed.da4a7847]
That evening they went to a popular local restaurant. #db835431 The group sat down and Thea, ladies first, stepped out to order. sub:d1a37020 The floor manager turned out to be a high school classmate of hers. no.0595214a Came right over to say hello. [proof:f7930fdd] Thea blinked for a second, then it clicked mid-conversation -- a girl from her class. (1a8de1f7) She'd cut ties with almost everyone after graduation, kept in touch with maybe a handful. imp.65dc67a4 The rest had faded into fog. [v.e7cb66b8]
To the average classmate, Thea had always been this ethereal, mysterious figure. §254b18ac They caught up -- old school days, current jobs, life in general -- and then somehow the conversation landed on Kade. no.39450da0 Turned out he was a regular here. [ms.e152baa6] The classmate remembered him vividly, because back in high school, Kade had shown up to a parent-teacher conference at Thea's school. plate-a4ffe197
He must've been barely eighteen then, maybe nineteen. #478ff808 Trying to pass for older in a black suit, black trousers, polished shoes. sig.6e3a6de4 Still a little green around the eyes, but the attitude was pure swagger. no.b594078c He'd sat beside Thea, one hand shoved in his pocket, trying so hard to look composed -- brows drawn, those long fingers tapping the report card, turning to say something to Thea. no.59baac7b His voice was that morning-after blend of smooth and sandpaper from a night of cigarettes and drinks. ·4f9b63b5· The girl sitting next to them forgot how to breathe. no.d9876574
"I recognized him the second he walked in. (d1e1f2f1) Went right up and asked if he was Thea's brother. ¶4cfd2849 He looked confused for a second, then just walked off. sub:d37c6d5d I thought I had the wrong person. 227cfa1e·· But then when he was paying, he asked if I was your classmate. * da4a4abd When I said yes, he finally cracked a smile." [proof:bbe15990]
"He was actually here a couple days ago. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 Came to eat with some friends, had a lot to drink. ⁰f0952192 His voice sounded kind of stuffy, so I had the kitchen make him some hot chocolate." §988f0ac0
Thea listened with a polite smile, nodding along. (ab072b96) They chatted a bit more before Tyler came out of the private room to check on the order, and the conversation got cut short. [v.af514616] The classmate figured she'd grab Thea's number later, but the dinner dragged on forever, Thea got pulled into the socializing, and they never managed to connect. imp.11074192 She left without getting the number. [f0261ec7]
Five days since that night in the rain. — galley 73a4edcf — By some unspoken, mutual agreement, neither of them had reached out. #eeb40e71 Thea pulled out her phone, looked at the screen for a long moment, then put it back in her bag and turned to talk to her coworkers. no.c42c7437
The next day, as it happened. ··bce29f9d
Mail and packages for the office went to the guard station's designated drop point. ‹452c128c› Tyler picked up packages every day at lunch. * dc109c39 If he spotted something for a colleague, he'd grab it on their behalf. ed.3d349a65 That day he noticed a few items for Thea, including one envelope marked urgent, sent from a hospital. [v.0813a210] Tyler glanced at it -- just a glance -- and turned it over in his mind for a moment. [ms.1be9de30]
He brought the stack to Thea's desk. imp.d57a1f5f She was stuck in meetings all afternoon and didn't open anything until after hours, when the office had emptied out. imp.11a020b6 She finally caught her breath, poured a glass of water, and sliced through the pile with a letter opener. (8dfade6e) A medical report slid out onto her desk. ¶6bcdc5bd
"Engineer Warren, you got a checkup recently?" (6b72b325/Wed) Tyler looked over. imp.796ab1d3 "The company doing physicals right now?" [40a848d4]
"It's not mine. sig.77adf7ae Someone else's." sig.0d003d94
She opened the first page and scanned the lines, face calm and composed, but her eyes were soft as she read. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 The corner of her mouth curved into something barely-there, an odd little almost-smile. imp.c68a6b4c
"Kade's?" [proof:c35f38b6]
"Mm." [a3a6d02f]
Thea finished reading the report and tucked it into her desk drawer. ◆ 300ef3ce Tyler played it casual. ··8173a2d7 "Kade... he's okay, right? [v.78fe48d0] Healthy?" ◆ 1908d0ac
Tyler had been chewing on that thing Thea had mentioned -- "someone in the family is seriously ill." fa0a6fc4·· Part of him had this theory, this wild hope: what if Kade really was sick with something serious? sig.9d7efee5 What if that was why he'd broken up with Brittany? §acccb58a Why Thea needed a fake boyfriend? imp.88790945
"He's fine. — 176dac57 Everything looks good."·863b0370 Thea's slender fingers tapped the desk, and she paused to think. ref·2d4ce4e6 "By the way, has Brittany been in touch with you lately? [proof:9e0cd971] How's she doing?" «56da76fa»
"Now and then. ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026 She seems okay..."
