Chapter 23: Stray Dog
Thea started her junior year at seventeen. ‹96684423› No melodrama, no girlish daydreams -- just the science track, head down, grinding through schoolwork, fingers barely brushing the hem of what the SATs would demand. §57defed7 Kade had graduated from trade school by then. (3174e55a) Got himself a job doing security at a nightclub -- basically a glorified bouncer for the graveyard shift, dealing with customers who got out of line. #7f88db6b Their lives started splitting apart in earnest. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 Thea didn't board at school. * d0a61246 She was there during the day, biking to and from home morning and night. ·d543fbf0· Kade clocked in at six p.m. #3e142f5d and worked till four a.m., spent his off-hours shooting pool, hanging out, eating, drinking, screwing around. [v.d9e53233] Ten days could pass, two weeks, and they'd barely cross paths at home. [ed.e58bf111]
Thea left for school at six-thirty every morning. [ms.51535e6f] Sometimes she'd catch Kade coming home to crash. (8588661f) Some days he'd be in a dress shirt and slacks and polished shoes. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Other days, back to a T-shirt and jeans. ··14710fe2 The neighbors had long since learned to keep their distance. sub:2b93bbc4 He'd just pulled an all-nighter, brow furrowed, slouching around with a cigarette dangling from his lips.·dc3debac He'd spot Thea at the table with her milk and eggs, toss a couple hundred bucks her way. [proof:68edbda8] She'd shake her head -- *don't need it*. He'd disappear into the bathroom, call back that he'd won it playing pool, told her to put it on her meal card. ed.60d20d5e
Money wasn't tight anymore. plate-a2a8305d Thea never had to worry about groceries or tutoring fees again. (7c49ac5a/Wed) Kade's nightclub pay covered his own expenses, and he hustled on the side playing people at snooker -- three, five hundred bucks a game, won more than he lost.·666424fb What he brought home was more than enough. sub:a7806260 Over a month, the loose bills he handed Thea added up to a couple thousand -- plenty for food and clothes. ed.77495551 No more bargain-bin outfits. ··8bda2431 She could wear decent things and actually go out with classmates. ¶1ab699ac
Thea took that money and bought clothes and shoes for both of them, replaced the worn-out household stuff, swapped out everything that was broken. ref·fedde6b4 She stood on tiptoe on a step stool to change the old fluorescent tubes for energy-saving bulbs. [proof:3c3afba6] Kade stood below, hand out. (c9f3cbd2/Wed)
"Give it here." no.03c9984a
"You sure about that?" §d5821eea She looked down at him. ‹0b04024f› "I didn't flip the breaker." ed.ad959d51
"You think that still scares me?"·37f6281d He stood with his hands on his hips, looking up, smile widening. ‹a8971b34› "You're changing a light bulb without cutting the power? ref·47f7bf64 You got a death wish?" no.112e64b9
"I'm really good at electrical physics." [v.3e85f407]
"How good? ⁰04160444 Good as a licensed electrician? 0406e45f·· Keep running that mouth and you'll get struck by lightning." #f55a51a2 Kade tugged her pant leg. ◆ b59e81e4 "Get down. [v.dec7605a] Go make my bed." sub:071c75ec
"Okay."·464a3689 She patted her hands clean, eyes smiling, and climbed down.·e49256db "The table's wobbly too. «d179cd40» Needs a nail or something." ⁰b3fa5e0a
"Anything else around here need fixing?" «1567dfd3»
"The rice cooker's busted. ref·082e5eb4 Can you fix it?" ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026
"Just buy a new one. ··ef05341b It's not that much." imp.c78a6786
"We barely eat at home anymore..."
