Haunting-Adeline

I lose myself. My name. My iden ty. My soul. It’s been hurdled away into
the vortex our bodies have created. Like being sucked into a wormhole and
kicked out into a new universe.
And when we come down, the stars surrounding us suddenly look so dull
and lifeless compared to the ones shining in her eyes.
“I have an extrac on tomorrow. It’s what I’ve been building up to for
months now,” I say, my fingers tracing across her bare back. “It’s going to
be pre y dangerous. I just want you to be aware of that.”
Addie’s head li s, her face much more visible now that we’re in a room
housed in windows. I can see the barest hint of the freckles dus ng her
nose and cheeks, and I want to kiss each and every one of them.
We collapsed a er I fucked us both stupid, and neither of us has felt
inclined to get up since.
“Is it the rituals?”
I nod and tell her all about the night I had. She was aware of the fuckedup
dinner party, and when I tell her it was successful, her face so ens with
relief.
“I can’t wrap my head around people actually doing that. People just
came over and sat at that table as if they were going to eat fucking lobster
tail?”
“Yeah,” I murmur. I bite my lip, a shit-ea ng grin already forming on my
face for what I’m about to tell her. Her head just se led back on my chest
when I say, “The li le girl I saved, Sarah? She asked if I’d be her daddy.”
Addie’s head snaps up so quickly, she comes close to breaking it.
“Careful, this world would be in trouble if you died.”
Her mouth flops. “What did you say?”
I shrug. “I didn’t really get to say anything. She had to leave so I could go
get fake arrested. If I didn’t, Dan and the Society might’ve found the raid
too convenient. Luckily, I was able to play it on a charge that Dan has
go en in the past.”
She blinks. “Would you? Adopt her, I mean?”