Chapter 7: Bone
Brittany Torres's slap cracked across Kade's jaw before either of them saw it coming. ‹96684423› It didn't land that hard, honestly, but the sharp sound of it startled even her. §57defed7 Her nerve shrank three sizes. (3174e55a) Then she saw Kade's murderous expression and heard him roar, and all she felt was a messy knot of shame, panic, and confusion. #7f88db6b
She'd been genuinely furious — she'd worked hard to hold that girlfriend spot. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026
The bar wasn't the first time she'd seen Kade. * d0a61246 He'd been there a few nights in a row, holding down a booth, apparently handling some kind of business. ·d543fbf0· White button-down under those colored lights — hard to miss. #3e142f5d Brit made her move. [v.d9e53233] A glass of red wine, "accidentally" tipped. [ed.e58bf111] He caught the falling glass with a grin, smooth as anything, and the conversation slid naturally into dry-cleaning costs and phone numbers. [ms.51535e6f] After that, mutual friends, group hangouts, one thing leading to another. (8588661f) Just like that, they were a thing. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026
Back then, some clingy ex still popped up now and again — girl whose family ran an underground card room, real piece of work. ··14710fe2 Brit had dug around about the breakup. sub:2b93bbc4 The ex had dragged Kade out to buy rings.·dc3debac He didn't want to. [proof:68edbda8] They ended up buying a matching set anyway, and when the girl tried to slide the band onto his finger, he got annoyed, tossed the ring, and dumped her on the spot. ed.60d20d5e
Brit understood the impulse to stake a claim. plate-a2a8305d Just at the pool hall alone, Kade could kill half the night. (7c49ac5a/Wed) He had several gorgeous girls on rotation for practice partners — hanging around him all day, cracking jokes.·666424fb And then there were the girls who showed up just to watch him. sub:a7806260 He'd teach them how to shoot, leaning over the table, that smooth athletic back on display, narrow waist, tight ass, his hands guiding theirs on the cue. ed.77495551 How many girls could resist that? ··8bda2431
Even with Brit camped out at the pool hall 24/7, she couldn't fend off every girl who pressed up against him. ¶1ab699ac Kade wasn't stupid — he wasn't going to chase away customers. ref·fedde6b4 He'd plant both hands on the edge of the table, all lazy smiles, cigarette smoke clinging to him, toss out a joke, and the girls would blush and giggle while his actual girlfriend got elbowed aside. [proof:3c3afba6] He didn't care if the woman beside him was clingy or controlling. (c9f3cbd2/Wed) Didn't matter either way. no.03c9984a He kept his mouth shut and did his own thing. §d5821eea Disappeared for a week or two without a word. ‹0b04024f› Never checked in. ed.ad959d51
At first, Brit figured she'd just have her fun and bail.·37f6281d Wild guys weren't the settling-down type. ‹a8971b34› But then he'd lift those lazy eyes and look at her, and she just... couldn't walk away. ref·47f7bf64 Besides, Kade treated her fine. no.112e64b9 The sex was good. [v.3e85f407] He wasn't stingy with money — better than guys who took everything and gave nothing back. ⁰04160444 She'd be crazy not to lock it down. 0406e45f··
Eventually, Brit got tight with his crew. #f55a51a2 She'd subtly fish for intel on his whereabouts, and she had a pretty good read on his daily moves. ◆ b59e81e4 She kept herself small, held on tight, and they'd been on-and-off for over a year. [v.dec7605a] She felt like she had a handle on him — mostly. sub:071c75ec She knew a guy like Kade, restless and untethered, would probably stray sooner or later.·464a3689 But seeing Thea standing behind him, studying her with those calm black-and-white eyes — that shattered something inside her.·e49256db She didn't think. «d179cd40» Her brain short-circuited and her hand just flew. ⁰b3fa5e0a
Flew, and then — blank. «1567dfd3»
*Thud.*
Thea shut her bedroom door. ref·082e5eb4 Not a sound from inside. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026