"That's the whole point. ⟨de780ff7⟩ We got money now -- eat out." plate-44ca91dd
"Is my cooking that bad?" [proof:edf9529c]
"You really need me to answer that? plate-8af8a4f5 How much pasta have we eaten in the last two years? * 66aeb60a Tch... no wonder you look like a noodle." ed.e9c1d480
*Look like a noodle?* Bland and scrawny and nothing to see? 771e641d··
Thea felt that tug of sour and funny at the same time. ·54c2c549· She ate lunch and dinner at school now. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 Kade's meals were all takeout and whatever. #33a5d1b1 She only got one day off a week, and it never lined up with his. [ms.3744a049] One like the sun, the other like the moon.·9ad92f63 On the rare days they were both home, they'd patch things up around the apartment and add whatever was missing. ed.0725350e
Kade's eighteenth birthday fell on Christmas Eve. ¶7213c01c Just another day. plate-d36594dd He got off work at five a.m., grabbed food with the guys, then headed home. — ad1268ce He'd gotten used to the all-nighters by now. [ms.ecdccf77] Mornings were all cigarettes keeping him functional. ref·a3630ad5 He caught Thea downstairs on her way out -- that school uniform hung off her like a tent, scarf wrapped around half her face, just her neat brows and eyes peeking out, pushing her bike, telling him good morning. ·1d770a86·
Her voice was like frost on roof tiles. ··d464c9bf Not much feeling in it, but nice to hear. ¶c1bb0805
"Cold?" [ed.f58c9c1c]
"Nope." [v.02dca0b4] She bounced the question back. ◆ 2210f925 "You cold?" «3c32a0ad»
He reeked of smoke. — 262b84f8 Black hoodie over a white dress shirt, hood pulled up, looking every bit the delinquent. [ms.7a0a07fd]
"Nah. plate-26c85515 Get to class." [v.312c9298]
Thea nodded and pedaled off. sub:39e925ee
At lunchtime she skipped staying at school, rushed out to buy a birthday cake, and carried it home. ··77f9b034 Kade had just woken up. * 3402fe47 He was on the bedroom floor doing push-ups, the lean muscles of his shoulders and traps flexing in clean lines with each rep. #2f9e1b15 At the nightclub he lied about his age -- told them he was twenty-one. [proof:fdd0f0a8] To pull that off, he needed to look bigger, more filled out, so the apartment was littered with dumbbells and an ab wheel and all kinds of workout gear. no.28a2ac8b
The door opened and they both froze. [proof:a7756199]
Kade was in nothing but his boxers, shirtless and drenched in sweat, looking up from the floor. [ed.da4a7847] Thea hadn't been sure he'd be home. #db835431 She stood there with the cake box in her hands, turning to look at him, and got a direct view of the taut line running from his back all the way down to his feet, and that firm, curved backside. sub:d1a37020 Her face flushed. no.0595214a She set the cake box on the table with a composure she absolutely did not feel. [proof:f7930fdd]
He sprang up off the floor, that supposedly casual move betraying a flash of urgency, retreating out of her line of sight to pull on a shirt and pants. (1a8de1f7) "Why are you back?" imp.65dc67a4
"I bought a cake. [v.e7cb66b8] And some other stuff." §254b18ac Thea unwound her scarf. no.39450da0 "Have you eaten lunch?" [ms.e152baa6]
"Not yet." plate-a4ffe197 Muffled voice. #478ff808 "Just woke up." sig.6e3a6de4
"Can I cook?" no.b594078c
"Just grab whatever. no.59baac7b Why'd you come back? ·4f9b63b5· Don't you have class this afternoon?" no.d9876574
"First period's gym. (d1e1f2f1) I skipped it, so I can head back late." ¶4cfd2849 She held up another bag. sub:d37c6d5d "It's Christmas Eve. 227cfa1e·· Everyone's giving out presents." * da4a4abd
He knew. [proof:bbe15990] The nightclub had a party going, a big blowout. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 The performances were good, all glitter and excess. ⁰f0952192 Girls had given him chocolates and wrapped apples too. §988f0ac0 He hadn't brought any of it home. (ab072b96) Gave it all away. [v.af514616]