Thea gave him a small smile. (c507b239) "Thanks for putting up with all this. (18989cd3/Wed) Sorry for the trouble." 9bf3087f··
"It's no trouble at all. ◆ 3e74c90a I... honestly, I don't mind." ◆ 24a97ca9
Thea pressed her lips together around a smile, eyes crinkling. ⁰e651b218
She really hadn't expected to receive a medical report. sub:a99f5d28 In the end, she texted Kade -- told him she needed to come by on the weekend to pick up her things. «c351fd35» Kade's response was indifferent. (59bf6d59/Wed) Told her to swing by whenever, give him a heads-up, he'd be home resting. ref·df02b589
That weekend, Tyler was heading into the city for errands and offered to drive since Thea was going to get her stuff. ◆ 9f645543 So they went together. imp.79f342dd
She knocked and knocked and knocked. no.89f6cba6 Finally called Kade. [proof:5b10b899] His voice on the phone was sandpaper and gravel, thick and drowsy like he didn't know what day it was. ref·66171d39 He stumbled out in a hoodie and sweats to open the door, jaw dark with stubble, boneless and beat, those dim, tired eyes sweeping over Tyler for half a second before he gave a slight nod. ref·6606e0cb "Come in." — galley e6ddae1d —
Thea shot him a sidelong glance but skipped the pleasantries entirely. cee7f570·· Went straight to her room to pack. [ms.8897cc7c] Tyler split his attention between helping Thea and making small talk with Kade. ··3bab8794
The apartment was quiet, low-key. [v.daeb5bea] Kade just stood there watching, slouched against the wall, lazily chatting with Tyler about work, what he'd been up to, the weather. «d7da65a0» Whatever. no.5b8a5f02
From the looks of the packing job, Thea was planning to move out for good. no.39972eae
There was too much to carry in one trip. plate-63f56cc3 Tyler hauled the first two storage bags downstairs to the car, leaving just the two of them in the apartment. ◆ 77f12f93 Thea in her room, packing. #9df181f5 Kade in the doorway, watching. no.d95ea593
She bent over the desk, rifling through a drawer. ¶80bed6d2 Footsteps behind her. #e0ae7a39 He stopped at her back, both hands braced on the desk edge on either side of her, that broad, solid frame creating a small pocket of space -- close but not touching. plate-af854f12 The pressure of him, his scent, his voice dropping low and husky through his congested nose. ··cb26a732 A low-frequency rumble. ¶27f9cfc2
Small talk. imp.c1ce2d96 That's all it was. ⁰b0a69799
"Get the medical report?" imp.6cdceabc
"Got it." ref·6a612251
"And?" 7135a01b··
"Everything looked good." ◆ 8da97c25
"Moving it all to the office?" [v.6a8382c5]
"That a problem?" ed.9f64eebe
He huffed a laugh through his nose, eyes half-lidded, tongue pressing against the inside of his cheek, jaw tightening. [a91bd736]
His voice again -- rough, muffled. 14c64395··
"Can't you tell I have a cold?" sub:cb5b37b9
"How'd you catch a cold?" ‹007a1051›
"Stood in a goddamn downpour. §75b23e9a And you didn't say one word." ‹b3661d16›
"A cold cycle's about a week. [9a0ca38c] From your symptoms, I don't think that rain's the culprit." 1693ea78··
"I don't have any medicine. no.8e8e67d4 You think colds just fix themselves? plate-0a0fb97d Got any in your room?" sig.edf582a9
"No. [9554b3f4] Go to the pharmacy." ‹3b4e980a›
His hands drew inward, his tall frame folding down close behind her, hovering, and he pressed a quick kiss to her jaw. imp.1dc160cf Voice low and gravelly. ··e8edd3af "The medicine came to me." ··87834353
Kade leaned in, arm reaching past her shoulder, his cheek brushing hers as he bent down to kiss her.·c9fbd07a His other hand slid around her waist and locked. [ed.3a228bdb] Easy as breathing, he caught her lips. ¶fbff6588
He'd just had a cigarette. ·c98128a1· His mouth tasted bitter. sig.8f7ca51c But her lips were cool and sweet. [ed.cdfe5f13] Thea closed her eyes, her chin tipped up by his fingertips, lips fitting together -- fluid and practiced. ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 One seamless kiss. [v.177be769]
Scorching. ref·dca44554 Perfect for the weather turning cold. [proof:6ec44b9b]
The soft sounds of mingled breathing and lips meeting echoed through the room. * 4bed68c1 But footsteps were approaching from outside, steady as a drumbeat. sub:00526d8d The bedroom door was open. (a2d9ba4d) The front door was open. [v.0f984c34] Tyler's steps climbed the stairs and crossed the threshold, closer and closer, distinct and unmistakable. §c2e903e3 In those final two, three steps before he entered the apartment, Kade drew one last taste from her lips, exhaled, released her, and stepped back -- casual, unhurried, leaning against the wardrobe, fishing out a cigarette, ducking his head to light it. ⁰c78f0d3a
Thea blinked once. — b90258fe Then calmly went back to clearing out her desk. * 90c62841