Haunting-Adeline
Chapter 18The ManipulatorNKNOWN: You’re so pretty when you sleep.My heart drops when I read the text.UI already knew the fucker was in my house from the rose on mynightstand, but his lack of shame enrages me. I feel the blood rush to mycheeks as fury and embarrassment rise inside of me.I was knocked out cold last night, and I hate that while I was peacefullysleeping, a man was standing over me, watching and just being an allaroundfreak of nature. The thought sends cold shivers down my spine.A er Max crashed our dinner, Daya and I felt considerably on edge—themood soured and ro ed. We combated that feeling by bar-hopping. Wepicked a random drink off the menu for each other, and by the end of thenight, we were both pre y toasted.I tried to avoid thinking about Max the en re night, but his threatsplagued me anyway. Lingering at the back of my mind, there to remind mewhen I had a moment to think.And it hasn’t go en any be er.I spent this whole day trying to write, but I barely managed over athousand words. I’ve long since given up and have retreated to my room towatch mindless TV.ME: You’ll look pretty after I stab you.I don’t even know why I reply to him. I should stop and report this to thepolice. They’ll think I’m antagonizing him.Jesus, I am antagonizing him.But a er Max’s threat, I don’t need any more reason to make himsuspicious by repor ng a stalker. And for the ones I already made a erArch’s disappearance, I hope those went missing too.Never thought I’d wish for my only evidence against my shadow todisappear, but the threat of Max oddly frightens me more.
Maybe I’m kidding myself with a false sense of security with the former.He’s scared the absolute fuck out of me, but he hasn’t seemed inclined tophysically hurt me. In fact, he’s done the exact opposite, and thatknowledge makes me sick.Max, on the other hand, I know would hurt me.UNKNOWN: A gun wasn’t enough for you? Interesting.I drop the phone on my bed, and then my head into my hands. But thenmy head snaps up when I remind myself that the fucker was watching mesleep last night. Which means he got in my house again.All the blood in my cheeks drains like a whirlpool when I realize hecould’ve been in my house before I even went to bed.That’s what he did last me, and I was pre y out of it last night. I know Iread Gigi’s diary for a li le while, but I don’t think I retained a single word Iread.My gaze draws to my closet doors, like a magnet on a refrigerator. It’s alarge closet with two doors that slide apart. My eyes thin, narrowing on theny crack between the two.My body moves on autopilot. I’m scrambling out of my bed and stormingto the closet door before I can think it through. I have no idea what I’d do ifhe’s standing there.Probably shit myself.I tear the doors open and stop short when I’m met with nothing but waytoo many clothes that I don’t wear.There’s nowhere for him to hide in here. It’s not a deep closet andcertainly not big enough to hide a six-foot-too-many-inches man. My handstear through my clothes anyways, searching for him. And even when I’mposi ve he’s not there, I stare harder, swiping my clothes aside withheightening aggression.Get a fucking grip, Addie. It’s like you want him to be there.I sigh and turn away, the adrenaline rush diminishing. There’s nowhereelse in this room for him to hide. As immense as the room is, it’s an openconcept with minimal furniture.Now, I just feel like an idiot.I plop on the bed, crisscrossing my legs as I stare at my phone like it’s amousetrap with a big ass block of cheese in it. Gourmet smoked goudafucking cheese, to be precise.
- 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 182 and 183: She doesn’t know I’m hiding in
- Page 184 and 185: me she gets scared, my li le mouse
- 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
- Page 232 and 233: My world spins as I stumble up the
- Page 234 and 235: And then I climb up on the bed, in
Chapter 18
The Manipulator
NKNOWN: You’re so pretty when you sleep.
My heart drops when I read the text.
U
I already knew the fucker was in my house from the rose on my
nightstand, but his lack of shame enrages me. I feel the blood rush to my
cheeks as fury and embarrassment rise inside of me.
I was knocked out cold last night, and I hate that while I was peacefully
sleeping, a man was standing over me, watching and just being an allaround
freak of nature. The thought sends cold shivers down my spine.
A er Max crashed our dinner, Daya and I felt considerably on edge—the
mood soured and ro ed. We combated that feeling by bar-hopping. We
picked a random drink off the menu for each other, and by the end of the
night, we were both pre y toasted.
I tried to avoid thinking about Max the en re night, but his threats
plagued me anyway. Lingering at the back of my mind, there to remind me
when I had a moment to think.
And it hasn’t go en any be er.
I spent this whole day trying to write, but I barely managed over a
thousand words. I’ve long since given up and have retreated to my room to
watch mindless TV.
ME: You’ll look pretty after I stab you.
I don’t even know why I reply to him. I should stop and report this to the
police. They’ll think I’m antagonizing him.
Jesus, I am antagonizing him.
But a er Max’s threat, I don’t need any more reason to make him
suspicious by repor ng a stalker. And for the ones I already made a er
Arch’s disappearance, I hope those went missing too.
Never thought I’d wish for my only evidence against my shadow to
disappear, but the threat of Max oddly frightens me more.
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