Dressed now, Kade walked out with a straight face. imp.11074192 Saw the cake box. [f0261ec7] His lips parted, a beat of surprise, but he didn't say anything. — galley 73a4edcf — Turned and went to the bathroom to wash up. #eeb40e71
Thea had grabbed a couple things from the deli counter. no.c42c7437 Half an hour for rice, two quick dishes, and lunch was on the table. ··bce29f9d
They sat down. ‹452c128c› Thea picked up her fork, then hesitated. * dc109c39 "So... are you supposed to eat the cake first? ed.3d349a65 Or after the meal?" [v.0813a210]
"How would I know?" [ms.1be9de30] He ripped the box open, big and careless. imp.d57a1f5f "It all goes in the same place. imp.11a020b6 Eat it with dinner." (8dfade6e)
The cake was only six inches. ¶6bcdc5bd Small. (6b72b325/Wed) Just enough for two. imp.796ab1d3 It came with number candles and a party hat. [40a848d4] Kade watched Thea stick the candles in -- a one and an eight. sig.77adf7ae The hat, he decided, was idiotic, and tossed it in the trash. sig.0d003d94 The lighter hissed and sparked, two tiny flames reflected in four eyes. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 Thea didn't know what to say to liven things up, and Kade's face was perfectly blank, not a shred of festivity. imp.c68a6b4c He blew the candles out in one breath and scooped out two slabs of cake. [proof:c35f38b6]
"Eat." [a3a6d02f]
"Thanks." ◆ 300ef3ce
They both tucked in. ··8173a2d7 Thea paused mid-bite, spoon still in her mouth. [v.78fe48d0] "Turning eighteen's kind of a big deal." ◆ 1908d0ac
"Mm." fa0a6fc4··
"I didn't get you a present. sig.9d7efee5 Because I'd just be spending your money." §acccb58a Her voice went small. imp.88790945 "Buy something expensive, it feels wrong. — 176dac57 Buy something cheap, that's wrong too."·863b0370
"Go buy me some boots when you get a chance. ref·2d4ce4e6 Good leather ones. [proof:9e0cd971] Sturdy enough to kick somebody. «56da76fa» Built to take a beating." ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026
"..." Thea's eyes went round. (c507b239) "Stop getting in fights. (18989cd3/Wed) And don't swear..."
"..." Kade's mouth twitched. 9bf3087f·· He bent over his cake. ◆ 3e74c90a
They ate the rest of the food. ◆ 24a97ca9 Kade asked when Thea's birthday was. ⁰e651b218 April 19th, she told him. sub:a99f5d28 Birthdays had never really been a thing in their house. «c351fd35» Kade had never celebrated one. (59bf6d59/Wed) But for Thea's, if Tammy remembered, she'd send a little money, buy a few pastries. ref·df02b589
Thea needed to be at school by three. ◆ 9f645543 Kade was heading out around the same time. imp.79f342dd After lunch they still had a bit to kill, so they slouched on the couch, turned on the TV, and pulled the leftover cake over. no.89f6cba6 A spoon stuck in each side, one bite for him, one bite for her, until it was gone. [proof:5b10b899]
They rode the bus together, two hands gripping the same pole, standing shoulder to shoulder. ref·66171d39 Kade was a full head taller. ref·6606e0cb He glanced down at her, twice, then reached over and wiped something from her temple with his fingertip. — galley e6ddae1d — Thea looked up, confused. cee7f570··
He smirked, licked the sweetness off his fingertip, and teased: "How do you get frosting in your hair eating cake? [ms.8897cc7c] Don't girls check the mirror before they leave? ··3bab8794 Don't y'all carry a mirror and a comb everywhere?" [v.daeb5bea]
Every girl alive knows how to zero in on the important detail. «d7da65a0»
"Which girl does that?" no.5b8a5f02
"All of them." no.39972eae Kade's tone was breezy. plate-63f56cc3 "Girls at school. ◆ 77f12f93 Girls at the nightclub..."