"What sister? ··ef05341b I've never once heard about a sister. imp.c78a6786 Plenty of girls on the side, though." ⟨de780ff7⟩ Brit's lips pressed thin, humiliation burning. plate-44ca91dd Thea's room used to be empty — just storage. [proof:edf9529c] Now, connecting the dots — the signs around the apartment — another woman really had been living here, right under her nose. plate-8af8a4f5 A quiet little homewrecker. * 66aeb60a The romantic evening had turned into a crime scene. ed.e9c1d480
Kade watched her stare at Thea's door. 771e641d·· His voice went dark. ·54c2c549· Dangerous. ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 "That's been her room. #33a5d1b1 She lived in it for ten years. [ms.3744a049] That enough for you?"·9ad92f63
Brit blinked, thrown. ed.0725350e
"Explain. ¶7213c01c Now." plate-d36594dd
"Put some clothes on first." — ad1268ce
Someone else was in the apartment. [ms.ecdccf77] Brit's hair was still dripping, soaking through her T-shirt. ref·a3630ad5 Her legs were bare. ·1d770a86· She scrambled into her own clothes, then looked at Kade — arms crossed, jaw tight, a storm of restless irritation barely contained. ··d464c9bf
Before either of them could speak, the bedroom door opened. ¶c1bb0805 Thea stepped out in a loose, plain T-shirt and drawstring pants, hair dryer in hand. [ed.f58c9c1c] Her expression was neutral. [v.02dca0b4] Her voice was gentle. ◆ 2210f925
"The hair dryer's in my room. «3c32a0ad» You should dry your hair. — 262b84f8 Your shower stuff was under the sink cabinet — I didn't know whose it was, so I put it all away." [ms.7a0a07fd]
"I'm Thea. plate-26c85515 I've been staying here about two weeks. [v.312c9298] Kade wasn't home when I got back, so I took it upon myself to clean up." sub:39e925ee
There was nothing on her face — no shame, no tension, no smugness, no mockery. ··77f9b034 She didn't sound like she was covering or lying. * 3402fe47 If anything, she was so calm it made everyone else feel steadied. #2f9e1b15 Brit frowned, glancing between her and Kade, suspicion ping-ponging back and forth. [proof:fdd0f0a8]
"You're his sister? no.28a2ac8b Like, a relative, or...?"
They looked nothing alike. [proof:a7756199] Didn't even share a last name. [ed.da4a7847]
"He never mentioned me?" #db835431 Thea asked. sub:d1a37020
"Of course not!" no.0595214a
Two women. [proof:f7930fdd] Four eyes. (1a8de1f7) All on him. imp.65dc67a4 Kade scowled, face dark, and grabbed Brit's arm. [v.e7cb66b8] "I'm taking you home." §254b18ac
"When I walked in, I heard noises. no.39450da0 He said it was his sister-in-law coming over." [ms.e152baa6] Thea took a step back. plate-a4ffe197 "On the drive here, he said he wanted us all to have dinner together. #478ff808 Get introduced. sig.6e3a6de4 You two talk. no.b594078c I need to be at the office early tomorrow, so I'm turning in." no.59baac7b
Brit caught her tone, her eyes growing wider. ·4f9b63b5· She wanted to press Kade for answers, but he cut her off with a bark. no.d9876574 "In the car." (d1e1f2f1)
She stumbled after him downstairs. ¶4cfd2849 The car door slammed shut before she found her voice. sub:d37c6d5d "What can't you say to my face upstairs?" 227cfa1e··
"Why'd you come over?" * da4a4abd Kade frowned. [proof:bbe15990] "Who told you to show up?" ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026
"So she really is your sister? ⁰f0952192 You've never once mentioned having a sister." §988f0ac0
"Yeah." (ab072b96)
Brit still felt something was off. [v.af514616] She dug in, flipping her hair. imp.11074192 "Why can't I come over? [f0261ec7] You said there was something going on at home — this is what? — galley 73a4edcf — Why keep it from me?" #eeb40e71
Kade rubbed his face hard with his thumb. no.c42c7437 Lit a cigarette. ··bce29f9d A cold, irritated grunt. ‹452c128c› "What's it got to do with you? * dc109c39 Do I stick my nose in your family's business? ed.3d349a65 Does your family ever loop me in?" [v.0813a210]
Brit went quiet. [ms.1be9de30] Slumped in the seat, staring into nothing, all the fight leaking out. imp.d57a1f5f "Who is she, really?" imp.11a020b6
