The One Who Lived

Chapter Twelve - Vanderbilt's POV

I must admit – seeing Ada in front of a wall, as broken and fucked up as she is inside, was not shocking at all. I knew that there was going to be a time where she would explode and lose everything that she has bottled up inside of her — I just didn't think she would take a wall out with her.

Hawkins had texted me that morning that he was going to tell Ada about him and Anni, so when he texted me, I ignored it at first because I just assumed it was an update. When I read that she was destroying a wall with a sledgehammer, I quickly made my way over there to see how I could help the situation.

I felt terrible for Hawkins because he was ready to tell her and now, he definitely isn't. I also feel terrible for Ada because she unknowingly ruined her chance at knowing the truth about her sister and Hawkins. I want to somehow help their merger, but I don't know if I really can.

I have to admit, the thought of Hawk back in Ada's life scares the shit out of me. I am really not ready to have to share her with him again.

Does that make me a dick?

I look over at Ada as her favorite show ends and she giggles at something Sal has to do has his punishment.

God, I haven't seen that smile in weeks — I missed it.

I have watched the Pearson's in the past two weeks as they have redone a few things in the home — mainly the kitchen — and I have seen them come back together. I have watched a family who should have fallen apart, after what they have been though, come together stronger than even possible.

It makes me wonder why my parents haven't had many struggles, but still can't seem to pull it together like the Pearson's have.

"I am going to go shower." Ada brings me back to her living room as she leans over me. "I will be right back." She promises with a smile before pressing a quick kiss to my lips and disappearing up the stairs.

When I hear her say shower, I have to resist everything inside of me that says to follow her and listen to her in the shower.

She is doing better — I will give her that — but the darkness that she sometimes feels still terrifies me. Ada is good most of the time now, but I am scared of when those bad moments will pop up. I still watch the clock and when it takes her longer than ten minutes to shower, I want to rush in and save her.

It is actually comical that I am listening to her and waiting for the shower to end vs getting in with her like I did with girls before her. It is not that I don't want to do the same with her, but I value her in a completely different way.

Before Ada, girls were just sex. I would use them and lose them, and I wanted them for that sole purpose, but then Ada came back. My brown-haired, blue-eyed girl came waltzing in with all her broken perfection, and it is like everything just kind of clicked. It is like all of a sudden, the only person I want is Ada. The only person I want to have sex with, sleep with, laugh with and fight with is Ada.

Ada isn't just a body or a dumb girl — Ada is the girl.

Ada is my girl.

Before Ada, I swear I dated the dumbest girls.

They were always talking about the newest trends or talking about Instagram posts. Their mindless blabber used to drive me completely insane, but I just dealt with it because I didn't realize what I was missing — that is, until I started falling in love with Ada.

Her favorite thing to do is read books and watch action movies, and watching her do those things has become my favorite thing to do. I love watching her face light up every time she takes in something new. I swear that Ada is a sponge because she soaks everything up, and when she soaks it up, she stores it because she wants to.