He stopped himself. #9df181f5 Pressed his lips together, quick. no.d95ea593 The nightclub scene was a different universe from honors kids at a prep school. ¶80bed6d2
Thea's expression flickered. #e0ae7a39 She blinked, said nothing. plate-af854f12
The nightclub Kade worked at had a reputation around town. ··cb26a732 It belonged to a man named Kessler -- his whole operation. ¶27f9cfc2 Grand as a castle, dripping with gold and flash. imp.c1ce2d96 Performance halls, karaoke rooms, bars, a cigar-and-wine lounge, the works. ⁰b0a69799 The clientele ran the full spectrum from high to low. imp.6cdceabc Security was usually ex-military -- big, broad, intimidating. ref·6a612251 Kade stood six-one, wide shoulders tapering to a narrow waist, and in a suit he filled a room. 7135a01b·· His face and eyes carried that don't-f*ck-with-me edge. ◆ 8da97c25 He told them he was twenty-one, didn't talk much but kept his wits sharp. [v.6a8382c5] Played pool with people, drank with them, always reading the room and the person first. ed.9f64eebe That feral instinct he'd honed since childhood left no space for hesitation. [a91bd736] He even brought Ricky and the rest of the crew in -- valet parking, surveillance room, runner in the card room -- living off tips. 14c64395··
Thea knew that beyond his nightly shifts, Kade trained in kickboxing and boxing during the day. sub:cb5b37b9 A set of steel pipes from the club lived in their apartment now. ‹007a1051› He'd started customizing his own pool cues -- apparently he played with clients, since the club had a pool room that drew crowds. §75b23e9a Sure, pool was supposed to be a gentleman's sport, but in the mid-tier entertainment joints of any city, the pool hall crowd was mostly street guys. ‹b3661d16› Kade met plenty of people over the table. [9a0ca38c] Betting on games was par for the course. 1693ea78·· And the smoking and drinking had gone from casual to serious. no.8e8e67d4 Sometimes he came home smelling like cologne that wasn't his. plate-0a0fb97d
It made her chest tight. sig.edf582a9
He'd stagger in at four a.m. [9554b3f4] hammered from covering someone's drinks, wake Thea up, and she'd see the color drained from his face, bloodshot eyes, and there was no way in hell she could haul him to bed. ‹3b4e980a› Or he'd vanish entirely -- days would pass with no dirty clothes in the hamper, no sign he'd been home at all. imp.1dc160cf On the rare occasion she called, his end was all shouting and laughter, or ear-splitting music and screams. ··e8edd3af Only on his off days would she find Kade sprawled at home, lazy and boneless, lazy and smoking. ··87834353
"Smoking's bad for you."·c9fbd07a Thea looked at him dead-on for once. [ed.3a228bdb] "Smoking causes lung cancer in 80% of cases. ¶fbff6588 Plus chronic coughing, hardened arteries, coronary issues, liver damage, bone loss, reproductive problems. ·c98128a1· You'll stink. sig.8f7ca51c You'll age faster." [ed.cdfe5f13]
"Aging's great. ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 The older I get, the better I look." [v.177be769] He draped an arm over his eyes. ref·dca44554 "And I shower two, three times a day. [proof:6ec44b9b] Where's the stink? * 4bed68c1 Get me a decent bar of soap, will you? sub:00526d8d Every time I wash up I come out all slippery and smelling like flowers. (a2d9ba4d) It's disgusting." [v.0f984c34]
Thea scratched her cheek. §c2e903e3 "There's soap on the shelf?" ⁰c78f0d3a
"That's soap? — b90258fe Or perfume soap? * 90c62841 People lean in close to smell me and call me a pansy." no.1aeba859
"It doesn't smell like anything." imp.1fd6493a Thea sniffed her own arm. ⁰79f84502 "Who's leaning in close enough to smell you?" * 59792421
"Women. (2a01d72e/Wed) Noses sharper than a bloodhound's. §f80f996b Can't smell their own perfume, but they pick up mine just fine." sub:83eb4fbd Kade scowled, blowing a lazy smoke ring. ‹bf21514a› "Thank God you haven't switched me to milk soap." [ms.4aa9e873]
Thea's brow creased. [v.94514ec4] She pressed her lips together, eyes flashing with something sharp and cool. #3368db78 "Oh, the woman who calls you every morning? ··d92c2f46 Picks you up for work?" ⟨f1c6db0b⟩
He clicked his tongue, thought about it. ee600586·· "What if I got a girlfriend?" #60776720
Thea's hands went still for a beat. ed.f57fc05a Her voice came out heavier than she intended. [v.fe88d255] "Sure. ⟨2767dbc8⟩ Whatever you want." ⟨4fa162a7⟩