His face was still water. (8dfade6e) Not a ripple for her. ¶6bcdc5bd "My sister. (6b72b325/Wed) She's back in Savannah for work. imp.796ab1d3 Living at home." [40a848d4]
The car peeled off, engine roaring. sig.77adf7ae Kade dropped Brit outside her building, didn't linger, and sped away. sig.0d003d94
On the drive back, he swung by the pool hall instead. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 Stayed until closing. imp.c68a6b4c When his car finally pulled up to his building again, the second-floor lights were out. [proof:c35f38b6] The window on the left had its curtains drawn tight. [a3a6d02f] He lit a cigarette, head tipped down, lashes casting fan-shaped shadows beneath his eyes. ◆ 300ef3ce He sat there a long time, smoke drifting slow from his lips. ··8173a2d7 One tanned, solid arm dangled out the car window, fingertip flicking ash. [v.78fe48d0] A tiny red glow, floating in the murky dark. ◆ 1908d0ac
He didn't know why she'd come back. fa0a6fc4··
Brit went digging. sig.9d7efee5 Asked Fuzz, Ricky, Big Head Pete, Marco — Kade's old crew. §acccb58a They all said the same thing. imp.88790945
"Thea's back?" — 176dac57
Kade hadn't told them.·863b0370 None of them knew. ref·2d4ce4e6
Brit's nerves settled by half. [proof:9e0cd971] "Thea? «56da76fa» You all know her?" ©52989f2f/May 27, 2026
They did, but to varying degrees. (c507b239) Some had only heard the name. (18989cd3/Wed) Some had seen her a few times. 9bf3087f·· Some knew her. ◆ 3e74c90a Some were actually pretty tight with her. ◆ 24a97ca9
"Kade's sister. ⁰e651b218 Not by blood, though. sub:a99f5d28 His dad got with some woman from out of state who had a daughter. «c351fd35» They all lived together. (59bf6d59/Wed) Over ten years now. ref·df02b589 She'd been around since Kade was in grade school. ◆ 9f645543 Then Thea got into college, moved to the city, dropped off the radar. imp.79f342dd Never came back." no.89f6cba6
"How come none of you ever said anything?" [proof:5b10b899]
"Kade never brings it up. ref·66171d39 It's not exactly a happy topic. ref·6606e0cb He gets pissed the second anyone mentions it — shuts right down. — galley e6ddae1d — Him and Thea had a terrible relationship. cee7f570·· He used to be mean to her all the time." [ms.8897cc7c]
"They really didn't get along?" ··3bab8794
That brief encounter last night — sure, they'd been stiff. [v.daeb5bea] Distant. «d7da65a0» More like strangers than family or friends. no.5b8a5f02
"Bad. no.39972eae About as bad as sworn enemies. plate-63f56cc3 Ice cold. ◆ 77f12f93 They basically never spoke." #9df181f5
Someone snorted. no.d95ea593 "How bad? ¶80bed6d2 His sister called 911 on him when he got into trouble. #e0ae7a39 Tried to send him to jail. plate-af854f12 He'd never taken an L like that from anyone. ··cb26a732 Drove him insane. ¶27f9cfc2 After she left, he was a much happier man." imp.c1ce2d96
Brit asked around, one by one, and finally pieced it together. ⁰b0a69799 The sister really was an old acquaintance with history, and it really had been a misunderstanding. imp.6cdceabc That scene last night — her accusing Kade of fooling around, right in front of both of them — his face had gone pitch-black. ref·6a612251 In hindsight, yeah. 7135a01b·· Awkward. ◆ 8da97c25
The next day, Brit went to the pool hall to find Kade. [v.6a8382c5] The place was hazy with smoke. ed.9f64eebe He was mid-game, just sank a perfect clearance, riding high. [a91bd736] Brit slid up behind him with a grin, rubbing his shoulders, fetching drinks, apologizing left and right. 14c64395·· She suggested meeting Thea properly, making peace, all of them having a meal together. sub:cb5b37b9
Kade took his time chalking his cue. ‹007a1051› Didn't look at Brit. §75b23e9a He bent low over the table, narrow waist pressed to the rail, and broke. ‹b3661d16› Voice cool. [9a0ca38c] "She's got a company retreat this week. 1693ea78·· Wait till the weekend." no.8e8e67d4
Thea's company had organized a new-hire team-building retreat at a farm outside the city. plate-0a0fb97d Hiking, obstacle courses, cookouts. sig.edf582a9 The group was mostly young guys — energetic, fired up — handling it all without breaking a sweat. [9554b3f4] The few girls gutted it out alongside them, and the guys pitched in when things got rough. ‹3b4e980a› People bonded fast. imp.1dc160cf
