Page 106 of Unholy Obsession

Eventually, we end up at a cafe. She orders something absurdly sweet, I get black coffee, and she insists on getting us pastries shaped like bears.

I refuse.

She gets me one anyway.

“Bite it angrily,” she demands, holding up her phone.

“Why?”

“Formemes.”

I give her a flat look.

“For science, Bane. For art. Forthe people.”

Seeing as I’ve long since accepted my fate as the subject of her ridiculous whims, I take an unnecessarily aggressive bite.

She shudders. “Hot.”

I exhale through my nose, shaking my head. All I feel in this moment is… content.

More than that, actually. Watching her like this, vibrant and alive, I feel something closer to reverence. I was alone in a boring, petty, cruel world.

And then cameher.

She drags me to a movie, where she proceeds to whisper her commentary at me the entire time.

“This guy wouldnotlast five minutes with you.”

“That’s because he’s an idiot.”

Moira makes a noise so obscene people turn to look. “God, Iloveit when you say mean things.”

At some point, I cover her mouth with my hand. She licks my palm. I don’t react. She pouts.

By the time the credits roll, she’s already plotting our next stop. We grab something easy for dinner and walk back home in the dark, her arm looped through mine, chattering about everything and nothing.

I half expect her to run out of steam now.

Sometimes, after days like this, the energy fizzles out, and she crashes. But not tonight. She just keepsgoing, her hand squeezing my arm every so often like she needs to keep checking that I’m here.

Like she still can’t quite believe Ichooseto be.

We get home, and she drops dramatically onto the couch. “Carry me to bed.”

“No.”

“But I’mweakandfragile, Bane!”

I raise a brow. “You just spent the entire day dragging me all over the place.”

She squints. “Your point?”

I roll my eyes and bend to pick her up. She makes a delighted noise and wraps herself around me.

“I win,” she sings as I carry her to our bed.

She does.

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