“Can you imagine what it would feel like to have my love for that long?” She swallows, her eyes pinned on the water beyond the cliff as a shaky breath loosens past her lips. “Do you know what it sounds like to drown? That’s what it would feel like,” she says, her voice husky and uneven. “Tell me, baby. What does drowning sound like?” “Like the first breath of air after being trapped underwater. It's a sound of both pain and relief. Of desperation and desire. When you’ve gone so long without oxygen, that first breath is the only thing that makes sense, and your body takes it in without permission.” “Isn’t it the most exquisitely painful thing you’ve ever felt?” I jerk her head closer, wringing another gasp that skitters across my lips. “You’re mine, Adeline,” I growl. “I don’t care if we're reincarnated or not. Here and now, this is fucking real. And in this lifetime, you are mine.” I let her go, and she doesn’t waste time scrambling up and plastering herself against the house, her hands gripping the siding as if I had shaken her world, and she’s grasping for something to ground her. I can feel the intensity radiating off of me. The buzzing has grown louder, and I’m not sure whether I need to fuck Addie or go shoot someone in the face. “Are you okay?” she asks quietly, sensing the turmoil raging inside of me. I look over to her, and it seems as if she shrinks beneath my gaze. It’s not until I notice the tremor in her hands that I realize I’m glaring. “Fuck,” I say, swiping a hand roughly down my face. The raised scars only serve as a reminder. “I’m sorry, mouse. I got shitty news this morning. I keep getting shitty news.” She frowns, a crease forming between her brows. She clears her throat, draws the robe closed, and cautiously steps back towards me, fidgeting with the belt again. Brave girl. Her awkwardness almost makes me smile, but I feel a little too empty to do anything other than stare. “Do you want to talk about it?” she finally asks, glancing up at me before she reaches for her coffee. “Do you want to hear about it?” I counter, cocking a brow. A red flush rises to her cheeks, but she lifts her eyes and holds them steady. ese This time, it’s me who looks away. “That involves hearing about what I do for a living. Which is kill people.” She releases a shaky breath, but instead of retreating as I had expected, she nods her head. “Okay.”