Thea and Tyler Ross were from the same area, same major, same department. ··e8edd3af They'd been paired in the same activity group. ··87834353 Plenty of common ground, and they hit it off.·c9fbd07a
Tyler was tall, clean-cut. [ed.3a228bdb] Single eyelids, fair skin, dimples when he smiled. ¶fbff6588 A year younger than Thea. ·c98128a1· Solid, earnest kind of guy. sig.8f7ca51c Everyone went by their engineer titles — they called Thea "Engineer Warren." [ed.cdfe5f13] Thea called him "Engineer Ross." ©e2b4ef04/May 27, 2026 Tyler scratched his head, a little sheepish. [v.177be769] "Sounds like a boiler repairman, honestly. ref·dca44554 Just call me Tyler. [proof:6ec44b9b] Or my English name — Jack." * 4bed68c1
Thea laughed. sub:00526d8d "Tyler it is. (a2d9ba4d) If I yelled 'Jack' on the factory floor, that'd be weird." [v.0f984c34]
Two days of team-building done, everyone lugged a bag of cantaloupes home from the farm. §c2e903e3 Tyler happened to have errands in the city, so he offered Thea a ride. ⁰c78f0d3a She saw him drenched in sweat and invited him up for a glass of water. — b90258fe She also had some technical references from her old job she could lend him. * 90c62841
Tyler didn't refuse. no.1aeba859 He was about to agree when a cigarette butt dropped straight down from above, landing right beside him. imp.1fd6493a They both looked up. ⁰79f84502 Second-floor balcony. * 59792421 A young man sprawled in his seat, one long leg propped on the windowsill, that idle, reckless gaze like sunlight cutting through a storm cloud — aimed straight down at the two of them. (2a01d72e/Wed)
The guy looked familiar. §f80f996b Tyler placed him — the man who'd come to pick Thea up after that group dinner. sub:83eb4fbd
"Engineer Warren... is that your boyfriend?" ‹bf21514a› Tyler stopped walking, a shade of awkwardness crossing his face. [ms.4aa9e873]
"No." [v.94514ec4] Thea glanced up. #3368db78 "My brother." ··d92c2f46
With someone home — and the vibe coming off that guy not exactly welcoming — Tyler decided against going up. ⟨f1c6db0b⟩ He handed Thea the cantaloupes and her backpack, waved, and left. ee600586·· She went upstairs and opened the door. #60776720 Kade was still perched on the balcony windowsill. ed.f57fc05a Seeing her come in, he swung his leg down. [v.fe88d255] Casual. ⟨2767dbc8⟩ "You're back?" ⟨4fa162a7⟩
"Mm." plate-05c187ca
"Thought we agreed I'd pick you up. — ecf0c32b Why'd you come back on your own?" [ed.cf2e3b65]
"Company had a shuttle." ··505a00f5
Thea peeled off her sun shirt right there. ·5be4feb2· Underneath, a white knit tank top. [proof:10022669] Her figure — slender but curved in all the right places. imp.58530bb4 Hair pinned up, exposing the long line of her neck. ©8a23a86d/May 27, 2026 The skin across her shoulders and the back of her neck was burned bright red. ⟨262c1704⟩ Stinging. [ed.32af904e] She kicked her way to her room, dug out some aloe gel, flipped on the bathroom light, and stood in front of the mirror, reaching back to spread it on. ⁰35b2d686
Slim, pale fingers dabbed the cool gel and traced it across her nape, careful and slow. — 79701666 When she hit the small bump of a sunburned vertebra, she sucked in a breath and rubbed gently. — 0f2e5d54
Kade leaned back against the chair, arms crossed, eyes low. ca6a7a82·· "I'll go get Brit. ed.826a068b We'll all eat together tonight."·e86475ef
"Can we eat in? (52a238bb/Wed) I'm sore everywhere from two days of exercise. [proof:f31308b8] I really don't want to go out." sig.b0720667 Thea's face showed her exhaustion. imp.0192d5ee "I'll cook. no.f3212603 You guys just come over." #27a8ccb5
He hesitated, voice edging toward impatient. ⁰634a9c59 "Why bother cooking? «6b2b3bc5» I'll just bring food back." ¶c21855ab
"Fine." [v.5b16118e]
The bathroom door closed in front of him. [v.6f4f6674] Water ran inside. imp.44b07b20 Kade started to leave, then turned back on instinct — and through the frosted glass, caught the blur of something white, a shape drifting past. #282be7df
