Haunting-Adeline
She doesn’t know I’m hiding in her closet. Wai ng for her to fall asleepso I can stare at her beauty in peace.Right now, she fears me. Righ ully so.I’m a dangerous man, and I kill people daily. Not only that, but I enjoy ittoo.She should fear me, but only because once she ul mately submits tome, she’ll have no chance of escaping me.She’s already started to and hasn’t even realized it yet.I’ve never been in love with anything other than my job. I haven’t evenbothered fucking a woman for over a year. I just don’t have me. Theywere always a quick fuck, and then I’d be off again, the release rarelyeasing any tension.A er dealing with enough tears and desperate a empts to get me tostay with them, I grew red of the hassle.The moment I saw her si ng in that bookstore, working to hide hernerves and anxiety, there I was—a grown-ass man, falling in obsession atfirst sight.And now, I feel like a fi een-year-old boy who just discovered whatpussy feels like. Every me I set eyes on her, I’m ready to bust in my jeansjust from looking at her.I want to touch her, kiss her, and make her mine in every sense of theword. Marking her body wasn’t enough. But I get the feeling I will neverfeel like I’ve had enough of Adeline Seraphina Reilly. At least on paper.And I have no fucking shame. I never claimed to be a good man.She slides into her bed, curls up under the duvet, and picks up an oldleather book.Her great-grandmother’s diary.A er Addie had le one day to run errands or some shit, I flippedthrough the pages.Her great-grandmother also had a stalker. It made me smile when Irealized history was repea ng itself.Addie flips through the diary for an hour, her face pinched with anunreadable emo on as she inhales Gigi’s deepest, darkest secrets. It lookslike she’s searching for answers, and the only thing that will give her clarityis her great-grandmother’s words.
Part of her looks disturbed by the diaries. But a bigger part of her seemsfascinated. Enthralled. Like she’s trying to picture falling in love with herstalker, and the thought both excites her and makes her deeplyuncomfortable.I want to laugh at that. Because that’s exactly what’s going to fuckinghappen.I’m going to make her fall in love with every single fucked up part of me.I want this girl to see me at my most depraved. I want her to experiencethe true darkness residing in my soul.When you make someone fall in love with the darkest parts of you,there’s nothing you can do that will scare them away.They will be yours forever because they already love all the fucked upbits and pieces of you.Her eyes start to droop, her head lolls, and the diary begins to slip fromher black-painted fingers.She jolts awake, her eyes rounding before she se les down. I bite my lip,too many feelings invading my chest.Giving up pretenses, she snaps the journal shut, slides it on hernightstand and clicks off the light. Instantly, the room goes black. Themoonlight filtering through the balcony doors casts shadows across theroom, crea ng monsters out of wooden furniture.The only real monster in this house is me.Once her breathing deepens, I slowly slide the closet door open and waitin the shadows, making sure she hasn’t awoken.Just as I go to take a step, a burst of ice blooms across the back of myneck. Goosebumps rise on my skin as I turn my head and look around inthe closet, figh ng against the urge to cha er my teeth.It’s an unnatural cold, and it’s not the first me I’ve felt it. But whateveris breathing down my neck isn’t going to deter me. I feel its eyes on me,and I hope I meet its stare so it can see I’m not the least bit afraid.Seeing nothing, I turn and step out into the room. The chill recedes as Imake my way over to her bed. I’m tempted to brush her hair away fromher face, but I know it’ll wake her.She senses danger easily, and I know she’s going to catch me soon.A large part of me wants her to. There’s a depravity in my mind thatenjoys seeing her scared. I want to see her scream because I know every
- Page 131 and 132: ones aren’t iden fiable. I imagin
- Page 133 and 134: But no one is there, despite the pe
- Page 135: The video restarts. I snarl, the cr
- Page 138 and 139: Rushing over, I grab the swinging s
- Page 140 and 141: Switching to the other note, it tak
- Page 142 and 143: I li my hand and flip him the bird.
