Page 58 of Reclaiming Adelaide

My brain couldn’t handle the paranoia. I walked towards her, my chest aching to take away her pain and fear.

I’d done that to her, and it sucked even though I’d justified my actions a million times.

Had I gone too far?

I kneeled before her and placed my hands on her shoulders, then rubbed my fingers against the grooves of her spine.

“Don’t touch me,” she said, her voice muffled as she pressed tighter between her knees.

“I’m…”How did I become the bad guy here?“I’m sorry, sweets.”

She sniffed but kept her head down, her thumb still caressing her tattoo.

“Why did you get that?” I asked, my curiosity eating me up inside.

She sniffed again and sat up slightly. Grabbing a tissue out of her pocket, she wiped her nose. “I wanted something to remind me of you.”

A trophy… or was it something more?

“Why?”

“Because I love you, Jake. Even if I never get to hear you say it back, I wanted something that reminded me of a time you thought I was worth fighting for.”

My heart stuck in my chest like my blood turned into sludgy mud.

“You don’t love me.”

Her hand covered mine that had slid from her back and landed on her knee when she sat. She lifted my hand and placed it on her chest.

“There’snothingin the world that I wouldn’t do for you. If only you’d justlistento me.”

I pulled my hand from hers, my mind at war with itself, and closed my eyes, exhaling through my nose.

“Okay.”

She wiped her tears as I sat in the seat across from her.

“Okay?”

“Tell me your side.”

Her teary eyes burned a fiery red from irritation. “Jake, I—“

“Excuse me, sir. We will be landing soon,” Prudy said as the seatbelt sign illuminated again.

Not that I ever paid attention to it unless we flew through a storm.

Prudy walked towards my sister, who went back to her seat and read some self-help book.

“I joined Cryptonic when I was sixteen, nearing seventeen.”

“The hacker’s group you used to get into my company.”

She nodded. “Yes.” Adelaide tucked her tissue back into her pocket and buckled her seatbelt. “We started doing odds and ends jobs here and there. Nothing serious.”

I held my hand up and crossed my ankle over my knee. “I don’t want to hear about the beginning of your stupid little group. Just tell me when all ofthisstarted.“ I gestured between us both.

Turbulence struck, bouncing us in place, and her nails dug into the leather armrests.

---