That evening, Brit and Kade came back together, both carrying takeout. #4edd0ed6 Thea was in the kitchen slicing fruit. [proof:25273d21] She heard them and glanced over her shoulder. [ms.3021d6c5]
Brit was trying hard to be warm. [proof:58054290] She threw an arm around Thea, voice sugary, perfume trailing. ©1a428647/May 27, 2026 "Thea! ◆ 2911e8db Hi." — 159cc9b8
"Hi." ◆ 1a0bc946
"Got you a little something. [v.a5c69e9e] Don't know if you'll like it." — galley d13b26fe — Brit winked and handed over a tube of lipstick. [proof:96c0f758] "Call me Brit, or Brittany, or whatever. ◆ 6e9e8a02 Don't be a stranger." — galley 218b2e91 —
"Thanks, Brit." ◆ a6140da9
Women always found things to talk about. sub:1269d27e Thea looked cool on the surface, but she wasn't actually cold or standoffish. [proof:e2d23ecd] The two of them passed plates back and forth in the kitchen, chatting. ¶3846c4fa Kade stood in the kitchen doorway for a minute, watching them, those dark, still eyes giving nothing away. ⁰16a15620 Then he drifted to the balcony to smoke and scroll his phone. ¶ffe4df89
"About that night — I was out of line. §7fda30d7 I'm sorry." ©6c4f9602/May 27, 2026 Brit had some grit to her, bumping Thea's arm. ref·3cee0b3f "Pretty embarrassing. [48ceb3a6] The whole thing was just... weird." ‹643f95d6›
Thea's voice stayed even. no.6251a6fe "Don't worry about it. §93b6f07b No need to apologize. sig.a4cad0a9 Women run on instinct..."
She stopped mid-sentence. * 2620e753 Didn't finish. ⟨dc91ec2e⟩
Brit sighed, her tone shifting to complaint. ref·6ed4e6b8 "It's not like I wanted to be like that.·c1d3b545 Your brother — you have no idea how much attention he draws. ¶216350a9 Some of those girls won't quit no matter what. ⁰15eca008 I really thought—"
"I get it. d2968805·· He's always been like that. §dde98ce2 Even in vocational school, girls were showing up at the house looking for him." [aa4df60f]
"Really?" (def1f96d)
Thea changed the subject, loading fruit onto a plate and grabbing dishes from the cabinet for the takeout. #d5b51b97 "You guys bought way too much food. plate-1967958f We won't finish all this in one sitting." ©82f34648/May 27, 2026
"Me and your brother both hate cooking. [bb099868] We're used to eating out. e0dd55d5·· He's like that — orders everything he wants, doesn't think twice. sub:5837ca82 I didn't know what you liked either, so I added a couple extra dishes... The restaurant's really popular. [ms.bdaf3ce4] We should all go together next time." — d27bafcf
"Sounds great." plate-47f760c0 Thea smiled. (c67a0941/Wed) "Ordering whatever you want. §8540bef0 That's a good life." [proof:73f18f0e]
They talked. ref·399dae96 Brit asked Thea's age, how long she planned to stay in Savannah, where she went to college, about her new job. ¶b9f8bca4 She was impressed. ©d1feb8e5/May 27, 2026
"That's amazing. — 253b8ab4 But if you were such a good student, how come you didn't rub off on Kade? ¶aff95c45 If he'd actually tried, maybe he could've gone to college. [proof:05622e68] Become an engineer or something." (66151cee/Wed)
Thea didn't seem wistful. [ed.f366ab06] "He didn't want to study. §9e5cce4a You can't force that."·ff0b75ff
True. ·7edaac3e· If Kade Mercer could've been a student, he wouldn't still be in Savannah. [ms.acafb64a] He'd have gone anywhere. §577ad7a1
"So why'd you come back? ref·ae89c3f3 Big cities are so much better. [ed.0d0a6495] I'd love to go out and dance on a bigger stage, but I don't have the chops." plate-f611cc62
"My kind of work — doesn't really matter where I do it. «fde56f35» After graduation I split rent with classmates, spent three hours a day commuting, ate takeout every meal, and pulled overtime constantly. no.da94986e Figured a smaller city would make for a happier life." ⁰e47a3efe
She'd been out there. no.b0371950 Lived in one of the biggest cities in the country. imp.f032e642 Saw what there was to see, learned it was just... that. [ed.ae493556] Nothing special. §1393d3f1 And that was enough. [ed.b29790ba]
Brit nodded along. §934c4c02