- Page 144 and 145: It’s not un l a er I take a hot s
- Page 146 and 147: in the world to happen—my body is
- Page 149 and 150: Chapter 14The Manipulatoraya put so
- Page 151 and 152: They treat it like a concert to avo
- Page 153 and 154: release a shaky breath.I have a cho
- Page 156 and 157: Chapter 15The Manipulator’m compl
- Page 158 and 159: I gasp, my eyes widening and snappi
- Page 160 and 161: “Mm,” he growls in delight. “
- Page 162 and 163: the hallway I came from.I bolt thro
- Page 164 and 165: the balls for it, but I couldn’t
- Page 166: Above him, the stars are twinkling
- Page 169 and 170: “Do you know what these mean?”
- Page 171 and 172: seeing. What I’m feeling.Slowly,
- Page 173 and 174: rips through me.I’m screaming. I
- Page 175 and 176: I can never let Daya see those mark
- Page 177 and 178: “No,” I say finally, refraining
- Page 179: “They’re going to be a problem,
- Page 184 and 185: me she gets scared, my li le mouse
- Page 186 and 187: Chapter 18The ManipulatorNKNOWN: Yo
- Page 188 and 189: The phone lights up with an incomin
- Page 190 and 191: As if I wasn’t already burning up
- Page 192 and 193: “Fuck. Off!” I shout, enuncia n
- Page 194 and 195: But the tape doesn’t mask the sou
- Page 196 and 197: Gently, he scrapes his teeth over t
- Page 198 and 199: My eyes close against the sensa on,
- Page 200 and 201: Being consumed by him feels like dr
- Page 203 and 204: Chapter 19The Shadowdon’t regret
- Page 205 and 206: Sighing again, I pluck the pack of
- Page 207 and 208: Addie’s great-grandmother could
- Page 209 and 210: She snorts. “You really think I
- Page 211 and 212: are ever taken seriously anyways, w
- Page 213 and 214: Immediately, he dives for cover, pu
- Page 215 and 216: exactly alike when laid on their de
- Page 217 and 218: I enter into what looks like a foye
- Page 219 and 220: While Mark was burning his cigar on
- Page 221 and 222: Addie won’t ever have to worry ab
- Page 223 and 224: wary, and then resigned. Tears line
- Page 226 and 227: Chapter 21The Manipulator’m stewi
- Page 228 and 229: about the gun incident. I don’t t
- Page 230 and 231: Maybe I just want to be able to say
Part of her looks disturbed by the diaries. But a bigger part of her seems
fascinated. Enthralled. Like she’s trying to picture falling in love with her
stalker, and the thought both excites her and makes her deeply
uncomfortable.
I want to laugh at that. Because that’s exactly what’s going to fucking
happen.
I’m going to make her fall in love with every single fucked up part of me.
I want this girl to see me at my most depraved. I want her to experience
the true darkness residing in my soul.
When you make someone fall in love with the darkest parts of you,
there’s nothing you can do that will scare them away.
They will be yours forever because they already love all the fucked up
bits and pieces of you.
Her eyes start to droop, her head lolls, and the diary begins to slip from
her black-painted fingers.
She jolts awake, her eyes rounding before she se les down. I bite my lip,
too many feelings invading my chest.
Giving up pretenses, she snaps the journal shut, slides it on her
nightstand and clicks off the light. Instantly, the room goes black. The
moonlight filtering through the balcony doors casts shadows across the
room, crea ng monsters out of wooden furniture.
The only real monster in this house is me.
Once her breathing deepens, I slowly slide the closet door open and wait
in the shadows, making sure she hasn’t awoken.
Just as I go to take a step, a burst of ice blooms across the back of my
neck. Goosebumps rise on my skin as I turn my head and look around in
the closet, figh ng against the urge to cha er my teeth.
It’s an unnatural cold, and it’s not the first me I’ve felt it. But whatever
is breathing down my neck isn’t going to deter me. I feel its eyes on me,
and I hope I meet its stare so it can see I’m not the least bit afraid.
Seeing nothing, I turn and step out into the room. The chill recedes as I
make my way over to her bed. I’m tempted to brush her hair away from
her face, but I know it’ll wake her.
She senses danger easily, and I know she’s going to catch me soon.
A large part of me wants her to. There’s a depravity in my mind that
enjoys seeing her scared. I want to see her scream because I know every
Change language