Hunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse, #2)

by H.D. Carlton

I wonder if he sees me differently, too, and if he’ll be able to let go of who I used to be and love the person I’ve become.

I hope she’s suffering from the loss of me as much as I am her.

The man who’s borne so much strength, a pillar of stone despite the ruthless attempts made to knock him down. But the thing is, stone still crumbles. It still breaks and chips and cracks. Even when it’s left standing, there will always be missing pieces.

And now, I’m left with a pile of broken pieces in my hands where my heart is supposed to be, and I don’t know how to mend it without cutting myself deeper.

"I may own every breath in your body, but make no mistake, Adeline, you own mine, too. I am yours to command. To bend and break. To mold and manipulate. Do you think that makes me weak? Or do you think I'm strong enough to admit that even though my body can physically live on without you, I would never get my fucking soul back?” His hand slides into my hair and fists the strands tightly. "Without you, I will shatter. But with you, I am indestructible."

“I’ve seen the woman who could hardly stand to be in her own skin, and the woman comfortable in a gothic mansion, at home with herself and the ghosts that haunt her. I loved both versions of you, and I love who you are now—someone full of both strength and vulnerability. Yet still, you carry fire in your heart, and that will never fucking change. They will never take that from you, Adeline.”

Scars only serve as reminders of what we’ve survived, not what killed us.