A faint trace of cigarette smoke drifted from the kitchen window.·89f29283 Following Thea's gaze, Brit saw Kade leaning on the balcony railing, smoking. — 688338bf Through the glass she could make out a sliver of his profile — the sharp ridge of his brow, the straight line of his nose, that hard jaw. §4411582c
Thea pulled her gaze back, steady. ⁰f5a89b00 Asked Brit, "What about you? d81c4e23·· Living on your own? [proof:7873ec74] Still dancing?" «42b89869»
"I'm at my folks' place. ‹1706a539› Got a little brother — just turned five. §c1608120 Mom and Dad are getting older, still working, so I help out with him. [25e27fdf] I danced for a while — used to work at a theme park, but it was far and the pay sucked. [proof:f638caca] Bars paid better, but that got old too. «8f84d0f5» Now I'm at a gym. imp.ea055f24 Sometimes when they're short-staffed, I cover an aerobics class." [proof:91f048c6]
"That's a pretty rich work history. [5b4821fe] Way more interesting than mine." #1a572159 Thea nodded, genuine. ⟨12247e11⟩ "My life's kind of boring. plate-e3a28a95 Sometimes I envy people with a different kind of life." «d7ee73d0»
The sister was way easier to deal with than the brother.·406c0e0d
Kitchen cleaned up, the three of them sat around the table. plate-1501962a Small talk, daily stuff. [v.180aff10] Kade didn't say much. ‹238d9dd7› Thea wasn't the chatty type either. «14d27ff7» Brit kept things lively, circling the conversation back to Thea. ·cca9cfee·
"So, Thea — got a boyfriend?" «7aa0ff91»
Thea shook her head. ·6151650f·
"Twenty-four, girl. 01925b64·· Time to get out there. ©d3b3f6d3/May 27, 2026 What's your type? sig.789dfe6e I might know somebody. [ed.f8999b6f] The gym's got a few guys with solid looks and good prospects." ‹3441a8a1›
Kade sat nearby, beer can in hand, brow faintly creased. (15ca497e)
Thea peeled shrimp, head down, actually considering it. ··b59bb94d She smiled. [ms.f1a28c71] "No specific type. (b961a35c/Wed) Chemistry matters more than a checklist." * 9fa6eadf
"Wait — have you dated before?" ⁰57328dd6
"Yeah." ref·6c70f3d3
Brit grinned. [proof:31a4db0c] "Would've never guessed. ed.cfa5bf88 You've got that sweet, innocent vibe. — galley 9bed3f49 — Like the type who'd go on a proper setup." — dc034fb3
"You wouldn't guess I've dated?" [ed.515b0c3a] A flicker of amusement. ‹2df01241› "I've had two boyfriends." no.b7eac522
Brit leaned in. [v.e3790f89] "Seriously? [ms.eef316e6] When?" * 8ad8aafd
"One was a college classmate. no.b99547a9 The other I met through work. sub:8d078ff0 Three-plus years between them." — galley 3aaf74d3 —
Kade had lit a cigarette. [ed.a61bfeb0] His eyes went cold. ◆ a3f95502 He cut in. imp.5d934fea "Why'd you break up? ¶c0234cb3 What happened?" [3c0b89d2]
Brit laughed and shoved him. plate-1d5d7dda "Why so intense? 2d68f290·· You gonna go break their legs?" ◆ cf561863
Thea took her time. no.3883d16b "The college boyfriend — his family's from up north. ©6a55076d/May 27, 2026 After graduation, his parents set him up with a job back home. ·d8acc258· I didn't want to follow, so we split. [v.525054a1] The other one — his parents were professors.·b721b734 Lots of requirements. (eda4a741/Wed) So that ran its course too."·0b6c2b82
Two boyfriends. §ad6a81b3 The first had been the best of the guys who'd pursued her.·38267bc0 The second she'd actually chased down herself. 089e2c9b·· Real relationships — proper romance, all the flowers-and-moonlight stuff. ed.d49f1b18 Both breakups were her call. (7bc93651) She'd pulled away clean, no lingering agony, no drama. sub:f1fc0ba5
"Breakups happen. [v.7eaf6f6d] No big deal." [proof:d7f9c462] Brit squeezed her arm. — 7703b1a0 "Savannah's got plenty of good guys. ©11ae522d/May 27, 2026 You'll find someone." [ms.abd88ebc]
Thea wiped her fingers clean and smiled, eyes clear and bright. (0573c445) "I've never worried about that, honestly. (496277aa/Wed) My company's got hundreds of male engineers. [v.8ed615de] Lots of them are single.·fd38b181 Finding someone shouldn't be hard." ⟨280a3e19⟩
"True. ‹1b618964› Take your time, pick a good one. #f80f8fce We'll all help you screen." [v.2bd5a329]